Shine Armor Graphene Ceramic Spray Review & Alternatives

Looking for a new car detailing product to help offer the protection and sheen of a professionally detailed vehicle? If you’ve been in the market for a very long you’ve probably noticed that there is a disconnect between Shine Armor users and the professional reviewers.

Shine Armor gets a lot of novice praise but doesn’t seem to attract much positive attention from the professionals.

So, how does their Graphene Spray hold up? Is it better and more professional seeming than other Shine Armor products? Does it live up to the review hype, or are there problems with the system that aren’t worth the problems with it?

No product is perfect, so we’re not expecting perfection here. But a better-than-average product that does what it needs to keep your vehicle in top condition shouldn’t be an unreasonable ask.

Let’s see how Shine Armor Graphene Spray performs, and the alternatives that might work better for you.

How Shine Armor Graphene Spray Excels

First, lets see what Shine Armor Graphene Spray does best, and why it’s getting some pretty good customer reviews even from the critics.

Easy To Apply

This is one of the first big improvements for Shine Armor. This system is really easy to apply, and the sprayer works really well throughout the life of the bottle.

That’s important because an uneven starting layer of any ceramic or graphene coat can cause its own problems before you’re even properly started.

This product is clearly designed for people who are looking for a product that’s easy to use and doesn’t need a ton of expertise to get the work done.

Even a true novice detailing their vehicle for the first time will be able to get a solid application with Shine Armor Ceramic Spray.

Easy To Wipe Off

In addition to being easy to apply, Shine Armor Ceramic Spray is also easy to wipe off so that you don’t have much excess product on the vehicle. That makes the buffing phase easier as well, and also helps avoid streaks and some of the other problems common to ceramic sprays.

This formula also avoids the stickiness and some of the other challenges that can eat through your microfiber cloths relatively quickly.

However, it’s more important than average with a ceramic spray that you need to use a high-quality and clean microfiber towel to apply the finish.

Sprayer Works How A Detail Sprayer Should

The sprayer is, mostly, a good sprayer overall. There is one significant flaw with the sprayer that we’ll talk about later, but when that issue isn’t acting up this sprayer works really well.

You get a nice fine spray and wide coverage, but not so wide that you need to worry about getting the formula where you don’t need or want it.

Layerable

While you should be able to get good coverage from this formula in a single coat, it’s still a nice benefit that you can layer it on top of itself without causing problems, risking peeling, or losing the sheen of the finish.

The additional layers don’t add a whole ton of protective benefits, but an additional layer or two can increase the sheen of the ceramic coat while also increasing the hydrophobic effect.

Reasonable Cure Time

4 hours is a long time, but in the world of graphene coatings, it’s not too bad. Graphene tends to take a little longer to cure than a straight ceramic spray, so we’re not surprised that we see the Graphene formula takes a little longer.

Fortunately, you can leave your vehicle in a garage and that should be enough protection to stop anything from getting on the formula.

Where Shine Armor Graphene Spray Falls Short Of The Competition

Like any product, there are some problems with the Shine Armor Graphene Spray formula, and some of those problems are worth considering if you’re worried about the performance of the spray overall.

Sprayer Lock Isn’t Durable Or Effective

The biggest single problem with this formula is actually the packaging. The sprayer lock on the Shine Armor Graphene Spray can flick on far too easily, forcing you to stop and unlock the spray. Additionally, it can slip off just as easily, which can be a problem for long-term storage, or accidentally spraying a section of your vehicle you didn’t mean to when the sprayer should be off.

The good news is that this product works on most surfaces and layers fine, so a little extra coat isn’t going to be a big problem. However, it does mean that applying the product will probably take a little longer, and you might have to use more of the spray than you actually need because of accidental spraying.

Not Much Product Info

Another potential problem is simply that Shine Armor hasn’t released a lot of product information about this spray. Without knowing what’s in the spray, it’s harder to make a comparison with other similar problems or to tell a good product from a bad one.

Pro Or Con – Heavily Scented

This coating comes with a significant grapey smell. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it depends a lot on your scent tolerance and how much you’re willing to put up with an artificial scent in exchange for a good product.

If you’d rather your coats and cleaners smell like what they are, this might not be the product for you.

On the other hand, if you’re a fan of in-vehicle deodorizers and strong scents, this coating might just add an extra pleasant scent while the smell lasts.

Ceramic Coatings May Still Protect Better Against Sun Damage And Fading

One of the problems with graphene as an alternative to ceramic sprays is that it doesn’t actually offer the same high-quality UV ray protection as other coatings.

That said, most graphene sprays are actually a hybrid of graphene and ceramic coatings, so you still get at least some of the protection from UV fading.

The Shine Armor Alternative You Should Be Using – Torque Detail Ceramic Spray

If you think Shine Armor sounds reasonable you might want to consider one of the better alternatives on the market. Torque Detail Ceramic Spray excels in a lot of places where the Shine Armor Ceramic Spray falls short.

Here’s why Torque Detail Ceramic Spray is one of the best options out there.

Easy Application

If you’re looking for easy and simple application of a ceramic spray coating it doesn’t get better than a product that’s specifically designed to be easy to use and easy to apply.

This design provides an even and clear coat of the product on your vehicle, wipes off easily without a sticky feeling, and doesn’t take a lot of buffing and other processes that take time and effort.

Compared with other products, Torque Detail Ceramic Spray is one of the easiest options.

Bonds To Your Clear Coat

If you’re looking for a more durable ceramic coat option, Torque Detail Ceramic Spray is a good option because it doesn’t just form a layer like most ceramic coats. Instead, like the professional products, it binds directly to the clear coat layer of your paint.

That additional bond keeps the coating in better condition, works to provide extra protection, and also helps to prevent cleaner damage and swirls from car washes.

Minimum 6 Months Of Protection

A key difference between the DIY and professional ceramic coat products is how long they last. While DIY coating options still don’t rival the durability of the professional options, they are getting better and lasting longer all the time.

Torque Detail is one of the companies pushing longevity further, and they should give you a minimum of 6 months of protection.

For most users, Torque Detail Ceramic Spray lasts 12 months or longer without significant damage.

The coating does degrade a little bit over time, so you won’t get quite the same sheen toward the end of its effective life, but it will be pretty clear when the coating isn’t working anymore.

The added longevity of the coating also gives you a better bang for your buck and helps you save time on detailing your vehicle.

Keeps Your Vehicle Cleaner And Easier To Care For

Another huge advantage of using Torque Detail Ceramic Coat is that it’s designed to be anti-static, which means that it doesn’t just work to keep things easier to clean.  It also just helps your vehicle stay cleaner the whole time.

The big difference here isn’t necessarily in the big messes. Things like bird droppings, mud, and other larger kinds of debris might slide off thanks to the hydrophobic properties of the coating. But the big advantage is actually with the fine dust and small particulates that stick to your vehicle instantly after you clean it.

Since the anti-static makes it less likely for those particulates to stick to your vehicle, your vehicle will consistently look cleaner and shinier even between cleanings.

That means that you can go longer and still look like you have a freshly cleaned vehicle. It also means that cleaning will be easier because those smaller particles can create a stickier surface for the other bigger messes that get on your vehicle.

All in all, Torque Detail Ceramic Spray is a great all-over package for keeping your vehicle protected, shiny, and beautiful.