CarPro is a proven name in the ceramic coating industry. A 9H in a pencil hardness test demonstrates about the same surface hardness as the copper penny on the Moh scale, and while that's not diamond grade, it's still pretty darn hard. A: If you just bought a brand new car, it probably isn't ceramic coated unless you specifically paid for this service during purchase. You can buy a DIY ceramic coating kit for between $20 and $100. Based on our research, a professional ceramic coating can cost between $1,000 and $2,000. Siramic Detail is here to make everything crystal clear without all of the marketing tricks and gimmicks. About a month after application, all the ceramic coatings were still repelling water. Most people say that they've applied a "ceramic coat" when in reality they're just using a ceramic spray, an SiO2 product. The super high solids content found in Holy Grail Ceramics is why we recommend HGC to most of our clients. When applied properly, SiO2 interacts with the clear coat and forms a covalent bond with the paint creating an additional layer of protection that adds a few microns of thickness per layer. As of now (one month after application), the coating holds up. Also known as Glass coating or ceramic clear coating. I chose products from well-known car care companies with a reputation for consistent quality. If your overriding goal is preventing rock chips or road rash, better look past ceramic coating. Every ceramic coating also has polymers (more conventional bonding chemicals), glossing agents, curing compounds and or other ingredients. If you're not willing to accept that risk, we suggest at least starting with one of our relatively inexpensive best ceramic sprays. While the best ceramic coats provide a new car look, they are not something an amateur can apply easily. When creating this list, I wanted to find ceramic coatings that the average vehicle owner could afford and use on their own. The only options are looking at the mess every time you get in your car for years, or heading to a good detail or body shop, where a pro-skill polisher might get it off without wrecking the paint. Over-the-counter ceramic coatings are, obviously, intended for use by DIY auto detailers. There is never a time, in my opinion, where you would use both a coating and a wax, says Clark Webster, an auto detailing expert with over a decade of experience. SiO2 Coatings all serve the same purpose protect the paint. Those substances that do settle are much more easily removed. We assure you you'll have to do it less often, but dirt, road salt and other appearance-marring substances will eventually build up on the ceramic. These products are industrial-grade chemicals. It's usually the result of too much product applied in too big an area for the workable set time and is an uneven mess of ridges and cloudy high spots on the paint that is really, really hard to get off. I don't like ceramic coatings on my daily driver (mostly because I like detailing it often and trying out different products on it . In my opinion, TW Hybrid Ceramic Spray is by far the best sealant in that price range. We do not, however, recommend installing them due to the lack of research done and scientific proof available to verify their performance and lifespan. The 'happy spot' for DIY ceramic coatings is slightly below 86% SiO2. It's really hard to mess this stuff up. Quartz (also called ceramic, glass, or silicon dioxide) coatings are designed to be harder than traditional clearcoats to provide more durability. We recommend theCarPro CQuartz ceramic coating kit for any detailer keen on a professional look without the high price tag. It has been the mainstay of Opti-Coat since the companys start and more companies are adopting the SiC resins lately. . SiO2 coatings typically provide a slicker surface and deeper/richer color than other coatings. We then have our network of experts share their thoughts on the selected coatings. Car care manufacturers make sure there's something for everyone. Why? SiO2 coatings, sometimes known as glass, or quartz coatings, consist of nano particles of Silicon Dioxide suspended in a hard resin to repel contamination and increase shine. Properly done, they'll work better and last longer. Return Policy, Ceramic Pro to revolutionize the automotive industry with the launch of the new products that, Ceramic coatings for cars are an excellent choice if you're looking for a way to, One of the most common questions our Ceramic Pro Elite Dealers get from customers is. That would be a whole lot more silicon dioxide in the formula and silicon dioxides are what thatch the coating molecules together and bond the ceramic to your paint. SiO2 coatings provide a very distinct and highly-desired 'wet' look, and require minimal maintenance. If there are any detractors of using the best ceramic coats, it would be that they are expensive, more difficult to apply than a car wax, and if applied improperly difficult to remove. In this report we'll focus on the paint, though some products will work on all of the above. The Drives Gear About page explains this methodology further. We've known consumer-grade ceramic liquids that have lasted close to five years before their hydrophobic properties start to diminish. Reasons you may want to add ceramic car coating to your detailing