Do Ceramic Coatings Protect Against Rock Chips and Scratches?

Ceramic coating, unlike clear bra, does not protect against rock chips whatsoever. There are many claims on the internet about ceramic coating protecting against chips, dings, and other hazards. These claims about ceramic coating are entirely false. 

If you are primarily looking for rock chip and scratch protection for your new vehicle, ceramic coating is not what you want. You are looking for clear bra.

What about scratches?

Ceramic coating and its ability to protect your vehicle from scratching is a little bit of a more complicated answer. If you compare the protection of a clear bra vs. ceramic coating when it comes to scratches, it’s not even remotely the same level of protection. It is true that ceramic coating chemically bonds to your vehicle’s paint, creating an additional layer of a glass-like substance. However, this layer is very thin and not primarily designed for protection, unlike clear bra, which is essentially a sacrificial protective layer of film for your vehicle.

Ceramic coating provides a small level of protection as an added benefit. Ceramic coating makes the vehicle’s paint slicker and more hydrophobic. It makes cleanup a lot easier. Contaminants are less likely to stay attached to the paint. This means it requires less effort to clean and, therefore, is less likely to scratch the paint.

Think about a bug that hits your front bumper in the Texas heat while driving on I35. You spend the day in 100+ degree temperatures at The Domain in Austin and return home to Kileen. It’s late, so you clean up the car the next day. Without ceramic coating, you may be trying to scrub that dead bug off of your paint that sat in the heat all day, therefore using more effort. When this occurs, you are more likely to scratch your paint.

Now, imagine you have your vehicle ceramic coated. When you get home to Killeen or Copperas Cove from Austin, you know your vehicle is a lot easier to keep clean. You notice that bug as your park your car in the garage, and you easily wipe it off. Now your vehicle is less likely to be scratched.

You can apply this anecdote to many issues we face with our non-ceramic coated vehicles, from dirt to bird droppings, to bugs. It’s important to understand that this is how the vehicle truly gets the most protection from scratches from a ceramic coating.

What about just regular scratches?

No, not really. There is, of course, some degree of protection when you add an additional layer of nano ceramic coating onto a vehicle. However, the ceramic coating is so thin that you aren’t providing much protection. If you rub hard on paint to remove a bird dropping, it will scratch whether or not the vehicle is ceramic coated. If it has a clear bra, it will be protected. Having a clear bra and ceramic coating gives you the most protection and effortless cleanup.

Aren’t you just trying to sell me more expensive things?

No, we aren’t. Anyone that works with our company knows that we tell people not to spend money unnecessarily. However, when other ceramic coating companies make false claims about the level of protection that ceramic coating offers, it jeopardizes our clients’ satisfaction. We do not want you to get a ceramic coating, thinking that it provides the same level of protection as a clear bra, only to be disappointed in the money you have spent.