Applying a layer of wax to your car’s paint surface can add shine and create a barrier between the paint and any debris that falls onto it. Depending on the product you choose, applying car wax can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. To learn more about car wax and your product options, read our review on the five best car waxes.
Best Overall: Aero Cosmetics Wet or Waterless Car Wash Wax Kit
This product from Aero Cosmetics acts as both a wash and a wax, cutting down on the amount of time you have to spend on car maintenance. You can use it like a soap with water or like a wax with a spray bottle and towel. Either way, you get a clean and shiny car.
Another benefit of this product is that it is water-based, which means it doesn’t contain alcohol, ammonia, or other ingredients that are harmful to the environment.
- 144-ounce bottle
- Option to purchase a kit that comes with an additional 16-ounce spray bottle and 4 microfiber towels
- Washes and waxes your car
- Use with or without water
- Alcohol and ammonia free
- Environmentally friendly
- Safe on all car surfaces
- Provides UV protection
- Works on cars, boats, RVs, and aircrafts
About 5,150 Amazon customers reviewed this product to give it an average rating of 4.7 stars out of 5, which is 0.2 stars above the average for all five products on Amazon. After including customer reviews from other leading e-commerce websites, its rating jumped to 4.9 stars, which is 0.2 stars above the overall average for all products across all websites.
Customers liked this product because they could wash and wax their car at the same time. They didn’t even have to get out a bucket and hose to do a wet car wash, which cut down on the amount of time it took to maintain their car’s paint even more. Some customers said that the wax didn’t last as long as products with pure wax. However, if you are using it for both a wash and wax, then the wax stops working right around the time your car needs another wash.
Most Versatile: Meguiar’s G18220 Ultimate Liquid Wax
We gave Meguiar’s liquid wax the superlative of most versatile because it is safe on all paint finishes and all car surfaces, including glass, metal, and plastic. It can even be applied by hand or with a polisher.
This product uses hydrophobic polymer technology, which means it contains polymers that repel water and leave your car shiny.
- Choice of 16-ounce or 20-ounce bottle
- Shines and protects car paint
- Safe on all car surfaces
- Safe on all paint finishes
- Repels water
This product received a rating of 4.6 stars after more than 3,600 Amazon customers reviewed it. Its score increased to 4.8 with reviews from other e-commerce companies, making its Amazon score 0.2 stars above the Amazon average and its overall score 0.2 stars above the overall average.
Customers said that this product’s application process was easy if you followed the instructions that came with it. They said it worked best if you applied and removed it on small portions of the car at a time instead of applying it to the entire car all at once. There were some complaints about it leaving behind an oily residue. This seemed to happen to customers that received an old bottle that had separated.
Best Carnauba Wax: Chemical Guys WAC 201 Butter Wet Wax
This is the only product in the review that is 100% carnauba wax. Carnauba wax is smooth like butter, making application easy, and it is better at shining your car’s paint than other synthetic waxes.
Another bonus of this product is its protection from the sunlight. This prevents UV rays from causing swirls, white spots, and faded areas on your paint.
- Choice of 4-ounce, 16-ounce, 64-ounce, or 128-ounce bottle
- Shines and protects car paint
- Provides UV protection
- 100% carnauba wax
Over 3,700 Amazon customers gave this product 4.6 stars. Its score increased to 4.8 stars with reviews from other retailers, putting its Amazon score 0.1 stars above the Amazon average and its overall score 0.1 stars above the overall average.
Customers complimented this wax’s ease of application. They also said that it left a mirror-like shine and that it had a fruity smell. However, several customers said that this wax is more of a showroom wax, which means that it gives a nice shine for a few days, which is long enough for a car show. After that, the shine and protection fades.
#4: CarGuys Hybrid Wax Sealant
This product acts as both a sealant and a wax. This dual action prevents any dirt particles or other debris from penetrating the paint, and it adds a layer of shine to the car. It is even safe on all surfaces found on the exterior of your vehicle.
This product comes in two sizes: an 18-ounce bottle and a 128-ounce bottle. If you purchase the smaller spray bottle, you also get a towel for application.
