The Best Waxes For Black Cars In 2023

Last updated: Today

Erin Carpenter

Top 4 best waxes for black cars in 2023:

“Wax on, wax off.” Yeah, there’s no denying that car wax is one pretty awesome thing. It gives your old car much needed polish and shine, and if you apply it just right (firm round movements), you may even develop surprising karate skills.

Dated references and bad puns aside, the wax is truly an irreplaceable part of modern car maintenance. It protects the car from the elements, helps to minimize repair and refinishing costs, and unlike a traditional polish if features high melting point and is insoluble in water.

The only downside is wax doesn’t exactly play along with black cars. Wall, at least traditional wax.

Well, for all of you who like their four-wheelers sleek and black, the market has provided a perfect solution – a special mix designed just for your vehicle of choice.

But, as with any other wide-use product, the market has also provided a lot of trash that can potentially damage your car’s paint. We are here to prevent this from happening.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular offers currently sitting on the market and try to figure out what is the best wax for black cars worthy of your money.

The Things You Should Consider Before You Buy A Black Car Wax

Of course, before we proceed to our top contenders for the title of the best product, we need to lay some groundwork and establish what exactly separates good wax from a bad one and go through the types you will most likely find on the market.

It makes our reviewing job so much easier, and it allows you to find the best pick for your vehicle even if you don’t agree with our choices. So let’s go through some of the most important considerations you’ll need to make before spending your hard-earned money.

1. The Origin

When it comes to their origin car waxes can be divided into two large groups:

  • Synthetic – Usually made from polymers and developed in the lab, synthetic waxes offer added protection and extraordinary shelf life. They may, however, release a certain amount of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that can create unwanted white streaks and are unsafe to be used by hand.
  • Natural – Although it usually contains some additives, natural wax is, generally speaking, produced from plants. As such, it offers all the perks of organic products, but it is less efficient and features shorter shelf-life.

Since this is the race where you can’t possibly determine the winner, the choice between the two will ultimately be up to you.

2. The Type

The wax can be also classified according to their type or, more precisely, form:

  • Liquid – Liquid wax solutions feature very good cleaning capability and strong protection. Unfortunately, due to their form, giving it an even finish is unnecessarily complicated.
  • Paste – Unlike liquid solutions, applying paste waxes is very simple. They also take only 30 seconds to dry which makes the whole process so much easier. However, paste waxes usually feature lower quality than their liquid counterparts.
  • Spray – The spray fax is the type that allows you to get that perfect finish you’ve always desired. Or at least as close as it gets. They also dry pretty quickly. Alas, they are not that durable.

3. Gloss And Shine

Aside from providing your vehicle a certain level of protection, car wax is also used to pump up the visual department and bring gloss up the surface. How glossy your car will end up largely depends on the brand you are going to use. Some solvents will produce a very subtle hint of reflectivity.

Others will turn your vehicle into a high-speed shining mirror.

Although the choice between these two opposing ends will ultimately depend on your personal taste, we don’t recommend going full-shine, if for no other reason, then for the overall traffic safety.

4. Durability

The term durability covers the extent to which the wax will be able to protect your vehicle. For instance, if the wax layer lasts for two days we can easily say it features pretty poor durability. In order to get a good guess just how long the wax maintains on the vehicle’s surface you should check out the shelf-life – the longer the better.

The other thing you should pay attention is the indication of how easily is the wax removed by water.

As we already touched upon, synthetic products like the waxes made from polymers are best at maintaining the durability and traditionally feature the longest shelf-life.

Natural waxes put on a far weaker performance in this department, but if you manage to find some hydrophobic variety you should get a decent performance in spite of the weaker foundation.

In comparison, most of the Carnauba waxes (natural-based compound that provides the strongest gloss) last approximately six to eight weeks. Synthetic waxes can last anywhere from six months to a couple of years.

5. Protection

Although they sound very similar, durability and protection are two very different terms. The first one indicates how long the wax is going to protect your vehicle. The latter describes the level in which your car will be protected from the sun and other elements.

