Even the most ardent car cleaning fan will admit that the idea of continuously cleaning your car can be tiresome, especially as cars are dirt magnets if you drive them every day. That's why protective coatings like waxes and paint sealants are so popular. They're relatively easy ways of preserving your car's cleanliness and providing a little extra protection against water, contaminants and UV rays. In short, it's well worth applying some to your car next time to clean it.
Spray-on examples of car waxes are even more convenient, often requiring nothing more than a light buff with a microfibre towel compared to the more complex process required with liquid and paste waxes. They may not offer the same level of protection, but they're still more than acceptable and perfect for a quick top-up for an existing wax. The ceramic and graphene examples may cost more but can genuinely compete with paste and liquid waxes while being far more convenient to apply.
The best carnauba and synthetic spray waxes
Meguiar's G7716EU Gold Class Carnauba Plus Premium Quik Spray Wax
The best carnauba spray wax
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The best basic spray wax is this luxurious option from Meguiar's. Made with a blend of carnauba wax, this wax will deliver a nice deep shine to your paintwork once you've buffed it with a microfibre towel. It's useful for all paint types apart from matte and won't leave any white residue either.
Armor All Speed Wax Spray on Detailer
The best spray wax on a budget
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If you don't mind a little less protection and instead want to save a little cash, Armour All Speed Wax is a solid option. It still uses carnauba wax and delivers a nice rich shine to your paintwork. It works on both wet or dry paintwork and can be applied in direct sunlight.
Speed Guard Nano Coating Technology Spray
The best spray on wax alternative
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A spray-on paint sealant as opposed to wax, this spray makes use of nanotechnology to create a tough layer of protection that repels dirt, water and UV lighting. It's sprayed onto either wet or dry bodywork and buffed and it's stronger than most waxes. It's also safe on glass and matte paintwork too.
The best ceramic spray waxes
A step up in protection from standard spray waxes, ceramic waxes use liquid silicon dioxide (SiO2) polymers to create a tough layer of protection that's particularly resistant to UV rays and water. They'll cost more than standard spray waxes but will provide better and longer-lasting protection.
Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Spray Wax
The best spray wax for ceramic protection
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Requiring no buffing or curing time, this hybrid ceramic wax is an amazing way of providing some top-quality protection in a few seconds. It'll deliver months of hydrophobic, UV and dirt protection and it's a very reasonable price.
The best graphene spray waxes
Offering even more protection than ceramic, graphene is currently the best domestic way of protecting your car. The waxes utilise graphene oxide to bond tightly to your car's paintwork providing an ultra-tough layer of hydrophobic and UV resistant protection. If you want something instant to apply that offers genuine long-term protection then this is worth the extra cash.
Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Pro Flex Car Spray Wax
The best graphene-infused spray wax
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Graphene protection is a fairly new form of waxes, and there isn't much choice on the market yet. That said, this spray wax from Turtle Wax is very impressive. Not only can it be applied in direct sunlight, but to both wet and dry paintwork, and it doesn't need a curing time, only buffering with a microfibre towel. The spray can apply to the wheels, glass and plastic trim. It claims to protect for up to 12 months - that's astonishing for spray wax. All in, it's a very good choice.
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