10 Best Car Waxes

"With advances in chemical engineering and formulating, you are now drowning in a sea of endless choices. Do you really want to read a thousand reviews on the 10 best car waxes... or follow my lead as a detail professional?"


best car wax from 10 best car waxes

Looking for the 10 best car waxes?

I wonder why it is that so many of us naturally default to the top 10 of anything. Why not the top 5, or the top 20, or the top 100 car waxes?

I also have to ask if you really enjoy reading all the endless reviews or is your real goal to find the best car wax?

Or maybe, even perhaps your real, ultimate goal is to make your car super shiny!! Who doesn't love a whole lot of shine on their car right?! So maybe what you are really after is shine, not another page on endless car wax reviews.

Maybe I should have called this page the 10 best car waxes to make your car super shiny.

The 10 Best Car Waxes:
What Would Darren Do (WWDD)

the best car wax in the sun

If you do happen to be one of those people who really didn't come looking to kill time by reading one review after another, but are actually really looking for a great wax product.

A great wax product for your car that not only produces amazing shine and protection, but does so with a great user experience.

I also have many long-term followers that will ask a very common question that becomes increasingly more frequent and usually goes something like this:



"Darren, just tell me what you would do!"

The question may not necessarily be what I would do, but maybe what I would use.

You know, a person perhaps like yourself that wants to cut to the chase, avoid the head spinning dizziness of the endless opinions by so-called experts, and look behind the curtain of my world to see exactly what I do or what I use.

While I will add my additional list of 10 best car waxes I am going to start with what I call my sure thing. My go-to car wax that I have been using for over 10 years professionally. It has been frustrating to keep this little gem of a secret to myself for so long, but this product has only recently been made available to the general public.

10 Best Car Waxes:
Finding the winning balance

wet look car wax

There seems to be a theme with people and their endless quest for the best car wax. Most of us want shine and most of us want protection.

Most of us accept this will come in the form of a car wax or a sealant. But I have found that many people neglect to factor in this thing called user experience. And the user experience will be a combination of features and benefits to come to what I call the winning balance.




"What good is the best rated car wax if that wax never makes it onto your car!"


What do I mean by this?

Glad you asked...

In the mind-numbing pursuit of a top rated car wax (whether this officially be part of anyone's 10 best car waxes or not) we tend to oversimplify the quest.

We forget about the user experience.

I have tested many of the so-called best car waxes only to find they deliver a terrible user experience. Sure they create lots of shine and some protection in the process. But the dread I am overcome with prevents me from actually getting that wax onto my car.

How much good is the best rated car wax sitting inside a container as it collects dust on the shelf of my garage? I need to get this wax out of the container and onto my car!



CSI Q-7 Wax 16oz 62-204-P

  • What I consider the winning balance of features and benefits
  • Easy on, easy off
  • Can be used in direct sunlight on hot paint
  • Non-staining formulation (won't stain black trim)
  • Can actually be used directly on black trim to enhance and protect just like it does to your car paint
  • Carnauba wax formulation that actually has carnauba wax in it (many car wax products claim to have carnauba as part of their formulations, but only contain a trivial amount to satisfy the demands of labeling requirements)
  • Nano-based technology (This delivers a tighter and more refined level of product quality)
  • True waterborne technology (this not only creates an anti-static formulation, but allows products ability to be used in direct sunlight)
  • Will not dry to chalky, rock hard residue that shows up in the nooks and crannies weeks later like other traditional car waxes
  • Can be used as often as you are willing (the "wax build-up myth is just that: a complete myth)
  • Perfect for any beginner to advanced detailer, hobbyist that wants to keep things super simple with a product that delivers great results and a great user experience!

10 Best Car Waxes:
Going from good to great!

csi q7 wax to create wet look

I have a confession to make.

Many companies have what they call a systematic approach with their line-up of products. This means that a manufacturer will have multiple products as part of their unique system that is presented as a way to achieved superior results if you use all their products within their "system".

