Turtle Wax Ice
Relevant or Irrelevant?
Turtle Wax Ice has been around a very long time and has its share of fanatical followers. A product that can deliver the kind of results followers of the popular product can attest to, at such a low cost makes the Ice Wax almost a no-brainer.
Allow me apply a voice of critical thinking in the moment.
Some critical thinking that doesn't just apply to the very popular Ice Wax by Turtle Wax, but of the many spray waxes that have become so popular through Amazon specifically.
Darren's Note: I will be applying a healthy level of critical thinking about the Turtle Wax products in general. While their products have an excellent user experience, I question most of the bold claims made by Turtle Wax.
You can see what I recommend towards the bottom of this page if you are the type that doesn't want all the technical data, but some words of experience from a guy like myself.
Turtle Wax Ice:
Too good to be true
Bold claims by bold companies. It seems that regardless of a persons ability to verify many of the pervasive bold claims made by the endless car wax companies, the bold claims continue to come:
- The longest lasting premium spray wax
- Smart Shield Technology
- Build layers of shine and protection
These bold clams are not necessarily unique to Turtle Wax. Many car wax products make the same claims, just with different words. Some companies even fabricate entirely new words, or borrow words from other industries in the name of marketing.
I call this marketing hype and there seems to be no limit as to what a company will do to separate you from your money.
There are a few companies that seem to consistently rise to the top (or bottom depending on your opinion on this form of marketing) of this "anything goes" mentality of marketing. Turtle Wax holds its long standing position as one of the top "performers" in this thing I call "Detail Theater".
Hyped-up marketing, labeling, and claim making!
Turtle Wax Ice:
Great car wax or hyped-up product?
I accept that many people default to the "brand recognition" mentality when making a decision. Don't fault yourself if you are among those that do.
Brand recognition is a massive factor for a companies success long term. And the longer a company has been around, the more people are willing to blindly follow along due to this seniority factor.
But I remain firm in my conviction that Turtle Wax Ice is a really good product. But I will also be applying some critical thinking to that word "good".
Turtle Wax T-477R ICE Spray Wax - 20 oz.
- Excellent user experience
- Non-staining formulation (won't stain black trim)
- Can be used in direct sunlight
- Very inexpensive (makes me wonder whats really in it)
Darren's Tips: If you are the "non-over thinker" in the audience, then you needn't read any further down this page. You can ignore all the hype and bold claims made by Turtle Wax in general and this product specifically.
This product will prove easy to use and provide a very nice shine to your car. Past any other claims made I could not even begin to verify since many of the claims are simply empty claims of made up technology and labeling.
Turtle Wax Ice Review
It would be hard to find a company that makes more bold claims about their products than Turtle Wax does. From bold claims to made up terminology, it is difficult for me in knowing where to even begin:
- The longest lasting premium spray wax
I have always been amazed at the audacious claims of longest lasting wax! How does a company actually prove that? How do we as car owners ever prove that?
I am neither a chemist or a scientist and am very limited in my own professional ability to prove this over-used claim. I know many inexperienced, know-it-all's will tell you that as long as the water beads on your paint, the wax is still there doing what it's supposed to be doing.
But I know first hand this is a false claim. I can chemically remove all forms of wax, sealants, or polymer and water will still bead up on the surface.
- A car wax that isn't a car wax
Officially for a product to be labeled as a car wax, I expect it to actually have some kind of wax in the formulation. This product has none.
It is blended with nothing but synthetic "polymers" and reactive silane chemistry.
WTF!
Just when I think I have heard every conceivable term, claim, and labeling, Turtle Wax pulls another good one out of their marketing hat!
- Smart Shield Technology
This is a dandy! The implication here is that you can "layer" the Turtle Wax Ice with their unique Smart Shield Technology to create layers of shine and protection. Unless you can measure it, it doesn't exist. While I know tat something is going onto your car paint when you use this "wax", but to suggest it can be layered would suggest that if you layer it enough, it could eventually be measured.
I challenge any company to back up their claims about the ability to layer car wax to create additional shine and protection. Turtle Wax takes yet another worn out claim and dials it up even further.
- Weatherproof Protection
It is bold when a company talks about how their product can provide protection against the elements of weather, entirely different to go on record and label the Turtle wax Ice as waterproof.
It makes me think I am applying an impervious shield onto my car. After all, weatherproof is not a generalization but a very specific and bold claim. This would mean that is not just weather resistant, but weatherproof. As in proof that weather has no ability to break through this amazing shield Turtle Wax Ice claims to create.
I gotta' call B.S. on that one!
