Most people are satisfied with cleaning their car with spot-free cleaner and then waxing it with high-quality wax applicants. But they don’t focus on the appearance of their tires. Even if they do, some people scrub them with the same cleaner that they used to clean the rest of their car.
Cleaning tires isn’t a harmful thing to do for your car. But why spend so much time waxing and perfecting the car, while spending less than five minutes on the appearance of tires? The look of tires can drastically change the overall appearance of the car altogether. Given that, investing in a high-quality tire shine can make all the difference. Here is are some products of the best tire shine on the market that we reviewed as well as some further information that can help anyone choose the best tire shine for their specific needs.
Each of the products that we have reviewed can give any tires the glossy shine that they need. Improving the appearance of tires can drastically improve the overall outlook of an entire vehicle. Given that, everyone should scan over each of the reviews and see which products will work for their specific needs.
No 1. TriNova Tire Shine Spray
While using this tire spray, we saw that it was able to leave a thick coating that was difficult to take off even with scrubbing. Because of that, we realized that the surface is durable and able to withstand a large amount of dirt, debris, and other road grime.
Not only did we find that it was able to repel water, dirt, and grime, but this tire spray was also able to present a shine that is glossy and makes the tires practically look brand new. Additionally, this product comes in an 18-ounce spray bottle that can last for a few months before you’ll need a new bottle of product.
Why We Love This Product
- Repels dirt and grime
- Presents a glossy, shiny finish
- Easy application
- Comes in an 18-ounce bottle
What We Feel Should Improve
- More expensive than some other products
No 2. Chemical Guys Long Lasting Shine Dressing
This long lasting shine dressing was able to restore not only rubber on tires, but it was also able to restore the material in vinyl and plastic materials. After we applied this product, we found that the refined creamy texture of the product leaves a non-greasy touch to the car’s surface.
This shine dressing with a water-based formula looks like wet tires while feeling dry to the touch. It’s also able to provide maximized protection against UV rays, fading, and even cracking. We also realized that this product was straightforward to apply.
Why We Love This Product
- Restores and protects vinyl, rubber, and plastic materials
- Prevents fading and cracking over time
- We even put it on interior compartments of cars
What We Feel Should Improve
- Some of the chemicals aren't as environmentally-friendly as other products
No 3. Meguiars Tire Shine
We’ve used this tire gel on various tires and saw that it was able to last longer than most other gel applicants. Not only that, but it was able to withstand more wear and tear than other products since it can even stay on the tires in the rain.
Not only can it protect car tires during the rain, but we also found that this tire gel can protect car tires from fading, cracking, or browning from the sun’s UV rays. It’s able to provide maximized protection because of the advanced polymers that it contains.
Why We Love This Product
- Comes with 16 ounces of tire gel
- Protects against rain, fading, browning, and UV damage
- The gel is coated evenly without running or dripping
What We Feel Should Improve
- It's sometimes difficult to reach in between some tight spots of the tire with the thick padding it comes with
No 4. Car Guys Tire Shine Spray
This shine spray was extremely easy to apply since it only had to be sprayed onto tires. We found that after using the spray, the product had UV protectant that prevented any discoloration on the tires occurring. It also has a patented nano polymer additive that helps to enhance its performance even more.
Moreover, this shine spray contains chemicals that are non-toxic and even environmentally-friendly. Given that, it’s entirely safe for you to use whenever and wherever.
Why We Love This Product
- Can be used on different vehicles, including motorcycles, boats, RVs, cars, and even old cars
- Environmentally-friendly
- Leaves a black tire shine
- All we had to do was spray it on and wipe it off
What We Feel Should Improve
- More expensive than some of the other products we've reviewed
No 5. Aero Cosmetics Tire Dressing
Aero Cosmetics Tire Dressing is the best tire dressing because it’s able to leave a black satin finish on any rubber tires. Even though the finish looks satin, it’s able to leave a finish that’s dry to touch. Not only that, but this tire dressing can put a film over top of the rubber on tires, which helps to keep the tires cleaner for a longer time.
