# Expensive Waxes



## Taxboy (Aug 23, 2006)

Just wondering if there is still the love for expensive waxes. A while back they seemed to be the must have item - even collectible, with high quality packaging.

Currently the buzz seems to me to be about coatings, spray sealants etc.

So just as a discussion have the expensive waxes had their day or just moved to a smaller niche

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## suds (Apr 27, 2012)

Wax for me (Black Label) but maybe I'm now classed as old school - hate the sterile look of sealants and I'm not worried about sheeting.


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## Jonnybbad (Jun 12, 2013)

Love my waxes so much so i'm a collector not a fan of anything sealant wise i also enjoy waxing


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## stonejedi (Feb 2, 2008)

I don't buy a wax because its expensive I buy a wax because it offers me something special wether that be the "slickness,gloss,ease of use, longevity of the finish or simply just the smellAny one that would purchase a Boutique wax just because of the price £££ Truly does not understand!.SJ.


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## TGi (Oct 15, 2012)

Suppose it comes down to use if you have a garage ornament then I suppose having a £500 wax could be a talking point.
Suppose it would be different if some waxes didn’t deteriorate or brake down so you could save it for special occasions and make it last years.


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## big dave 666 (Aug 2, 2014)

Another from the old school lol. Enjoy applying a wax and seeing the difference in finish different waxes offer. I certainly have enough wax to last my lifetime!!!


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## Brian1612 (Apr 5, 2015)

I always loved waxes but recently, have started purchasing more of these lite ceramic or spray polymer sealants. They do make waxes look a little redundant imo. Regardless I have quite a few pots as there is just something relaxing about applying a wax, so long as it's a user friendly one with good results.

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## cheekymonkey (Mar 15, 2008)

will always love a good wax, even if its cheap. its more about the wax than the price imo


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## wayne451 (Aug 15, 2016)

I tried to reply to this when it was first posted last night but it said I wasn’t allowed? I emailed my post to myself and thought I’d try again today...

I think it’s a very valid question.

The World has changed. Extravagance is almost frowned upon, hence the rise of Aldi/Lidl etc.

I personally get more pleasure from a bargain than I do an obscene purchase. 

I used to hammer the Tesco reduced fridges so much that I bought another freezer. When that was filled I bought another. I knew the algorithm to their discounts and they still worked when discounted so there was genuinely occasions that I was paid to walk out of the store with numerous carrier bags full of meat. 

I have expensive waxes - Zymol Glasur and Swissvax Crystal Rock (I bought it used from here) but I still often divert to one of my Collinite waxes.


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## bigkahunaburger (Jun 27, 2012)

There does seem to be less talk about pricier waxes. The more expensive ones can often offer something special, whether that be their ease of use or something else. Cheaper waxes have caught up and people seem wise to the fact that there is very little real world difference between lower and higher end products.

I personally loved Zymol Glasur and actually regret selling it. It was a dream to spread and remove. It could be removed on a pane by panel basis, which I really liked. It had water reppelency/breading to rival coatings- genuinely. A magical formula that one. 

I have also been suckered into paying for some stupidly priced products that were twice the price of Glasur but nowhere near as good to use. When a wax is as fussy of a coating, you know you have been done.


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## Bulkhead (Oct 17, 2007)

Maybe there will be a retro-revival along the lines of the MINI, FIAT 500 etc. Looks like a wax of old but thoroughly modern in formulation. Mind you, we're probably already there with products like Fusso coat. I've never been swayed by price - the most expensive waxes I have is Dodo SNH and Vic's Red. My main issue now is I have a large car and it's a PITA to keep waxing every couple of months. I can get around 10 months from Fusso coat and being light silver in colour, there would be no benefit in looks by waxing. I do play around with the other car though, and that lives n the garage so doesn't see as much weather.


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## WHIZZER (Oct 25, 2005)

Still love using waxes .. souveran is still an all time favourite


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## great gonzo (Nov 4, 2010)

Waxing is still for me. 