- UV Protection
I have long taken issue with this over-used claim. A claim made by virtually ever car wax manufacturer. Zaino, one manufacturer of car waxes actually claims there wax is "sunscreen for your car".
In all my years as a professional detailer, I have asked many chemists, formulators, and heads of the companies what chemical they can put into their wax, or any car wax product for that matter, that has the ability to filter out, or protect against UV rays.
So far not a single person has been able to give me an answer, and numerous of these people have admitted it is nothing more than marketing hype.
Turtle Wax Ice:
What Would Darren Do (WWDD)
I am a professional car detailer. I am not a chemist and I am not a formulator (two very different fields of discipline I found out years ago).
I can only speak form my first hand experience as a professional detailer. While I can verify the visual results of a product, or the user experience of a product, past that I am at the mercy of the manufacturer's of these products just as you are.
And due to the endless hype that makes my head want to explode. What I don't do is over-think the worn out claims that have literally become cliche's in this industry:
- UV protection
- Layering abilities
- Durability claims
I reduce my choice in the best car wax down a simple metric of performance, that actually encompasses many factors:
"The best car wax is the wax that makes it onto your car more often, not less often."
While in a few ways that is an over-simplification on my part, it is my first response when I am asked what I think is the best car wax. I have found myself chasing my own tail reading one car wax review after another, a never-ending quest for the longest lasting wax possible.
I have come to the conclusion of what a colossal waste of time this has proven. Every car wax product essentially claims the same thing (almost every company). They just use different words to say the same thing.
But the longest lasting car wax is really only a small part of the overall equation in choosing a top rated car wax.
- My "go-to" car wax for over 15 years
- Only recently available to the public through Amazon (this wax was formulated for commercial use in the auto body and custom car restoration industry)
- Body shop safe formulation (none of the traditional heavy solvents or silicones unacceptable to body shop environments)
- Non-staining (Won't stain black trim)
- Can be used in direct sunlight, on hot paint
- Amazing covering and concealing abilities
Darren's Tips: This specific car wax was the first wax that introduced me to the world of non-staining formulations. It blew my mind when the formulator of this wax showed me how a wax could be applied directly over black plastic trim with no fear of staining.
He then went on to show me how you could could this wax in direct sunlight, on hot paint. Once again, my mind was blown away!
He talk about the unique chemistry he used to formulate the emulsion of this product using true water borne technology and nano-emulsified technology. The water molecule is the "carrier" of the active ingredients of this product that also acts as an insulator, thus allowing for use in direct sunlight.
I was also able to verify a few other things:
- Actually has true, carnauba wax in it
- Does not make any claims of the unsubstantiated UV protection
Unlike most other spray car waxes that are so thin in their consistency that I wonder if there is any actual wax in these other products, the Q-7 car wax will enhance black trim better than the other spray waxes I have tested.
It is one thing for a car wax to be a non-staining formulation, but another thing for a product like this to actually have the ability to visually enhance the black trim, not just be a non-staining wax.
Turtle Wax Ice or Not:
Surface preparation
Regardless of whether you opt for Turtle Wax Ice or not, I have found many people do not understand the importance of surface preparation. The simplest way to prepare the surface of your car prior to waxing your car is through detailing clay, or commonly referred to as the clay bar.
There is this stuff called air pollution. Air pollution can be made of of endless types of air born pollutants. When these particles settle onto your car paint, they can become bonded to your paint which normal wash, waxing, and even polishing will not remove.
A simple way to understand this is to glide your hand along the hood or top of your back bumper. Do this only after you have just washed your car and you will likely feel a subtle texture feel to your cars paint.
As though little specs of dirt are stuck to your car paint creating this unwanted feel. When done properly, your car paint should be silky smooth.
Darren's Note: Using detailing clay first to prepare and clean your car paint is as important as finding the best car wax, regardless of your final choice. Not only is it important for your cars paint, but it will make any choice in a car wax product perform better overall, and give you a much better user experience in both applying the wax and removing the wax.
It is really hard to communicate this to a person who has never experienced how silky smooth your car paint can be, until a person has felt it themselves first hand.
Turtle Wax Ice Summary
The "take away" from this Ice Wax review is as follows:
- Turtle Wax Ice does "work"
- Perfect for the person who generally relies on brand recognition as proof for purchase
- Not my first choice, but many of you will still find it acceptable
- Definitely use detailing clay to prepare your paint surface prior to application of Turtle Wax Ice, or other car wax of any kind
- The car wax industry is filled with endless hype and bold claims
- You now know what car wax I use professionally
My goal with this Turtle Wax Ice review is to help you become a more informed car owner and consumer. I hope I have helped and I wish you much success in your detailing efforts!
Sincerely,
Darren Priest
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