Bumper shine test

Stop plastic trim cracking and losing its colour with a bumper shine. These tough yet user-friendly cleaners and protectants can last for months; we tried 17 to find out which should serve and protect your trim.

Test
Each was applied according to the maker’s instructions to a bumper which had been thoroughly cleaned to remove all traces of previous treatments. This was left out for five winter weeks and monitored to see which product was still beading water. Price was also a factor.
 

Verdict

Mer was the stand-out product from the start, beading water faster than any rival. Turtle Wax’s Platinum gel takes the runner-up spot, followed by AA.

We also tested...

Armor All Protectant Semi-Matt
Rating: 2/5

Autoglym Bumper Black
Rating: 3/5

Diamondbrite Vinyl Sheen
Rating: 3/5

Halfords Advanced Tyre and Trim Black
Rating: 3/5

Meguiar’s Trim Detailer
Rating: 3/5

Muc-Off Silicon Shine
Rating: 3/5

Pearl Supersheen Trim
Rating: 3/5

Simoniz Back to Black ‘New Look’ Bumper Shine
Rating: 3/5

Turtle Wax Black in a Flash
Rating: 3/5

Turtle Wax Black in a Flash Factory Finish Matt
Rating: 3/5

Wynn’s Bumper & Trim Shine
Rating: 3/5