Obviously, if you are living in an area that sees a lot of rain, snow and extreme temperatures (both hot and cold) you should invest a couple of additional bucks to achieve a greater level of protection.

6. Coverage

Essentially, coverage describes the surface you will be able to cover with one package. As you can guess this important factor can either make or break the value of the entire package. So, for instance – even if you get a decently priced 16oz package, its overall value will amount to very little if you need to apply a couple of layers of wax for sufficient protection.

7. Price

We intentionally put it in the last place because it speaks very little about the quality of the product. You may get a very decent performance for very little money or stumble upon an overpriced piece of solvent that will provide your vehicle with little to no protection.

Still, the price is a great deciding factor so you should take it into strong consideration when making a final decision. If you are living in a mild climate and your car doesn’t pick up a lot of grime along the way set some reasonable bar and avoid spending excessive amounts of money.

Paying for quality performance is one thing – paying for a brand name is something completely else.


10 Best Waxes For Black Cars In 2023: Detailed Reviews

1. CarGuys Hybrid Wax Sealant

Image Credit: Amazon.com

When you take a glance at this wax’s sleek black package, it is very easy to get the impression that the manufacturer is trying to pull some marketing trick on you – there are too many buzzwords and wishful thinking written all over the bottle for this entire thing not to be a hoax.

But, surprise, surprise, putting aside all the marketing babble, these are some pretty darn good 18 ounces of hybrid wax. What do we mean by hybrid? Well, this sealant essentially uses synthetic wax as its basis – the healthy infusion of Carnauba paste wax is there to provide the final compound with the best of both worlds.

And truly, this extraordinary product has it all – durability associated with a synthetic wax, the natural shine of Carnauba and an average life-span of 3 to 6 months (this time greatly depends on the local climate and your maintenance routines).

Take into consideration that the product can also double down as sealant and polish, that the 18oz bottle can provide your car with around six treatments, that the compound works on all surfaces ranging fiberglass to plastic, and that applying the whole thing will take you no more than 15 minutes, and you will find a lot of value in the package.

Of course, sharing the strengths of two opposing worlds, CarGuys’ sealant also shares some of their weaknesses. Namely, the product doesn’t truly excel in any particular field.

But, that shouldn’t discourage you from taking it into consideration. Sometimes versatility is just as valuable as efficiency.

2. Meguiar’s G18211 Ultimate Paste Wax

Image Credit: Amazon.com

Unlike the previous product that aimed for versatility rather than efficiency, Meguiar’s G18211 is a wax that was designed with one specific purpose in mind, and it does its job beautifully. 

Seriously if you are looking for one seriously efficient and easy to apply paste wax, you’ll hardly find a better alternative.

So, G18211 is a synthetic paste wax which immediately implies a couple of important things – it’s extremely durable, it features excellent hydrophobic properties, and it leaves no white trails even when accidentally applied on plastic or glass surfaces. However, natural Carnauba will always be able to produce a better shine and heat resistance.

If these are the compromises you can live with, you will be glad to know that we are talking about a premium product that is extremely easy to evenly apply and provides your car with very strong protection, even in rainy weather.

If you keep your vehicle outside during the night, this wax will do wonders for you, and since synthetic paste doesn’t require applying repeated layers you will also be able to get a great deal of mileage out of this 11 oz package.

Oh yeah, aside from the wax, the package also includes a microfiber towel and soft foam that make car maintenance all that easier and do an excellent job to improve the value of this already package.

In the end, Meguiar’s G18211 has no real problems, except for the ones that are inherent for its type. Even so, the wax puts on a serious performance, even some Carnauba-based competitors can do nothing but envy.

3. Pinnacle Natural Brilliance PIN-312 Souveran Paste Wax

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There’s no way you can look at this product’s package and not smile even for a bit – it’s just so darn classy. And believe us, this time you should judge the book by its cover because Pinnacle made classy the name of the game with the latest iteration of their paste wax.

