Ceramic Coating worth the $?

[joebruin77]

ton of bad reviews from customers on the 303 graphene: https://smile.amazon.com/303-Graphene-Nano-Spray-Coating/dp/B08K3N5QP5?sa-no-redirect=1

I have not personally tried 303 graphene, so I cannot speak from personal experience. That said, I checked out the link you referenced on amazon. 79% of the customer reviews gave the product a 5 star rating and another 13% gave it a 4 star review (total of 92% very positive reviews). Sure, there are a few critical reviews (1 and 2 star reviews combined to about 6%). But I don't think of this as a "ton of bad reviews". BTW, a few of these bad reviews were complaints about the bottle or sprayer leaking, which is a legitimate complaint but is more of a problem with the design of the bottle and not necessarily the product itself).

I am not saying this is a perfect product. Far from it. In fact, I personally do not plan to buy this product. From what I have read, it has a strong chemical, solvent smell and its dark color may stain whatever applicators and towels you use to apply it. Also, it does reportedly have a tacky feel when buffing it off. But it does apparently provide a lot of gloss. My main point in bringing it up earlier was to point out that, although it is not perfect, for a first stab at a graphene product, the 303 is not bs and not horrible. I do believe this and other graphene products will get better over time.

If I were to buy one of the new graphene products, I would choose Turtle Wax To The Max Graphene Liquid Max and Turtle Wax To The Max Flex Spray Wax. Unlike the 303 Graphene or Adams Graphene Sealant, the Turtle Wax products have a pleasant, non-chemical smell, are light in color (won't stain your applicators or towels), and seem to provide a ton of gloss and protection. Both products so far have all or mostly 5 star ratings on Amazon and no ratings below 4.

 

[fitnessinstbob]

Car already clayed, going to have PPF installed on front 1/3 on the 5th. Then going to try 303 Graphine Spray.

Hi Kimmi,
I noticed you live in West Covina. I used to live in Walnut, now I’m in Arizona.
Enjoy your new car!

 

[Noodles]

Even though this is posted on a site that sells 303, this review was done by Mike Phillips, a very respected guy in the detailing community:

303 Graphene Nano Spray Coating How-To & Review By Mike Phillips

Interesting review but its such a personal gripe with me.

material science was my favorite class during university, did some work/study around graphene.
graphene is just a product that allows heat to transfer really good and is slippery around other graphene.

im split from product reviews and my understanding.

never hurts to try it out either way.

 

[joebruin77]

Interesting review but its such a personal gripe with me.

material science was my favorite class during university, did some work/study around graphene.
graphene is just a product that allows heat to transfer really good and is slippery around other graphene.

im split from product reviews and my understanding.

never hurts to try it out either way.

I share your frustration with car care products that promise the world but end up way underperforming, and charge you a premium for it. A great example, as I mentioned earlier, is Top Coat F-11. This is a polymer sealant that is $60 for 16oz! Not only is it super expensive, but it fails miserably in so many video reviews. There are multiple examples of it failing even after just a wash or two. So I don't blame you for being skeptical about graphene and how it could be just a fad. But so far I do believe graphene holds a lot of promise and seems legit.

Here is an article that does a decent job of reviewing the logic behind using graphene in car care products. As the article points out, when ceramic products first came on the market, there was a similar amount of skepticism about them. But now ceramic coatings and ceramic-infused spray sealants are regarded as highly effective products. Will we end up saying similar things about graphene? Only time will tell.

Graphene Coating for Cars - Why The Hype? | DriveDetailed

 

[outdoors]

I have not personally tried 303 graphene, so I cannot speak from personal experience. That said, I checked out the link you referenced on amazon. 79% of the customer reviews gave the product a 5 star rating and another 13% gave it a 4 star review (total of 92% very positive reviews). Sure, there are a few critical reviews (1 and 2 star reviews combined to about 6%). But I don't think of this as a "ton of bad reviews". BTW, a few of these bad reviews were complaints about the bottle or sprayer leaking, which is a legitimate complaint but is more of a problem with the design of the bottle and not necessarily the product itself).