Gonz.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Still love using my Zymol Royale on my bike.... :argie::argie:

Even have a bit of it on my trusty Jeep... just to see how it compares to the AG Polar range.. (not quite in competition I know.. :lol

De-fin-itive waxes are still used for my wheels and cars when I can be bothered to wax...

"being bothered" is the main thing for me now.. so I tend to use the new crop of spray on sealants... when I can be bothered to wash the cars...

:thumb:


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## suds (Apr 27, 2012)

The Cueball said:


> Still love using my Zymol Royale on my bike.... :argie:
> 
> "being bothered" is the main thing for me now.. so I tend to use the new crop of spray on sealants... when I can be bothered to wash the cars...
> 
> :thumb:


I knows what you mean Cuey - when you realise she's more concerned about the cracks in the bedroom ceiling, you realise it's time to rekindle some passion :thumb: Bugger me how you do that though, although on second thoughts......

And I just remembered, last year, I promised to publish my most embarrassing moment


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## MBRuss (Apr 29, 2011)

TGi said:


> Suppose it comes down to use if you have a garage ornament then I suppose having a £500 wax could be a talking point.
> Suppose it would be different if some waxes didn't deteriorate or brake down so you could save it for special occasions and make it last years.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Do they break down though? I thought generally they do last year's. I have older pots of wax that still appear to be perfectly useable...

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## Titanium Htail (Mar 24, 2012)

A lots of the sealants have improved, plus the ceramic itself become more accessible or affordable.

I still love wax, the hands on concept, just do it more often or when needed. Spray plus rinse seems to be popular..

John Tht.


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## WristyManchego (Sep 9, 2018)

The Cueball said:


> Still love using my Zymol Royale on my bike.... :argie::argie:
> 
> Even have a bit of it on my trusty Jeep... just to see how it compares to the AG Polar range.. (not quite in competition I know.. :lol
> 
> ...


How do you find the longevity of Royale? Is your bike a daily?

I have a couple of pots of Titanium which have been my Zymol staple due to being a little more resilient but not used Royale.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

WristyManchego said:


> How do you find the longevity of Royale? Is your bike a daily?
> 
> I have a couple of pots of Titanium which have been my Zymol staple due to being a little more resilient but not used Royale.


Not a daily, it's a low low mileage 'keeper' for me and it's kept in a fairly average garage, without cover and used during the summer months.

I've still had protection and beading when washing the bike 3 years after putting the first coats Royale on - the bugs just slide off!

I was quite surprised by that tbh... :lol:


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## Coupe25 (Feb 11, 2017)

Theres really no need to spend more than £50ish max for a wax. Anything over is just burning money for the sake of it


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## suds (Apr 27, 2012)

Coupe25 said:


> Theres really no need to spend more than £50ish max for a wax. Anything over is just burning money for the sake of it


Tbf you're probably in the majority with that view. But, there are plenty who would disagree..... Meeeeeeeeeeeee !:thumb:


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## andy__d (Jun 27, 2018)

i Thought AG UHD was expensive.... i soon learnt it really isnt 

buy whatever You fancy that you can afford ,, theres no right/wrong/other ,, 
some will look at you as if you have two heads for buying a £10 pot of wax others if its more than £X ,,


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Coupe25 said:


> Theres really no need to spend more than £50ish max for a wax. Anything over is just burning money for the sake of it


You could say that about a lot of things really....

You buy what you can afford and what you want...

:thumb:


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## Sheep (Mar 20, 2009)

The Cueball said:


> You could say that about a lot of things really....
> 
> You buy what you can afford and what you want...
> 
> :thumb:


I would add that people buy what they believe to have value as well. If I had a show car, and a pristine garage (mines clean and new, but not exactly fancy) a nice pot of wax with fancy packaging would totally make sense for the "occasion" of applying it.

However, convincing the Mrs that spending $250 on a wax instead of groceries would not exactly go over well. Most I've spent for a pot of wax is around $60 bucks (CAD), but both my cars are daily drivers and need protection more than anything else.


