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There are a huge range of products available for protecting your car’s paintwork but which wax is the best and why? We take a look at the best waxes on the market and break down the differences between them.
A wax is primarily designed to protect the paintwork of your car from the elements. By the elements, we mean harmful UV rays, road grime, dirt and mud, road salts etc. Not only does a wax protect from these, but it’ll also enhance the appearance of your car adding a level of gloss and shine.
1. Bilt-Hamber Double Speed Wax
The excellent Bilt-Hamber Double Speed Wax takes our crown and top spot. Double Speed Wax is simply an exceptional all rounder which delivers stunning results at an incredibly affordable price. Value for money with this wax is utterly astounding and you’ll be left scratching your head as to how it’s possible.
It’s remarkably easy to apply and remove which we think is a really important point for any wax. It’s not a fun experience removing paste waxes which have bonded to the paintwork like cement and believe us, there are plenty that do that.
Bilt-Hamber Double Speed Wax produces deep rich glossy, highly water repellent and detergent resistant film due to it’s use of Carnauba. As with any wax, longevity and durablity is really important and impressively, DSW remains intact after repeated detergent washing.
It’s supplied in a 250ml tin and includes an applicator pad and microfiber cloth. We really like the inclusion of the applicator pad and microfiber cloth, it gives you everything needed to get the job done in one hit and at the modest price point of Double Speed Wax it’s a really nice touch.
The key features of Bilt-Hamber Double Speed Wax are;
- Supplied in a 250ml tin along with applicator pad and microfiber cloth
- Winner of ‘Best Car Wax 2018’ from Auto Express magazine
- Protects paintwork
- Great durability
- Easy to apply and remove formula
2. Collinite 476s Super Doublecoat Auto Wax
Do not let the basic looking packaging put you off, Collinite 476s is a simply stunning wax. It’s completely detergent proof and offers heavy-duty protection. Collinite claim it’ll last for up to 12 months from one single application, that’s seriously impressive for a paste wax. With that level of durability, you’d expect the trade off to be a distinct lack of shine. Incorrect, Collinite 476s can produce shine and gloss levels that you’d expect from something twice the price.
It’s supplied in a 266ml tin and is to be used extremely sparingly meaning one tin will last a lifetime, unprecedented levels of value of money.
It’s really easy to work with but do take caution to not apply too much wax, it can be a little difficult to applied too heavily.
Collinite 476s Super Doublecoat Auto Wax delivers stunning results and an extremely respectable price point, you really can’t go wrong.
The key features of Collinite 476s Super Doublecoat Auto Wax are;
- Supplied in a 266ml tin
- Up to 12 months of protection
- Protects paintwork
- Deep gloss and shine levels
- Easy to work with
- Incredible water repellency and beading properties
3. Autoglym Ultra High Definition Wax
Armed with not one but two royal warrants, Autoglym certainly know what they’re doing when it comes to producing car care products. Ultra High Definition Wax is an extremely capable wax which features the use of premium, finest ingredients to produce the ultimate mirror-like shine. As with Bilt-Hamber Double Speed Wax, Autoglym UHD wax contains refined organic Carnauba wax for a better than showroom shine.
It’s supplied in a 120 gram pot and includes an applicator pad and a Hi-Tech microfiber cloth. It’s extremely easy to work with and apply, simply load up the included applicator pad and apply to the car panel in a circular motion ensuring to cover the entire panel. Leave to cure to a haze for 10-15 minutes and buff off with the included microfiber cloth to reveal a deep shine.
Autoglym claim an impressive durability period of 6 months plus which means one pot of wax will last an extraordinaly long period of time.
UHD wax is extremely easy to work with and delivers great results with limited effort.
The key features of Autoglym Ultra High Definition Wax are;
- Supplied in a 120g pot and includes an ergonomic applicator pad and hi-tech microfiber cloth
- Protects paintwork
- Easy to use and remove
- 6 months + durability
- Great water beading properties
4. Soft99 Fusso Coat
Whilst you might not be familiar with Soft99 Fusso Coat, rest assured, it’s an outstanding wax which delivers almost science defying results. Designed and made in Japan, Fusso coat delivers an astonishing 12 months worth of protection. That length of durability is relatively unheard of in a paste wax and is an extremely impressive figure.
Soft99 Fusso coat contains PTFE which creates a solvent like smell which is slightly dissapointing in comparison to some rival waxes which have a much nicer smell. This however isn’t the end of the world and the results that Fusso coat generates more than make up for the solvent like smell.
Available in two different guises, one for dark coloured cars and one for light coloured cars, both deliver stunning results. The water repellency and beading that Fusso soft coat creates are nothing short of astonishing. Once applied, water simply jumps off the surface in a manner which you’d normally assosciate with a ceramic coating.
It’s easy to apply but be careful not to apply too much as it can be difficult to remove if too much is applied.
