XPEL vs. Opti-Coat 2.0 vs. Plasti Dip

[s4pwndu]

I will be picking up my new 2013 IBIS White S4 soon and because I drive on the interstate excessively for work, I want to get some sort of protection from bug guts, road rash, dirt, rock chips, etc...

I have done some basic research on the above mentioned products (XPEL, Opti-Coat 2.0, and Plasti Dip) but I was hoping for some user experience from this forum and some suggestions on the best product for....

1. Maintaining the showroom appearance of the S4 (except if Plasti Dip is used)
2. Providing a solution to my interstate concerns
3. Cost
4. Ease of installation or recommended installers in the southeast

XPEL:
Pros: I like XPEL because reviewers say it does what it claims with regard to protection and you can wax on top of it.
Cons: Expensive, I'm ignorant as to whether the "film" is noticeable and whether it diminishes showroom appearance

Opti-Coat 2.0:
Pros: Inexpensive, self application, one-time application
Cons: I'm ignorant as to process involved and concerned about damage to S4; and will it protect as intended from bugs and such

Plasti Dip:
Pros: I'm super excited about the possibility of doing a Clear (Matte) Dip on my IBIS thereby turning it Matte. (I've always wanted a matte white s4); claims to be easily removable and I can change color as desired
Cons: Installation is expensive and no reputable installers that I have found in TN, AL, GA, NC area; self application is a daunting task due to the large amount of masking involved

Your feedback is much appreciated

[Deviruchi]

I recently got the opticoat 2.0 applied, and will be having XPEL Ultimate placed on the front/fenders soon.

My experience with opticoat: Looks amazing. Car has a MIRROR finish, and it's been 3 weeks (in New England). Washed it once in a touchless car wash.
BUT, unless you are really savvy on detailing I would not install it yourself. 90% of the work is in the preparation, which is tedious and painstaking. I paid $400 for the application.

As an aside, I know a guy who had his wheels plasi-dipped, and I wasn't impressed. "Easily removable" is not a good thing when it comes to your paint (imo), and it showed on the wheels where it was flaking off.

[S!Lver_S4]

Interested in getting opticoat too... Does it remove completely if you do a machine polish/wax after it's applied? Is it worth it to those who have it?

[s4pwndu]

I recently got the opticoat 2.0 applied, and will be having XPEL Ultimate placed on the front/fenders soon.

My experience with opticoat: Looks amazing. Car has a MIRROR finish, and it's been 3 weeks (in New England). Washed it once in a touchless car wash.
BUT, unless you are really savvy on detailing I would not install it yourself. 90% of the work is in the preparation, which is tedious and painstaking. I paid $400 for the application.

As an aside, I know a guy who had his wheels plasi-dipped, and I wasn't impressed. "Easily removable" is not a good thing when it comes to your paint (imo), and it showed on the wheels where it was flaking off.

Hmm.. thanks for your feedback. Very helpful.

I wouldn't call myself a "pro" but I baby the crap out of my car and I would say I'm pretty meticulous when it comes to detailing. I realize that in order to keep Opti-coat from doing more harm than good that I'll need a really good cleaning and to use the suggested 20% Isopropyl (IPA) solution prior to application.

[helix139]

Xpel is the only one of the three that's really going to stop rock chips and be pretty impervious to bug stains. If you get full panel coverage and your installer is good, you won't know it's there.

[sicklyscott]

Xpel is the only one of the three that's really going to stop rock chips and be pretty impervious to bug stains. If you get full panel coverage and your installer is good, you won't know it's there.

x2

I've been debating doing Opti-coat purely for its protection against swirls (stupid black car). Part of me thinks it takes the fun out of being a detailer. From what I've been reading however you should care for it as if it weren't there except for abrasive polishing. All the swirls and minor scratches need to be taken out of the paint before application. Once opti-coat goes on you do your normal wash, clay, wax / sealant. If you chose to polish it you'll end up wearing off the coating.

