Expertpickhub Car care Best Car Interior Protectant Reviews

Best Car Interior Protectant Reviews

You put a lot of effort into maintaining the neat look of your vehicle’s exterior. But your car’s interior materials like leather, vinyl, plastic, rubber, and others require the same attitude. They might fade away or lose their properties over time if you do not protect them from external influence.

Our pick
Best Car Interior Protectant
Chemical Guys SPI220
Best Car Interior Protectant
Chemical Guys SPI220 is a great product to clean and protect car surfaces. You can use it to clean the dashboard, glass, and other surfaces.

I’ve put out the review of the best car interior protectants to help you narrow down your choice in the ocean of offers. You will get familiar with different options that would allow you to protect the car’s interior from collecting dust, debris, dirt, and the impact of the sunlight.

How I picked and tested car interior protectants

how I tested car interior protectants

I carefully tested every protectant for the car interior from the list to figure out how it would cope with the task – to keep dust and debris away from the car’s interior elements and restore their initial look. For this purpose, I applied the product on the vehicle’s surfaces and compared how they performed.

When making up my mind, I consider how effective the formula is, whether it is easy to apply and clean, and how much money it will cost you to protect your car’s interior from impacts.

Best car interior protectant reviews

Chemical Guys SPI220 – best overall

Chemical Guys SPI220

The Chemical Guys SPI220 protectant is safe to use on virtually any surface, including leather, vinyl, plastic, carpet, cloth, glass, and wood. This universal formula will help you protect dashboards, windshields, navigation screens, and more without damaging the surface.

This product is available in four sizes: 4 oz, 16 oz, 64 oz, and 1 gallon to ensure you can cover your needs with any amount of the product. The smallest bottles come with a comfy spray, which provides effortless application. I would recommend misting the product on the microfiber towel to avoid over-spraying.

Chemical Guys SPI220 photo

The Chemical Guys SPI220 and 303 Automotive Protectant protectants have the same mission – to provide UV protection to prevent cracking and repel dust stains and keep your car’s interior clean. The Chemical Guys SPI220 has a fresh scent and doesn’t leave any residues or oily finish on almost all surfaces. However, there was some minor streaking on a plastic screen, but I easily buffed it away with a clean fabric.

The Chemical Guys SPI220 formula is the best car interior protectant for gently maintaining sensitive surfaces. It protects against fading and discoloration from UV rays and repels dust without spots or residues.

Key specs

  • Size, ml/fl.oz: 3785/128

Pros

  • The gentle formula leaves a fresh scent
  • Available in different sizes: from 16 oz to 1 gallon
  • Effectively repels dust and protects from UV solar rays
  • Easy to apply due to the ergonomic spray

Cons

  • It might leave streaking on plastic screens

303 Automotive Protectant – best budget

303 Automotive Protectant

The 303 Automotive Protectant is a gentle formula for protecting the car’s interior from UV rays, preventing fading and cracking, repelling dust lint, and restoring the faded color of the vehicle’s elements.

While Chemical Guys SPI220 is a liquid formula only, the 303 automotive protectant is also available in the form of wipes (25 wipes in a pack). This product is safe to use on rubber, vinyl, and plastic surfaces of your vehicle. If you do not wipe the excess of the product correctly, it might leave some streaky residues.

303 Automotive Protectant photo

The 16 oz bottle comes with a spray for easy application. But unfortunately, it is not as flawless as in Chemical Guys SPI220. The spray attachment in the 303 Automotive Protectant leaks and spins around.

This formula has a nice finish, which is neither too shiny nor too matte. There is no greasy or oily feel either. Besides, it has a ‘new car scent, which is not strong but lasts for several days.

If you’ve been looking for the best auto interior protectant without burning a hole in your wallet, the 303 Automotive Protectant is a smart choice. It effectively keeps dust and UV rays away from your car’s interior, preserving its initial look for a long time.

Key specs

  • Size, ml/fl.oz: 473/16

Pros

  • Suitable for vinyl, rubber, and plastic
  • Available in liquid formula and the form of wipes
  • Restores faded colors and repel dust

Cons

  • The spray nozzle leaks and spins around
  • It can be streaky if you do not wipe it off properly

Armor All Original Protectant

Armor All Original Protectant

Use Armor All Original Protectant to keep your car’s interior surface looking new and fresh without much effort from your side.

If you’ve never used Armor All Original Protectant and would like to check how it would work for you, you can go with the smallest bottle – 4 oz. Other size options vary from 8 oz to 1 gallon, depending on your needs. The smallest bottle has an inconvenient spray, which might work only for applying the product to small areas. Larger options come with a spray nozzle, which mists the product pretty well but may leak over time.

Armor All Original Protectant photo

This formula is suitable for vinyl, rubber, and plastic. It can be used for exterior plastic and rubber as well. In contrast to Chemical Guys SPI220, you can not use this spray on carpets, glass, or paint since it can cause smearing.

Once you apply this formula, it starts bringing back the finish nearly immediately. However, you will need a repeat coat after a couple of weeks as it doesn’t last long.

The Armor All Original Protectant is a car dash protectant that would give your car interior a fresh look.