arsenal include: Longer-lasting than car wax: While waxing gives your car a beautiful glow, it only lasts three to six months. Definitely wear gloves (many kits include them); it's not a bad idea to wear a long-sleeve shirt, too. Liquid contact usually requires at least 24 hours, though it can take up to seven days. Lets start with graphene. The general rules are the same: Use it in the best conditions you can create, use less than you might think you need and work small. An ambient temperature of about 70 F is ideal; your specific product's instructions will give you a range of acceptable application temps. That's when you buff with a microfiber towel. This ceramic coatings application process is simple, requiring only two sprays, a wipedown with a microfiber towel, and a 24-hour cure time. The richness and depth of color they provide draws more attention to the beauty of the vehicle. It is made with SiO2 to help form a hydrophobic coating and give your car a glossy shine. The overall performance and price of the product is at least as important as the amount of silicon dioxide. Each year, we test over 350 auto products on vehicles and in our testing lab. A properly applied ceramic coating can last for years. Generally, the most protective and durable ceramic coatings are the most difficult or time consuming to apply and the trickiest. Washing will be easier than ever:You won't have to wash your vehicle as often as you did before the ceramic coating and you shouldn't need strong detergents. The State of Ceramic Coatings in 2022. This is another spray. So what's not to like? The SiO2 (silicon dioxide) ceramic coating is the most well known and widely used version of ceramic coating. These coatings typically last much longer than a typical wax coating. Each brand will vary in its active chemical concentration and resin formula which can affect lifespan and performance from brand to brand. It achieves a hardness of up to 9H (highest verifiable rating) on the hardness scale. Wrap will get you closer to proofing your car from scratches, rock chips or road rash than any ceramic coating can. Do not apply in direct sunlight, or to paint that's hot to the touch. You spray it on an applicator pad, spread it evenly, let it set about five minutes and buff it lightly with a microfiber towel. Thanks to the viscosity of the sprays, which sometimes include lubricants, and to the way they set up, they're loads more forgiving than most liquids. At Siramic Detail we have access to any of the coatings mentioned above. Conventional carnauba or poly waxes typically need to be applied every three or four months. The good news, beyond the fact that you'll wash it less, is that your ceramic coated vehicle should be much easier to wash than it was before the ceramic coating: generally no repeated rubbing back and forth over sticky, embedded stuff (which is another reason ceramic can keep swirl marks to a minimum) and usually more like a wipe and rinse. CMX Surface Prep is pH neutral and biodegradable, and it strips oil, grease, wax and other chemical residue without harming the paint-as easily as cleaning the windows. They can make washing easier, prevent water spots, and protect your paint's finish. They must also maximize shine and make application consistent, if not necessarily easy. So every single time you get a line or swirl in the coating, your coating becomes thinner, reducing its ability to self-heal and thinning the protection layer in the surrounding area. It's always worth it, even on a beater with decent paint. Always towel dry. A high-quality ceramic car coating can change the look of your car by deepening your cars paint color, adding a glass-like finish, and protecting your vehicle from the elements. The range of ceramic coating products is broad and the required work varies, but the look and protective benefits for your car are always worth it. Ethos Ceramic Wax - Aerospace Coating Protection | Ceramic Polish and Top Ceramic Coat | Ceramic Car Coating | Slick, Hydrophobic Finish 3,207. Even the most modestly priced, easiest-to-apply ceramics should outperform comparably priced conventional waxes when it comes to protection and longevity. Well also explore how ceramic car coatings work, the pros and cons of using one, and what to look for in high-quality ceramic coating products. Ceramic car coatings protect your cars clear coat from environmental damage and UV rays, so, yes, they are good for your car. Yet it fully cures in only 60 minutes, so you can take a blast by the time you clean up. A simple spray and wipe formula will be less than $20. Professional detailers and some car geeks know that shines can be different like the deep, mellow, lusty shine of perfectly applied, old-school carnauba wax or the more aggressive, wet-look shine of subsequent polymer sealants. It's the best, most durable way to protect your vehicle's finish, short of a full transparent film wrap, and its hydrophobic (water sheeting) properties make cleaning much, much easier. Both perform similar functions. Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating, Chemical Guys HydroSlick SiO2 Ceramic Coating, Best Overall: Griot's Garage 10978 3-in-1 Ceramic Wax, Best Budget: Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating, Honorable Mention: Chemical Guys HydroSlick SiO2 Ceramic Coating, Best Long Lasting: Adam's UV Ceramic Paint Coating Kit 9H, Best Silicone: Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating, Best Wax Hybrid: Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax. If you do not have experience with these types of products and chemicals, you risk a lot by attempting to DIY them. The shine is noticeable but not the best of the products we tested. Or you can build layers during a single-day session, if you want even longer protection. Cost-effective way to enhance your car: On average, ceramic car coating products range from $15 to $25. Maybe you pay the pros for a limited wrap (say the front fascia, door sills and rear fender bulges) and put ceramic on everything including the wrap yourself. Consumer-grade ceramic products typically last between six months and a year, depending on driving conditions and care taken during washing. In many ways, our experience with Shine Armor was nearly identical to Epic Elements Protect. It will pay big in the final results. It also has iO2 infusion. Somewhere in or under your automobile, there's almost certainly some ceramic coating. It never hurts to have extra application clothes. "I'd say on average, our prep is four to five hours," says Lifter, whose Motor City Auto Spa has been doing ceramic since the early days (ed. This includes: While applying the CQuartz protective coating is more involved than other products, the process isnt overly difficult. Rather, the ratings for ceramic coatings will be based on the Wolff-Wilborn Pencil Hardness Test. You can do like 5-6 cars with on bottle. It won't do much about existing swirl marks or scratches, but it will leave a chemically spotless foundation that helps ensure maximum bonding for the ceramic coating that follows. Super-hydrophobic, SIO2 formula delivers insane water beading and chemical resistance for up to one year. We found the shine to be nice but not any more noticeable than other ceramic coatings. This fills in microscopic pits and grooves in your paint leaving a . Weve given each product a superlative to help direct you to the product best suited for your car detailing projects. The fewer particles on your car, the less time it takes to clean. While it doesnt last as long as professional jobs and pricier products, Turtle Wax is inexpensive. This allows you to see the car, not just the reflection. Self healing coatings apply and adhere similarly to SiO2 coatings and provide the mirror finish of SiC coatings. For more information on our testing methodology and how we evaluate every product, check out our. This is cost-prohibitive to producing full strength graphene coatings. It is guaranteed to extend the protection of your coated car for quite some time. That said, you can also apply a graphene coating on top of a ceramic coat. With regard to the percentage, professional coatings typically have a SiO2 percentage close to 90% and are very difficult to apply. Again, work in a shaded area, then mist the panel with a few sprays of Radiant. Eventually, you'll have to get the coating redone. While you sacrifice longevity and durability, they are much more user-friendly. Rank #1: Torque Detail Ceramic Shine. Is there anything better than a ceramic coating? You can use it on the car's paint, windows, glass coating, and headlights to protect it from the environment. Remember the first fundamental rule of all ceramic coatings: Surface or paint preparation matters at least as much as the coating itself. Only consider these if you are willing to take the time to follow the steps. Both can extend the life of the coating itself. The ceramic spray coating is extremely popular, featuring a SiO2 and TiO2 blend, offering long-term protection on your car's surface along with relentless water beading. Its over-the-counter ceramic for vehicles is applied in two stages: one liquid, one spray. Ceramic coating owes the bulk of its efficacy to nanoparticles within the paint sealant. All rights reserved. The eight-ounce bottle is enough for four or five mid-size cars. 10K views 2 years ago Ceramic vs. SiO2: Ceramic has been the buzz word in auto detailing over the past couple of years, but what does the word actually mean? When this happens, the area surfing the line or swim becomes thinner. The customer consensus is that this is an easy-to-apply ceramic coating with decent results. Ceramic coatings are sometimes rated with a number before the letter H like 8H or 9H. Listen to the hype about ceramic auto paint coatings and you might get the idea that a ceramic top coat will protect your vehicle from falling tree limbs. Learn More. Chemical Guys HydroSlick SiO2 Ceramic Coating, Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating. Consumer-grade ceramics can cost in excess of $100 for top-grade durability and performance and can be tricky to apply. While most manufacturers keep their exact formula proprietary, their products must do more than protect. When testing is not feasible, however, our aim is to make your life easier by doing all the online research for you and presenting that research in the form of easy-to-read product comparisons and buyers guides, rather than outright recommendations. And require minimal maintenance to one year 90 % and are very difficult to.. 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