My Review of Various Spray Waxes/Sealants

[The Critic]

In the last year or so, I have used a number of different spray waxes and sealants.

Each of the products I used were thoroughly researched before purchasing, and I have found that they each serve a different purpose in my collection.

Since not every user will need the same level of flexibility in their collection, please feel free to use my comments to help you make a wise decision on what to purchase. I am also very interested in hearing your individual experiences with these products.

These are the products that I will be discussing:

1) CarPro Reload (2013 and 2014 v1)
2) Optimum Car Wax
3) Meguiars D156 (bulk version of Ultimate Quik Wax)
4) C.A.R. Products Topper

Ease of Use:

1) Meguiars D156 - hot panels, cold panels, damp panels due to nighttime weather conditions, over-application...it doesn't matter. This stuff wins hands-down for ease of use.

2) C.A.R. Products Topper - No streaking under a variety of conditions, even with over-application.

3) Optimum Car Wax - decently easy to use, but it really does not like warm ambient temperatures. To be fair, the back of the bottle does warm against using it on panels over > 120F...but I have had the product leave noticeable streaking in 80-deg weather. Using it in moderate weather (55-75F) with the two-towel method yields the best results.

4) CarPro Reload - this stuff can be very finicky. The trick is to apply to sparingly to an ultra-plush towel and immediately follow-up with vigorous buffing by another ultra-plush towel. The towel must be very very plush with a lot of fine fibers or else you may not "grab" all of the residue.

Gloss/Appearance:

1) CarPro Reload - extremely glossy. It gives a very "glass-like" appearance. I don't think it hides defects very well, but the product was never ever intended for that purpose.
2) C.A.R. Products Topper - very glossy, richer appearance than Reload. Some amount of filling.
3) Meguiars D156 - deep carnauba like appearance. Fills decently well - probably good for a production detailing environment.
4) Optimum Car Wax - adds noticeable gloss, but very little filling for a spray wax. Glass-like look.

Slickness:

1) CarPro Reload, C.A.R. Products Topper, Meguiars D156 - tie. All are extremely slick.
2) Optimum Car Wax. Not as slick as the other two, but fairly close. This product is strange in that it takes a few hours for the surface to become very slick. Must be the bonding/curing process?

Performance (not durability):

1) CarPro Reload - almost coating-like performance. Great dirt-repellency, phenomenal water beading. The surface is very easy to wash.
2) Optimum Car Wax - decent, performs like a higher-end traditional paint sealant.
3) C.A.R. Products Topper - not sure, see below.
4) Meguiars D156 - untested

Durability:

I've only tested Optimum Car Wax and C.A.R. Products Topper for durability. Optimum Car Wax was still beading well (by well, I mean tightly) during a wash after 3 months of being applied to bare paint. C.A.R. Products Topper was gone after two weeks (first wash after application).

I have not tested the others long enough to arrive at a conclusion.

Cost:

Prices can vary greatly depending on the place of purchase, but for comparison purposes, I will use MSRP.

1) CarPro Reload - $35 for 500ml or $230 for 5L
2) C.A.R. Products Topper - $23.50 for 16oz
3) Optimum Car Wax - $15.99 for 17oz or $49.99 for 128oz
4) Meguiars D156 - 128oz for $34.99 (Auto Detailing Solutions does sell a 32oz sampler for $12.99)

Conclusion:

Meguiars D156 - great for a quick spiff-up after a wash. Very inexpensive and ridiculously easy application under a variety of conditions. Decent filling capabilities as well. Meguiars really did their homework and testing on this product. I think this one will see a lot of use by me for the stated reasons.

Optimum Car Wax - useful as a standalone product (on bare paint). Very good durability for a spray-on product. Needs to be applied sparingly in moderate weather, but the streaking issues are definitely manageable.

CarPro Reload - great compliment to paint coatings. Best results will likely be seen by experienced detailers. Works well as a standalone sealant if properly applied.

C.A.R. Products Topper - I sold it.

 

[larryinnewyork]

Looks like you did a lot of work.
Thank you.

I may still try the Mequiars, although my vehicle is 12 years old.

 

[eagle23]

Thanks for the evaluation. Will get the Meguiar's.

I'm not into detailing, but am into protection and a good appearance, and done easily. Sounds like that product does both.

 

[Gtiguy34]

I always look forward to reading your product reviews, thank you for taking the time to do them. I work at a dealership and I see the "detail" guys use a lot of the C.A.R. Products and to be honest I was never impressed with thier durability. It would appear that you came to the same conclusion. I would love to hear what you think of Sonax Polymer Netshield and Brilliant Shine Detailer as they are some of my favorite products. I keep hearing nothing but great things about Reload and Reload 2 so I'll definitely give them a shot.

 

[Bgallagher]

Originally Posted By: eagle23
Thanks for the evaluation. Will get the Meguiar's.

