Bumper shines tested
We test 19 bumper shines, and name the four best shines on the market
Find the right bumper and trim treatment and you’ll get long-lasting protection. At the end of our six-week polish and wax test, many products were barely working, but most of our bumper shines were still doing the job.
Plus, they’re a lot easier and quicker to apply – many can just be sprayed on and left. Add prices of around a fiver, and there’s no excuse for not treating your car’s exterior plastics to a little bit of protection and ensuring the colour doesn’t fade. We pick out the four best shines here, but all the 19 products tested had to perform in snow like the waxes, and we regularly checked water beading.
Simoniz New Look Bumper Shine
Price: £4.99
Size: 500ml
Contact: 0161 491 7391, simoniz.co.uk
Rating: ★★★★★
Best buy: Spray this easy-to-use-Back to Black aerosol direct on trim or a cloth so it goes only where you want it, then wipe. It has a pleasant citrus smell. Finish is muted, plus it’s long lasting.
Triplewax Bumper Shine
Price: £5
Size: 500ml
Contact: 0161 764 5981, tetrosyl.com
Rating: ★★★★
Recommended: This makes your plastic really stand out and shine. You just spray on and leave for a glossier finish than our champ’s. And while this was eventually lost, it kept beading to the end.
Used - available now
2021 Renault
Captur
20,675 milesManualPetrol1.3L
Cash £12,499
2022 MINI
5-Door Hatch
20,230 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £17,593
2023 Kia
Sportage
28,602 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L
Cash £24,435
2017 Peugeot
208
12,245 milesManualPetrol1.2L
Cash £8,270CarPlan Original Black
Price: £4.99
Size: 500ml
Contact: 0161 764 5981, tetrosyl.com
Rating: ★★★★
Not a lot between this and its Triplewax cousin. It’s another spray and leave product, and left a high gloss finish. Price is identical and both are top buys, but this was beading slower at the end.
Black Diamond Trim Gel
Price: £4.99
Size: 500ml
Contact: 01438 749501, blackdiamondproducts.co.uk
Rating: ★★★★
A week under snow did last year’s winner no favours. It’s still a great protectant, lasting right to the end, and you can apply the gel accurately and with minimal waste – although this can take longer than the sprays.
Verdict
Simoniz Back to Black gave its name to this category, and the New Look version takes the win here by a narrow margin. In the runner-up spot is Triplewax Bumper Shine. It was still working at the end of our test, but not quite as quickly as the Simoniz. Original Black from CarPlan completes the podium, with last year’s star turn, Black Diamond Trim Gel, in fourth.
1. Simoniz Back to Black New Look Bumper Shine
2. Triplewax Bumper Shine
3. CarPlan Original Black
Also tested...
Halfords Black Right Black ★★★★
Turtle Wax Bumper & Tyre Gel ★★★★
Mer Bumper & Vinyl Cleaning Gel ★★★★
Black Diamond Tyre & Trims ★★★
Race Glaze Rubber Dressing ★★★
Armor All Exterior Trim Wipes ★★★
Autoglym Bumper & Trim Gel ★★★
Meguiar’s Ultimate Protectant ★★★
Turtle Wax Black in a Flash ★★★
Autoglym Vinyl & Rubber Care ★★★
Poorboy’s World Trim Restorer ★★★
Dodo Juice Fantastic Plastic ★★