- Choice of 18-ounce bottle with towel or 128-ounce bottle
- Seals the clear coat
- Shines and protects car paint
- Safe on all car surfaces
- Streak free
- Contains carnauba wax
This product received a rating of 4.5 stars from more than 6,700 Amazon customers, which is equal to the Amazon average. However, after including reviews from other e-commerce companies, its rating decreased to 4.4 stars, which is 0.3 stars below the overall average.
Customers said the product is best for repelling dirt and other debris. They also said that a little goes a long way and that you can get several, full-body waxes out of the small bottle. However, some customers complained that it didn’t make their cars shiny. In fact, it might have made it worse by leaving behind water spots.
#5: Torque Detail Mirror Shine
Torque Detail’s wax comes in a spray bottle for easy application. You just spray it onto an area of your car, wipe it away with a towel, and you’re left with a layer of protection and shine that lasts for a long time.
This product works on a variety of vehicles, so you can get the same protection regardless of whether you own a sedan, SUV, truck, motorcycle, or boat.
- Choice of 16-ounce or 128-ounce bottle
- Shines and protects car paint
- Lasts for up to 6 months
- Works on cars, boats, motorcycles, trucks, and aircrafts
More than 3,600 customers reviewed this product on Amazon and gave it an average score of 4.3 stars, which is 0.2 stars below the Amazon average. Its rating slightly increased to 4.4 stars with reviews from other e-commerce websites, but that is still 0.3 stars below the overall average.
Customers said that the product was easier to apply and left a better shine than thicker waxes that required more buffing, which meant they got a better result for less work. However, customers said that the shine didn’t last as long as they hoped, which was surprising considering how much they paid for the product.
Buying A Car Wax: Factors to Consider
Learn more about the characteristics of car wax with these factors to consider.
Your wax will either be natural or synthetic.
Natural car wax is made from carnauba wax, which comes from Brazilian palm trees. The car wax will either have a yellow color if it is pure carnauba or a white color if beeswax or turpentine is mixed with it. This type of wax leaves a better shine, but that shine only lasts three to eight weeks.
Synthetic car wax contains chemicals that bond with the car’s paint. Its protection lasts up to six months instead of carnauba’s two, but it doesn’t leave as nice a shine.
Car wax comes in four forms.
Spray wax comes in a spray bottle and is the quickest one to use. It works best for touch ups to your car’s wax job. The downside of this type is that it is less durable and not as shiny.
This type is thicker than spray. You pour some of it onto an applicator and rub it on your car. It is easy to apply and often contains added polymers to create a long-lasting shine. However, it can be hard to get the wax to go on evenly.
This is the type that most people think of when they think of wax. This type applies evenly and has a nice shine, but because of how thick it is, it takes more time to buff it in.
This type has a two-in-one formula. It contains soap and wax so that you can wash off any grime and get a shine. The Aero Cosmetics wax in this review is an example of this type that you can apply with or without water. We also included the Meguiar’s Ultimate Wash & Wax soap in our best car wash soaps review. The downside to this type is that the paint protection doesn’t last as long as wax-only formulas.
If you’re looking to wax your entire car, you’ll want a larger container of wax than if you’re just spot treating areas that need extra protection. However, if you have used the product before and liked its results, you’ll save money by buying a bigger bottle and storing it in your garage because you will get around to using it all at some point.
The exterior of your car contains plastic components, like bumpers and door trim. Some waxes leave behind a residue on these surfaces that can only be removed with a special plastic cleaner. If your exterior has a lot of plastic or you don’t want to worry about being too careful during application, choose a wax that is safe for plastic.
Car Wax FAQ
Car waxing offer many benefits, including:
- Keeps your car shiny
- Protects the paint underneath from damage
- Cuts down on the amount of scrubbing you have to do when you wash your car
- Increases the resale value of your car
- Fills in scratches to make them less noticeable
Car polish contains abrasives that are designed to smooth minor scratches and swirl marks, which improves the overall appearance of your paint job. Car wax, on the other hand, is meant to protect your car’s paint from getting scratches and other surface marks so that you don’t have to use polish as frequently.
Most car experts recommend waxing your car every three months. However, you can get away with only waxing it twice a year.