I'm not into detailing, but am into protection and a good appearance, and done easily. Sounds like that product does both.


+1 Meguiar's detailer line is made for high volume shops that want good quality but quick. This comes with negatives but for the average DIYer looking to keep their car clean and shine their line is excellent.

I might try this after the review. Great work Critic!

 

[97tbird]

Of the prodcuts you mentioned, OCW and Meg's UQW are the only ones I have used.

OCW was after a ONR wash, clay (nanoskin sponge) and BlackfFire sealant. Feels very smooth, and slick and will see how the protection lasts.

When used in the same manner, Meg's UQW produced same results but didn't last very long. Might have been a bit slicker than OCW, so I guess we agree on that.

Will compare after I've had OCW on the car for a bit. (This is my 1st time using it)

*** is OCW available in bulk? ***

 

[morepwr]

Thank you for the review!

 

[BTLew81]

I like reload but it's just not dummy proof enough for me. Awesome water behavior!

Meg's is my favorite. Awesome as a drying aid during any wash, regular or rinseless. Great slickness, easy to use, and decent durability. A good way to amp up existing protection. Used on top of Meg's ultimate wax makes a great combo!

 

[RTexasF]

Optimum Car Wax - decently easy to use, but it really does not like warm ambient temperatures. To be fair, the back of the bottle does warm against using it on panels over > 120F...but I have had the product leave noticeable streaking in 80-deg weather. Using it in moderate weather (55-75F) with the two-towel method yields the best results.

I have never used OCW in temps less than 95º (most were much higher) and have never ever had a streaking problem. This was on 80-100 cars so I question your findings here. I must say that this was always done in the shade so that may have had something to do with it.

 

[mikered30]

I have used reload and it is very finicky and streaky as you mentioned, but it looks great. I have read this is the best topper for opti coat.

 

[kkreit01]

Has The Critic used AquaWax? If so, how do these compare? AW is all I've used. It sounds like D156 might be worth a try.

 

[Guitarmageddon]

Spray waxes are a total waste in my opinion and grain of salt...

I do a coat of opticoat 2.0 once yearly then I just do maintenance washes. No swirls, no muss, no fuss.

However, I do have a bottle of menzerna paint refresh. Smells great, leaves a nice shine. The only reason I would like a detail spray is a few spritzes on a dry microfiber to ease the drying process. That has been my technique for some time now, makes the towel work much better.

Remember folks, the more you touch your beloved paint, the more swirls you put in. Create a good foundation, give it a good coating, and then just maintain with good technique (two bucket wash etc)

And in case you werent familiar, Detailers Domain
Detailers Domain YouTube

 

[The Critic]

I forgot to mention that I had tried HD Express. It is very slick, has serious filling capabilities and is inexpensive - but can be a bit streaky depending on how you apply it. The viscosity is also quite thick.

I should mention that D156 may not be a good choice for cars that are coated or have finishes that are polished out to a high level of clarity - I noticed a slight amount of "haziness" after applying it to my car. While I am not 100% sure if this is the reason - I've found this to be a common characteristic with products that fill.

Originally Posted By: 97tbird

*** is OCW available in bulk? ***

Yep, you can get it in a gallon size.

Originally Posted By: RTexasF
Optimum Car Wax - decently easy to use, but it really does not like warm ambient temperatures. To be fair, the back of the bottle does warm against using it on panels over > 120F...but I have had the product leave noticeable streaking in 80-deg weather. Using it in moderate weather (55-75F) with the two-towel method yields the best results.

I have never used OCW in temps less than 95º (most were much higher) and have never ever had a streaking problem. This was on 80-100 cars so I question your findings here. I must say that this was always done in the shade so that may have had something to do with it.


When the streaking was a problem for me, the panels were noticeably warm to the touch. So, the panel temps were probably a bit high, but I figured that I mention this behavior since D156 has no issues under those same temperature conditions.

Originally Posted By: kkreit01
Has The Critic used AquaWax? If so, how do these compare? AW is all I've used. It sounds like D156 might be worth a try.

I never have.

Originally Posted By: Guitarmageddon
Spray waxes are a total waste in my opinion and grain of salt...

I do a coat of opticoat 2.0 once yearly then I just do maintenance washes. No swirls, no muss, no fuss.

However, I do have a bottle of menzerna paint refresh. Smells great, leaves a nice shine. The only reason I would like a detail spray is a few spritzes on a dry microfiber to ease the drying process. That has been my technique for some time now, makes the towel work much better.

Remember folks, the more you touch your beloved paint, the more swirls you put in. Create a good foundation, give it a good coating, and then just maintain with good technique (two bucket wash etc)

And in case you werent familiar, Detailers Domain
Detailers Domain YouTube

I agree with you - but for the production environment, spray waxes/sealants do have a place as a low-cost wax option. Also, some of these newer ceramic paint coatings recommend an application of the respective mfg.'s spray sealant every couple of months.