Seal vs. Wax
- Thread starter anubus12
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Old Pirate
AMG Classic Car Detailing
I use both on my car's.
mikebai1990
New member
Depends completely on what your own needs are.
Jngrbrdman
New member
There are strong pros for both products. I don't think it is a question about which is better. They both do the trick. Of course now that Polycharger is out there it makes the decision much easier. I don't have to give up my Liquid Souveran because I want the durability of a sealant. 
That product has been a long time coming I tell ya. As far as paste waxes go, who really cares about durability?? I don't use a paste wax because I want it to last forever. I use it because it looks great for about 4 weeks and then I put another coat on.
edit: however, with that being said, I remain a strong promoter of sealants instead of waxes. Sealants have come a long way and they rival even the best waxes for appearance. I've got a whole long diatride of comments on the benefits of sealants instead of waxes around here somewhere I think. If I don't then I know it is on my site. I just can't say enough good things about sealant technology lately. Synthetics are the way of the future for car care. At the rate the industry is going I'd say in ten years it will only be 'old timers' who still use carnaubas. lol
That product has been a long time coming I tell ya. As far as paste waxes go, who really cares about durability?? I don't use a paste wax because I want it to last forever. I use it because it looks great for about 4 weeks and then I put another coat on.edit: however, with that being said, I remain a strong promoter of sealants instead of waxes. Sealants have come a long way and they rival even the best waxes for appearance. I've got a whole long diatride of comments on the benefits of sealants instead of waxes around here somewhere I think. If I don't then I know it is on my site. I just can't say enough good things about sealant technology lately. Synthetics are the way of the future for car care. At the rate the industry is going I'd say in ten years it will only be 'old timers' who still use carnaubas. lol
a.k.a. Patrick
New member
And the crowd roard.........Im totally with you Anthony...Its been several years since I have used a Nuba.....
Funny i should see a post like this. I've just been going thru this myself. Check my posts at the mothers forum and you'll see. I started using mothers sealer wax and the result for me at least on both my motorcycle and honda accord has been awesome. I realize Mothers sealer glaze is not supposed to be a final product. But i swear i get more swirl reduction along with a glossier and slicker finish than anything i've used. so i've been using mothers sealer glaze as wax ! It just works perfect for me. As for longevity, i can't say just yet. it's not supposed to have any, but so far it's been good in that regard.
then again maybe i'm just mad when you consider my post on "long haul" detailer........others call it good for the money but nothing special. I used sealer glaze then LH on both my car and bike and i swear to god in 40+ years of car and bike ownership and lots of products to clean and protect them, nothing has come close to this. I honestly am extremely puzzled at the fact LH isn't praised here. Nothing i've ever used has ever given my vehicles this kind of gloss at any price. and sealer glaze is an amazing base. Guess i'm nuts........but i wish you could see what i'm seeing. I was going to try Megs UQD, but i decided theres no reason to, and i'm going to big lots this weekend to buy every bottle of LH they have. To each his own i guess. But for me i honestly see no reason to go beyond mothers S/G and LH detailer. I'm getting the glossiest most perfect look i've ever had with absolutely no work at all. what more can you ask? (well, longevity, yes, but i seem to be getting that to a degree thats great compared to the little time i have to put in)
then again maybe i'm just mad when you consider my post on "long haul" detailer........others call it good for the money but nothing special. I used sealer glaze then LH on both my car and bike and i swear to god in 40+ years of car and bike ownership and lots of products to clean and protect them, nothing has come close to this. I honestly am extremely puzzled at the fact LH isn't praised here. Nothing i've ever used has ever given my vehicles this kind of gloss at any price. and sealer glaze is an amazing base. Guess i'm nuts........but i wish you could see what i'm seeing. I was going to try Megs UQD, but i decided theres no reason to, and i'm going to big lots this weekend to buy every bottle of LH they have. To each his own i guess. But for me i honestly see no reason to go beyond mothers S/G and LH detailer. I'm getting the glossiest most perfect look i've ever had with absolutely no work at all. what more can you ask? (well, longevity, yes, but i seem to be getting that to a degree thats great compared to the little time i have to put in)
MBurnickas
New member
I think a coat of wax is the best protectant for a car in the very short term. It's thicker and repels contamination like sap or hard water better. However, I use sealants most of the time because they repel dust better and offer better long term protection against the sun. Bottom line is I wax for some occasions but I use a sealant for everyday.