[S|Quattro|4]

I suggest you watch these two videos. Go on their channel and browse some of their videos. They have a video on there which shows you how to prep the car for plastidipping.

[jfabes]

Xpel is the only one of the three that's really going to stop rock chips and be pretty impervious to bug stains. If you get full panel coverage and your installer is good, you won't know it's there.

This.

Even a partial hood/fender is fine as it essentially still accomplishes the same thing for half the cost.

Plasti-dip is an aesthetic treatment only, its not made to resist road debris and bugs like a film. opti-coat is 2 microns thick "invisible barrier", xpel is 8 mils or 203 microns. you do the math :)

[Toecutter]

For what it's worth, I had Opti-Coat 2.0 applied to my car and it is still swirled. I am reluctant to have a detailer try to buff it out because I'm concerned it would just make it worse.

[FatalBert]

Clear bra to protect you from overspray, dirt/salt, bug guts, rock chips and scratches (Ultimate protection for everything IMO) its removable after a few years if it starts looking bad. Different films are more noticable than others and how they are installed (full or partial) makes the biggest difference in visiblity. If you do full hood/fenders with xpel it will hardly be noticeable.

Plastidip is more temporary, it will only protect you from bug guts, it cannot help with scratches and rock chips but allows you to customize with colors. It is not that difficult to apply but it does get dirty and you have to be delicate in washing or it may tear which will make it look bad, and make you want to redo it. You can also mess up the application and make it too grainy like, which makes it very difficult to wash and keep clean. I don't see even a professional application lasting more than a year or two.

Opticoat is just a new shiny clear coat, which will thicken it and make it a little bit harder for rocks/scratches to make it to the paint. Bug guts, sap, overspray etc. can still etch it (I'm assuming) if left unattended, and it seems permanent, not removable like a clear bra or plastidip.

[S|Quattro|4]

This.

Even a partial hood/fender is fine as it essentially still accomplishes the same thing for half the cost.

Plasti-dip is an aesthetic treatment only, its not made to resist road debris and bugs like a film. opti-coat is 2 microns thick "invisible barrier", xpel is 8 mils or 203 microns. you do the math :)

Watch the first video that I posted. Plastidip will resist road debris and bugs. You can take a power washer and spray it as close as you want to Plastidip, and it wont come off.

[Okan509]

lol@plati dip wont resist damage - you're on crack. It's a plastic barrier - you'd have to hit a washing machine on the freeway to see damage

[Trench]

I don't have experience with Opti-Coat or Plasti Dip but I did have XPEL Ultimate installed. I initially wanted the entire hood and fenders wrapped but after discussing with a few others I decided against it. So, the hood and fenders are partially covered and as you can see from the pictures below, it's hardly noticeable. Unless you approach the car from the rear it's nearly impossible to see.

[brocken]

I'd vote for Opticoat and clear bra.
Clear bra on the front to protect against chips. Opticoat is awesome but it won't prevent those.

Opticoat will help protect against bug guts and bird poo or any other kind of dirt. Makes it much easier to clean the car. Especially if you use a cleaner like Optimum Power clean. Normally, you can't use some APC's on a waxed car because they'll strip the wax. Power clean won't strip Opticoat. Neither should any other chemical APC or AIO.
OC (Opticoat) also won't eliminate scratching if you have a crap wash/dry process. It will help prevent light damage but you need to have a good regular detailing process. 2 buckets, foam or wool mitts, mf drying towel, etc.
There's also a lot of prep involved - but no more than a thorough detail. If you were going to wax your car the first time you'd want to polish out scratches anyway. The final wipe with iso doesn't take long either.
I've OC'd my last few vehicles and it rocks. The few hours of polish and prep work are worth the time savings later. Now I don't have to wax the car in crappy weather when it wears off. But during the Summer I can throw some on for extra shine if I feel like it.

