Ceramic Coating Spray! We hate it; we love it... Actually, that is not true - nobody loves them.
The thing with them is - they are promoted as the future of Ceramic Coating technology, as the 'better, easier and cheaper' Ceramic Coating, or even as a replacement to products that we think of as standard Ceramic Coatings. Where in reality, they are just glorified Polymer Sealants with some SiO2 in them, at best.
The best Ceramic Spray Coating could perhaps take on the worst of the standard Ceramic Coatings. That is how big of a gap these two completely different products have.
Now with all that battering on them, there are some advantages that come with them. Those are usually presented in the form of price and ease of application.
For those uninitiated in Ceramic Coatings or Paint Protection options in general, all those 'amazing and unrivaled and best products' look very seductive when they are thinking of long-term and high-quality ways to protect the paint on their cars. That is normal, and that is what marketing is all about. All you need to know is that with these products, you aren't getting a traditional Ceramic Coating, or what you would expect a Ceramic Coating to be, but instead a severely weakened version of those.
So the question is - 'Is Ceramic Coating Spray a scam?' Well, no, that would probably also be exaggerated. We are not here to bloat things according to our narrative but instead deliver honest reviews of those products and how they perform in real-life conditions.
Should you happen to look for a more serious and quality way to protect the paintwork on your car, you can click here and check out our Top List of standard Ceramic Coatings.
A little bit about us
We are in the automotive exterior detailing business, and we focus mainly on paint protection for cars - namely Ceramic Coatings. We've been working in the detailing for about 17 years now. We happen to know a thing or two when it comes to Ceramic Coatings and their weaker Spary-On alter egos.
You can learn more about how we test, review, and grade Ceramic Coating products.
We are making a top list of the five Ceramic Spray Coatings we have reviewed on our blog. The reason why we went with only those is so you have an easy-to-read list, so you know which one is the best Ceramic Coating Spray product on our blog and why, and also which one is the worst and why with a short description in the form of a mini-review. That way, you have the option to view them as a ranked list while still being able to click each one for a full review in case you want more information on them.
We also might make a list of more products in the future so you can have a more clear picture of how all these numerous products compare one to another and, how they differ, what makes them stand out from their competitors.
We have sorted all the Ceramic Spray Coatings we have done a review on into one nice easy-to-read Top List so you can see for yourself what is what quickly and efficiently. So, let us see what this top 5 list looks like.
Top 5 Best Ceramic Spray Coatings ranked by Ceramic Coat Expert:
1. Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating
So, at the top, we have Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating! This one has certainly surprised us with its ability to resist stronger chemicals, a property many Ceramic Spray Coatings seem to be lacking.
It nicely repels water and is overall a good and quick way to protect the paint of your vehicle if you are in a hurry or do not have the conditions to cover the surface of your car in proper Ceramic Coating. In all those cases, this will do you just fine and it will survive some time and will resist at least a couple of washes!
Certainly, one of the best Spray-On Ceramic Coatings we have had the pleasure of working with.
How we have graded this product:
product life time when applied: C
resistance to elements: E
resistance to damage: E
resistance to chemicals: C
application difficulty: A
hydrophobic properties: B
gloss / shine: C
Average grade: C
Cost: 0.94$ / 1 fl oz
0.03$ / 1 ml
Probably the best feature of Ceramic Spray Coatings is the quantity you get. This one comes in a 16 Oz bottle giving it the better quantity for price ratio among its competitors. If you are all about doing the job as quickly as possible and you do not care if the protection lasts a long time and protects your car the best it can - this product is certainly recommended by us!
If you would like to see our full review of Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating, then click here.
If you wish to buy Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating - click here!
2. Adam’s UV Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating
Adam’s UV Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating was the second-best product we had done a review on and would probably sit at the top if it wasn't for its high price.
