The 10 Best Car Waxes Money Can Buy
If you want to make your car’s paintwork pop, restore its shine to a mirror-like finish, smooth out swirls, and protect it from surface damage, a good car wax is essential. It won’t necessarily do much to help deep scratches and pings, but it can do wonders at protecting and maintaining your car’s finish against any future damage. There’s a huge array of car wax products available, but if you want the best of the best, these are the top ten car waxes to check out.
10. Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax – $18
Named one of the best all-around car waxes by cnet.com, Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax is an affordable wax that provides consistently excellent results. It’s incredibly easy to apply (it can even be used on freshly washed, still wet paintwork without kicking up a fuss) and wipes off with minimal effort. For a deep, mirror-like shine and outstanding protection against rain, salt, snow, UV rays, and dirt, it’s an excellent choice.
9. CarGuys Liquid Wax – $49.97
When CarGuys set out to create Liquid Wax, they didn’t want to create a product that had any aspirations to be anything other than a wax. If you’re looking for a 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 product that will wash, polish, wax and quite possibly drive your car for you, this isn’t it. If, on the other hand, you want a product designed to add a tough-as-nails protective layer to your paintwork, this fits the brief perfectly. Once applied, it leaves a slick hydrophobic barrier with a deep, wet-look shine. The patented polymer additives boost the wax’s protective qualities to provide excellent resilience against UV rays, rain, dirt, and other contaminants.
8. Chemical Guys Lava Luminous Glow Infusion – $79.99
At $79.99 for 8 ounces, no one’s going to claim that Chemical Guys Lava Luminous Glow Infusion is the most budget-friendly wax around. But while it might not be cheap, it works hard for its price tag. Made from carnauba wax, it applies easily, buffs to a high shine, and is easily removed from paintwork with a microfiber cloth. Once applied, the wax’s color enhancing technology promises to make your vehicle’s paintwork the star of the show, enhancing the color and adding a luminescent sheen. It also adds superb protection, drying to provide a rock-hard protective coating that will protect the vehicle from rain, snow, UV rays, and environmental contaminants.
7. Liquid Glass Ultimate Auto Polish – $33
Sure, it’s more of a polish than it is a wax, but who’s going to quibble over the details when the results are this good? If you want to coat your vehicle with a clean, smooth, mirror-like finish with the absolute bare minimum of effort, this reliable all-rounder won’t disappoint. After it’s been applied and air-cured, the finish is as hard as glass (and for good reason – the primary ingredient is crystal clear carbon, the same element that’s found in diamonds), meaning you never have to worry about it cracking, chipping, peeling, or yellowing under UV rays, or sustaining any kind of damage from acid rain, tar, corrosion, bugs, or road salt deterioration. The product can be used on any clear coat surface along with all other non-porous surfaces, including brass, aluminum, chrome, stainless steel, and glass.
6. Meguiar’s Ultimate Liquid Wax – $49.95
If you’re in the market for a first-rate liquid wax, you’ll struggle to find much better than Meguiar’s Ultimate Liquid Wax. Made from a synthetic car wax that bonds exceptionally well with paint, it can be safely used on any color vehicle to impart a deep, glossy sheen. An exceptional all-rounder that delivers excellent protection against sun, rain, snow, dirt, and grime, the wax goes on smoothly for a deep, mirror-like reflection with no residue and a slick finish. A premium foam applicator and a microfiber towel is included in each package for easy application.
5. Turtle Wax Ice Synthetic Spray Wax – $12
Turtle Wax is a well-known name in the auto industry, with an outstanding reputation for providing quality products at an affordable price. The Turtle Wax Ice Synthetic Spray Wax is one of their very best creations, offering exceptional resistance against water, superb UV protection, and a long-lasting, mirror-like shine. In addition to offering a deep gloss, it can also help fill in small scratches and swirl marks.
4. Collinite No. 476 Super Doublecoat Auto Wax – $20.95
Made from a high-quality blend of carnauba wax and synthetic wax, this easy-to-apply wax is a breeze to apply, requiring nothing in the way of hard rubbing, buffing, or any special applicators. Known and loved for its incredible durability (according to Collinite, results last up to a year) and professional-grade results, it offers outstanding protection against rain, snow, dust, grime, and UV rays, guaranteeing all-year-round protection for your vehicle. in addition to the faultless protection, it also offers superb sheen and a deep, mirror-like gloss. If all that wasn’t enough, the foam wax applicator pad makes it a breeze to apply. If you find yourself with more wax than you do car, you can also use it on wooden furniture, paneling, and fiberglass.
3. Griot’s Garage Best of Show Wax – $40.50
Griot’s Garage Best of Show Wax is made from 100% silicone-free carnauba wax. Capable of removing swirls, restoring shine, enhancing depth, and revitalizing clarity, color, and texture, the wax is the ideal match for discerning customers looking for a showstopping finish. It can be applied by either hand or machine, depending on preference. The finish is incredibly long-lasting, offering professional quality results for months on end at a fraction of the price it would cost to achieve the same results at a dealership.
2. Chemical Guys Black Light Hybrid Radiant Finish Gloss Enhancer & Sealant – $16.99
If you’re looking for a wax that will do a good job of restoring a mirror-like shine to your black or dark-colored car, consider Chemical Guys Black Light Hybrid Radiant Finish Gloss Enhancer & Sealant. Chemical Guys are a well-established name in vehicle care, offering products that regularly outperform the competition in terms of durability and performance. The Black Light Hybrid Radiant Finish Gloss Enhancer & Sealant is a fully synthetic nano-blended hybrid glaze and sealant that’s ideal for dark-colored vehicles, restoring a wet look shine, high gloss, and outstanding level of protection, including against UV rays. If you want the kind of reflection you can see your face in, it’s perfect.
1. Meguiar’s G18216 Ultimate Liquid Wax – $18.74
Meguiar’s know a thing or two about car waxes. Of their many, many offerings, the G18216 Ultimate Liquid Wax ranks as one of the most popular, and for very good reason. Known for its easy application, smooth removal, and inoffensive price tag, it ticks the boxes and then some. With a foam applicator and microfiber towel included in each package, it’ll make the process of restoring that mirror-like, showroom shine to your car a cinch. Unlike some waxes, it won’t leave a white residue on trims. If you’re looking for a deep shine at a price that won’t break the bank, this excellent all-rounder will do the job nicely.
