Top 10 Best Car Waxes in the UK 2021 (Meguiar's, Turtle Wax and More)

Choosing the ideal car wax for your engine will be heavily influenced by a few features. From understanding the difference between natural and synthetic car wax, to the way it's applied, after reading this buying guide, you'll have a clear vision of your car's soon-to-be immaculate finish!

Car wax can be produced from either 100% natural carnauba wax or a synthetic mixture of chemical polymers that sometimes include traces of carnauba too. This division makes for some starkly different end results and quite often polarising prices. 

Carnauba wax is derived from the leaves of the Carnauba palm tree. Native to the Northeastern states of Brazil, it's still only grown in this unique part of the world. This makes 100% pure carnauba car wax very expensive when compared to other types of wax formulas.

Carnauba is known to give the deepest possible shine to your car's paintwork, while also repelling water beads more effectively than synthetic waxes. Due to its natural form, it tends to rub off quicker than chemical based waxes, lasting for no more than three months per application. This makes it a more time consuming option, even for the most dedicated waxing crew. 

If a carnauba wax isn't branded as being pure or 100% carnauba, then there's a good chance it's not. This lack of clarity means more additives will have been included to give a best of both worlds approach. 

The chemical polymers in synthetic car wax are included to give your car an extended amount of protection, allowing you to spend time on the more important things, like countryside joyrides and such. They are known to give a car 4 - 12 months of protection from the sun's harmful rays and the world's various dirty ways. 

They're also more forgiving and easier to apply, which will likely suit those without prior waxing knowledge who are learning the 'wax on wax off' approach for possibly the very first time. However, this user-friendly approach has it's drawbacks, as synthetics will never get your car to the same level of glossy tones as a natural carnauba wax. Luckily, they're often a lot cheaper to purchase as a result. 

The way in which a car wax is applied is another indicator of its effectiveness and ease of use. Knowing the difference between paste, liquid and spray will lead you toward the best overall view on your valuable time spent on the waxing job. 

The top dogs on the waxing scene will, for the most part, offer their wax in paste form. For example, natural carnauba wax will almost exclusively come as a paste, whether that's 100% pure carnauba, which is yellow in colour, or a blended wax, which usually takes on a whiter tone. 

These blended waxes can include ingredients such as bee's wax and turpentine, among others. Although they require the greatest amount of elbow grease, pastes are best suited to the dedicated car enthusiasts willing to go that extra mile for their beloved vehicle's appearance.

The next in line on the effectiveness-meter are waxes of the liquid variety. Seen as being the most versatile style of wax, liquids can be 100% synthetic polymers, or a blend of both natural wax and chemical compounds.

This versatility is what makes them such a popular type of wax for your middle of the road car lover who doesn't own a buffing machine. As they come straight out of the bottle in liquid form, they are easily applied onto your car's paint with only your arm's fire-power and a microfibre cloth. 

Spray-on car wax, simply put, does not work as well as the paste and liquid varieties. By giving more of a surface-level application, it's commonly regarded as only suiting new car types with clean, blemish free paintwork. 

The greatest asset of spray-on wax is it's ability to be applied quickly. Through the classic spray-and-wipe technique, they're able to give your new vehicle a desirable shine in half the amount of time, making them very handy for a quick top-up when you're strapped for time. 

As previously hinted at, synthetic car wax is often linked to a much greater amount of boast-able protection time. With some of the market-leaders giving your car a protective coating for up to 12 months. 

While this is generally the case, there's plenty of formula mixing that goes on behind the scenes, and some brands will have their own opinionated ideas as to the protection times their specific car wax blends offer. This is why checking the protection time of your desired car wax is essential knowledge. 

A surface-knowledge of how the wax should be applied will give you confidence when going in for the kill. It's widely considered that most car wax works best when your car is dry and has been thoroughly cleaned with either a polish or pre-wax cleanser. 

However, if you're looking to cut straight to the chase, then a standard car wash can give you an adequately clean surface to get you waxing straight away. That is, of course, if you select a car wax that's suitable for this purpose. 

Wet application waxes enable you to sweep your car off its soaking wet wheels and straight into the waxing, shining light. You can even find some car wax brands that hand you the power, allowing you to apply it to both wet and dry surfaces. 

A wax that comes ready and waiting to be applied straight onto your car with some tools included is never a thing to be scoffed at. Ok, these tools may only be a cloth or pad, but it's still one less thing to buy and think about in the long list of modern-day living. 

The most likely tools for the waxing job are cloths and towels of the microfibre variety, along with application pads or sponges. Towels and cloths are generally considered more suited to the spray and liquid wax types, whereas pads and sponges will take the waxing reigns when you're doing the pasting honours. 

Now that you're well informed on the various types of car wax available online, it's finally time to let loose the ranking of the top 10 best! From 100% pure carnauba paste, to top-of-the-range synthetic liquid and every wax in-between, there's something to answer every car-enthusiast's shining prayers. 

Taking pride in your car's ability to drive comes with the territory of car ownership. Of course, if it happens to look as good as it functions, that can only be a plus! To help you get your vehicle in top shape, we've ranked a few more of the best products for auto maintenance in the UK. Simply click the links below to find out more.

Giving your car a good old fashioned waxing is a one-way ticket to loving what you drive. Grabbing attention wherever you may be passing through is destined to create two little peps in your driving steps. Thus allowing in an air of satisfaction, only a good looking car can. We hope this article has taken you there in shining wax style! 

Author: Connor Macanally