The Best Quick Detailer Spray: Popular Sprays Compared

The world of quick detailer sprays can be a confusing one, with so many brands offering different varieties it can be hard to pick the best one. In this article, I’ll compare 6 quick detailer sprays best known for their water behaviour, gloss, and durability to help decide which is the best for you.

The Quick Answer

Top 3 Quick Detailer Sprays:

• Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer Spray
• Pyramid Car Care Quick Detailer Pro
• Garage Therapy /Two: Sigma

These results are based on tests I did in seven categories including water repellency, durability, cost, chemical resistance, ease of application and slickness. I selected 6 of my favourite quick detailer sprays for this test.

Comparison Testing

There are a lot of “top 10” guides out there for detailing products which don’t show many comparisons or real-world testing, so I’ve written this article to help fill a gap. Instead of just focusing on product claims, I put 6 of my favourite quick detailers to the test in 7 different categories, and ranked them in each.

This was a pretty big test that took me around a month to complete, so I made a video to show the results on my YouTube channel. I’ll break down each category and the results in this article, but if you want to watch the video instead then here it is!

The contenders were:

• Infinity Wax QDX Graphene
• Garage Therapy /TWO: Sigma
• GB Detailing Glow Ceramic Infused Quick Detailer
• Pyramid Car Care Quick Detailer Pro
• Bouncer’s Done and Dusted SI Edition
• Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer Spray

There all generally fall into the category of “hybrid QD’s” which means the focus is more on durability, and less on cleaning ability that some quick detailer sprays are capable of. These products are all designed to be used after washing, to add some gloss and protection to the finish.

Ease of Application

All the products I tested were very easy to use and will take between 5-10 minutes to apply to most normal sized cars. Here are my notes and rankings from my test.

1. Bouncer’s Done and Dusted SI Edition: this won the category because it can be applied and buffed off in one step and is the least “streaky” of all the products. I felt that it was the fastest and most fuss-free product to apply, however the lack of scent was my only criticism.
2. GB Detailing Glow: the instructions say to apply to the surface with a microfiber cloth, wait 5 minutes and then buff the residue, However, this product “flashes” off almost instantly so is another very quick and easy product to use.
3. Pyramid Car Care QD Pro: this one is another spray, spread and wipe off product which takes just a few minutes to apply. It has a slightly thicker consistency than the two products above, so takes a little longer to work over the surface to avoid streaks.
4. Garage Therapy /TWO: Sigma: this product needs to be wiped on, left for around 60 seconds and then buffed off. It’s a little bit more involved than the earlier products but again a very easy one to use.
5. Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer and Infinity Wax QDX Graphene: these ones were again, easy to use, but the residue was slightly harder to buff off than the others.

Easiest to Apply: Bouncer’s Done and Dusted SI Edition

Slickness Testing

Slickness is an important characteristic as it helps to repel dust and dirt and keeps the car cleaner for longer. I tested this by applying the products to a section of the same bonnet, placed foam applicators on each section and lifted the hood until the applicators slid down. I repeated this test 3 times on each section to make sure the results were reliable. Here’s where they all ranked.

It’s worth noting that there wasn’t a great difference between the top 5 products in the slickness test, however Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer was by far the “grippiest” and the finish starkly contrasted the other sections.

Slickest Quick Detailer: Pyramid Car Care QD Pro

Initial Water Behaviour (Beading and Sheeting)

I left the products to cure for 24 hours after applying and then used a variety of spray patterns with my hose and pressure washer to determine the level of water repellency displayed by each product. I was looking for the products that cleared the water as quickly as possible, and how uniform the beading was. Make sure you check out the video above for the results on this one (it’s at 6:48).

Here is a photo to show how the beads looked on each product.

Here are the results for this category:

1. Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer
2. Garage Therapy /TWO: Sigma
3. Infinity Wax QDX Graphene
4. Pyramid Car Care QD Pro
5. GB Detailing Glow
6. Bouncer’s Done and Dusted SI Edition

Most Water Repellent: Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer

Water Behaviour Between Washes (Self-Cleaning)

In addition to testing the water behaviour 24 hours after application, I also wanted to look at how well the products repelled water when the car was left to get a bit dirtier, and see how dirty the panels looked. Here is a quick photo to show what the panels looked a week after applying each product.

I thought that ranking the level of dirt on the panel after 1 week was a bit subjective, so I didn’t include it in the overall results, but thought that some people would be interested to see.

Instead, I looked at how well the products repelled water before washing. Skip ahead to 9:25 on the video above if you want to see what this looked like in action.

