Other than Rain-X ?

[Bullittproof]

Rain-X is effective and tolerable, eventually, but application and immediate results are sub-par. I've tried extra drying time, re-wetting with water and re-buffing, the windows just do not look great in daylight and driving at night with light flashes is not good at all.
Is there a product that is a good performer that is more easily and satisfactorily applied? I am looking not so much for the beading property as I am the 'slickness' to avoid fine scratching, etc...thank you.

Sponsored

 

[CrazyHippie]

I use this, on the entire exterior - glass, paint, light lenses, trim, and wheels:

https://www.xpel.com/Ceramic-boost-spray

Spray on and rub in until dry. Very good product.

 

[Bullittproof]

Thanks for the suggestion, CrazyHippie, is this something that lasts months (a year ?) or would it require much more frequent application?

 

[DFB5.0]

The problem with glass products is the abrasion that comes from the use of the wipers. Compared to paint where any contact is usually done with a tonne of lubrication from soap, the windscreen doesn't get that same luxury when using the wipers.

I say that to temper your expectations of longevity/performance from anything you choose to apply.

Longest lasting would be a glass specific ceramic coating, but they can be difficult to work with. Expect "up to" 2 years from something like Carpro FlyBy Forte or Gtechniq G1.
CARPRO FORTE V4 Professional Windshield Coat 15ml KIT - Skys The Limit Car Care (carpro-us.com)
Gtechniq - G1 Clearvision Smart Glass | The Rag Company

There are also an increasing number of "ceramic" glass cleaners arriving on the market. These won't last long, but if you clean your windows after each wash, it will always be present on the glass. Gyeon Q2M Glass+ comes to mind. Or Stoner's Clean & Repel.
Q²M GLASS+ - Gyeon
Invisible Glass Clean & Repel 22oz – Stoner Car Care

Another option would be to just use a ceramic spray sealant on a regular basis, say as your drying aid. P&S Bead Maker works well on glass, is super easy to apply and will deliver that slickness you are after. Adam's Slick & Slide and P&S Defender would be suitable, as would Gyeon Ceramic Detailer.
Adam's Slick & Slide - Adam's Polishes (adamspolishes.com)
P&S Detail Products - Bead Maker Paint Protectant | The Rag Company
P&S Detail Products - Defender Si02 Protectant | The Rag Company
Gyeon Q2M Ceramic Detailer - ESOTERIC Car Care

But.......................I absolutely love Gyeon Q2 Quick View.

Gyeon Q2 QuickView - ESOTERIC Car Care

I have been using this since it was released and really enjoy the ease of application. It's said to offer "excellent self-cleaning" characteristics and will offer up to 6 months, expect a little less on a daily driven car, expect up to 2 years on a garage queen.

Application is its hallmark though -

1/Clean the car/glass as normal.
2/Consider claying the glass to improve the bond.
3/Clean the glass with a IPA type product (Carpro Eraser or Gyeon Prep) or IPA based glass cleaner.
4/Remove the cap, squeeze to release the product into the integrated felt applicator.

5/Apply the product to the glass in circular motions, apply to all glass in one hit.

6/Allow to cure for 20 minutes.
7/Remove the residue with a damp towel. Must be damp.
8/Clean the glass with your chosen glass cleaner to remove any streaks from the residue removal.

Now, that may sound like a complicated process, but its super easy and longest part of the job is the 20 min cure, all up you should have this done within a 30 min period.

Application videos -

 

[Bullittproof]

Thanks, DFB5.0, you’ve given me a lot to review, I may begin with your favorite the Gyeon QuickView…I don’t mind the process being ‘lengthy’ as ling as when I am done the glass is ‘beautiful’, I am NOT getting that result with Rain-X. I din’t mind applying several times a year, but would rather not after each wash.
Thanks again for the leads.

 

[CrazyHippie]

Thanks for the suggestion, CrazyHippie, is this something that lasts months (a year ?) or would it require much more frequent application?