The graphene part of the marketing strategy is probably what drove the price up into the stratosphere, and this product would probably do much better if it was stripped of those hype words and just went with 'Adam's Ceramic Spray Coating', period. The truth is that graphene, if it does anything good to the product, probably does very little.
Who knows, it might even be making it worse. What made this product stand out from its competitors was the 'Glow' technology, where you can use a UV lamp or any UV light source to track what part of the car has already been coated. That feature is certainly newbie friendly but might be costly if you do not have the equipment to make use of that technology.
How we have graded this product:
product life time when applied: C
resistance to elements: D
resistance to damage: E
resistance to chemicals: C
application difficulty: A
hydrophobic properties: B
gloss / shine: B
Average grade: C
Cost: 2.37$ / 1 fl oz
0.08$ / 1 ml This one comes in a 12 Oz bottle, and considering how much you have to pay for it is probably the sole reason why it isn't sitting up at the top spot. It is fairly easy to work with once you get the hang of it, and the lifetime of the coating will certainly be above average when it comes to Spray-On Ceramic Coating products.
If you would like to see our full review of Adam’s UV Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating, then click here.
If you wish to buy Adam’s UV Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating - click here!
3. Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating
Mothers have been around for a long while, and they have delivered some amazing products out there. Well, this one certainly isn't what they would be proud of. It might be marketed that way, but do not be fooled that easily. Is it worth buying?
Well, we wouldn't recommend it, but if you already have it or aren't able to get anything better, and you really want that quick and easy paint protection product - We suppose you could go for it. It isn't a complete waste of money if you know what you are buying.
The problem with these products is that there is so much hype around them, and they build up their customer's expectations to unrealistic levels, only for them to be disappointed that they do not work as advertised. If you are aware of all this, then this is still a viable option.
How we have graded this product:
product life time when applied: D
resistance to elements: D
resistance to damage: E
resistance to chemicals: E
application difficulty: A
hydrophobic properties: C
gloss / shine: D
Average grade: D
Cost: 0.58$ / 1 fl oz
0.02$ / 1 ml Mothers CSC probably gives you the biggest bang for your buck among the Spray-On Coatings with a whopping 24 ounces! Wow. Well, that is certainly worth it. If you do not mind using it a bit more often than other products, for instance, after each wash or each second wash depending on which car shampoo you are currently using - we can stand behind it. We would still recommend, if you are sticking to Ceramic Spray Coatings, that you go for better options.
If you would like to see our full review of the Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating, then click here.
If you wish to buy Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating - click here!
4. Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax
If you have ever done any research on the Automotive Detailing Industry, you have like come across the name Meguiars. They are probably one of the well-known Car Detailing brands on the market. And for good reason - they do have some amazing products, but let's be honest... They also have some fantastic marketing as well.
You simply cannot ignore that aspect. This product wasn't advertised as a 'wonder liquid that solves world hunger and will turn your '94 Corolla into a Lamborghini'.
To be honest, it did as expected. While it is on your car's paint - it has good water-repelling properties and gives a decent amount of gloss. The problem is that it will wash out with the simplest amount of detergent. You would need to use the more expensive pH-neutral car shampoos for them to have a chance at longevity. So, applications are often required when working with this product.
How we have graded this product:
product life time when applied: D
resistance to elements: D
resistance to damage: F
resistance to chemicals: E
application difficulty: C
hydrophobic properties: C
gloss / shine: B
Average grade: D
Cost: 0.74$ / 1 fl oz
0.03$ / 1 ml With a 26 Oz bottle, it is probably at the top when it comes to quantity given, but it's a requirement for two coatings to be effective as advertised, and that isn't that much, effectively cutting those 26 ounces down to 13. And the strange application of the second layer is also a questionable and probably wasteful procedure, further degrading the quantity you receive. Top that with the hefty price that comes with the brand name, and you have a product that we definitely wouldn't recommend to our readers.
