Your car’s headlights are the shining eyes of your car, and one of the most important safety features. You may not realize, but just from being out in the sun and weather, your car’s eyes are slowly being dimmed. UV radiation, wind, road grime, and water wear down the polycarbonate lens.
Over time, the environment will make your headlights look dull, yellow, and faded. To keep your headlights pristine, you need one of the best clear coat for headlights (>>> Check our guide of top clear coat sprays). A clear coat is covering over the headlight cover that shields it from the damaging effects of nature.
Clear coats work by bonding with the surface of the headlight cover itself. This bond makes the headlights resistant to the destructive effects of driving outside. Unless you plan on staying all the time indoors, a headlight clear coat is your best bet to protect the bright shine of your car’s eyes.
Best Clear Coat for Headlights – Top 5 Products for 2022
With all the products available to clean and maintain your car, it is easy to get confused about which product will achieve the look and protection you want. To help clear things up, we did some research and put together 5 of the best clear coat for headlight options.
Wolfgang Uber Ceramic Coating
We have tested and reviewed Wolfgang Uber Ceramic Coating before and found it to be a fantastic ceramic coating to protect the shine and health of a car’s paint job. In the description, Wolfgang states that their clearcoat is useable on your headlights, so we had to put that claim to the test. >>> Check price on Amazon
Wolfgang’s formula works by creating a chemical bond with the surface of the vehicle, and we saw results that claimed that the coating could last between 1-3 years. The surface you apply the coating to will determine how long it will last. For the polycarbonate of your headlights, we anticipate that you will see one year of protection performance.
One of the reasons we loved the Uber Ceramic on our test cars was how it application was on the paint. We are happy to report that applying to the headlights is just as easy. The Uber Ceramic kit comes with an applicator sponge that makes it easy to apply and smooth out the coating on the headlights.
>>>Click To Read Full Wolfgang Uber Review
A little goes a very long way with this formula, which is another reason we like it, so you don’t need a whole lot to treat both headlights on your car. In the event you apply too much, Wolfgang includes a microfiber towel to make fine adjustments.
You still have to properly prep the headlights. Even the best coating won’t bond to dirty, oxidized headlights. Once you’re prepped and coated, the Wolfgang Uber Ceramic Coating will repel dirt, dust, road grime, and UV rays. One of the best parts of this coating is that it beads water (>>> Learn about best water repellents) . This proves very useful during those rainstorms that limit your headlight’s effectiveness.
Pros
- Will treat your paint and headlights
- Protects for over a year
- Very easy to apply to headlights
Cons
- More expensive than other options
NASIOL ZR53 Car Ceramic Coating
Nasiol’s ZR53 Ceramic coating is another total car solution that is effective for treating your headlights. (>>> Check reviews of best automotive cermic coating products)Nasiol’s formula uses a multilayer protection formula that is softer against the surface of your headlights to help prevent rubbing and scratching and hard in the other layer to provide the protection you want. >>> Check price on Amazon
Your new ceramic headlight coating is a hydrophobic layer that prevents streaking. Plus, you will see much less damage from other sources like UV rays, bugs, dirt, and mud. This protection makes the headlights easier to maintain and keep clean. Even if something sticks to the headlights, the coating makes it easier to break the hold the muck has. You spend less time cleaning and scrubbing, and more time enjoying the bright view provided by your immaculate headlights.
Applying the Nasiol ceramic coating is as simple as it is effective. The kit comes with applicator pads designed to work specifically with the Nasiol coating. Then buff with a microfiber cloth to bring out the shine and makes sure you have an even coating across the surface of the headlight.
The full cure time for the Nasiol is about 48-hours. Not ideal if you want to be up and on your way quickly, but a not bad to let your ride rest after a wash and detail. Once applied, buffed, and cured, the ceramic coating is rated to last up to three years. We would expect that, like similar coatings, you can expect right around a year of protection before needing to reapply to the headlights.
The Nasiol coating works on your car’s paint job for up to 3 years, so even when you headlights start to fade and cloud, your car will still be protected for another couple of years. One of the coolest things we found while doing our research is that the Nasiol also protects the headlights from some impact and scratch damage. This coating is a shield against almost anything you can throw at it. Note, it will not protect against angry exes that take a baseball bat to your headlights.