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## WristyManchego (Sep 9, 2018)

Anyone up for a group buy?

https://www.waxit.com.au/collections/waxes/products/goldfinger-goldwax-23-75-karat-gold-content


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## Coupe25 (Feb 11, 2017)

suds said:


> Tbf you're probably in the majority with that view. But, there are plenty who would disagree..... Meeeeeeeeeeeee !:thumb:


If you can provide factual data comparing a £100+ wax to a £50 or less wax to prove it is superior im all ears.
Otherwise you're disagreeing for the sake of it, with no evidence to support your view


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## stonejedi (Feb 2, 2008)

Coupe25 said:


> If you can provide factual data comparing a £100+ wax to a £50 or less wax to prove it is superior im all ears.
> Otherwise you're disagreeing for the sake of it, with no evidence to support your view


What wax's have you tried?I have personally tried a lot over the years ranging from cheap to moderately expensive,and have always found differences in usability,finishes,aroma,and durability from using different brands,their is not one wax to rule them all regardless of price,you can get unique qualities from any priced wax ,but I do agree that if you have not tried a variety of wax's you can't really differentiate the differences in them...9 times out of ten the more expensive waxes have the more R&D,and better ingredients has been put into them,and they will offer a more satisfying user experience.SJ.


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## westerman (Oct 12, 2008)

I just like waxes.
Sealants or ceramic coatings just make me feel as though I'm applying a semi permanent coating when actually I like to play at doing my car every 2 or 3 months with a good wax.:thumb:

Harry...:lol:


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## Gas head (May 28, 2010)

most expensive wax I have is 250ish have a couple at this price range, a quite a few middle ground at 120, and quite a few at 50, which ones would I buy again, maybe enigma, souveran, maybe try another swixvax at 120 ish, Ill never use them all as I top ceramic coatings now, must have over my lifetime in waxes, i'm not sure I got much out of the most expensive ones tbh. I do like enigma though.


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## beatty599 (Sep 18, 2016)

I've a fair few waxes, AG HD Wax, Dodo juice Hybrid wax, Autofinesse Finesse, Waxaddict Quartz, Showgloss, Vortex and a Development one. 

Ranging from £45 - £300, which would I use again? Pretty much all of them apart from AF Finesse. I use ceramic coatings for endurance and ease of care, but wax just for enjoyment. 

When the car's ceramic coated you've nothing to do.


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## suds (Apr 27, 2012)

Coupe25 said:


> If you can provide factual data comparing a £100+ wax to a £50 or less wax to prove it is superior im all ears.
> Otherwise you're disagreeing for the sake of it, with no evidence to support your view


Actually I'm not 'disagreeing' with any of it. No, I can't provide factual evidence, only my personal opinion and experience. I haven't actually tried an extensive list of waxes but I have tried waxes at different price points- my personal experience of waxes costing £50, £110, £285 have all proved positive as I moved up the price scale. My go to wax for the past 5 years has been the higher price wax because it ticks every box for my requirements and it doesn't work out expensive per application because it applies both thinly and with extreme ease. My personal conundrum is would I feel justified in laying out a higher price again?
If you are interested in facts then the nearest you will get is to ask the opinion of someone who has probably tried every wax going - Wilco. But ultimately everyone sets their own level of expectation against outlay, that said just because someone can't appreciate the difference doesn't mean the benefit isn't there - think about wine in all its guises (white/red/sparkling). If you can't see the value in anything over £50 then think yourself extremely lucky because you will save yourself a lot of money and remain satisfied :thumb:

Just realised, as it's a car forum, let's turn the discussion on its head - Why buy an expensive German car when you can buy a car for less than £10K?