[vtheman]

I'd vote against Opticoat, I think it is overrated, I'd rather give it a good wax treatment twice a year. 3M Clear Bra/ X-pel is a way to go to save your front end from stone chips. I didn't do it on my black A4 and after 3 years of interstate driving the front end looked like shit. Make sure they do headlights too, they pit like crazy.

[s4pwndu]

I don't have experience with Opti-Coat or Plasti Dip but I did have XPEL Ultimate installed. I initially wanted the entire hood and fenders wrapped but after discussing with a few others I decided against it. So, the hood and fenders are partially covered and as you can see from the pictures below, it's hardly noticeable. Unless you approach the car from the rear it's nearly impossible to see.

Did you have it done at Harpers? How much did they charge you? I spoke with joey today and they said they can do XPEL now in-house for $800 but I'm not sure how much that covers. I told him that if I went XPEL that I would want the whole hood and he said it would probably be another $200.

Out of curiosity, why didn't you do the whole hood?

[s4pwndu]

I'd vote for Opticoat and clear bra.
Clear bra on the front to protect against chips. Opticoat is awesome but it won't prevent those.

Opticoat will help protect against bug guts and bird poo or any other kind of dirt. Makes it much easier to clean the car. Especially if you use a cleaner like Optimum Power clean. Normally, you can't use some APC's on a waxed car because they'll strip the wax. Power clean won't strip Opticoat. Neither should any other chemical APC or AIO.
OC (Opticoat) also won't eliminate scratching if you have a crap wash/dry process. It will help prevent light damage but you need to have a good regular detailing process. 2 buckets, foam or wool mitts, mf drying towel, etc.
There's also a lot of prep involved - but no more than a thorough detail. If you were going to wax your car the first time you'd want to polish out scratches anyway. The final wipe with iso doesn't take long either.
I've OC'd my last few vehicles and it rocks. The few hours of polish and prep work are worth the time savings later. Now I don't have to wax the car in crappy weather when it wears off. But during the Summer I can throw some on for extra shine if I feel like it.

Hmm.. I like the way you think. XPEL on the hood and front bumpers and Opti-Coat on the rest of the car?

[s4pwndu]

Clear bra to protect you from overspray, dirt/salt, bug guts, rock chips and scratches (Ultimate protection for everything IMO) its removable after a few years if it starts looking bad. Different films are more noticable than others and how they are installed (full or partial) makes the biggest difference in visiblity. If you do full hood/fenders with xpel it will hardly be noticeable.

I'd say I'm leaning mostly to this option

Plastidip is more temporary, it will only protect you from bug guts, it cannot help with scratches and rock chips but allows you to customize with colors. It is not that difficult to apply but it does get dirty and you have to be delicate in washing or it may tear which will make it look bad, and make you want to redo it. You can also mess up the application and make it too grainy like, which makes it very difficult to wash and keep clean. I don't see even a professional application lasting more than a year or two.

Quite frankly, the aesthetics of Plastidip are what attract me the most (matte finish). But I'm not convinced I'll be abel to find a reputable person to apply it.

Opticoat is just a new shiny clear coat, which will thicken it and make it a little bit harder for rocks/scratches to make it to the paint. Bug guts, sap, overspray etc. can still etch it (I'm assuming) if left unattended, and it seems permanent, not removable like a clear bra or plastidip.

I like the idea of having a "permanent type of wax"

[s4pwndu]

I'd vote against Opticoat, I think it is overrated, I'd rather give it a good wax treatment twice a year. 3M Clear Bra/ X-pel is a way to go to save your front end from stone chips. I didn't do it on my black A4 and after 3 years of interstate driving the front end looked like shit. Make sure they do headlights too, they pit like crazy.

I'd thought about the "twice a year" wax option as well but after scouring the detailing websites, my eyes have glazed over with carnauba wax. If this thread seems like a difficult choice, try deciding on polishes, waxes, glazes, compounds, clay bars, sealants,... not to mention applicators, microfiber towels, washes, etc... ugh.

