Paint Protection Film (PPF) VS Ceramic coating, which one is better? The most commonly asked questions answered

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There is nothing quite like the feeling of purchasing a new car, admiring the fresh paintwork and glossy exterior as it catches the light. Inevitably, cars lose their shine due to natural wear and tear, either bleached by the sun or covered in water marks, after a few years it’s never quite the same. But what if it could be? What if all this could be prevented?

It can! How? Car Paint Protection

There are options for all of you that want to preserve that fresh factory paint and untarnished gleam of your new car. The two we’ll look at today are car Paint Protection Film and ceramic coating.

Paint Protection Film (PPF) and Ceramic Coating has gained popularity over recent years with people just like you, wanting to conserve the brilliance of their shiny new vehicle. But which option is best for you? We know it’s difficult deciding how best to protect your car so Prime Finish Car Care have put together a comprehensive comparison of the two to help you make the best choice.

XPEL Paint Protection Film (PPF)

Paint Protection Film goes by many names, the most common are ppf and ‘clear bra’. This wondrous material is a thermoplastic urethane film which is easily malleable and even self-healing – making it the perfect car paint protection film. When applied, Paint Protection Film in invisible to the naked eye so while protecting your vehicle from unsightly chips and scratches, it won’t take away from your car’s overall aesthetic. Another huge bonus of Paint Protection Film is it protects your car from the sun. Over time the UV rays from the sun can cause the paint on your car to oxidise and fade however, Paint Protection Film works as a protective layer between the sun and the paint to prevent any fade occuring.

It’s Self-Healing!

The urethane film of Paint Protection Film means that it heals itself before the damage can even reach your car! It is resistant to high impact and corrosion making it perfect for protecting your car from acidic contaminants, acid rain, mineral deposits, bug splatter and rock chips. The film’s top layer consists of elastomeric polymers that revert to their natural shape after damage so that it is able to absorb all of these hazards so that your car’s exterior doesn’t have to.

Overall, Paint Protection Film boasts a range of benefits when it comes to protecting the paintwork on your car. Other damages it’s proven to prevent include:

  • Water spots and mineral marks from rain
  • Fading from UV rays
  • Chips and scratches
  • Chemical stains

Ceramic Coating

Now we’ve had a look at Paint Protection Film, let’s consider your second option – Ceramic Coating. A Ceramic Coating is a liquid polymer which, when applied to the exterior of a car, bonds with the factory paint to form a permanent protective layer. A Ceramic Coating is the perfect alternative for a wax, providing enhanced chemical resistance, uv protection, heat tolerance and scratch resistance. It’s permanence means that if it is done properly a pro coating only needs to be done once for you to reap all of these benefits for the entity of your car’s lifetime making it both cost-effective and time-effective. Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits Ceramic Coatings offer.

It’s Hydrophobic

One of the best things about Ceramic Coatings are that they are hydrophobic – they don’t like water! The way the material repels water mirrors the way it repels all liquids including mud. Liquids will have a hard time sticking to your car when it has ceramic coating which means it’ll be all the easier to wash off unwanted marks and smudges.

It’s like sunscreen for your car

You wouldn’t go out in the sun without protection, would you? So neither should your car. Much like we need to protect our skin from the UV rays from the sun, your vehicle’s paint needs protection, too. When a car is often out in the sun, the paintwork and faded as a result of oxidatization. This is why car paint protection is so important – make sure your car is covered with Ceramic Coating and that fresh paintwork will remain undulled and vibrant.

Other tempting benefits include:

  • Enhanced glossiness
  • Enhances chemical resistance
  • Resistance to minor chips and scratches
  • Prevents water spots

So, How Do I Choose?

While both Paint Protection Film and Ceramic Coating share many benefits, there are some differing factors which could influence your decision making. PPFs offer a lot more protection against abrasions from road debri and rock chips than Ceramic Coatings as the urethane film is able to absorb a lot of damage before it penetrates through to your car’s paint.

Both PPFs and Ceramic Coatings offer different protective properties and are able keep your car looking swanky and shiny for longer. It can be difficult to choose the best avenue but they also work very well together and provide peak protection when paired together. The PPF offers optimum protection from rock chip damage and scratches while Ceramic Coating over the top will provide glossiness, hydrophobicity and cleaning ease. And together, this car paint protection duo will make water marks, acid damage and oxidisation will be a thing of the past.