BlackElantraGT
New member
dazco said:
Are you sure you're not seeing less swirls because they're being filled, after all the name of the product is sealer glaze and generally speaking, a glaze does a lot of filling. I also think for the price, the LH qd is a nice product to boost the shine on your car.
Jngrbrdman
New member
I can't find my Sealant rant, so here we go... This was written to convince people who weren't familiar with sealants and not necessarily directed to Autopians who are more educated. 
So forgive me if it seems basic. It was written as a post on another forum originally and then modified for my site.
Are you still using a carnauba to wax your car? Why? If you ask any detailer about why they use one wax or another they will tell you all about how ‘wet’ it makes the paint look or how ‘deep’ the reflections are. The fact is that waxes achieve that by using greasy oils. Anything covered in oil is going to look like wet paint. It’s the nature of the product. And deep reflections are more a product of proper polishing and prep work and not as much a result of which brand of wax you are using.
Let’s look at what wax really offers you. Wax offers you between 4 to 6 weeks of protection from UV rays that cause paint fading. If you live in a hot climate then you can expect 4 weeks or less. Wax is wax and heat will cause it to melt and evaporate. What kind of protection is that?
That ‘wet look’ appearance is due in part to oils in the wax. Those oils also attract dust. We all know how nice it is to have a perfect looking car and then 5 minutes later have it covered in dust. Those oils don’t stay around forever, so your car is only a wet paint looking dust magnet for as long as the oils don’t evaporate. Give it a couple days and your car will look shiny, but not as wet anymore.
Prices for wax are also out of this world. One of the best waxes I have ever used is only $15 bucks at any Harley Davidson shop. It is called S100 and it is amazing. It competes with waxes that cost 5 times as much. You may not believe me, but some waxes out there break the bank at over $1000 a jar. Want proof? Just find a retailer of Zymol Vintage and check out the price. What a deal, eh? On sale for a mere $1500 bucks. A few years ago I had an Autopia member send me a chunk of this wax. He wasn’t impressed with it and he sent it to me and another member to compare it to other waxes that I used at the time. Compared to my $15 S100, I wouldn’t pay more than $30 bucks for Zymol Vintage. It was really under impressive and not worth anywhere near $1500 bucks IMHO. I keep it around for some customers who want to say that they have this wax on the car for shows, but other than that I wouldn’t suggest it. I don’t even use it on my own cars, so that tells you something. Pinnacle Souveran also claims to have a high amount of Brazilian White Carnauba in it, but you don’t see them slapping on a house payment sized price tag on their wax. Souveran is, by the way, a great wax… but also not necessarily worth $70 bucks when compared to S100 and other lower priced products that look terrific. Price doesn't always translate into appearance difference.
I’m not a wax hater by any means. I have loads of wax myself. I have at least a dozen different waxes on my shelf that get used on customer cars. When someone comes to me for a detail and request certain products by name to be used, I want to be prepared. However, for my own cars I have found a much much better product than wax. I’m talking about sealants.
Sealants are not new technology. They become more popular in the last 20 years, but they have been around much longer than that. It has only been in the last half dozen years that polymer technology has really started to wow the detailing community. There are some names that auto enthusiasts are familiar with like Klasse, Zaino, Meguiar’s and others, but recently some remarkable advances in polymer sealants have brought us products like Blackfire, 4* Ultimate Paint Protection, and Wolfgang. Recently this technology was put back on the shelf in the form of Meguiar’s NXT and Eagle One Nanowax among others. Sealants offer outstanding durability at over 6 weeks for most products. 10 to 12 weeks is average for most sealants while some will last for much longer. These products bond to the paint like super glue and don’t evaporate with a little heat. They aren’t greasy oily products that attract dust either. Some of them actually have anti-static properties to them that repel dust instead of attracting it.
