Review: The Gloss Shop Hydrophobe Express Coating

[roguegeek]

The Gloss Shop has been putting out some consistently good products for quite a while now and they`ve been doing so on the cusp of the market evolution. So when I heard they were doing a express spray coating, I was eager to pick some up and try it myself. Here`s my quick review for you guys.

Hydrophobe Express Coating is an SiO2-based spray coating. The application couldn`t be any simpler. Wash your car thoroughly making sure all surface contaminants are removed. After rinsing off all the shampoo and with the surface still wet, spray Hydrophobe onto one section at a time. Immediately rinse it off, dry the panel like you normally would, and have fun knowing you have a good three months worth of very strong protection. That`s it. There`s some basic disclaimers like not letting the product dry onto the surface and not using it in the sun or on hot panels, but nothing out of the ordinary. It`s so easy use that it feels like some sort of sorcery or witchcraft at work.



There`s a couple other products out there like this such as CarPro Hydro2, Gyeon Q²M WetCoat, and McKee`s Blue Sio2 Coating, so let`s make some fair comparisons to them. First, all of them are easy to apply, easy to rinse off, and easy dry afterward. So, therefore, none of them really have a competitive advantage there. From my last six months of testing, I did find Hydrophobe`s protection to break down a lot less over time, so I would claim it is more durable than others in this category. There`s also the factor of cost to take into account and, even though Hydrophobe is a very premium product, it can be had for a price generally less than its competitors.

There`s also another advantage Hydrophobe has. Most product in this category have a recommended use of spraying onto a wet surface and using a hose or pressure washer to rinse the product off. So you basically can`t use them with a rinseless wash, but The Gloss Shop has figured out a way around this. Dilute 1 ounce of Hydrophobe to 15 ounces of distilled water, spray onto a rinseless washed and still wet surface, and simply dry. Functionality doesn`t just stop there, either. You can use it as a booster over your favorite traditional coating. You can use it as your only form of protection. You can boost it with other spray waxes or The Gloss Shop`s own Trifecta. It`s just a very versatile product.



The only trouble I got into when using it was not trusting the product/process at the beginning and using too much. This product doesn`t demand using liberal amounts of it and when I finally settled into the proper use, I found I was only using around four to six ounces for a mid-sized sedan.

Obviously, I really enjoyed Hydrophobe Express Coating quite a bit. It`s saved me time. It`s saved me money. It`s an easy and enjoyable process to use it. The price is extremely reasonable and very competitive. Durability was class leading in my testing. What`s not to love?

The Gloss Shop definitely has a winner here in Hydrophobe Express Coating. Do yourself a favor and try it, for sure. You can get it in ready-to-use 16 ounces or 1 gallon.

[glfnaz]

I am intrigued by the 15:1 dilution aspect on a clean damp car. In that, you are using 1 oz of Gloss Shop Product. Does this yield the same "up to 3 months protection" as the 4-6 oz sprayed on a damp car - then rinse method? If so, this could replace some of the Ceramic coating maintenance sprays I`ve been testing at a much cheaper price per use. At gallon pricing, it`s 0.625 cents per application (not including about 15 cents for 16 oz of the 1 dollar DI gallon of water). So far I really like the new BF SIO2 product. It is stunningly easy to use. It`s $48 for 32 oz. At 1 oz per application (my average)
. Thats $1.50 per application. At the gallon rate (on sale) it`s 100 dollars for 128 oz. That`s $0.78 per application. And I know it`s bubba - proof. I cannot streak this stuff. Beads are typical ceramic. Durability is not yet proven, but....hey it`s new.

The guy who owns Gloss Ship is a great guy for sure. I liked Trifecta, but had issues in the AZ summers (110* in the shade). Got some streaks. But he makes QUALITY stuff for sure.

[BudgetPlan1]

The guy who owns Gloss Ship is a great guy for sure. I liked Trifecta, but had issues in the AZ summers (110* in the shade). Got some streaks. But he makes QUALITY stuff for sure.

Without a doubt. His Ceramic Coating V2 is a real hidden gem. Multi surface, 1 coat, great price and performance.

[roguegeek]

I am intrigued by the 15:1 dilution aspect on a clean damp car. In that, you are using 1 oz of Gloss Shop Product. Does this yield the same "up to 3 months protection" as the 4-6 oz sprayed on a damp car - then rinse method? If so, this could replace some of the Ceramic coating maintenance sprays I`ve been testing at a much cheaper price per use.

