Best Ceramic Spray Coating? Mothers vs Meguiars vs Ethos Pro

Summary

In this video, the host conducts a comprehensive test of various car care products, comparing the effectiveness of a traditional Brazilian carnauba wax against newer ceramic spray coatings. The products are evaluated based on their ability to reduce friction, enhance paint protection, and exhibit hydrophobic properties. After a series of rigorous tests involving washing, chemical exposure, and friction measurement, the Turtle Wax Hybrid Ceramic Spray Coating emerges as the top performer, outshining both the carnauba wax and other ceramic coatings in terms of durability and water-beading effects, proving that it doesn't always take a high price to get superior results.

Takeaways

• 😀 The script begins with a humorous anecdote about a past motorcycle experience, setting a light tone for the product tests.
• 🛠️ The video involves testing various car wax and ceramic spray products to determine which one offers the best protection and shine.
• 🚗 The car is meticulously prepared for testing by washing, using a clay bar, and applying an iron remover to ensure a clean surface.
• 📏 The friction test on unprotected paint revealed a baseline measurement of 4.06 pounds, indicating the paint's roughness without any coating.
• 🌟 The first product tested, Mother's Carnauba Wax, significantly reduced friction to 2.24 pounds, demonstrating its protective qualities.
• 💧 Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions performed exceptionally well, reducing friction to 1.76 pounds and showing strong water-beading properties.
• 🧪 All products showed good initial hydrophobic properties, but Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions, Epic Elements, and Adam's Ceramic Spray stood out as top performers.
• 🔍 The durability tests with strip wash, iron remover, and bug tar remover revealed that Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions maintained its performance better than others.
• 🏆 The final friction test crowned Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions as the top performer, followed by Epic Elements and Adam's Ceramic Spray.
• 💰 The video concludes with an emphasis on Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions as an affordable yet highly effective option, outperforming more expensive competitors.

Q & A

What was the prank played on the narrator as a teenager involving their motorcycle?

Someone put wax on the motorcycle seat as a joke, causing the narrator to almost fall off when they tried to pop a wheelie.

What is the purpose of washing the car before applying the products in the script?

The purpose is to remove any existing wax and sealant, as well as to clean the paint surface thoroughly, ensuring that the new products can be applied to a completely unprotected and clean surface.

What is the significance of using a clay bar on the car in the video?

Using a clay bar helps to remove contaminants such as brake dust from the paint surface, which could interfere with the application and effectiveness of the protective coatings being tested.

Why does the narrator use an iron remover after washing and claying the car?

The iron remover is used to eliminate contaminants below the surface that the clay bar couldn't reach, ensuring the paint is completely clean and ready for the application of the protective products.

What is the baseline friction measurement before any products are applied, as mentioned in the script?

The baseline friction measurement is 4.06 pounds, which is the amount of force required to move the sponge across the paint without any protective coating.

What is the main difference between the application process of Mother's California Gold Ultimate Wax and the ceramic spray coatings?

Mother's California Gold Ultimate Wax requires manual application using a cloth and buffing off the haze, while the ceramic spray coatings are applied by spraying onto a surface or cloth and then wiping or buffing off.

How does the narrator test the hydrophobic properties of the applied products?

The narrator tests the hydrophobic properties by observing how water beads up and runs off the surface after the products have been applied and allowed to cure.

What is the purpose of the strip wash test conducted on the products?

The strip wash test is conducted to simulate the effect of a powerful car wash on the products, to see how well they maintain their protective qualities and hydrophobic properties after being exposed to such conditions.

Which product initially took the lead in reducing friction on the paint surface?

The Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions ceramic spray coating initially took the lead with a very impressive 1.76-pound friction measurement.

What is the final outcome of the friction test after all the chemical exposures?

After all the chemical exposures, the final friction test results had Hybrid Solutions in first place, Epic Elements Protect in second, and Adam's UV Ceramic Spray in third.

What does the narrator conclude about the Turtle Wax Hybrid Ceramic Spray Coating at the end of the script?

The narrator concludes that the Turtle Wax Hybrid Ceramic Spray Coating outperforms more expensive competition and is a product that doesn't cost a lot but performs very well.

Outlines

00:00

🏍️ The Motorcycle Wax Prank & Evolution of Ceramic Spray Products

The speaker begins by recounting a humorous memory from their teenage years involving a wax prank on their motorcycle seat, nearly causing them to fall off. They then transition into discussing the evolution of vehicle care products, particularly ceramic sprays, which are said to be superior to traditional wax. The video will test various brands to determine which offers the best performance. Before testing, the car's surface is prepared by removing any wax and contaminants, leaving the paint unprotected for an accurate comparison of the products.