And I thought i knew how to detail my car!

[FITZ TITS]

For what it's worth, I had Opti-Coat 2.0 applied to my car and it is still swirled. I am reluctant to have a detailer try to buff it out because I'm concerned it would just make it worse.

The dealer is the last place you want to go. Find a reputable detailer and have them perform a paint correction. That will remove the OC and swirls.

To be quite honest, I don't recommend these semi-permanent ceramic coatings. If a client asks for it, I'll use OC.
But as a detailer, I much prefer a good sealant. I don't even have OC on my own car.

Detailer's use it as a major up-sell. I don't buy the hype.

[FITZ TITS]

I'd thought about the "twice a year" wax option as well but after scouring the detailing websites, my eyes have glazed over with carnauba wax. If this thread seems like a difficult choice, try deciding on polishes, waxes, glazes, compounds, clay bars, sealants,... not to mention applicators, microfiber towels, washes, etc... ugh.

And I thought i knew how to detail my car!

That's why people like me exist. There's a certain art to it. I always say this, but it's not so much the product you use, but how you use it.

We all use different products to achieve the same results.

[FatalBert]

Watch the first video that I posted. Plastidip will resist road debris and bugs. You can take a power washer and spray it as close as you want to Plastidip, and it wont come off.

Yes, but comparably it is nowhere near the level of protection offered by a clear bra or opti-coat.

And power/pressure washing will most certainly (and easily) take it off when sprayed from a couple of inches away, it is how I removed it from my wheels and rear diffuser.

[helix139]

I'd thought about the "twice a year" wax option as well but after scouring the detailing websites, my eyes have glazed over with carnauba wax. If this thread seems like a difficult choice, try deciding on polishes, waxes, glazes, compounds, clay bars, sealants,... not to mention applicators, microfiber towels, washes, etc... ugh.

And I thought i knew how to detail my car!

If you're using a carnauba wax, you'll need to apply it more than twice a year. More like once a month. The only way you're going to get coverage that will last 6 months is with a synthetic sealant such as Zaino, Glanz, Powerlock, etc, and probably not on a daily driver (4-6 months is more reasonable). The new nano coatings can give you 6 months to a year, and something like 22ple can last up to 2 years.

[FITZ TITS]

Yes, but comparably it is nowhere near the level of protection offered by a clear bra or opti-coat.

And power/pressure washing will most certainly (and easily) take it off when sprayed from a couple of inches away, it is how I removed it from my wheels and rear diffuser.

That's totally incorrect. OC offers the LEAST level of protection of the three. Period.

Durability is a different story.

[Wilbur]

I don't have experience with Opti-Coat or Plasti Dip but I did have XPEL Ultimate installed. I initially wanted the entire hood and fenders wrapped but after discussing with a few others I decided against it. So, the hood and fenders are partially covered and as you can see from the pictures below, it's hardly noticeable. Unless you approach the car from the rear it's nearly impossible to see.

The key here is "hardly" noticeable. I cant see plastidipping a whole car. Clear bra is like putting plastic on your couch if you think about it. That line would drive me crazy. i can see doing the bumper and mirrors maybe but it would take the fun out of waxing/polishing if I was waxing/polishing plastic (clear bra).

[helix139]

The key here is "hardly" noticeable. I cant see plastidipping a whole car. Clear bra is like putting plastic on your couch if you think about it. That line would drive me crazy. i can see doing the bumper and mirrors maybe but it would take the fun out of waxing/polishing if I was waxing/polishing plastic (clear bra).

It's hardly like putting plastic on a couch. A couch doesn't see gravel and rocks hitting it at high speeds every time it is used. Plastic on a couch is also very obvious whereas clear bra is not, especially with full panel coverage. There's also no need to polish it, so I don't even know why you would want to. You can also seal it just as you would paint, or use a specialized clear bra sealant.