Key specs

  • Size, ml/fl.oz: 1890/64

Pros

  • Comes in various sizes from 4 oz to 1 gallon
  • Suitable for vinyl, rubber, and plastic
  • A smaller bottle will do better for smaller areas

Cons

  • Not all sprays are convenient (depending on the bottle size)
  • It might leave residues on glass or paint
  • It doesn’t last long

TriNova UV Protectant

TriNova UV Protectant

If you’ve been looking for advanced UV protection for the car interior, you should take a glance at TriNova UV Protectant.

Because of the powerful blend of active elements, this formula would give the interior car surface a protective layer that would mitigate the potential negative effect of UV rays. Thus, vinyl, plastic, rubber, carbon fiber, and leather won’t crack and will preserve the like-new look. If you are going to apply this formula on light fabric seat covers, you might find that it leaves stains after exposure to the sun.

TriNova UV Protectant photo

You can get the TriNova UV Protectant in two bottle sizes: 18 oz and 128 oz. Thanks to the spray nozzle, the product is easy to apply. Just spray it on the surface, and then wipe it off. However, I have a complaint about the quality of the spray. It leaks and drips in the spray setting, so you waste a lot of product.

In contrast to Armor All Original Protectant, this product lasts. No chemical odors or residues. Overall, this is a great car interior protectant spray for better UV protection.

Key specs

  • Size, ml/fl.oz: 532/18

Pros

  • Advanced formula for UV protection
  • Two bottle sizes available: 18 oz and 128 oz
  • Easy to apply
  • No odor or residues

Cons

  • It might leave stains on fabric after sun exposure
  • The spray drips and leaks

Meguiar’s G14716

Meguiar’s G14716

Give your car’s vinyl, rubber, and plastic surfaces a shine with the Meguiar’s G14716 protectant.

Similar to TriNova UV Protectant, this formula features advanced UV protection, but it will not work on fabric or glass.

You can apply the Meguiar’s G14716 protectant using the spray nozzle, which proved to be leak-proof. But it looks flimsy, and I am afraid it would break after a few uses. The product doesn’t spread well because it’s too thick. Besides, the chemical smell is not so desired in the formula designed for interior use.

Meguiar’s G14716 photo

There is one bottle size only – 15.2 oz, which is sufficient for refreshing the interior of your vehicle. If you are looking for a protectant with a matte finish, this is not the kind of product you should select because Meguiar’s G14716 protectant is too glossy. It reflects the dash on the windshield in sunlight, which is not only annoying but is also dangerous.

This is a good car interior plastic protector as it will bring back a fresh look. But I would avoid applying it to the glass surfaces as a safety measure.

Key specs

  • Size, ml/fl.oz: 450/15.2

Pros

  • Decent protection against UV rays
  • Applicable for vinyl, plastic, and rubber
  • An optimal bottle size – 15.2 oz

Cons

  • The spray nozzle is flimsy
  • Strong chemical smell
  • The formula is too thick, so it’s hard to apply
  • Gives a glossy finish

You may need

Chemical Guys Microfiber Towels

Chemical Guys Microfiber Towels

How to use a car interior protectant?

Even though some products combine the cleansing and protecting properties, it is still advised to carefully clean the elements before you apply the protective finish.

So, if you are going to apply the protectant on mats, seat covers, or carpets, vacuum any debris or dirt. Clean and condition your leather seats, and don’t forget to wipe down your car’s windows, glass, plastic panel, navigation screen, or whatever you are going to cover with the protectant.

When you are done with cleaning, apply a car vinyl protectant on the fiber or directly on the surface. Please, make sure the product is suitable for the type of surface you are using the formula for. Spread the product all over the surface and then buff it with the microfiber to make it last longer.

FAQ

What are the benefits of using an auto interior protectant?

Auto interior protectant with a UV blocker will protect your dash, vinyl, and seating surfaces from the sun’s damaging rays.

Auto interiors naturally fade when exposed to sunlight. This causes colors to dull and fabrics to harden. Fabric softness is lost, cracking is more likely, and if severe enough, fibers can split, leaving an unsightly mess. Plastics can fade and become brittle, cracking from the sun’s rays. Vinyl surfaces will dry out and fade as well, also becoming brittle. These problems are not just unsightly they can be expensive to repair. Not only does UV damage take its toll on your car’s interior it is a safety issue as well since damaged plastic becomes brittle and breaks easily.
The good news is that you don’t have to live with a faded, dry, cracked, or broken interior. Using a high-quality protectant, you can keep your car’s interior-looking factory fresh for years to come.

How often should I use a car interior protectant?

Proper maintenance usually consists of one or two treatments per year, depending on how often your vehicle is in the sun.

How can I protect my car’s interior plastic?

The best way to protect your car’s plastic is to use an interior protectant that contains UV blockers.

Should I clean a car’s interior before using interior protectants?

Yes, cleaning is an essential step. To protect your car’s interior surfaces, the product needs to penetrate into the surface and bond with it completely therefore, a clean surface is needed.

Is Armor All good for the interior?

Armor All is a popular protectant and works well on the plastic and vinyl surfaces of your car’s interior, however, it does not contain UV blockers.

Can you use coconut oil on the car interior?

The short answer is no, coconut oil will protect your car’s exterior paint, but it doesn’t offer UV protection to the plastic and vinyl surfaces of your car’s interior.

What is the difference between a cleaner and a car interior protectant?

A cleaner is designed to remove dirt, dust, and body oils from your car’s exterior surfaces. A protectant will also clean, but it isn’t designed to replace wax or polish. Most interior protectants are formulated to leave a slick untextured film that resists stains, dirt, and dust.
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