When it comes to protecting your new car’s paint, Paint Protection Film ( TPU – PPF) is one of the best options available to resist scratches, daily wear & tear, paint fading & dulling, stain resistance and to keep it glossy and shiny for long time. Good, proven and trusted PPF brands make your daily wash and day to day maintenance a breeze. But with so many options & choices in the market, how would you know which PPF is original and offers the best or top quality?
This guide will help you understand the key factors you should consider in choosing the best PPF film and what you should avoid.
Understand Your Needs & Budget
Before diving into the various options, it’s crucial to understand your specific needs. Are you looking for world-class quality or budget paint protection solution, or is a balance between cost and quality more important for you? Knowing what you want will make it easier to narrow down your options & choices.
PPFs vary, so the budget for a high-quality manufacturer brand will differ from a White Label product. Not all PPFs are equal. Therefore, the budget for a high-quality manufacturer brand will not be the same as for a White Label product. On the other side there is no such PPF available, which would tick all the boxes yet comes very low on the budget.
Research Top PPF Brands
First approach is to evaluate or find that your PPF option is the manufacturer of the PPF or the manufacturer brand or a White Label PPF ?
The company that produces PPF invests in their brand. They conduct research and own the product. They also promise to make customers happy in the future.
- All leading PPF brands would have legacy, presence, operations of 5 years or more in a country or several countries.
- It should have reliable company representative, distributor or network in the region
- It would have multiple websites or multiple Social Media presence. You can gather information and reviews from multiple sources not just ONE website or Instagram page.
- It would talk about Technology, PPF material & specification, and boasts a strong portfolio of work done for multiple customers and various type of vehicles.
For example, several global PPF brands stand out in the PPF market for their quality and reliability. Some of the top PPF brands include:
SunTek: It’s a manufacturer brand and considered amongst Top PPF brand globally. It’s known for its clarity, self-healing capabilities, application friendly, reliable and smooth finish. SunTek is default choice of known applicators and premium customers. Though it’s difficult to find the genuine product and dealer.
3M: Offers Scotchgard Pro series 100 and 200 PPF with up to 10 Yrs warranty. The genuine film comes with e-warranty and falls under mid to high budget category. It’s very dependable but does not score high on Gloss & Shine finish.
STEK: It’s a global and leading manufacturer of PPF. They have two big, global R & D hubs in USA and Korea.
People consider their flagship brand, STEK DYNOshield, the best in its class. In addition to clean and satin finish matte PPF, it also provides fashion, patterns and color range of PPFs. Genuine STEK PPF is available through only authorised partners.
XPEL: It’s considered amongst leading PPF brands. It’s a traditional ppf, application friendly, durable for long term and boasts of strong anti-yellow properties for White car. It stays durable in long term and does not harm the original paint. But lacks the advanced qualities, like Smoothness and Hydrophobic properties.
Superior Clarity, Gloss & Shine
A good quality PPF would highlight every detail of the Paint Work on your car once the application is completed. It would not dissolve the paint details or reflect haze lines or orange peel effect.
When extreme Clarity matches with Superior Gloss and Shine (Check for Gloss meter specification/reading or GU score ), the PPF application amplifies the look and finish of every car. The smart way to discover the best gloss & shine for your car is to get a sample ppf application done on Bonnet for all the shortlisted PPF brands & products.
Check for Self-Healing Properties
One of the standout features of high-quality PPF is its self-healing property. It’s normally defined between 10 to 15 microns thickness of the overall film construct.
Formed of proprietary resin-based clear coat material. This layer & technology helps PPF to reduce the washing related wear & tear and swirl marks under a certain temperature. Self-healing PPF can significantly reduce maintenance and keep your car looking new for longer.
Consider the Thickness
The thickness of the PPF defines its protective abilities. Thicker films generally offer better protection but might be more challenging to apply or remove later in case of mis happenings or accidents. World’s best and leading PPF films are found in the range from 7 mils to 8 mils in thickness. For everyday use, a film between 7-8 mils (~ 200 microns) should suffice.
Look for Warranty & Customer Support
A good warranty is a sign of a manufacturer’s confidence in their product. Most top PPF brands offer warranties ranging from 5 to 10 years. Let’s say you are considering a 5 Years warranty PPF product for your car, and you are considering a brand, which is operational, lived or delivered on the quality and continuity of its products for 5+ years, this clarity should give you the confidence and trust to go ahead with such a brand.
A manufacturer’s warranty covers extensive scope of issues – Film Cracking, Blistering or Bubbling and Film turning Yellow. Always ask for valid and genuine e-warranty of the brand application performed on your vehicle. Additionally, good customer support and an existing company network can be a lifesaver if you run into unexpected events to claim a warranty or need expert advice or solution on maintenance.
Who’s the PPF Installer or Applicator ?
In today’s competitive world, everyone wants a share of customer business. When you are investing a decent budget for the PPF work on your vehicle, it becomes paramount to check & evaluate the credential of the PPF applicator, detailer or installer.
- It should be certified or authorised by/ for the PPF brand in your region. Cross-check from the company website or representative.
- In case it’s offering a 5- or 7-years warranty White Label PPF product, it’s vital to know how long a particular detailer or installed has been in this business? If he’s few months or a year old in business, quality or dependability of the product throughout the warranty terms of 5 – 7 years should be questioned as the product has yet to be tested & experienced for its remaining warranty commitments or claims
- Check for market feedback, customer reviews and rating on various forums, like Google, Aggregator platforms and community Blogs. More positive reviews mean a trusted & proven track record. Lesser number of positive reviews should be considered in the light of other factors, like if the PPF installer is 1 year old in the business means that its product or tested, used and experience for limited time frame?
- Car Dealerships offering PPF – Let’s quickly touch upon the facts, Neither a car brand/ dealer manufactures PPF nor their employees would do the installation of the PPF on your car. So, what’s the experience, expertise, brand & quality commitment or customer satisfaction they would add to your consideration & requirement?
The truth is they are going to outsource the job to a third party in lieu of their own, vested business interests. And you would never be able to find a constrictive customer feedback as the work gets outsourced and grieved customer would have no forum to share his/ her experience. Also, they would be least bothered about quality, brand and hygiene checks as they have no ownership of the product or overall process.
By keeping these tips and suggestions in mind, you’ll be well on your way to choosing the best PPF film for your car. Whether you’re looking for top-notch protection or a balance of cost and quality, there’s a Paint Protection Film out there that will meet your needs.
It’s all about knowing right information about your PPF product & brand and taking satisfactory decision, matching your requirements and budget.
At MOTOcraftz, we recognize that exceptional paint protection film (PPF) quality goes hand-in-hand with the skill of the ppf installers and the precision of their application process. Both are essential to achieving the best results.
Contact us today for a tailored solution for your vehicle.
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