I confess that I typically considered this more industry hype and B.S. This was until I met the founder of CSI and was able to get facts straight from the source. Facts about the actual chemistry and formulating that went into products.

Now I accept that in some cases, a systematic approach makes sense at a chemical and engineering level. It's not just a way for companies to sell you additional, add-on products that aren't truly significant or critical to the system itself.

Because of the chemistry and the nano-emulsified formulations of CSI products; they enhance and compliment each other if you decide to use multiple CSI products. (but some of CSI products do not play well with others due to the inferior raw materials often used in the formulating of other products)

And for this reason I am going to introduce you to a little secret taught to me by the founder of the CSI line.



CSI Q-7 Detailer Quart 62-205-Q

Darren's Tips: If you are looking for some additional "pop" to your car paint, try using the following strategy to produce a deeper shine to your ride!

  • Start with a freshly washed (and preferably clayed car) car.
  • Now begin with the Q-7 Detailer and apply Detailer directly to the foam applicator (see below) Use a few sprays to the applicator for each section of the car
  • Apply the Q-7 Detailer to the paint by applying a consistent, thin film over entire car paint surface
  • Do NOT remove Detailer but proceed to next step
  • Using a second applicator pad
  • Spray Q-7 Wax directly onto applicator pad and use a few sprays for each section of your car
  • Apply the Q-7 Wax directly over the Q-7 Detailer and allow the wax to haze up
  • Based on the weather conditions you are working in, the wax will haze up fairly quick
  • Remove the Q-7 Detailer/Wax combo with a clean, micro-fiber cloth
  • Stand back and bask in the gloss of your paint!!



Adam's Hex-Grip Pro Tire Dressing Applicator - Ergonomic Design Makes Detailing Your Tires Easier - Mess Free Application Tire Dressings - Durable, Washable, and Reusable

Use this applicator pad if you plan on using my little trade secret with the CSI Q-7 Detailer and Wax combo. If you are using either of the Q-7 Detailer or Wax as a stand alone product, you can simply apply and remove in the traditional manner using a micro-fiber cloth.



Choosing from the 10 Best Car Waxes

10 best car waxes from clearcoat solutions

Rather than bury you with the top 10 best car waxes based on what the ignorant masses would have you buy, I am going to show you what I recommend as a professional.

There will be 3 different grades:

  • Consumer grade.
  • Enthusiast grade.
  • Professional grade.

Despite how they are labeled, my recommendations will all deliver professional level results. The differences between the following products will be more about the following:

  • Cost
  • Overall user experience



Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax - 16 oz.

  • Considered both consumer and enthusiast grade
  • Thin-Film technology delivers effortless application and removal
  • Can be applied in direct sunlight
  • Will not stain black trim
  • Advanced synthetic polymer technology
  • Creates a super hydrophobic (water fearing) barrier that allows for maximum water-beading results
  • One of my favorites
  • Excellent overall reviews
  • For any beginner car owner or person looking to get into professional detailing who doesn't want to over-think or over-spend, but simply wants terrific results



P21S 12700W Carnauba Wax

  • One of my personal favorites.
  • Considered true professional grade (notice the pricing)
  • One of the paste waxes I use professionally.
  • Excellent for any colored car.
  • As easy as easy gets!
  • Excellent reviews!
  • See video review at my YouTube channel below.



Wolfgang Füzion Carnauba Polymer Estate Wax 3 oz. Mini

  • Professional and enthusiast grade.
  • For those who demand the best of anything (hence the price)
  • As easy as easy gets!
  • Hand-crafted blend of both synthetic polymers and carnauba wax.
  • Smaller size of 3 oz. (trust me; this is plenty for any car owner. A very little goes a long way!)
  • One of the waxes I use professionally for those discerning customers. (that is code for picky)

Understanding the User Experience

What you are looking for in a product as a car owner may not be what the next guy is looking for in a product and unfortunately, no single product exits as being the best auto wax;

wolfgang fuzion car waxWolfgang Fuzion car wax


You may easily get caught up in visions of grandeur as you dream of choosing from the top 10 best car waxes and renewing the love affair you once had with your car by applying a nice coat of wax.

