Wax or Polymer

C

cloud-9

New member
I see these new Polymers in the stores. Are these preferable to good wax?



If they were clearly better wouldn't there be no more wax in stores? So what are the trade offs?



Thanks....
 
Looks versus durability and dust protection, usually anyway. True polymers aren't oily, waxes are always oily. Waxes are popular because the general public is uninformed. I think most people here that use wax do it for the looks. I think the general public would just assume to have protection as priority as opposed to the marginal improvement a wax will give over a sealant in looks.
 
I find that when I ask people if they want me to "seal" their cars, I get a blank look :hmph:. When I ask them if they want me to "wax" their cars (sealant or traditional carnauba) then they say sure thing :rolleyes:



I think its due to the fact that not many OTC consumers know what the difference between a sealant and wax are :xyxthumbs
 
For low cost sealants I would recommend a polymer. If you want the car to look really great, buy a high quality wax like Zymol Concours or better. I have yet to find a polymer that "glows" like a good carnauba.







John
 
Thanks. Anybody know where there is a picture that will show this warmth and glow? I have seen this said before too.
 
Cloud-9, I doubt you are going to get a satisfactory answer to your lines of questioning. You will find members who prefer sealants, and those who prefer waxes. You will find members who prefer one or the other based on the season, the color of the car they are working on, or the way the wind is blowing that particular day.



The question of which is better, which looks better, which lasts longer is highly subjective and a bit like asking why stores carry both Coke and Pepsi, because isn't one simply better than the other, and what about 7-Up?
 
JohnKleven said:
For low cost sealants I would recommend a polymer. If you want the car to look really great, buy a high quality wax like Zymol Concours or better. I have yet to find a polymer that "glows" like a good carnauba.







John
Click to expand...



Concours is junk, if you want shine, you NEED Swissvax Divine.:rolleyes:
 
cloud-9- IMO it's hard to see subtle characteristics like carnauba glow in internet pics, it's almost as much a matter of the photography as it is the products that were used. I know that *I* have to see things in person to know if it's what I'm after.



There are some pretty safe general guidelines, but those are primarily based on matching certain products to certain colors, and even then, all (for example) silvers aren't the same and what looks great on one (KSG on my silver Mazda) might look awful on another (same KSG on my silver Audi). And what looks great/awful to *me* might not look the same to anybody else.



Slickery said:
.. Waxes are popular because the general public is uninformed. I think most people here that use wax do it for the looks. ..
Click to expand...



I use both and IMO it's risky to generalize too much; all waxes/sealants aren't the same. I use some waxes for protection/durability and others for looks, ditto for the sealants I use.



Certain waxes (e.g., Collinite 476S) provide at least as much protection as (at least most) sealants and often *more*, especially regarding environmental hazards like bird-bombs and bug-guts-etching. With waxes like the Collinite, durability is similar to sealants unless the synthetic product is heavily layered and even then multiple applications of the wax can last for many, many months.



If only one coat is gonna be applied, IME you'd be hard-pressed to find a sealant that'll outperform 476S.
 
I agree that a wax will also give more protection than a sealant as far as protection depth goes, it is however a negligible difference as far as depth if you don't wipe the contaminant off as it usually will if given time go through any protection. I use ZAIO with Z2Pro and top with CS and in nine months I'm still beading religiously. It's so ridiculous that every time I wash I expect the beads to go away, but they never do. I guess that is layering, but I don't think it qualifies as heavy layering.

I think another issue is that so many of these "sealants" that are store bought are garbage. I have only found a very few that I like. Anyhow, I'd loose in a heads up argument against mr. two bucket, so I'll let the mayor make my point:)



Carnauba Wax and Other Brazilian Car Waxes



Everyone has their own experiences and my only advice is try a few things for yourself and then choose, and I bet that we all can agree upon.
 
cloud-9 said:
I see these new Polymers in the stores. Are these preferable to good wax?



If they were clearly better wouldn't there be no more wax in stores? So what are the trade offs?
Click to expand...



Always a personal decision.



Now, do you wish to wax every 4 - 6 weeks or seal every 6+ months? With that addressed, people can begin to make valid suggestions to you.. ;)
 
wax=instant flake poppin, buttery look and feel, 3 days later looking average.

sealant=easy on, easy off, lasting longer



of course there are exceptions with waxes that last long and sealants that make flakes pop but my unesducated guess.
 
Second dublifecrisis. It really comes down to personal preference. (many like the warm glow of a carnuba based wax, while otheres prefer a crisp shine with a sealant). I generally tend to favor sealants for my daily driver (outside 24/7) due to durability. (However, I applied Collinite 845 on it recently for the winter and like its durability).
 
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