Furthermore, we discovered that this tire dressing not only clean rubber tires, but it can also restore the condition of any rubber tires that aren’t as sharp as they used to be. This ultimately improves the function of the tires as well.
Why We Love This Product
- Can work on tires, weatherstripping, rubber, and plastic material
- Restores cleans, and protects the rubber on tires
- Gives a satin black look to the rubber on tires
What We Feel Should Improve
- It seemed to leave a residue in places that required a large amount of scrubbing
No 6. Griot's Garage Speed Shine
Griot’s Garage Speed Shine is classified as the best tire shine because it can quickly detail a whole car in as little as five minutes. The formula contained in this formula is composed of lubricants that are specifically designed to lift off dirt, dust, and debris from the car’s surface. After we applied this speed shine to the car, all we had to do was wipe it away, and then the shine came through.
Furthermore, this product can not only provide shine for the tires of a car, but it is also able to give a glossy finish to a whole car’s surface, including the car’s paint and grills.
Why We Love This Product
- Can quickly be applied and wiped from a car in less than 5 minutes
- Contains lubricants that are responsible for lifting dirt and debris from the car's surface
- Leaves a glossy finish after cleaning dirt and mud
- Can also come with thick blue detailing towels for application
- Cover all tire shine
What We Feel Should Improve
- For some spots on the car, we had to buff the product out harder than usual to remove streaks
No 7. Black Magic Tire Wet Foam
This tire shine is classified as a wet tire foam that’s able to clean, shine, and even protect the tires on a car in a matter of a few simple steps. This product’s formula with a thick foam is able to more effectively stick to tires in the cleaning process, which helps to clean the tires more.
Furthermore, after using this product, we found out that it doesn’t leave behind a white powdery substance or residue that most other foam products are responsible for leaving. We also found that it can even leave a shine for around two and a half weeks.
Why We Love This Product
- Doesn't leave behind a white residue that most other products leave behind
- Represented as a thick foam that sticks to tires for easy cleaning
- Dissolves rust on brakes, dust, and even mud
- Cleans shines and protects your tires
What We Feel Should Improve
- Leaves marks on your car's paint if it isn't washed off
No 8. Armor All Tire Shine Gel
Armor All Extreme Tire Shine comes in a gel formula and can deliver a wet black shine that can last for weeks. More specifically, we used this tire shine gel on our sedan, and it left a durable gel coating that even looked smooth after we applied it.
Furthermore, this product can be applied to a tire’s surface and then wiped off, so it doesn’t make any messes with oversprays. Not only that, but it’s able to protect against harmful factors in the environment, like dust and debris. We found that the outer coating Armor Tire Shine Gel left was able to prevent cracking and fading from occurring.
Why We Love This Product
- Can be applied onto tires, dashboards, side panels, bumpers, and even vinyl tops
- Doesn't have to be wiped off
- Silicone content formula creates a waterproof barrier that protects the car's surface from future damage
What We Feel Should Improve
- Sometimes it left uneven, splotchy marks on flat surfaces
No 9. Adam's Tire Shine
After using Adam’s Tire Shine, we found that it had an excellent formula with a great mixture of silicone. It doesn’t make the tires greasy, which is beneficial because it’s safer than other greasy formulas on the market. Besides, this formula leaves multiple layers of coating on your tires so that they can shine longer.
After using this product on tires, we wondered whether it would harm the car’s paint if it came into contact with the paint. But we discovered that Adam’s Tire Shine could be used to make a whole car’s surface shine. It’s also easy to apply since the shine comes with the ability to be sprayed onto surfaces to create a shine on any car quickly.