Why we’ve put so much emphasis on the looks? Well, if you want to turn your into a glossy superstar it deserves to be, this is the wax you are looking for – the Brazilian Ivory Carnauba that was used as the basis of the compound puts on the performance that is hard to compete with, especially by synthetic waxes.

It is really no wonder that this exact product is the one most frequently used on large-scale car shows.

But, it is important to remember that Souveran is not made exclusively for shows – its ease of application and great resistance to hot and humid climates also make an excellent base treatment for your favorite four-wheeler.

Also, you will be able to get a lot of mileage out of this 8 oz package. We say approximately 30 applications are more than enough to satisfy even the most meticulous car owners.

Unfortunately, all these things are somewhat undermined by the fact that the whole package features one pretty hefty price tag. Sure, the level of gloss you get is unprecedented.

But still, you have to ask yourself are you willing to go that far to make your car shiny – especially when you take into consideration that for the same money you can buy a couple of packages of some pretty capable alternatives.

4. Turtle Wax T-3KT Black Box Kit

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Why, talk about the value for the money – and, to be quite honest, sincere marketing. Instead of trying to devise the ultimate product that will tackle all the car maintenance duties at once, Turtle Wax, put together an entire lineup of products each of which is doing a part of the lifting and slashed the price so the package can compete with other capable waxes. Nice job there!

So, the list of the products you can find there covers one 12-ounce pre-wax cleaner and conditioner, two 12-ounce black spray detailers, two application pads and the main star of the show – one deep black Carnauba wax bottle that packs the 12 ounces of the compound.

All these ingredients make one very capable combination, but putting them together can prove to be very time consuming and quite messy. There lies the biggest benefit of the all-inclusive formulas like the one produced by CarGuy.

Still, it is good to know that when you finally apply of the included products they do a very fine job protecting your car and hiding some minor scratches. Still, don’t expect to see wonders – this is not one of these products.

Also, the residue is very easy to remove which comes off as a real blessing after all the pains you’ll have to go through to give your car a proper treatment.

In the end, we can say that Turtle Wax T-3KT Black Box Kit may not be amongst the most durable or efficient product on the market. Still, it does enough things right and is affordable enough to warrant your attention if you want to save a couple of bucks.

5. Chemical Guys HOL203 Black Car Care Kit

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Chemical Guys’ black car kit essentially tries to do the same thing as the one coming from Turtle Wax. This time, though, the stakes are raised ridiculously high and the price suffers as a result. However, if all the items that are included in the package feature the quality the manufacturer brags about, this still might be a worthwhile purchase.

Let’s start with the content package. You’ve got virtually everything covered here – wax, cleansers, gloss enhancer, applicators… You even get two neat, black towels you can use to clean your vehicle without scratching its surface.

Although we are here to talk about the wax we’ll just say that all the ancillary items work well if not excellent.

As for the wax, we can do nothing but sing the praises. As long as you follow the instructions and give your car a proper wash before application, you will get very strong protection, excellent durability and great performance in rainy conditions.

Although the package includes gloss enhances, even if you skip this treatment, your vehicle will still get a great deal of gloss as it is.

All in all, unlike some other packages on the list that were assembled to provide basic performance, Chemical Guys’ Black Car Care Kit leaves a completely opposite impression. 

Here, you get a bunch of already excellent products that perform extraordinarily even on their own that were put together to make the car maintenance as effortless as possible.

Still, even when bundled all these goodies come at a certain price that may discourage money-conscious drivers who don’t want to invest that much money in their vehicle.

6. Meguiar’s G18216 Ultimate Liquid Wax

Image Credit: Amazon.com

Meguiar’s already scored one perfectly awesome entry on this list with their Ultimate Paste Wax. One would say that would be enough to grab the customers’ attention. But, it seems just for the sake of cornering the entire market Meguiar’s has released a liquid twist on their praised product. So, how does this new entry hold?

