Opti-Shield Liquid Paint Protection Film

     What is Opti-Shield? It is a new technology in the paint protection space. It has the easy cleaning ability of a ceramic coating combined with the impact resistance of paint protection film. PPF is a high impact protective, extruded film. It is extremely thick, but it is more spongy almost like a shock absorber. Opti-Shield is impact resistant. Instead of being extremely thick and spongy, it is thinner and hard. Its hardness is the strength of resisting rocks, etc.

      Now, let's be serious for a minute. If a rock hits your bumper from the car in front of you and it is travelling at 60mph it will probably do some damage regardless of OS or PPF. PPF typically costs 8 to 10k to do a full car. Edges can be seen and dirt can get into those edges. Also, the edges may peel over time. Even if all of that happens the paint is still being protected underneath. That is a lot of money, though. If you can afford it and you drive a half a million dollar car, go for it. For the rest of us that's way too much money.

     Let's get a little nerdy for a minute. 4 layers of OS makes about a 30 microns layer. We call it a film because of how thick it is. Clear coat is about 40 microns thick. Traditional ceramic coatings are about 3 to 10 microns thick. A human hair is 20-40 microns thick for comparison. A ceramic coating is thick enough to be able to ride the contours of the clear coat. Opti-Coat ceramic coatings ride those contours and make a permanent bond. This line of coatings has been known to last 10 years or more due to the Silicon Carbide formula.

     Opti-Shield has as much Silicon Carbide as it possibly can. The formula also has a much more viscus texture than the other Opti-Coat coatings, which is why it can achieve 30 microns of thickness. OS bridges the gap between traditional ceramic coatings and PPF. It also has a much more practical price tag than PPF. The cost for 4 layers of OS starts at $3,999. That is much more reasonable than 10k.

     Opti-Shield combines the ease of clean of coatings, plus the protection from impact of rocks and bumps in the garage, as well as scratches from washing and love marks (washing too aggressively). Now, OS may get scratches in it. So does PPF. As long as the scratch is in the OS and not all the way into the paint it will self-heal. Park it in the sun for a few hours and it will heal. OS can also be repaired. In other words, if a scratch happens, it can be polished and new OS can be applied in that area. OS also has some scratch filling capabilities. Meaning, if there are still some scratches on the paint prior to installing OS, it will fill in those scratches.

     If you are considering a ceramic coating, consider Opti-Shield first. A traditional ceramic coating is great. Any Opti-Coat ceramic coating will give you preservation and ease of clean,  but they won't give impact and scratch resistance like OS. They are absolutely worth the money. Opti-Shield adds a ton more gloss, deep color and a brand new 30 micron layer of insane environmental protection.

     My name is Tug Bankert and I am the owner/operator of Wax On Wax Off Detailing in Hanover, Pa. I have been detailing since 1999. I have been installing ceramic coatings since 2015. I have used only the Opti-Coat line of ceramic coatings. The reason I use Opti-Coat is because I wanted a coating that would endure for more than just 2 or 3 years like most coatings last. Opti-Coat outlasts any other coating. When you call your local detailer, ask them if they use Opti-Coat. If they don't, run away. Their coating is probably decent, but you want one that is going to withstand the elements!