[Wilbur]

It's hardly like putting plastic on a couch. A couch doesn't see gravel and rocks hitting it at high speeds every time it is used. Plastic on a couch is also very obvious whereas clear bra is not, especially with full panel coverage. There's also no need to polish it, so I don't even know why you would want to. You can also seal it just as you would paint, or use a specialized clear bra sealant.

In my eyes its EXACTLY like that. Youre protecting your couch from rips and stains.......for who ? The next owner?. When it wears out get another one. When hood is pock marked have it painted or trade it. Clear bra is REALLY noticeable to me. You are right about full panel. Do you ever take it off? Wax over it? Why bother waxing plastic? I know I'm in the minority here but resale doesnt change so whats the point ? If you are keeping the car for 10 years I can understand doing the full hood and bumpers but I drive 20,000 miles/yr and my cars are pretty nice when I'm done after 3 +/- years. Plus I love waxing my car. Love the Sepang by the way.

[well_armed]

It's so it looks nice for the entire 5-7 years I own it.

Much different when adding it to a car or truck that is a utilitarian focused auto.

[helix139]

In my eyes its EXACTLY like that. Youre protecting your couch from rips and stains.......for who ? The next owner?. When it wears out get another one. When hood is pock marked have it painted or trade it. Clear bra is REALLY noticeable to me. You are right about full panel. Do you ever take it off? Wax over it? Why bother waxing plastic? I know I'm in the minority here but resale doesnt change so whats the point ? If you are keeping the car for 10 years I can understand doing the full hood and bumpers but I drive 20,000 miles/yr and my cars are pretty nice when I'm done after 3 +/- years. Plus I love waxing my car. Love the Sepang by the way.

See, I disagree about the noticeable part. I have yet to find anyone who can see that I have clear bra covering my entire front end. I got it because I'm really anal about chips and scratches. They bother me every time I look at them, so I'm not protecting it for the next owner. I'm protecting it for me. Not to mention the cost of clear bra isn't much different than getting a good respray and this way I get to keep my original factory paint. My last car had to get repainted anyways due to an accident but within 6 months the front end was back to looking like it had gotten sandblasted. That's what happens when the area you drive in has an excess of semis and dump trucks that carry gravel, dirt, phosphate, etc. Not to mention the love bugs that show up twice a year here, that will eat through and permanently etch your clearcoat if you don't wash them off within 24-48 hours.

As far as sealing it, generally you put a sealant on clear bra because it makes it that much easier to get bug guts, bird shit, etc. off of there and helps prevent stains and yellowing, which occurs as a result of microscopic contaminants (tar, dirt, etc) getting in the pores of the bra, not so much UV anymore. This occurs even on clear films that have clearcoats. The big difference is the clearcoated bras are resistant to scratches and stains. All in all, it's the easiest part of my car to clean. I love spending time on my car, too, but just a basic wash for me takes 2 hours by the time you figure in doing the wheels, exhaust tips, door jambs, etc. Anything to cut that down is great as time is the resource I have the least of, especially when there are no drawbacks in terms of appearance. I am glad I have it and would do it again in a heartbeat.

[jfabes]

lol@plati dip wont resist damage - you're on crack. It's a plastic barrier - you'd have to hit a washing machine on the freeway to see damage

i'll refrain from a rhetorical response regarding my drug habits :)

i flew out to barrett jackson in scottsdale back in january (because i love cars) and one of these companies had a display out there with three cars, all wrapped in matte film. all freshly wrapped, all looked like new. interested in this, i talked to the guys for a while about longevity and he told me that the plastidip will reject about 50-60% of road debris but has little chance against the rocks that chip your clear coat and paint down to bare metal. he said while the film is plastic as you say, its not nearly as durable as clear bra and its not self healing. he showed me how easy it was to puncture. he also told me that unlike a clear bra, they do not have a protectant clear coat on the surface and are thus subject to stains left by bug guts and bird droppings, grease (armor-all over spray for example). once it stains, he said there's no way to remove it. if you read threads about clear bras, you will see that they can stain as well, and clear bar is much better than plastidip. So take the information for what it is worth. i don't have any experience with it, but the guy was knowledgeable and did an excellent install. he told me its mostly for aesthitcs to change the color of a car w/o painting or to give a car a matte finish, not to protect it from road debris.