Well, much like its sibling, the wax finds its formula based in synthetic polymer formula which implies a couple of things – the protection is strong, the same can be said about durability and the product features some pretty long shelf-life.

Also, produced gloss is definitely above the average, at least when it comes to the products of this type. Take into account strong water-repellent properties (seriously, water will just roll off the surface of your vehicle as if nothing happened) and UV protection and you will get one very versatile and efficient product that doesn’t cost all that much.

Are there any problems? Well yeah, but much like with the Paste Wax coming from this manufacturer, they are mostly inherent to the type. In this case, you may need to go through a couple of treatments to achieve an even finish which may spread your 12-ounce bottle too thin.

A much bigger problem here are the oily streaks that can be found on the surface of the vehicle after the treatment is finally applied. Wiping them off has proved to be much harder than we bargained for, even after we tried using the wiping cloth we’ve got in the package.

All in all, if you are not in desperate need of liquid wax, we would recommend you use the paste alternative coming from the same manufacturer.

7. P21S 12700W Carnauba Wax

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P21S may not be the most well-known manufacturer on this list. And their wax doesn’t even have the benefit of being so affordable you can’t ignore it. However, we’ll be damned if this is not one of the finest Carnauba waxes we have used recently.

What makes this wax so special?

Well, the inclusion of Carnauba gives your car such a deep and satisfying gloss you won’t have any other choice but to be impressed. What’s even better about this whole situation is that the entire treatment is pretty durable and, aside from looking stunning, puts on a very solid resistance to extreme temperatures and rain.

The second ingredient of this combination consists of various dyes, additives, and fragrances, that make the final compound all the more pleasant as well as make sure there is no persistent residue after you finish the treatment.

Speaking of treatment, we have to point out that the entire process is incredibly streamlined and fast. Leave the wax on the vehicle for 1 to 2 minutes, wipe it off and you’ll be ready to go. Even if you push the vehicle at full speed through the rain you won’t find a single drop trace as soon as it dries up.

So, P21S 12700W is one seriously capable wax that’s worth every cent you invest in it. As long as you remember you are buying a natural paste wax with all of its inherent limitations (the wax is made for people passionate about their cars, it was never meant for stockpiling in the garage), you ought to have a blast out of it.

8. Turtle Wax T-11 Black Spray Wax

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When we previously covered Turtle Wax on this roundup we saw that the manufacturer isn’t exactly aiming for high quality but rather a broad appeal and dominance in lower price segments. Just imagine then how delighted we’ve been when we discovered this spray wax can put on a very solid performance while still retaining a lucrative price tag.

Don’t get us wrong, the wax is far from excellent. But, it’s also miles away from some cheaper products we’ve tested in the last couple of months.

This performance can be largely contributed to efficient Carnauba-enriched formula that showcases a surprising amount of endurance to various menaces ranging from UV rays to extreme temperatures and rain.

Also, the deep dark gloss you’ll get after applying the wax is definitely above the average. That Carnauba really has a purpose other than gracing the package with a popular buzzword.

So, as far as the performance goes, everything is just fine. The price is more than decent and the 16-ounce package makes sure you won’t have to visit the shop far too often.

Keeping that in mind you need to understand the limitations of this product. Namely, this is not a substitution to a good polish. You will be able to hide small marks, make your vehicle shine and for a wash or two and then you’ll have to do everything from the start.

But hey, not every wax in the world has to blow you away. Some of them are simply made to do their job sufficiently well and be affordable. If that’s something you can live with, you should definitely put Turtle Wax T-11 Black Spray Wax on the list of your considerations.

9. Formula 1 615464 Black Color Wax

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Formula 1 is one of the most famous names in the field of auto care product. Whether due to name that rings incredible amount of bells in the world of passionate drivers, the fact it is a subsidiary brand of powerhouse Northern Labs or the long list of pretty solid products, but the company managed to hold on even when others started to lose the pace.

Unfortunately, the latest iteration of Black Color Wax is definitely not one of the company’s strongest efforts.