I am not saying this is a perfect product. Far from it. In fact, I personally do not plan to buy this product. From what I have read, it has a strong chemical, solvent smell and its dark color may stain whatever applicators and towels you use to apply it. Also, it does reportedly have a tacky feel when buffing it off. But it does apparently provide a lot of gloss. My main point in bringing it up earlier was to point out that, although it is not perfect, for a first stab at a graphene product, the 303 is not bs and not horrible. I do believe this and other graphene products will get better over time.

If I were to buy one of the new graphene products, I would choose Turtle Wax To The Max Graphene Liquid Max and Turtle Wax To The Max Flex Spray Wax. Unlike the 303 Graphene or Adams Graphene Sealant, the Turtle Wax products have a pleasant, non-chemical smell, are light in color (won't stain your applicators or towels), and seem to provide a ton of gloss and protection. Both products so far have all or mostly 5 star ratings on Amazon and no ratings below 4.

So I gave the 303 Graphene a shot and had it delivered down to our place in Florida. I applied it just before we drove back up to Michigan.

1. Found very easy to apply and buff off.
2. Very nice gloss.
3. More importantly was best in show the entire trip home during slush and salt at superchargers.
4. Gave neighbor rest of bottle for his 540 because of smell. No way I was traveling with it. Kind of leaky bottle.

I did miss a few spots. I could tell very easily. We use a combination of ONR and auto car washes. If it holds this type of beading after a good couple months I will keep going this route.

Many of the negative Amazon reviews seem to be for leaky bottle. All of the two and one stars to be exact.

 

[Kimmi]

Car already clayed, going to have PPF installed on front 1/3 on the 5th. Then going to try 303 Graphine Spray.

My take on 303 Graphine spray. Goes on easy, comes off harder than the Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Polymer Sealant that was always used on the Lexus, post #1, and very hard to remove from the glass! Maybe harder because I can only use my right arm because of a stroke I am recovering from? Nice and shiny. Only time will tell how it holds up. I agree with the complaints; the sprayer is crap! It's not a very controlled spray pattern.
Shout out to Transhine in Whittier, CA. They did a fabulous job of installing the XPEL Ultimate PPF.
Next decision; Vinylex & Zaino like I have always used or 303 Protectant? I like that I hear 303 gives a flat finish.

 

[XLR82XS]

FWIW I recently started using Meguiar's ceramic wax and I love it. Properties of expensive coatings at a super low price. Granted I may have to apply it 2-3 times a year but I enjoy detailing my vehicles.

Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax - Long-Lasting Ceramic Protection in an Easy to Use Wax-G200416, 16 oz | Meguiar's

 

[Jclboston]

I snapped a night time photo yesterday while parked. Got ceramic coating a year ago, and after a simple wash, it's still very glossy.

Edit: The photo as it appears in the forum is a fairly poor compression of the original photo. Doesn't show the luster at all. How do I fix this? I am just using the "Upload an Image/File" function.

 

[joebruin77]

I snapped a night time photo yesterday while parked. Got ceramic coating a year ago, and after a simple wash, it's still very glossy.

View attachment 626698

Edit: The photo as it appears in the forum is a fairly poor compression of the original photo. Doesn't show the luster at all. How do I fix this? I am just using the "Upload an Image/File" function.

Looks great! What type of car wash did you do and what car wash product did you use?

 

[Jclboston]

Looks great! What type of car wash did you do and what car wash product did you use?

I've gone into the rabbit hole in the past scouring various detailing sub-forums and the like and trying all sorts of products. Currently, all I really need is a gentle hand wash with a microfiber mitt, CarPro Reset shampoo, a hose, and the two bucket method. And I hand dry with some high quality towels such as the "Microfiber Madness Dry Me Crazy" towel. That is all. The ceramic coating has made on-going maintenance really simple for me.