Car ceramic coating goes mainstream, Turtle Wax Ceramic Coating wipes for $30 per package
Well this is interesting. Turtle wax just released a true ceramic coating product that is applied via wipes. A package of 4 costs only $30 and is supposed to be more than enough for a large car and last up to 3 years.
Heck this is about as easy as it gets BUT for a ceramic coating the hard work is the prep and typically is at least a strip wash (deep clean and remove any old wax/sealant), clay bar, and surface panel prep wipe to insure the ceramic coating bonds well to the clear coat. Still hats off to Turtle Wax and they have put out a lot of excellent and reasonably priced products in recent years.
I have noticed a slew of new easier to apply ceramic coatings come out recently from companies like DIY detail, and Armor Detail Supply and at very reasonable price points. Trying to decide for myself what to get for next spring.
I keep meaning to try it on a hunting rifle, but I keep forgetting.
November 02, 2026, 07:46 AM
Graniteguy
Is there a downside to using these wipes vs. the traditional method? Seems too easy.
November 02, 2026, 08:08 AM
P250UA5
If this turns out to work well, I'll give it a shot. The prep is the hard part.
The Enemy's gate is down.
November 02, 2026, 08:49 AM
Fly-Sig
Is this an actual real ceramic coating? Numerous products use the word ceramic but are not really ceramic. They're high tech and work great, but they aren't ceramic.
November 02, 2026, 09:20 AM
HRK
Be interesting to see how that turns out, you are correct, the paint prep is the main thing, and takes the most effort and time.
Chemical guys have several Ceramic kits which include detail cloths, clay bars, the lube for the bars, and the ceramic coating chemicals.
It can get a bit overwhelming since they have so many options...
Scroll to the bottom for their tutorials on Ceramic coatings if you are looking for a quick ceramic coating option check out the HyperWax Ceramic Product $40 price range, applies like a wax.
The Project Farm YouTube guy has tested spray “ceramic” and real ceramic coatings for 2024, 2025, and 2026. None of the spray on did nearly as well as the real ceramic coatings. The one Chemical guys spray he used was towards the bottom of the pack for the spray on.
The Turtle Wax wipes may be real ceramic coating, but $30 for one car compared to $100 for a bottle of the real stuff that will do three cars isn’t as economical as it might seem. Sure it saves a little time wetting an applicator and eliminates someone accidentally knocking the bottle over.
November 02, 2026, 11:12 AM
tatortodd
I strip washed, clay barred, iron decontaminated, sprayed with surface panel prep, machine polished, sprayed with surface panel prep again, ceramic coated the paint, and then ceramic coated the plastic trim. I was about 7 hours into it before applying the ceramic coating on the paint. I did the paint and chrome in about 45 min, and it took about 1 hr 15 min to do the trim. Between the prep, the product selected and my maintenance wash habits (i.e. hand wash never automatic wash) it's still going strong even on areas like rocker panels which tend to die first.
Paint: It was a conventional ceramic in a glass bottle. Drip it on the microfiber applicator, apply, level with microfiber towel once it rainbows, and buff with 2nd microfiber towel.
Black plastic: I used cerakote's trim wipes which is most applicable to the Turtle Wax product. I found the wipes to be easy to use on small areas (e.g. the plastic piece between hood and windshield). I found the wipes to be hard to use on my Bakflip folding rigid tonneau cover. Partly due to the grippiness (i.e. not like paint) and it didn't lay it down as thick so it wasn't obvious if I applied everywhere. Ended up with a few stripes.
Headlights: A few weekends prior, I used cerakote's headlight wipes which is most applicable to the Turtle Wax product. Since the headlight plastic is smooth like paint it was much easier to apply as it wasn't grabby.
If I had to rank remaining life: 1. paint - it's still going strong and even rocker panels bead well at 3 years 2. headlight - tough operating environment with the heat but still going strong 3. Trim - probably needs to be redone this "winter"
Companies:
Paint - Blue Collar was sold and no longer marketed as far as I can tell. Brian the former owner of Blue Collar (and the guy in the OP'S 2nd video) in a recent video said he'd go with Gyeon Q2 Mohs for a ceramic coating in a glass vial.