I have not done extensive enough testing of this method to firmly say durability is the same, but it certainly does have the same initial beading as the rinse application. As time goes on, I will update the review with those result, but I can say I’m fairly confident durability will be comparable.

The guy who owns Gloss Ship is a great guy for sure. I liked Trifecta, but had issues in the AZ summers (110* in the shade). Got some streaks. But he makes QUALITY stuff for sure.

Yeah, I absolutely agree with you there. Their coating is really something and the new Sublime rinseless wash has been one of the most versatile products I’ve ever used.

[SNP209]

Thank you for sharing, going to try this stuff out whenever i get the chance!

[rwright]

Thanks for the review! We spent a lot of time on this product and chose to go with a higher solids formula for better durability and gloss. During development I only used it outside and out of shade. While I don’t recommend this, it can be done by paying attention to your process. Hydrophobe saves me a ton of time with my fleet accounts. These trucks are so dirty that I have no choice but to perform a traditional wash. A quick shot of Hydrophobe makes for a good up sell.

We started messing around with various dilution ratios to figure out what works best as a drying aid without streaking in direct sunlight. Diluting 1 ounce of Hydrophobe with 15 ounces of distilled water provided streak free results while leaving behind a good amount of protection. You can certainly modify this ratio especially if you are under a canopy. Another thing you can do is clean wheels with Sublime Express Wash at 1:15 and perform a wipe on wipe off method of Hydrophobe at full strength.

[brianshaeffer]

Thanks for the tip on using Hydrophobe as a drying aid. I originally bought a 16 ounce bottle and followed up with a gallon because I like it so much.

[roguegeek]

Thanks for the review! We spent a lot of time on this product and chose to go with a higher solids formula for better durability and gloss. During development I only used it outside and out of shade. While I don’t recommend this, it can be done by paying attention to your process. Hydrophobe saves me a ton of time with my fleet accounts. These trucks are so dirty that I have no choice but to perform a traditional wash. A quick shot of Hydrophobe makes for a good up sell.

Yeah, it really can’t be exaggerated how much time I’ve saved incorporating it into my workflow.

We started messing around with various dilution ratios to figure out what works best as a drying aid without streaking in direct sunlight. Diluting 1 ounce of Hydrophobe with 15 ounces of distilled water provided streak free results while leaving behind a good amount of protection. You can certainly modify this ratio especially if you are under a canopy. Another thing you can do is clean wheels with Sublime Express Wash at 1:15 and perform a wipe on wipe off method of Hydrophobe at full strength.

IMO, this is such a distinct and significant competitive advantage that Hydrophobe has over others. As someone asked and I stated above, I haven’t tested it enough to finalize an opinion, but what kind of durability should we be expecting when it’s used in a rinseless scenario or as a drying aid?

[tom p.]

Rogue, this looks like an interesting product. I`m intrigued by things that save me time... thanks for posting it.

[DaveT435]

perform a wipe on wipe off method of Hydrophobe at full strength.

Is the durability increased using this method??

[rwright]

IMO this is such a distinct and significant competitive advantage that Hydrophobe has over others. As someone asked and I stated above, I haven’t tested it enough to finalize an opinion, but what kind of durability should we be expecting when it’s used in a rinseless scenario or as a drying aid?

This is very subjective but you should expect at least a month on average. My recommendation is perform a traditional wash with application at full strength, perform maintenance wash using the diluted method as a drying aid and booster for the time being.

[rwright]

Is the durability increased using this method??

I only recommend this on wheels due to higher temperature exposure. In multiple tests on body panel, I experienced a ghosting effect that was difficult to remove. With some effort and assistance with our detail spray, the ghosting was nearly eliminated.

[Older]

How will Hydrophobe react with a DI rinse?

Also,have you tried foaming it?

Thank you.

[DaveT435]

I only recommend this on wheels due to higher temperature exposure. In multiple tests on body panel, I experienced a ghosting effect that was difficult to remove. With some effort and assistance with our detail spray, the ghosting was nearly eliminated.

Good information. This part of the market is still evolving IMO. Any plans for a WOWO product with more durability??

[rwright]

How will Hydrophobe react with a DI rinse?

Also,have you tried foaming it?

Thank you.

Hydrophobe will react just the same as with any type of rinse. Maybe I’m misunderstanding your question? As far as foaming the product I have not tried this due to the immediate need to rinse. It was developed specifically as a spray on rinse off sealant and you only need 4 ounces or less depending on the size of the vehicle being applied to. I can however test this on my next fleet wash.