05:02

🧼 Preparing and Testing the First Ceramic Coating Products

The speaker details the first few ceramic spray coatings being tested, starting with Mother's Brazilian Carnauba Wax. Each product's application process is described, including hybrid solutions, Epic Elements, and Mother's CMX. The speaker explains the benefits and features of each brand, such as water beading, chemical resistance, and ease of use. Price points are compared, and the testing process involves applying the coatings to specific sections of the car and measuring friction to determine the effectiveness of each product in reducing surface imperfections.

10:02

🚗 Head-to-Head Performance After Chemical Exposure

After applying all the products, the speaker tests their durability through exposure to various chemicals such as a strip wash, iron remover, and industrial degreaser. The performance of each product is evaluated, with hybrid solutions, Epic Elements, and Adam’s Ceramic emerging as top performers in terms of water resistance and surface slickness. Despite exposure to harsh conditions, some products continued to offer protection, while others showed significant decline. Hybrid solutions took the lead in all categories, offering superior durability and value for money.

Keywords

💡Carnauba Wax

Carnauba wax is a natural product derived from the leaves of a Brazilian palm tree, known for its use in car care products due to its shine and protection properties. In the video, it is tested against newer ceramic coatings to see how well it protects the paint and improves smoothness. The script highlights that while carnauba wax provides good protection and shine, it is outperformed by some of the ceramic sprays.

💡Ceramic Spray Coatings

Ceramic spray coatings refer to liquid car care products that create a durable, hydrophobic layer on the surface of a vehicle. These sprays often use silicon dioxide (SiO2) or titanium dioxide (TiO2) technology to enhance water repellency and protection. In the video, several ceramic sprays are compared to traditional waxes to determine their durability, ease of application, and performance under harsh conditions.

💡Hydrophobic Properties

Hydrophobic properties describe the ability of a surface to repel water, causing it to bead up rather than spread out. This feature is critical in automotive protection, as it helps keep the car clean and protects the paint. The video evaluates the hydrophobic performance of different waxes and ceramic sprays, with some products like the hybrid solutions showing stronger water-beading effects after chemical exposure.

💡Clay Bar

A clay bar is a detailing tool used to remove surface contaminants like brake dust, tar, and industrial fallout from a vehicle's paint. In the video, the car is treated with a clay bar before applying any wax or ceramic coating to ensure the surface is clean and free of particles that could interfere with the product's effectiveness.

💡Iron Remover

An iron remover is a chemical product designed to break down iron particles that can become embedded in a vehicle's paint, typically from brake dust or industrial fallout. In the script, the iron remover is applied after the clay bar treatment to ensure that deeper contaminants are removed from the paint, preparing the surface for the wax or ceramic coatings.

💡Friction Test

The friction test in the video measures how much force (in pounds) is required to move a sponge across a section of the car’s surface. This test is used to determine how well each product reduces surface friction by filling in scratches and swirl marks. Products like Hybrid Solutions performed exceptionally well by reducing the friction significantly.

💡Strip Wash

Strip wash refers to a type of car wash that is designed to remove any existing wax or sealant from the paint surface. In the video, a strip wash is used between product applications and after testing to assess the durability of each wax and ceramic coating. Several products, like carnauba wax, lose their effectiveness after exposure to the strip wash.

💡Sponge Sliding Test

This test involves placing a weighted sponge on the vehicle’s hood and measuring the friction as it slides across the surface. It's a way to quantify how smooth the paint is after applying different waxes and ceramic sprays. Products that create a slicker surface, like Hybrid Solutions, result in a lower force required to move the sponge.

💡Beading vs Sheeting

Beading refers to water forming small droplets on the surface of the car, while sheeting describes water flowing off the surface in larger sheets. These are indicators of a product's hydrophobic properties. In the video, hybrid solutions and ceramic sprays exhibit more beading, indicating better water repellency compared to carnauba wax, which begins to sheet as it loses its effectiveness.

💡Chemical Resistance

Chemical resistance is the ability of a product to withstand exposure to harsh chemicals like strip wash, iron remover, and bug and tar remover without degrading. The video tests the durability of different waxes and ceramic coatings by subjecting them to several chemical treatments, revealing that some products like Hybrid Solutions maintain their protective qualities better than others.

Highlights

The narrator recounts a personal experience involving a motorcycle seat coated with wax, which almost caused them to fall off while doing a wheelie.

The video focuses on testing the performance of ceramic spray coatings compared to traditional car waxes, specifically to see which offers better protection.