On the paper, the wax has all the right ingredients to put on a solid performance – you get your synthetic polymer-based formula that should provide a clear, durable coating, as well as deep, wet-looking shine. And to be quite honest, the wax manages to do all of these things, but only to an extent.

And there lies one of its biggest flaws – the product feels awfully half-baked.

For instance, you will be able to cover some of the minor marks, but that’s far cry from the ability to restore the car’s “luxurious appearance” as the manufacturer proudly advertises.

The same can be said about the resistance to UV rays, rain, and dirt. They are all there, but we’ve seen far better performance, even in this lower price range.

But, not everything is doom and gloom. The wax truly produces a deep gloss, that definitely rises above the average and lends itself with a much-needed selling point.

However, as we’ve seen by now, the market is pretty competitive and we are afraid this one hand of decent cards won’t give Formula 1 a fighting chance it desperately needs.

We’re sorry but better luck next time.

10. The Wax Shop 50962 Shine That Blinds Spray Wax

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The Wax Shop has summoned a lot of good will with its, almost indy, approach to marketing. Namely, each bottle coming from the manufacturer features a nice label that indicates where the wax stands on the Gloss and Protection scales. To make even better, these scales are pretty spot on. Honest, sincere and pretty awesome move.

But, where does that self-awareness leave our last contender, 50962 Shine That Blinds Spray Wax?

Well, exactly where the name suggests. This is one blindingly glossy spray wax that does small wonders for the vehicle’s look, but also severely underperforms when it needs to keep it clean and well-protected.

Sure, we can all agree that this formula was made with one specific purpose, and spray waxes face some limitations that can’t be worked around, but still… This wax is not the cheapest we reviewed – we’ve expected a bit more balanced performance.

Be that as it may, the product we ended up with was safe for all paints, incredibly easy to apply, reasonably affordable and performed its maintenance duties just as advertised, so who are we to complain?

The customers who like their black four-wheelers and shiny and glossy, and their wax suppliers sincere and hip will find a lot of things to enjoy here.


Final Thoughts – Top 4 Waxes For Black Cars On The Market

Finally, after some pretty good contenders and pleasant times spent with our long-neglected cars it is time for us to give you our final thoughts and try to rank the waxes we used the best we can. This time, we are going to introduce a slight change.

Namely, the list of winners will be expanded to four. Any other solution would deprive at least one of the excellent products we covered the flattery title it more than deserves.

Best Overall Solution: Meguiar’s G18211 Ultimate Paste Wax

Although we had our doubts here, synthetic waxes are producing the strongest real-life performance, and that’s something we simply can’t ignore. Even so, Meguiar’s G18211 Ultimate Paste Wax is a reasonably affordable product that accomplishes everything it sets out to do, so disputing its title wouldn’t be fair.

Best Wax Gor Gloss: P21S 12700W Carnauba Wax

This product was our second runner for the title of the best amongst the best. But, even if it was eventually beaten by Meguiar’s strong synthetic formula, one thing’s for sure – P21S 12700W Carnauba Wax has no real competition in producing natural Carnauba gloss.

Best Value For The Money: CarGuys Hybrid Wax Sealant

Jack of all trades and master of none, CarGuys Hybrid Wax Sealant is a prime example of wax that, although lacks the polish of some more expensive products, still manages to produce a very solid and versatile performance that goes quite hand in hand with its handsome price tag.

Best Premium Product: Chemical Guys HOL203 Black Car Care Kit

This kit could’ve easily taken the title of the product that packs the best value for the money because, in spite of the steep price, there are a lot of things of value to be found here. If you love your four-wheeler and want to give it a full premium treatment, this is the bundle for you.

About Erin Carpenter

Erin Carpenter has over 15 years experience in the diamond industry working with Artic Canadian Diamonds, Anglo-American Diamonds. She is recognized as an industry expert and has been quoted in publications such as USA Today, Forbes, The New York Times and more.