Here are the results for this category:

1. Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer Spray
2. Infinity Wax QDX Graphene
3. Pyramid Car Care QD Pro
4. Garage Therapy /TWO: Sigma
5. Bouncer’s Done and Dusted SI Edition
6. GB Detailing Glow

Best Water Behaviour Between Washes: Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer Spray

Real-World Durability

In order to get a good indication of how well these products were capable of lasting on the car, I prepped the surface by removing any existing protection, applied them all in sections, and then monitored their water behaviour on a weekly basis. I washed the car using a pH neutral pure shampoo (Simplewax Suds) each time I assessed the finish. I tested this for 4 consecutive weeks. Check out the video above at 10:20 to see this category.

Here are the results for this section (from best to worst):

It’s worth noting that Sonax was considerably ahead of the pack here in my opinion. Infinity Wax, Pyramid QD pro, and Garage Therapy Sigma were all still protecting the vehicle after 4 weeks but the performance had diminished quite significantly. Bouncer’s DDSI and GB Detailing Glow were considerably weaker than the rest here.

Most Durable: Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer

Chemical Resistance

As mentioned in the test above, I used a pH neutral pure shampoo which is very safe on paint protection and unlikely to cause any degradation. However, if you’re like myself, you might use harsher chemicals to clean the car when it is very dirty, such as an alkaline snow foam or prewash spray.

I also wanted to look at how well these chemicals stood up against some harsher chemicals, here’s what happened (13:02 on the video):

• In the first round I used Valet Pro Citrus which is mildly alkaline. This had a significant impact on Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer, but did not affect the performance of the others much.
• I then followed with Bilt Hamber Auto Foam (an alkaline snow foam at 4%) for 5 rounds. Sonax took a big hit on each round, as did GB Detailing Glow and Bouncer’s DDSI. Infinity Wax QDX Graphene was the least affected.
• I then ranked each product on how well they could repel water after the final round.

Here are the results of this category (from best to worst):

• Infinity Wax QDX Graphene
• Pyramid QD Pro and Garage Therapy Sigma
• Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer Spray
• GB Detailing Glow
• Bouncer’s Done and Dusted SI Edition

Most Chemically Resistant: Infinity Wax QDX Graphene

Price

I finally wanted to work out the price per millilitre of each product to factor in the value for money. I won’t quote exact prices on here as they could change, but at the time of doing this test, here is the order from cheapest to most expensive:

1. Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer Spray
2. Pyramid Car Care QD Pro and GB Detailing Glow
3. Garage Therapy /TWO: Sigma
4. Bouncer’s Wax Done and Dusted SI Edition
5. Infinity Wax QDX Graphene

Cheapest Quick Detailer Spray: Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer

Overall Results

Here are the final results for each category. I wanted to include this table as it shows all the categories and where each product ranked. Of course, some properties of the products may be more important to you than others, so this should help you to work out which is the best for your situation.

Interesting, we had joint winners! Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer was the most water repellent, durable and cheapest product, however it scored poorly for slickness and ease of application. The other winner, Pyramid Car Care QD Pro was the slickest, and performed one of the most consistently across the board.

If you’re unsure what a quick detailer is and when it’s safe (and unsafe) to use on a car, check out my Ultimate Guide to QD Sprays to find out everything you need to know.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to some more questions you might have on quick detailer sprays.

What is a quick detailer spray?

Quick detailer sprays are designed to add some gloss and light-protection, as well as remove any light fingerprints or water spots left after washing the car.

The phrase “quick detailer” spray has become a source of confusion in the detailing world, with varying definitions between individuals and brands. They may have all or some of the following properties: light cleaning capabilities, gloss-enhancement and protection/ water repellency.

Are there different types of quick detailer sprays?

There are several main types of quick detailer sprays on the market today, with lot’s of crossover. Here’s a quick rundown of each of the types I’ve seen available:

• Traditional: these add gloss, and can remove light finger prints and water spots. They often add a very light layer or protection to top up existing waxes or sealants.
• Spray waxes and sealants: these focus mainly on adding protection and gloss, and less on cleaning capability.
• Waterless wash: these can be used for cleaning but rarely add much gloss or protection.
• Hybrids: these often focus on long term protection and gloss, and less on cleaning. They are often applied after washing to boost existing protection.

Can quick detailer sprays cause scratches?

Quick detailer sprays can cause scratches if they are used to remove excessive dust or contaminants. The best way to prevent this, is to use a quick detailer spray straight after washing instead. Use a soft, clean microfiber towel and plenty of lubrication if you are removing finger prints and water spots.

Check out my complete guide to quick detailer sprays to learn everything you need to know about this type of product.

Here are some more articles you might enjoy:

• My Recommended Paint Protection Products
• How to Make Your Car as Shiny as Possible