Why We Love This Product
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed
- Comes with a sprayer and hex grip applicators
- Can be used on wheels, tires, and even car surfaces
- Doesn't have too much silicone, so it doesn't leave a greasy finish
- Cover all tire shine
What We Feel Should Improve
- The product does shine, but it requires a more significant amount of substance than the other products ask for
No 10. Superior California Cover Automotive Tire Shine
This is the best tire dressing because it’s a solvent-based product. It not only keeps your tires shiny but also can be used for the interior surfaces of cars as well. More specifically, we found that the high silicone content formula in this product can create a water barrier between dirt and grime and the car’s surface.
Given that, this tire shine can repel dirt, dust, and other debris from the car’s tires as well as the car’s interior surface. This product can not only be used on multiple different surfaces on vehicles, but we also discovered that it didn’t require us to wipe it off. All we had to do was spray the product on, and then it immediately gave off a shiny finish.
Why We Love This Product
- Can be bought with microfiber cloths for application
- Leaves a wet black shine
- Durable gel coating
- Protects against cracking and fading
What We Feel Should Improve
- It took us a long time to apply this than other products
Tire Shine Buying Guide
Type
Considering which type of tire shine to use is important because the different types of tire shine react differently on different tires. They each have drastically different compositions and chemicals, so considering the best one for each specific car is extremely important.
Easy to Use
Choosing a tire shine that’s easy to apply is vital because all tire shines should be easy enough to apply. High-quality tire shines presented in the forms of either sprays or gels, so they should easily be sprayed or layered on, and then wiped off. Any product that requires more than that is merely requiring more unneeded time and effort.
UV Blockers
It’s essential to look for products that have UV-blocking chemicals because UV rays are capable of causing aging, fading, and even cracking of tires. Given that, having tire shine that protects from these harmful effects can prevent them from occurring altogether. Not only that, but tire shine containing UV blockers usually lengthens the life of tires.
Long-Lasting
Tire shines are responsible for restoring the natural appearance on the sides of tires. Given that, they are capable of cleaning all parts of the tire and giving them the ability to not only have longer lives but also look better. Tire shines should last for longer time, requiring additional application once every three weeks. We don’t recommend any product that requests more than that.
Restoring Shine
Tire shine is most known for its ability to give the brand-new shine back to any tire. Their primary purpose is to improve the appearance of tires altogether, and they should be capable of efficiently removing dust and other debris that accumulates on tires overtime after using them.
No Grease
Considering a product that has a non-greasy formula is important because although they make tires shine for longer, grease attracts dust, debris, and other grime that’s on the road. Because of that, they can make tires look less attractive.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Tire Shine
Benefits of Tire Shine
- Prevents your tires from cracking, fading, and even hardening
- Helps to revitalize the rubber of your tires, and it leaves a glossy shine
- Easy application: comes in different sprays and aerosols that can be applied and then wiped away
Types of Tire Shine
Water-based
Tire shines that are water-based typically come in a liquid that is a milky-white color, and it leaves a non-greasy finish on tires. It’s generally composed of a combination of natural oils as well as synthetic polymers. Water-based tire shines also use water to suspend the product all over the tire.
Furthermore, water-based tire shine doesn’t harm rubber tires over time, and some of them even have agents that can protect your car’s tires against UV rays in the sun. Not only that, but tire shines with a water base are more environmentally-friendly than other solvent-based shines.
Solvent-based
Aside from water-based tire shines, solvent-based products differ in their ability to leave a more sticky, greasy, and clear finish on your tires. Some are even capable of leaving a more glossy film, but this also depends on the product that you use. Solvent-based products use a hydrocarbon silicone to suspend the tire shine product. Given that, they are also able to last longer, since they have a greater resistance to water than water-based products.
Some solvent-based tire shine uses petroleum distillate solvent, which is a substance capable of causing premature drying on some tires. So these specific types of products should be avoided.
How to Apply Tire Shine
Please check our tutorial for How To Clean and Apply Tire Shine The Right Way.
How to Make My Own Tire Shine
If you are interested in making homemade tire shine, please check out the tutorial here.