Trim & Headlights - Cerakote still going strong, and they've added a glass vial ceramic coating for paint. I'd use them again.
Turtle Wax - their normal big box store is pretty average, but their hybrid solutions line punches above its weight.
Chemical Guys is a marketing company and only a few gems (e.g. lighting carpet cleaner) in their hundreds of items. Other than the gems, most are average performers with premium prices.This message has been edited. Last edited by: tatortodd,
Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity
DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
November 02, 2026, 01:39 PM
grumpy1
quote:
Originally posted by Graniteguy: Is there a downside to using these wipes vs. the traditional method? Seems too easy.
Probably not anymore. A number of the newer coatings are much easier than it used to be. I have not applied a ceramic coating yet but from the numerous videos and info I have seen the timing was very critical not that long ago and hard for the average person to tell when is the time to level and buff out and if you were off about that you ended up with a BIG mess on your hands.
November 02, 2026, 01:42 PM
grumpy1
quote:
Originally posted by Fly-Sig: Is this an actual real ceramic coating? Numerous products use the word ceramic but are not really ceramic. They're high tech and work great, but they aren't ceramic.
Yes according to Turtle Wax this is a real ceramic "coating" and yes the word "ceramic" has been abused and confusing to the end buyer.
November 02, 2026, 01:44 PM
grumpy1
quote:
Originally posted by P250UA5: If this turns out to work well, I'll give it a shot. The prep is the hard part.
I probably will too on my 2004 Accord (my practice car) next spring.
November 02, 2026, 01:53 PM
grumpy1
quote:
Originally posted by tatortodd: I strip washed, clay barred, iron decontaminated, sprayed with surface panel prep, machine polished, sprayed with surface panel prep again, ceramic coated the paint, and then ceramic coated the plastic trim. I was about 7 hours into it before applying the ceramic coating on the paint. I did the paint and chrome in about 45 min, and it took about 1 hr 15 min to do the trim. Between the prep, the product selected and my maintenance wash habits (i.e. hand wash never automatic wash) it's still going strong even on areas like rocker panels which tend to die first.
Paint: It was a conventional ceramic in a glass bottle. Drip it on the microfiber applicator, apply, level with microfiber towel once it rainbows, and buff with 2nd microfiber towel.
Black plastic: I used cerakote's trim wipes which is most applicable to the Turtle Wax product. I found the wipes to be easy to use on small areas (e.g. the plastic piece between hood and windshield). I found the wipes to be hard to use on my Bakflip folding rigid tonneau cover. Partly due to the grippiness (i.e. not like paint) and it didn't lay it down as thick so it wasn't obvious if I applied everywhere. Ended up with a few stripes.
Headlights: A few weekends prior, I used cerakote's headlight wipes which is most applicable to the Turtle Wax product. Since the headlight plastic is smooth like paint it was much easier to apply as it wasn't grabby.
If I had to rank remaining life: 1. paint - it's still going strong and even rocker panels bead well at 3 years 2. headlight - tough operating environment with the heat but still going strong 3. Trim - probably needs to be redone this "winter"
Companies:
Paint - Blue Collar was sold and no longer marketed as far as I can tell. Brian the former owner of Blue Collar (and the guy in the OP'S 2nd video) in a recent video said he'd go with Gyeon Q2 Mohs for a ceramic coating in a glass vial.
Trim & Headlights - Cerakote still going strong, and they've added a glass vial ceramic coating for paint. I'd use them again.
Turtle Wax - their normal big box store is pretty average, but their hybrid solutions line punches above its weight.
Chemical Guys is a marketing company and only a few gems (e.g. lighting carpet cleaner) in their hundreds of items. Other than the gems, most are average performers with premium prices.
Thanks! A ton of good info.
November 02, 2026, 01:59 PM
grumpy1
If anyone is interested this guy, Dimitry's Garage, does a lot of reviews on ceramic coatings and ranks them based on his criteria. I have the video to start at the rankings.
I suspect a fairly significant percentage of people buying this new Turtle Wax Ceramic Coating Wipes product will simply wash their vehicle and apply it and more than likely get poor results after a fairly short period of time so keep that in mind if we start seeing bad reviews without knowing the whole story.