The car was prepared for the test by washing it with a powerful car wash, using a clay bar, and applying an iron remover to ensure no previous wax or contaminants remained.

The paint, without any protective coating, required 4.06 pounds of force to move a sponge, establishing a baseline for testing the smoothness of the surface.

First product tested: Mother's California Gold Brazilian carnauba wax reduced friction to 2.24 pounds, showing significant improvement over the unprotected paint.

Hybrid Solutions ceramic spray coating outperformed carnauba wax, requiring only 1.76 pounds to move the sponge, making it the leading product in the initial test.

The Epic Elements ceramic spray also performed well at 1.9 pounds of friction, coming close to Hybrid Solutions but still falling short.

Mother's CMX ceramic spray provided 2.16 pounds of friction, showing better results than the carnauba wax but not as good as the top ceramic sprays.

After applying a powerful strip wash to test durability, Hybrid Solutions continued to perform the best, with water beading better than other products.

Epic Elements showed a significant reduction in performance after the strip wash, with water sheeting more than beading, yet it still ranked second overall.

Adam's ceramic spray remained competitive in third place, with strong hydrophobic properties despite the rigorous tests.

Ethos ceramic wax, the most expensive product tested, did not outperform the cheaper competitors and ranked behind Hybrid Solutions and Epic Elements.

An iron remover was applied after the strip wash to further test durability, and Hybrid Solutions continued to outperform with minimal damage, followed by Epic Elements and Adam’s.

Hybrid Solutions stood out as the overall best product in terms of durability, water beading, and friction reduction, even outperforming higher-priced options.

The video concludes with the narrator emphasizing the surprising result that Hybrid Solutions, a less expensive product, outperformed more expensive brands, making it the top recommendation.