But finding the best car wax is largely a matter of personal opinion based on other factors that are easily dismissed or completely overlooked. It is what I call the user experience.

After all, finding a quality car wax is of no good if it is so difficult to use that this said car wax never finds its way onto your car! Don't underestimate the power of stellar performance in a car waxes ability to deliver an exceptional user experience.

All the products from above promise to do just that. Maintaining the beauty and health of your car paint is far easier than fixing the health and beauty of your car paint if allowed to become neglected.


Darren's Professional Side-bar Tips:

clay bar kits used before using 10 best car waxes
  1. Many people still exist who have either never heard of detailing clay, (also referred to as the clay bar or surface preparation bar) or still think they can bypass this very important and critical step of proper car paint care. If you are one of these people, you are grossly mistaken, and not only will any of the 10 best car waxes below perform less than acceptable, but your end results will also be less than superior. I cannot stress enough how necessary using the clay bar as part of the waxing process plays in the overall experience from start to finish! I get more positive feedback from first time users regarding the use of detailing clay than on any other subject! See this page for a complete Q. and A. session to explain proper use of detailing clay with expert recommendations.
  2. Also worthy of noting is that detailing clay will not save damaged paint or be a substitute for paint polishing. (this link will open into my other website) If your paint is damaged or severely neglected, no car wax in the world is going to allow you to bypass the necessary steps of recovery or restoration your car paint may be in need of.
  3. Whether we are talking about car wax or paint polishing, experience has shown that many people come to 10 best car waxes with unrealistic expectations. Any of my car wax recommendations below are excellent products and will produce excellent results. Ultimately a users preference will be about the subtleties of a particular product. Once again, if you are looking for some wonder wax to fix all your car paint problems or just have unrealistic expectations in general, no car wax in the world is going to fix this!


10 Best Car Wax Summary

Any search online will produce and endless stream of reviews and opinions. I have tested these products out in the real world of professional detailing and they promise to deliver.

As an ending note, let me add a few points:

P21s car waxUsing P21s to enhance the flawless finish on this car


  • Contrary to this page defining the 10 best car waxes, the waxes I have chosen are not only some of my favorites, but promise to perform for you.
  • Rather than bury you with choices until you are frozen in anxiety, I have limited my top rated picks.
  • Do not fall prey to the age old slogan of "more is better". Applying car wax does not require a heavy layer of wax. In fact, you could adopt the "Less is better" mentality and you will find that your user experience is as rewarding as your finished results.
  • You can apply any of these car waxes in any method you choose (hand or machine).
  • You can use any applicator cloth you want so long as it is either a foam, micro-fiber, or supplied wax applicator pad. (if you use my Amazon links and make a purchase, simply do a search within Amazon at the same time for any wax applicators and read the reviews)
  • All of these products can be used in direct sunlight on hot paint by adjusting your application method. But as a rule, any product will be easier to use when applying on a shaded surface.
  • Use any of these waxes to produce added gloss and depth, while adding a layer of protection.
  • Regardless of your exact choice of my 10 best car waxes, I recommend an application of every 3-6 months. The more or longer your car is subject to dirt and sun on a daily basis, the more frequently you should be applying wax.

10 Best Car Waxes:
Summary

If you have made it this far then you deserve a medal of honor! In today's world of instant gratification, most people just want an instant answer without putting any effort into fully educating themselves to become a truly informed consumer and car owner.

Taking a subject like the 10 best car waxes and reducing it down to a more simplified approach should get you to the results you are really after in a much quicker way.

I hope that you now have the information to make better decisions when it comes to products for your car, but are now more knowledgeable than even most beginner professional detailers I come across in my travels.

Sincerely,

Darren Priest




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