This product is no more than a Car Sealant, and the company would probably do best to advertise the product as such and leave 'Ceramic' out of the product's name. Well, technically, a Sealant would be positioned somewhere in between a Car Wax and a Ceramic Coating, and they have 'Hybrid' in there... hmm. Perhaps I could take a Toyota Corolla and Ford Mustang and then call it a 'Hybrid Corolla Mustang'. Would that be viable?
Meguiar's has some amazing products, but Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax definitely is not one of them.
If you would like to see our full review of Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax, then click here.
If you wish to buy Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax - click here!
5. SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat
Ah... Shine Armor! If you haven't heard of Shine Armor and you are into Car Detailing, you have probably been living under a rock. Everyone, and we mean everyone and their grandmothers, has heard and perhaps even used Shine Armour at one point in time.
The hype that comes from this product could probably jump-start a dead car battery back to full and turn it into a nuclear reactor. They have the best ads, they are everywhere, and they have the best packaging and the distinctive purple-colored liquid. They have the best everything - except the product they are selling.
Does it work? Yes, sure. You spray it on, buff it off right away, or you can even wait a bit should you choose to do so. It gets slick instantly, and you can check for that slippage test where you place the bottle on top of the coated area, and it will slide down. It really does work. We have tried it many times. But some of the claims this company claims their product does or can do are simply ridiculous. It washes off with one or two washes with regular cheap car shampoo.
And the wash-less feature they promote is arguably just plain stupid unless you want to damage the paint on our car. Dragging dirt and various particles along the paint while 'cleaning' is a recipe for disaster. You might as well be using sandpaper instead of a microfiber towel while you are at it.
And Shine Armor claims this is good for saving water. Considering how much you pay for this product, you could fill a swimming pool before you cut your losses.
How we have graded this product:
product life time when applied: E
resistance to elements: E
resistance to damage: D
resistance to chemicals: E
application difficulty: A
hydrophobic properties: C
gloss / shine: C
Average grade: D
Cost: 2.49$ / 1 fl oz
0.08$ / 1 ml
The price you pay for SHINE ARMOR is simply ridiculous. Probably the highest price you can pay for a product considering the packaging of only 8 Fl Oz!!! Compare that to 24 or 26 fluid ounces that products above this one on this list get you - this just seems ridiculous. Well, you might be thinking, 'Well, it is still worth it if the product is good', but it isn't. Apart from its nice appearance, color, pleasant grapey smell, and the one-trick pony you get with the slipping bottle - this product really has nothing else to offer. There is a much better, cheaper, and overall more economical product out there. And because of this, SHINE ARMOUR deserves the last spot on our list. We definitely do not recommend this product to our readers, well to anyone, really.
You still might be thinking, after all of this and after reading the full review - 'They are just haters.' or something similar. But in that case, we challenge you to buy the product and test it out yourself. Good luck!
If you would like to see our full review of SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat, then click here.
If you wish to buy SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat - click here!
There you go with this Top List of all the Ceramic Spray Coating we have reviewed on our blog. We will certainly look towards making a more extensive list of the Top 15 or even a Top 20 perhaps of Ceramic Spray Coatings because there are so many, and we have used and tried most of them out there. So even without harsh testing and written reviews, we could decently place them to rank among each other fairly. If you would like that, please let us know!
UPDATE: We have worked on a number of articles after we tested dozen different ceramic coating products! The latest are Nexgen Ceramic Spray, The Last Coat Ceramic Spray, 303 Graphene Nano Spray Coating, Ethos Resist Graphene Ceramic Coating Spray, and System X Renew Ceramic Spray Coating, which were all requested a lot, and there are many more coming in the future. We have also created a new TOP 10 LIST for 2024 that includes all the newly tested and reviewed products!
We hope this easy-to-read and easy-navigate trough list has been helpful and has given you more clarity when it comes to this ever-growing industry.
As long as there are going to be cars, there are going to be products with the purpose of protecting them, so they look fresh and new for as long as possible. We will be here to guide you through all of it.
Cheers!