The key features of Soft99 Fusso Coat are;
- 12 months protection
- Protects paint from UV rays
- Easy to apply
- Applicator sponge included
- Supplied in a 200ml tin
- Creates a deep shine
Soft 99 Fusso Soft Coat for Dark Coloured Cars
Soft 99 Fusso Soft Coat for Light Coloured Cars
5. Harly Car Wax
Never heard of Harly wax? Whilst it may sport basic and underwhelming packaging, it’s an extremely impressive wax. Made and developed in California USA, Harly wax is an extremely capable and versatile wax.
It’s supplied in a 400ml and contains a good quality free applicator pad to get going with. Suitable for all paint work finishes, Harly wax produces stunning glossy results whilst imparting a hydrophobic coating which will repel water and debris beautifully.
It’s extremely easy to work with and can be used sparingly for great results.
The key features of Harly wax are;
- Supplied in a 400ml tin
- Includes a free applicator pad
- Easy to apply and remove
- Extremely glossy results
- Protects paintwork
What Are The Benefits Of Using Car Wax?
Regularly applying wax to your car has a whole host of benefits, let’s take a look at the most obvious ones;
Protection against UV rays – Arguably the biggest benefit of using wax is protection from harmful UV rays. UV rays can cause lots of damage to the clearcoat layer of paintwork on a car. When a car is painted at the factory, it has a base colour applied (the actual colour of the car) and then a clear, protective layer called clearcoat is applied on top of that. The clearcoat is what makes a car’s paintwork shiny and as the name suggests, it’s completely clear. It’s really important to keep the clearcoat protected, that’s exactly what a wax does.
Have you ever noticed an extremely faded and dull red car? It’s become dull and faded because it’s been exposed to harmful UV rays without any protection applied to the clearcoat for a prolonged period of time.
Increased shine and gloss – Aside from adding protection to your paintwork, a good quality wax will also add an increased level of shine and gloss to your car. There’s no better feeling than standing back and admiring the shine and reflections after waxing your car. Everybody loves a clean, shiny car, right?
Additional resale value – One of the biggest contributing factors to poor resale value’s for a car is it’s overall condition. It’s really important to ensure that your car’s paintwork is maintained and looked after properly and regularly, failure to do so often results in a drastic reduction in resale value. Regularly waxing your car and keeping the paintwork in good condition will result in your car being worth more when you decide to part company with it.
Reduce freqeuncy of car washes – A good quality car wax will actively repel water, dirt and grime which will mean that you’ll have to wash your car less often. Whilst it’s still really important to wash your car regularly, you’ll definitely need to wash it less once it’s been protected with a good quality wax. It’s easy to spot a car which has a wax applied to it, rainwater will simply run off the panels and form a nice beading effect. By contrast, an unprotected car will simply have all the water sat on top of the paintwork like a large piece of film.
How Often Should I Wax My Car?
This very much depends on the wax that you’re using. Some waxes will only last for a short period of time such as 6-8 weeks, after this period of time they’ll stop protecting the paintwork and will need to be re-applied. Some waxes such as Soft99 Fusso Coat will last anywhere up to 12 months. That said, even using a wax such as Fusso, we would advise applying a wax a minimum of twice per year.
If you live in an area with lots of sunshine, you may want to apply a wax every few months to ensure maximum protection from UV rays. As discussed earlier, UV rays can severaly damage paintwork and be extremely expensive to fix. The same also goes if you live in an area of heavy rain, the wax will provide protection from road grime etc.
Car Wax FAQ’s
Q. Where should I store the wax?
A. Car wax should always be stored in a cool, dry place. Try to avoid storing the wax in direct sunlight and equally, try to avoid storing it in a location where it’s going to be exposed to extreme cold freezing temperatures.
Q. What’s the difference between wax and polish?
A. This is a really common question and one that’s often incorrectly understood. Car polish and wax are two completely different products which are designed to achieve very different results. A car polish is designed to remove imperfections in the paintwork such as scratches, swirl marks etc and attempt to correct the paintwork. A polish is abrasive meaning that it has cutting properties, the polish will actively cut away a very very thin layer of the car’s protective clearcoat to remove any defects.
A wax is designed to then sit on top of the paintwork and add a layer of protection to the clearcoat and also add an increased layer of shine and gloss.
Remember this one simple rule – ALWAYS polish BEFORE wax. Never apply a polish after a wax, doing so will remove the wax and undo all your hardwork and also leave the paintwork unprotected.
Q. Can I apply a wax without polishing first?
A. Yes, you can apply a wax without polishing the car first. Bare in mind though that the wax may not bond to the paint as well as it would do if it were polished first and therefore the wax may not perform as well as it should. Eitherway, adding a layer of wax to your car either with or without polishing first is going to protect the paint and be beneficial.
Q. How long will it take to apply a coating of wax?
A. This is ofcourse very much dependant on the size of your vehicle but generally speaking, it should take no more than 45 minutes to wax a medium sized car. Remember to never work in direct sunlight, this will bake the wax on to the car and then become extremely difficult to remove. Not only does this require a lot of time, it also significantly increases the amount of time needed to complete the job. It’s always best to work on a few panels at a time, don’t try to do too many at once. For example, apply a wax to the front wing, drivers door and then when finished, move back to the front wing to begin removing. This should have allowed the wax enough time to cure and dry to a haze before being ready to be removed.
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