Spray-on “ceramic” coatings are everywhere these days, but do they actually work? Well, if you’re looking for nanocoating performance, the answer is a resounding:
NO.
So what’s missing from these “ceramic” sprays? As it happens, a lot:
They don’t move off water
Sure, you’ll see a decent water beading effect after applying a “ceramic” coating spray. The problem is, those beads aren’t going anywhere—and in order for beads to have any benefit outside of aesthetics, they need to be moving OFF of your paint. Otherwise, they put you at risk of water spots, won’t help self-clean, and they’ll be a pain to dry (which means more chances for washmarks). A real nanocoating, like Dr. Beasley’s Nano-Resin, has a nanostructure engineered for low sliding angle so water beads can glide away more easily. See the difference below:
They don’t last long
Those water beads we mentioned in the last paragraph? Not only are they not beneficial, they also tend to stop forming after just a few weeks. With “ceramic” coating sprays, nothing lasts long. Not the beading and definitely not the protection. You’re looking at 6-8 months of durability, tops. It’s because unlike a true nanocoating, these products are not becoming one with the underlying surface, which makes them more more susceptible to deterioration.
They’re not scratch resistant
Just because the “ceramic” coating spray you’re looking at claims a 9H rating on the pencil hardness scale doesn’t mean it’ll resist scratches. We’ve established before that hardness does not equal scratch resistance, but we’ll give you a quick recap: the harder a coating is, the more brittle it is, making it less likely to absorb the pressure from a scratch. A flexible coating like Dr. Beasley’s Nano-Resin Pro, however, will fully absorb and dissipate the energy from light abrasion, preserving the nanostructure:
So why do companies call them “ceramic”?
Automotive paint protection took a hard turn towards nanocoatings this past decade, and the big car care companies are determined to get a piece of the nano-pie. Only problem is, nanocoatings are hard to mass market; they can be time-consuming to apply and do require some degree of skill. So why not make a nanocoating that anyone can put on? Enter the “ceramic” coating spray.
Companies are able to get away with using this terminology because technically, “ceramic” coating sprays do contain ceramic nanoparticles suspended in a resin. Plus, they do things you’d expect a nanocoating to do—they bead up water, they have a nice shine, etc. But it’s nothing more than a facade. Both the beading and shine disappear within weeks, and the protection totally degrades within months.
What should I use instead?
Thankfully, there are already a few easy-to-apply, genuine nanocoatings on the market right now. Here are a few from Dr. Beasley’s to get you started:
Formula 1201 — This nanocoating uses a wet application to speed up the install process, thanks to both the water-provided lubrication and the fact that you can go straight from washing to coating. Only one hour of cure time is needed after application. Lasts one year on a daily driver, two or more on garaged vehicles.
PlasmaCoat — This nanocoating has a wax-like consistency and bonds instantly with paintwork, so you won’t need to wait for any flashing before wiping away. As with Formula 1201, it only requires an hour of cure time after application and lasts a year on a daily driver, two or more on a garaged car.
Nano-Resin — This is a professional-style nanocoating that can easily be applied by an enthusiast. Because of the forgiving flash time on Nano-Resin, it’s nearly impossible to get high spots. Nano-Resin also requires only one hour of cure time and will last 3 years on a daily driver, 5 years or more on a garaged vehicle.
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