I think that DFB5.0 has your answers! The Xpel product falls into the ceramic sealant category.

 

[Bob Brooks]

Triggered by this thread, I found a variety of products at Amazon. Ordered a ceramic hybrid clean & repel product made by Invisible Glass, who I have found is a marvelous glass cleaner with almost zero odor inside the car. Mine is a 2022 GT Coupe.

Bob

 

[Towerism]

I switched to https://stonercarcare.com/products/invisible-glass-professional-grade-ceramic-glass-coating-kit

It makes the window really slick. And it doesn’t need to be reapplied nearly as often as rain-x which I got tired of reapplying.

 

[kilobravo]

D (@DFB5.0): Ordered a stick of QuickView, thanks brother.

 

[DFB5.0]

D (@DFB5.0): Ordered a stick of QuickView, thanks brother.

Excellent!

Be sure to wipe the threads on the bottle before putting the lid back on the bottle, and I would store it upright.

When I attempted to open the bottle for the next application, the product had welded the cap shut.

I ended up having to use the product like a ceramic coating, applying the liquid to a small applicator rather than using the integrated felt applicator. The finished result is not affected, rather the application becomes a two-handed process.

 

[MAGS1]

I put Gyeon View (the full coating version of Quick View) on all my windows a couple months ago. Sheds the water really well in the rain and makes drying the windows super easy after washing. Instructions state to apply the coating to the wiper blades as well. Works really well, I used half the bottle for all the windows on my Mustang so I’ll polish the glass and reapply before winter

 

[DFB5.0]

I put Gyeon View (the full coating version of Quick View) on all my windows a couple months ago. Sheds the water really well in the rain and makes drying the windows super easy after washing. Instructions state to apply the coating to the wiper blades as well. Works really well, I used half the bottle for all the windows on my Mustang so I’ll polish the glass and reapply before winter

Last time I did a full detail on my Mustang, I also polished the glass with CeriGlass.

After that, I ended up giving the car a quick rinse down to remove the polishing dust. After polishing, the water was completely flat against the glass with absolutely no water beading. This made the drying process so much harder and made me appreciate the brilliance of a glass coating.

I have since moved away from CeriGlass though. Unless you are dealing with heavy water spotting and minor scratches, the horrible user experience from CeriGlass is not worth the bother. It's such a messy product, even with care it will splatter everywhere and you need to provide supplemental lubrication by misting water onto the pad, which increases the mess. It's also extremely abrasive, so you must be super careful removing any residue from the paint.

P&S Clarity Creme is a much nicer product to use. Think of this as a glass deep cleaner rather extreme polishing agent. (Glass needs aggression and plenty of patience to remove scratches, ie CeriGlass and a hard glass polishing pad.)

P&S Detail Products - Clarity Creme Glass Polish | The Rag Company
P&S Clarity Creme Glass Polish (detailingshed.com.au)

I use this on a 3-inch machine with a blue Lake Country SDO pad, but any cutting pad will be fine.

While you may think your glass is "clean", after a quick hit with Clarity Creme and a glass sealant, the "clarity" of the glass will be night and day, almost like it's not even there.

 

[DFB5.0]

I switched to https://stonercarcare.com/products/invisible-glass-professional-grade-ceramic-glass-coating-kit

It makes the window really slick. And it doesn’t need to be reapplied nearly as often as rain-x which I got tired of reapplying.

I wish the local Stoner's importer would look at some of the brands other products. For some reason, the local distribution seems to just focus on their (excellent) glass cleaners. Only one outlet bothers to sell (also excellent) Tarminator, but that's about it.

It's a shame because they have some really good products, including that glass coating.

 

[kilobravo]

Be sure to wipe the threads on the bottle before putting the lid back on the bottle, and I would store it upright.

See, now those are the types of directions that NEVER make it on to the label, D. Many thanks.

Sponsored