It is worth it to explore sealant technology and see how it compares to your favorite waxes. Most sealants are priced competitively and aren’t that much more expensive than a good carnauba. For example, a 16 ounce bottle of Wolfgang Paint Sealant costs under $20 from most online distributors. Not to mention that you won’t be out in your garage waxing every weekend just to keep it looking good. Wolfgang is a very durable sealant that looks as good or better than any wax I’ve ever used. For anyone that says their carnauba is the only product to produce ‘deep’ or ‘wet’ looking finishes, take a look at these pictures and reevaluate your stand on car care products. Sealants have a lot to offer and I truly believe they are the way of the future. Why use a greasy carnauba that is fragile and creates so much work when you can use a sealant that looks this good and protects for much longer without the dust attraction?
If you need some more convincing, take a look at these pictures of my car with Wolfgang sealant on it and you tell me that your waxes look better. I believe that many waxes may look as good as a sealant, but I’ve never found one that looked better or protected better. Many waxes don’t even come close to these kinds of looks. Take my word for it and explore some sealants the next time you look for car care products. You will not be disappointed.
So forgive me if it seems basic. It was written as a post on another forum originally and then modified for my site.Are you still using a carnauba to wax your car? Why? If you ask any detailer about why they use one wax or another they will tell you all about how ‘wet’ it makes the paint look or how ‘deep’ the reflections are. The fact is that waxes achieve that by using greasy oils. Anything covered in oil is going to look like wet paint. It’s the nature of the product. And deep reflections are more a product of proper polishing and prep work and not as much a result of which brand of wax you are using.
Let’s look at what wax really offers you. Wax offers you between 4 to 6 weeks of protection from UV rays that cause paint fading. If you live in a hot climate then you can expect 4 weeks or less. Wax is wax and heat will cause it to melt and evaporate. What kind of protection is that?
That ‘wet look’ appearance is due in part to oils in the wax. Those oils also attract dust. We all know how nice it is to have a perfect looking car and then 5 minutes later have it covered in dust. Those oils don’t stay around forever, so your car is only a wet paint looking dust magnet for as long as the oils don’t evaporate. Give it a couple days and your car will look shiny, but not as wet anymore.
Prices for wax are also out of this world. One of the best waxes I have ever used is only $15 bucks at any Harley Davidson shop. It is called S100 and it is amazing. It competes with waxes that cost 5 times as much. You may not believe me, but some waxes out there break the bank at over $1000 a jar. Want proof? Just find a retailer of Zymol Vintage and check out the price. What a deal, eh? On sale for a mere $1500 bucks. A few years ago I had an Autopia member send me a chunk of this wax. He wasn’t impressed with it and he sent it to me and another member to compare it to other waxes that I used at the time. Compared to my $15 S100, I wouldn’t pay more than $30 bucks for Zymol Vintage. It was really under impressive and not worth anywhere near $1500 bucks IMHO. I keep it around for some customers who want to say that they have this wax on the car for shows, but other than that I wouldn’t suggest it. I don’t even use it on my own cars, so that tells you something. Pinnacle Souveran also claims to have a high amount of Brazilian White Carnauba in it, but you don’t see them slapping on a house payment sized price tag on their wax. Souveran is, by the way, a great wax… but also not necessarily worth $70 bucks when compared to S100 and other lower priced products that look terrific. Price doesn't always translate into appearance difference.
I’m not a wax hater by any means. I have loads of wax myself. I have at least a dozen different waxes on my shelf that get used on customer cars. When someone comes to me for a detail and request certain products by name to be used, I want to be prepared. However, for my own cars I have found a much much better product than wax. I’m talking about sealants.
Sealants are not new technology. They become more popular in the last 20 years, but they have been around much longer than that. It has only been in the last half dozen years that polymer technology has really started to wow the detailing community. There are some names that auto enthusiasts are familiar with like Klasse, Zaino, Meguiar’s and others, but recently some remarkable advances in polymer sealants have brought us products like Blackfire, 4* Ultimate Paint Protection, and Wolfgang. Recently this technology was put back on the shelf in the form of Meguiar’s NXT and Eagle One Nanowax among others. Sealants offer outstanding durability at over 6 weeks for most products. 10 to 12 weeks is average for most sealants while some will last for much longer. These products bond to the paint like super glue and don’t evaporate with a little heat. They aren’t greasy oily products that attract dust either. Some of them actually have anti-static properties to them that repel dust instead of attracting it.