.
November 02, 2026, 02:16 PM
corsair
Like any topical application, the easier it is to apply then the easier it will be to come-off.
Putting the ceramic solution on disposable wipes was bound to happen, convenience always attracts a certain customer, however without proper prep work none of that convenience will matter. Then there's the issue of longevity, how many seasons will it last given how easy it was to apply?
November 02, 2026, 02:21 PM
grumpy1
Here is a relatively short video by Bradley from Armor Detail Supply that gives a great example of what needs to be done to prepare for and apply a ceramic coating. He uses Armor Detail Supply Phobic in this case He also mentions that a polish may need to be done too but does not get into doing that part. Polishing will also insure that all old waxes and/or sealants have been removed as they would prevent the new ceramic coating from properly bonding to the clear coat. Polishing can be done by hand too with something like Meguiars Ultimate Polish.
November 02, 2026, 07:48 PM
snidera
Applying the ceramic coating is the easiest step. Just like painting, the prep work is what is difficult/time consuming.
If you aren't doing a heavy cleaning AND polishing, don't waste your time on a ceramic coating. Polishing is the key -I've done 2 new vehicles and 1 older one, 1 I didn't polish and regretted it.
The spray on/wipe on stuff is a sealant w/some ceramic properties. It will last 6 months, maximum, usually much less. It has it's uses, but it is nothing like a ceramic coating that will last years. I like a few of them for streak free drying + a little protection.
November 03, 2026, 04:29 AM
smlsig
quote:
Originally posted by trapper189: The Project Farm YouTube guy has tested spray “ceramic” and real ceramic coatings for 2024, 2025, and 2026. None of the spray on did nearly as well as the real ceramic coatings. The one Chemical guys spray he used was towards the bottom of the pack for the spray on.
The Turtle Wax wipes may be real ceramic coating, but $30 for one car compared to $100 for a bottle of the real stuff that will do three cars isn’t as economical as it might seem. Sure it saves a little time wetting an applicator and eliminates someone accidentally knocking the bottle over.
The spray one ones PF tested did well. I’ve used the Griots on one of my vehicles and it is holding up remarkably well compared to my professionally applied Ceramic Pro on my Porsche.
Our Founding Fathers were men who understood that the right thing is not necessarily the written thing. -kkina
November 03, 2026, 05:51 AM
trapper189
quote:
Originally posted by smlsig: The spray one ones PF tested did well. I’ve used the Griots on one of my vehicles and it is holding up remarkably well compared to my professionally applied Ceramic Pro on my Porsche.
In the 2026 test, two of four sucking, one performing OK, and the Griot's doing well does not mean the group did well. Of the ceramic coatings, the one was utter garbage and the other two were superior to the Griot's, but the Griot's did nearly as well. I was wrong when I said none of the spray on products did nearly as well. In reviewing all three videos before posting, I missed how well the Griot's did.
November 03, 2026, 07:28 PM
snidera
quote:
Originally posted by trapper189:
Define "did well".
Spray-on/wipe of ceramic coatings / sealants will 'do well' to last 6-months real world. That's nothing new for a paint sealant, the ceramic part just helps with the hydrophobics - repelling some dirt & cleaning easier. Properly prepped ceramic coatings will last years. I mentioned that I didn't polish 1 new vehicle before I applied - it still lasted 2+ years. That's running it through a car wash once per week.
November 03, 2026, 08:52 PM
Boss1
I’ve been using Tw Hybrid Solutions Spray + the TW Hybrid Solutions Wash & Wax for several years. It’s fast/easy enough I do about 4 coats of the spray per year…two in the fall before it gets too cold, and two spring after it warms up enough. I’ll usually speed clay in the spring to get the winter season off.
TW always rates pretty high in the durability tests.
Overall pleased with it…if I had a high-end or classic car, I probably do more, but for my utilitarian daily driver, it does great.
I’ll have to see how these wipes work out.
B
A real life Sisyphus... "It's not the critic who counts..." TR Exodus 23.2: Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong... Despite some people's claims to the contrary, 5 lbs. is actually different than 12 lbs. It's never simple/easy.