[S|Quattro|4]

Yes, but comparably it is nowhere near the level of protection offered by a clear bra or opti-coat.

And power/pressure washing will most certainly (and easily) take it off when sprayed from a couple of inches away, it is how I removed it from my wheels and rear diffuser.

Definitely agree with you that the clear bra is stronger.

If you watch the video, you'll see that he sprays the car with the power washer pretty close. I know he has another video exaggerating this, but I cant seem to find it now. Anyways, the plastidip will hold up to the power washer. It just depends how many coats you put on there, and how long they have been there for.

[Toecutter]

In my eyes its EXACTLY like that. Youre protecting your couch from rips and stains.......for who ? The next owner?. When it wears out get another one. When hood is pock marked have it painted or trade it. Clear bra is REALLY noticeable to me. You are right about full panel. Do you ever take it off? Wax over it? Why bother waxing plastic? I know I'm in the minority here but resale doesnt change so whats the point ? If you are keeping the car for 10 years I can understand doing the full hood and bumpers but I drive 20,000 miles/yr and my cars are pretty nice when I'm done after 3 +/- years. Plus I love waxing my car. Love the Sepang by the way.

I look at Clear Bra as being more like goggles or safety glasses. Although you can drive 20,000 miles per year and have your paint come out pretty nice, where I live the road crews lay down lots of lava rock cinders during the winter for traction. If the car gets a face full of cinders it will get chipped up and by the end of one winter it would look like a teenager with bad acne.

[Deviruchi]

I look at Clear Bra as being more like goggles or safety glasses. Although you can drive 20,000 miles per year and have your paint come out pretty nice, where I live the road crews lay down lots of lava rock cinders during the winter for traction. If the car gets a face full of cinders it will get chipped up and by the end of one winter it would look like a teenager with bad acne.

Yeah, not to mention getting paint fixed is expensive and time consuming. I'd rather pay once, now, on my schedule, to protect the 95% of the car most prone to road debris. Statistically it's a no brainer.

If you REALLY hate the subtle look of the clear bra, I suppose I can understand that point, as well.

[Toecutter]

If you REALLY hate the subtle look of the clear bra, I suppose I can understand that point, as well.

Me too. If it weren't for our local conditions I probably would not get the clear bra.

[Trench]

Did you have it done at Harpers? How much did they charge you? I spoke with joey today and they said they can do XPEL now in-house for $800 but I'm not sure how much that covers. I told him that if I went XPEL that I would want the whole hood and he said it would probably be another $200.

Out of curiosity, why didn't you do the whole hood?

I shot you a PM about the pricing.

I decided against the whole panel after talking to several people that only had the partial hood/fenders done. Since the line was only noticeable from one angle I felt comfortable going this route. I also worried about how the sheen of a fully wrapped hood would look against the other non-wrapped panels such as the roof.

I'd be happy to meet up if you'd like to look at it in person.

[Wilbur]

See, I disagree about the noticeable part. I have yet to find anyone who can see that I have clear bra covering my entire front end. I got it because I'm really anal about chips and scratches. They bother me every time I look at them, so I'm not protecting it for the next owner. I'm protecting it for me. Not to mention the cost of clear bra isn't much different than getting a good respray and this way I get to keep my original factory paint. My last car had to get repainted anyways due to an accident but within 6 months the front end was back to looking like it had gotten sandblasted. That's what happens when the area you drive in has an excess of semis and dump trucks that carry gravel, dirt, phosphate, etc. Not to mention the love bugs that show up twice a year here, that will eat through and permanently etch your clearcoat if you don't wash them off within 24-48 hours.