Transcripts

when i was a teenager i had an off-road

motorcycle and someone put some wax on

the seat as a joke

and when i went to papa wheelie i just

about went off the motorcycle well

that's been quite a while ago and since

then there have been some new products

introduced on the market including some

ceramic spray products

that claim to be far superior to regular

wax well let's get the testing underway

and see which brand is the best

before applying the products i'll first

wash the car with a powerful car wash

designed to remove car wax and sealant

i'll also use a clay bar to remove

contaminants such as brake dust from the

paint i went ahead and washed the car

one more time to remove any traces of

clay i then used an iron remover to get

rid of the contaminants below the

surface that the clay bar couldn't reach

the water is not beading up at all so

the paint is completely unprotected and

ready for each product to be applied i

went ahead and taped off eight sections

for testing each of the products

before applying the products i want to

get a baseline measure on the paint

without a sealant or a protective

coating the paint swirls and scratches

are exposed while the paint appears to

be very shiny it's actually not all that

smooth without a protective coating

which fills in the imperfections and

makes the paint slick i've lifted and

supported the front hood so that it's

very close to level i'll be using a

brand new sponge with five pounds of

weight on top this will give us a good

idea on how well the coatings are

filling in the swirl marks and scratches

the baseline number is 4.06 pounds wow

that's a lot of friction the first

product we'll be testing is a pure

brazilian carnauba wax and we're going

to compare it against the ceramic spray

coatings to see if they are actually any

better at a price of 14.96 is this

mother's california gold

ultimate wax system pure brazilian

carnauba wax ultimate shine and lasting

protection

we're gonna test that unsurpassed

richness and depth made in usa

shake well before and during use finish

should be clean dry and cool

wax one section at a time pour a small

amount of product onto a soft clean

microfiber teary cloth

or suitable applicator step two working

in two to three square foot sections

massage product thoroughly on to finish

use sparingly

step three allow to dry to a haze step 4

remove haze with a clean dry microfiber

or terry cloth towel

turn towel frequently for best buffing

action at a price of only 14.50

for 16 ounces the least expensive

ceramic spray coating we'll be testing

is made by hybrid solutions easy on easy

off even in direct sunlight

amazing results on paint metal plastic

and glass in minutes

synthetic wax polymers increases depth

of color gloss and shine

super hydrophobic and sio polymers

unique blend

delivers insane water beating and

chemical resistant protection for up to

12 months

hybrid solutions is made by turtle wax

and it is made in usa

for best results do not over apply high

active formula use two sprays per panel

spread and wipe with a clean folded

microfiber cloth use a separate

microfiber cloth to remove

for best performance paint should be

free of oxidation and surface

contaminants

use a damp microfiber cloth to remove

spots and streaking

can be used on wheels exterior glass and

plastics

the second least expensive ceramic

coating we'll be testing is made by epic

elements and costs 18.91

for just eight ounces protect superior

ceramic coating waterless wash

wax shine protect step one spray onto a

small area of surface and onto a damp

microfiber cloth

step two with the microfiber cloth

gently wipe the sprayed surface

step three before the product dries

switch to a clean

dry microfiber cloth and buff off any

remaining haze

no information on the container as to

where this product is made

at only 18.99 for 24 ounces the third

least expensive ceramic spray coating

we'll be testing

is made by mothers cmx advanced science

coat like a pro

the affordable and easy way sio2 plus

tio2

nano quartz technology deep glass-like

ultra durable finish

super hydrophobic protection simply

spray on and wipe off

made in usa step one mist cmx ceramic

spray coating onto a soft microfiber

towel or suitable applicator

step two gently spread product evenly

and thoroughly over a wet or dry surface

until it disappears

step three allow a few minutes for

coating to bond a surface

step four with a separate clean

microfiber towel

thoroughly buff the surface until

perfectly clean and clear

at 19.68 for 32 ounces is this mcguire's

hybrid ceramic wax

it claims to offer advanced sio2

technology ceramic made easy

protection and durability beyond

conventional wax simply spray on and

rinse off and dry

made in usa the first step is to rinse

the vehicle thoroughly of all washed

soap the second step is to spray

mcguire's hybrid ceramic wax over all

exterior surfaces

the final step is to use a clean dry

towel to wipe off the product

at a price of 19.99 for 16 ounces is

this epic

cr-2 hydro which is made by malco the

choice of the pros

made in usa ensure the vehicle surface

is completely clean and dry

shake the bottle well before using spray

epix cr2

onto one panel at a time distribute

evenly using a clean ultra soft

microfiber towel

and buff to a smooth shiny surface for

ideal bonding results keep the vehicle

dry for at least four hours

after completion at a price of 23.80 for

just eight ounces

is this atom spray coating ceramic glow

technology

the atom spray coating is made in

thornton colorado instruction spray adam

ceramic spray onto a microfiber towel

step two wipe the product onto the paint

allowing the surface to be fully covered

step three allow product to dry and cure

for one to two minutes

the product will look like rainbow

slicks on the surface buff to a high

shine with a microfiber towel

step five allow four hours to cure

before exposure to the elements such as

rain snow

sleet or water exposure at a price of

28.95 for just eight ounces the most

expensive product we'll be testing is

this ethos pro ceramic wax

handcrafted car care polishes shines and

protects

made in usa shake product well spread a

thin even layer of ceramic wax pro

onto the surface with a foam applicator

or polisher

let dry completely until light haze

appears step 3

buff wax residue to a shine with clean

microfiber towels

for best results apply out of direct

sunlight and onto a cool panel

to make this a fair competition i'm only

applying one coating of each product the

car has remained inside the shop and out

of the weather since i applied these

products a couple of days ago

the paint without a wax coating required

4.06 pounds to get the sponge to slide

let's see how well it performs with

mother's carnauba wax and the mother's

carnauba wax made a huge difference

only 2.24 pounds to move the sponge and

the hybrid solutions moves into the lead