It is worth it to explore sealant technology and see how it compares to your favorite waxes. Most sealants are priced competitively and aren’t that much more expensive than a good carnauba. For example, a 16 ounce bottle of Wolfgang Paint Sealant costs under $20 from most online distributors. Not to mention that you won’t be out in your garage waxing every weekend just to keep it looking good. Wolfgang is a very durable sealant that looks as good or better than any wax I’ve ever used. For anyone that says their carnauba is the only product to produce ‘deep’ or ‘wet’ looking finishes, take a look at these pictures and reevaluate your stand on car care products. Sealants have a lot to offer and I truly believe they are the way of the future. Why use a greasy carnauba that is fragile and creates so much work when you can use a sealant that looks this good and protects for much longer without the dust attraction?
If you need some more convincing, take a look at these pictures of my car with Wolfgang sealant on it and you tell me that your waxes look better. I believe that many waxes may look as good as a sealant, but I’ve never found one that looked better or protected better. Many waxes don’t even come close to these kinds of looks. Take my word for it and explore some sealants the next time you look for car care products. You will not be disappointed.
Yes, thats why.... i wasn't trying to say the LH was covering the swirls. The SG is. But the LH is just amazing in conjunction with it. It's giving me the most gloss i've ever gotten with anything, and the sealer makes the painto look almost new as far as swirls. Actually, the SG itself is very nice and wet looking gloss. But the LH is even more so and is of course a simple way to keep it like that till the sealer needs reapplying. I'm the first to admit i'm probably the least knowledgeable person here about detailing. But i know what looks good, and right now i'm floored after 40 years of waxing and cleaning my vehicles. These 2 products are fantastic. I'm also not saying mothers is an amazing sealer......only that SEALER is great. There are probably many better, but this is the 1st i've used, and i think i'm probably done with wax unless this stuff has very low longevity.
By the way, can anyone recommend an even better sealer that will work as well in hiding swirls and is even better as far as longevity, AND, (and this is a biggie) is available at local chains like Kragen, Auto Zone, Walmart, ETC? Or is Mothers going to be close to anything i can find locally and w/o paying a fortune as far as longevity?
BlackElantraGT
New member
If you're happy with Mother's Sealer Glaze and the Long Haul Truck Gloss, I would recommend going to a Carquest and picking up a bottle of Duragloss AquaWax (it should cost less than $9 after tax) and using that in place of the LH truck gloss.
It'll give you that nice boost you're looking for, while also adding pretty decent durability for a spray sealant type of product. In my experience, it seems to work well with other products. It's quick and easy to apply, about as easy as a product gets. I haven't had any streaking issue with it, even in full, hot sun. I get at least one month's durability out of it on daily driven cars parked outside 24/7. And for the price, it's hard to beat. While you're at Carquest, pick up a bottle of their car wash soap too. It's some pretty good stuff.
It'll give you that nice boost you're looking for, while also adding pretty decent durability for a spray sealant type of product. In my experience, it seems to work well with other products. It's quick and easy to apply, about as easy as a product gets. I haven't had any streaking issue with it, even in full, hot sun. I get at least one month's durability out of it on daily driven cars parked outside 24/7. And for the price, it's hard to beat. While you're at Carquest, pick up a bottle of their car wash soap too. It's some pretty good stuff.
Jngrbrdman
New member
Meguiar's NXT is probably the best synthetic out there for hiding swirls. In fact, it even says it does that on the bottle. It has fillers and microabrasives in it that will polish out some and hide others when it comes to swirls. Nothing is going to hide them all, and even NXT won't hide them very long, but if you were interested in a permenant solution then you wouldn't be looking for a product that would hide them to begin with.
MBurnickas
New member
Jngrbrdman said:
How can something with cleaners in it have fillers?
Jngrbrdman
New member
Ask Meguiar's. They have been making polishes that have abrasives and fillers in them for years. #9 is a good case in point.