As far as sealing it, generally you put a sealant on clear bra because it makes it that much easier to get bug guts, bird shit, etc. off of there and helps prevent stains and yellowing, which occurs as a result of microscopic contaminants (tar, dirt, etc) getting in the pores of the bra, not so much UV anymore. This occurs even on clear films that have clearcoats. The big difference is the clearcoated bras are resistant to scratches and stains. All in all, it's the easiest part of my car to clean. I love spending time on my car, too, but just a basic wash for me takes 2 hours by the time you figure in doing the wheels, exhaust tips, door jambs, etc. Anything to cut that down is great as time is the resource I have the least of, especially when there are no drawbacks in terms of appearance. I am glad I have it and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Good post, makes sense. I guess I probably havent seen many entire hoods/fenders done (maybe I couldnt tell!). I do HATE the line and orange peel that I see regularly. Maybe thats the cheap stuff?

[Wilbur]

i'll refrain from a rhetorical response regarding my drug habits :)

i flew out to barrett jackson in scottsdale back in january (because i love cars) and one of these companies had a display out there with three cars, all wrapped in matte film. all freshly wrapped, all looked like new. interested in this, i talked to the guys for a while about longevity and he told me that the plastidip will reject about 50-60% of road debris but has little chance against the rocks that chip your clear coat and paint down to bare metal. he said while the film is plastic as you say, its not nearly as durable as clear bra and its not self healing. he showed me how easy it was to puncture. he also told me that unlike a clear bra, they do not have a protectant clear coat on the surface and are thus subject to stains left by bug guts and bird droppings, grease (armor-all over spray for example). once it stains, he said there's no way to remove it. if you read threads about clear bras, you will see that they can stain as well, and clear bar is much better than plastidip. So take the information for what it is worth. i don't have any experience with it, but the guy was knowledgeable and did an excellent install. he told me its mostly for aesthitcs to change the color of a car w/o painting or to give a car a matte finish, not to protect it from road debris.

Interesting about the staining . I plastidipped my winter wheels and it couldnt take high pressure spray OR drying with terry cloth towel after about 4 weeks. Started peeling/flaking off. I know lots of guys use it but ...............

[helix139]

Good post, makes sense. I guess I probably havent seen many entire hoods/fenders done (maybe I couldnt tell!). I do HATE the line and orange peel that I see regularly. Maybe thats the cheap stuff?

3M is probably the most widely used film, and it has pretty bad orange peel. It's durable, name brand, and reasonably priced, which is why it is so widely used, but it's also not one of the newer generation of films. Avery Nano Fusion and Xpel Ultimate (among others) offer equal or superior durability to the 3M, but with no orange peel. With full panel coverage it looks no different than the parts of the vehicle that are unprotected.

[Wilbur]

3M is probably the most widely used film, and it has pretty bad orange peel. It's durable, name brand, and reasonably priced, which is why it is so widely used, but it's also not one of the newer generation of films. Avery Nano Fusion and Xpel Ultimate (among others) offer equal or superior durability to the 3M, but with no orange peel. With full panel coverage it looks no different than the parts of the vehicle that are unprotected.

Interesting. Thanks.

[brocken]

Hmm.. I like the way you think. XPEL on the hood and front bumpers and Opti-Coat on the rest of the car?

You could Opti-Coat the whole car and then have the clear bra applied. Or do the bra first and put OC over it. The Opti-Coat should make the clear bra easier to clean.

I'm curious as to why people think Opti-Coat is 'overrated'? I spent several years doing the twice anual or more sealant wax before OC. I would never go back.
The OC car looks so close to what a sealer or wax provides but I don't have to apply it every few months. It also protects from bugs and bird poo better(unintentionally verified this myself) and is easy to clean in general.
Don't know why that's 'overrated' unless you can't stand not messing with wax all the time. I really enjoy detailing and even I don't miss waxes or sealers. After trying dozens of products they all start to look the same on the car.
So then it becomes a question of durability and longevity... I'll let you guess which product wins. :)