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## pt1 (Feb 8, 2014)

I think it depends on how much money you have, buying a wax is like buy a watch, a cheap one does pretty much what the expensive one does.i do think cheaper waxes have caught up to the high end ones now, there isn't to much difference. As mentioned on here, glasur is highly regarded,its a high end brand, it is special feeling, in application, removal and appearance with great water behavior. personally i dont think you need to buy anything anymore expensive than that.i think circumstance plays a big part too. I used to buy waxes all the time and enjoyed 5 hour details but now with a growing family i am lucky to get 1hr so i generally have the car coated with fusso/sealant and top up with bead maker/bsd etc. products like bead maker or bsd are so fast n easy to use, bead maker especially can make the car look as good as high end waxes....not as good as glasur though 

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## Alfieharley1 (Jun 8, 2014)

This is a great thread. Yes it is ones opinion but pete is a top class detailer who actually got me to join DW

https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=336636

For me. I enjoy a lot of obsession wax. right product and a lot of expertise gone in. I think however it is time to return to swissvax but going to try a budget fusso


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## dave-g (Nov 14, 2009)

I've got a few expensive-ish waxes left, and have used waxes from £10 up to a couple of £000. It's all to do with user use and enjoyment. Love my bouncers billet, easily my fav wax ticks all boxes, but best wax I've used is auto finesse passion. Don't know why, just was ease of everything and looked great.

Up to the user, I'll never change from wax, coatings for me suck the hobby side out of it.


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## rlmccarty2000 (May 31, 2017)

My waxes get very little use anymore. I still breakout some FK1000p or Collinite 476 when I want something durable and quick, but coatings and coating toppers have pushed most of my waxes to the back of my closet. Not all coatings look the same. Polish Angel has some coatings that mimic wax and the new graphene coating has a wax glow instead of a sterile shine. Topping coatings has replaced waxing for me. I think I have 16 toppers now. An obsession is an obsession.


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## Coupe25 (Feb 11, 2017)

suds said:


> Just realised, as it's a car forum, let's turn the discussion on its head - Why buy an expensive German car when you can buy a car for less than £10K?


Because the German car will have objectively better quality components, better paint finish, better materials in the cabin, more electronics for safer driving and/or convenience, better looking, quieter cabin, the list goes on and on.
With waxes though, up to a point, if someone drove your car away, chose from a selection of 10 waxes ranging from around £15 to £1000, then returned it the next day, you wouldn't be able to tell which one he used. 
A 50/50 panel under lighting bright enough to burn your retinas maybe, but in the real world, no.


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## big dave 666 (Aug 2, 2014)

Better paint finish???^^^^^ Hmmmmm!!!!!!


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## pt1 (Feb 8, 2014)

big dave 666 said:


> Better paint finish???^^^^^ Hmmmmm!!!!!!


The mrs golf left the factory with awful paint 

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## macca666 (Mar 30, 2010)

Coupe25 said:


> Because the German car will have objectively better quality components, better paint finish, better materials in the cabin, more electronics for safer driving and/or convenience, better looking, quieter cabin, the list goes on and on.
> With waxes though, up to a point, if someone drove your car away, chose from a selection of 10 waxes ranging from around £15 to £1000, then returned it the next day, you wouldn't be able to tell which one he used.
> A 50/50 panel under lighting bright enough to burn your retinas maybe, but in the real world, no.


Worst car and most expensive for upkeep in my almost 30 years of driving due to faults, poor workmanship was a 5 series Beemer which i bought from new and got rid of after 7 years ownership.

A lot of your points are down to personal opinion rather than based on fact which brings us back to the original question and whats good for one person may not be good for another.

I'm with others in that you buy what you can afford and what makes you happy....whether that's in waxes or cars :thumb:


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## Brian1612 (Apr 5, 2015)

Coupe25 said:


> Because the German car will have objectively better quality components, better paint finish, better materials in the cabin, more electronics for safer driving and/or convenience, better looking, quieter cabin, the list goes on and on.
> 
> With waxes though, up to a point, if someone drove your car away, chose from a selection of 10 waxes ranging from around £15 to £1000, then returned it the next day, you wouldn't be able to tell which one he used.
> 
> A 50/50 panel under lighting bright enough to burn your retinas maybe, but in the real world, no.


I own a german car and some of what you are saying is true... better paint though? No chance! Better looking? Again very debatable but imo the Italians do the best paint and the nicest looking motors. Had I been able to afford it the A45 wouldn't have got a look in over a Giulia Quadrifoglio.

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