Ceramic coatings are the go-to paint protection choice. Any car wax that offers ceramic properties is immediately of interest, and Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax certainly sounds impressive. I put it through its paces to see how it performs.
RRP: $18.00, buy it here / £26.99, buy it here.
How I tested Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax
Before waxing, preparation is key, so I used Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound beforehand. I then applied CarPro Eraser to remove any oils from the paint. After taking an average gloss reading, I applied the wax as per the instructions. Once it had cured, I wiped it off, and then measured the gloss again, before checking the water behaviour.
What Meguiar’s says
With cutting-edge Si02 hybrid technology, Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax delivers hybrid ceramic protection that seals the paint but is as easy to apply as ordinary liquid wax. Meguiar’s says the formula produces a slick, protective, water-beading layer between your paint and the elements. It leaves behind ceramic protection and durability that lasts and provides a super-high contact angle for extreme water beading. Meguiar’s emphasises how easy it is to use, so that’s something I’ll be looking for. I’m also expecting some very impressive water behaviour.
What it’s like to use Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax
Application and removal were easy, and it spreads well, cures quickly, and wipes off easily enough. That means it’s as good as its rivals that I’ve tested but not necessarily better. There was barely any gloss increase, which was a little disappointing, but, being honest, seeing any sort of significant gloss increase after waxing is rare to see. However, Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax promised impressive water behaviour, and it delivered. In fact, it delivered the most impressive water behaviour out of any of the liquid waxes I have tested thus far. There wasn’t much beading, but it sheeted away water at a serious pace. And while sheeting is less impressive, it’s preferable to beading in terms of protecting your paintwork. An impressive performance on that front.
Gloss meter readings and verdict
- Gloss before: 88.4
- Gloss after: 88.6
- Gloss change: +0.2
Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax might not seem that impressive at first glance. It’s a little expensive compared to its rivals and delivers very little in terms of gloss increase. However, it really performed when it came to water behaviour, comfortably beating all the other liquid waxes I’ve tried. And seeing water disappear from your paintwork is what you want after you’ve spent all that time waxing it. If you’re looking for a slick liquid wax that delivers ceramic protection and impressive water behaviour, this is it.