with a very impressive 1.76 pound

performance

epic elements protect did a terrific job

at only 1.9 pounds which isn't quite

enough to take the lead from hybrid

solutions but definitely better than

mother's carnauba wax

mother's cmx ceramic spray coating did a

little bit better than mother's carnauba

at 2.16 pounds so hybrid solutions holds

on to the lead maguire's hybrid ceramic

did almost as well as mother's cmx

ceramic at 2.2 pounds

malko epic cr-2 hydro didn't do quite as

well as a competition at 2.3 pounds

atom ceramic didn't do quite as well as

malcol epic cr2

at 2.46 pounds and ethos moves into the

lead at 1.58 pounds

i'll go ahead and use a permanent marker

to label each one of the test areas so

we can easily identify the products

we're testing

wow all the products are doing great

demonstrating excellent hydrophobic

properties let's take a closer look at

each brand

mother's carnauba wax is doing a very

good job

wow look at hybrid solutions definitely

much better than the carnauba wax

epic elements did better than mother's

carnauba but not quite as good as hybrid

solutions

mother cmx ceramic is also doing a

terrific job but hybrid solution seems

to have a slight edge

meguiars is doing a terrific job almost

as good as mother's cmx ceramic

malcol epic cr2 is doing a terrific job

but hybrid solutions has the lead

adams is definitely doing a better job

than malco epic cr2 and it's really

close to the first position

give those creates a really slick

surface the water seems to be forming a

sheet and then running off very quickly

since this tape isn't going to survive

our next test i'll go ahead and get rid

of it initial performance of all these

products is impressive but let's see how

they do after we hit them with a

powerful strip wash that is designed to

remove car wax

i'll make two passes with the sponge

across each product wow the strip wash

definitely took a toll on some of the

products so let's take a closer look

mother's carnauba wax is no longer

beating as well as it once did

hybrid solutions didn't seem hurt at all

by the strip wash epic elements is

definitely better than mother's carnauba

but not beating as well as hybrid

solutions

mother's cmx ceramics seems very close

to the same as hybrid solutions very

impressive

maguires is still doing a terrific job

but not beating as well as hybrid

solutions or mother cmx

alkyl epic cr2 hydro seems about the

same as the meguiars

atoms continues to impress and is

definitely in the top three

the water continues to flow off of the

ethos in a large sheet

let's hit these products with an iron

remover next according to the

instructions i'm supposed to allow it to

soak for about 30 seconds

i'm gonna go ahead and rinse off the

iron remover then i'll back the car into

the shop once again so we can take a

closer look at each of the products

wow the iron remover definitely did some

damage to some of these products

but there's carnauba wax the water just

isn't beating as much as it was before

but it's still doing a pretty good job

hybrid solutions is still doing an

amazing job and the water is still

beating almost as much as before

epic elements is definitely doing a

better job than mother's carnauba but

hybrid solutions

definitely has the lead other ceramic

seems to be doing almost as well as epic

elements but not as well as hybrid

solutions maguire seems to be doing

about the same as the mother ceramic

the water definitely isn't beating as

well with malco epic cr2 compared to

hybrid solutions and epic elements

wow check out adam's ceramic it's

definitely very close between hybrid

solutions and atoms

ethos is definitely performing in the

top four wheel and tire cleaner will

definitely test the durability of these

products wow the wheel and tire cleaner

definitely had a huge

impact on most of these products on the

left side of the screen is the mother's

wax before applying the chemicals the

right side of the screen is after

applying the wheel and tire cleaner

a lot more water is sheeting and a lot

less beating with mother's carnival wax

hybrid solutions is still doing a great

job and the water is beating more than

it's sheeting

epic elements is still doing well but

the water is sheeting more than it's

beating

other ceramic is nearly used up and not

performing as well as hybrid solutions

or epic elements

maguire seems to be doing about the same

as mothers and seems to be nearly used

up and the water is no longer beating or

shooting effectively the water

definitely isn't beating as well with

malco epic cr2

wow look at adam's definitely in the top

two ethos is still doing a great job but

not as good as atoms or hybrid solutions

pug tar remover is very powerful and

should remove most of these products

since it contains a petroleum distillate

i'll have to use a strip wash to remove

the oily bug and tar remover residue wow

check out the difference between the

brands

this is definitely a three-way race with

hybrid solutions epic elements and atom

ceramics

all still doing very well the rest of

the brands are nearly used up

check that out wow very impressive

performance

epic elements is also doing a very good

job doing almost as good as hybrid

solutions

adams is doing great but hybrid

solutions and epic elements seem to be

doing slightly better

so the question remains can any of these

products stand up to an industrial

degreaser

according to the instructions do not use

on exterior car

surfaces let's do it anyway and see what

happens i'm also going to use the strip

wash to remove all traces of the

degreaser

wow check that out i'm really impressed

with hybrid solutions it's still holding

up epic elements is in the number two

position and definitely adam's number

three so our baseline slickness test

shows that it takes 4.06 pounds

to make the sponge slide on a completely

unprotected surface let's see how all

the brands perform after exposure to all

these chemicals

3.84 pounds from mother's carnival wax

so it's definitely used up

hybrid solutions 2.68 pounds very

impressive

epic elements didn't do as well as

hybrid solutions but 3.3 pounds is still

very good

mother ceramic is used up at 3.88 pounds

meguiars is also used up at 3.92 pounds

malco epic cr2 is nearly used up at 3.84

pounds

at 3.66 pounds atoms moved into the

third position behind hybrid solutions

and epic elements

ethos is almost used up at 3.92 pounds

so for the friction test it's hybrid

solutions coming in first epic elements

protect

second and adam's uv ceramic spray third

i absolutely love it when i find a

product that doesn't cost a lot and

outperforms the more expensive

competition the turtle wax hybrid

ceramic spray coating

definitely came out on top followed by

epic elements and finally atoms

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thanks so much for watching please take

care and i'll look forward to next time