PPF vs ceramic coating: which one does your car need?

This is the question we get asked most, and the honest answer is that the two products solve different problems. Comparing them is a bit like asking whether you need tyres or brakes.

What paint protection film does

PPF is a clear urethane layer, roughly as thick as a business card, that sits between your paint and the road. It absorbs impact — rock chips, sand, grit thrown up on the highway, light scratches, the trolley that catches your door. Quality film is self-healing: light marks in its top coat disappear with heat from the sun or warm water.

If your paint is getting physically damaged, film is the only thing on this list that helps.

What a ceramic coating does

A coating is measured in microns, not millimetres. It bonds to the clear coat and creates a hard, slick, water-repellent surface. It does not stop a stone. What it does is make the car easier to keep clean, deepen the gloss, and protect against the chemical side of things — bird droppings, water spots, UV fade, road film.

How to choose

• New car, and you plan to keep it? Film on the front end at minimum, coating over the rest.
• Daily highway miles? Film. Chips come from the road, not from washing.
• Garage-kept weekend car? Coating is usually enough, and correction first will matter more than either product.
• Dark paint that shows everything? Correction, then coating — and film on the leading edges if the budget allows.
• On a budget? Coating gives a bigger visible change per pound. Film gives better protection per pound.

Most customers do both

The usual combination is film on the impact zones — hood, fenders, bumper, mirrors — and a coating over the whole car, including over the film. That gives you impact protection where the road throws things and easy cleaning everywhere.

Read more about paint protection film and ceramic coating, or bring the car in and we will tell you what we would do with it.