Pros
- Creates excellent protection for about a year
- Comes with everything you need to apply the coating
- Makes headlights easier to keep clean
- Easy to apply
Cons
- Mistakes are hard to correct. Be slow and patient when applying
Optimum Opti-Lens Permanent Headlight Coating
Optimum Opti-lens coating benefits from specifically engineered polymers to treat the polycarbonate covering of your headlights. Optimum combines two types of resins to create a complete bond with your headlight covers. >>> Check price on Amazon
The first is a ceramic resin that is common in paint protection coatings. The ceramic coating creates a semi-permanent layer of protection over the surface of the headlights. Part two is an acrylic resin that is the most compatible agent for bonding to polycarbonate.
Together, the two resins create a near-perfect bond and a long-lasting protector for your prized vehicle’s headlights.
Applying the Optimum Opti-Lens coating is a quick and easy process. After washing and detailing your car use the recommended 15% isopropyl alcohol solution. The solution will remove any previously applied sealants, oils, and waxes. You only need a few drops on the foam applicator to coat each lens. After coating the lenses, check for over and undercoated areas and correct accordingly.
The only thing we found was that if you don’t remove all oxidation and contaminants, the Opti-Lens coating doesn’t create the firm bond it needs (>>> Check these tips for keeping headlights from oxidation). So, be sure to clear out any problems by sanding and polishing the lenses before applying.
Pros
- Long-lasting Sealant
- One tube can coat up to 12 headlights
- Protects against dulling and yellowing
- Easy to apply
Cons
- Higher priced, but the results are worth the higher price
Sylvania Headlight Restoration UV Block Clear Coat
Sylvania has been a name for producing quality electronics for budget pricing. They also make an impressive line of headlights, complete with a headlight clear coat. Sylvania understands that even the brightest and best-performing headlight can lose its brilliance due to a dull or yellowed headlight cover. >>> Check price on Amazon
Sylvania’s clear coat achieves its best results after a thorough headlight restoration job. (Our guide of top headlights restoration products can be found here) Washing your headlights isn’t sufficient preparation. After washing there will still be impurities, oxidation, and other contaminants on the surface that may prevent the coat from bonding.
Using the Sylvania Clear Coat is quick and simple once you have prepped the headlights. You use the two included solutions, 1 surface activator, and 1 UV-blocking clear coat, to create lasting protection. We haven’t had the opportunity to measure the results beyond a few weeks, but we saw several results that stated their headlights remained clear for a full year before needing to reapply.
Sylvania makes UV Block Clear Coat in two packages. One is just the clear coat formula on its own. The other is a package that comes with a headlight restoration kit and a UV blocking clear coat. The complete kit restores and protects your headlights in right around 30 minutes. The kit can treat a single set of headlights. A bummer if you have multiple cars, but the kit has a budget price, so it’s not terrible to get coverage for both cars.
Pros
- Kit makes headlights look brand new
- Up to 1-year of coverage
- Easy to apply
- You don’t need special tools
Cons
- Severely oxidized lights can take up to an hour to prep
- Clearcoat is sticky and messy, so be careful when applying
Meguiar’s G17804 Keep Clear Headlight Coating
Full disclosure, we are huge fans of Meguiar’s products. We have tested a full line of their products, and have been pleased every time. Naturally, we had to include their headlight clear coat among our top products. >>> Check price on Amazon
Like other products, the Meguiar’s Keep Clear is only effective after your headlights have been completely cleaned and restored. You will need to pick up a restoration kit to create the perfect surface to apply the clear coat.
Unlike the other contenders in our best clear coat for headlights line-up, Meguiar’s Keep Clear uses a spray can applicator. The spray allows the user to cover the surface of the headlights quickly and effectively.
With the headlights properly prepared and restored and good coverage of Keep Clear, you will have clean and clear headlights for up to a year. The ease with which the Meguiar’s applies to the headlights makes it a great go-to for your yearly headlight treatment. A single 4-ounce can handle multiple cars so that you can treat all your cars in a short time.
Remember that the UV clear coat is only as effective as the prep work you put into restoring your headlights. Meguiar’s also has a headlight restoration kit that pairs very well with the Keep Clear Headlight Coating.
Pros
- A single can coat as many as 5 sets of headlights
- Very easy to use with fast application
- Up to one year of UV and environmental protection
Cons
- You need painter’s tape to protect your hood and bumper from the spray
Keeping Bright and Beautiful: Wrap of the Best Clear Coat for Headlights
We have to say we are surprised with how well the clear coats on our list performed in making our test cars’ headlights look bright. We threw quite a bot of torture at the cars after letting the coats set on the headlights. We say less mud and water collecting on the surface of the headlights, and after days in the hot sun, we didn’t see any yellowing. Each of the coatings has a 1-year protection rating, and our research backs up those ratings.
We are torn by which is our favorite. So, we have two tops. The first is the top clear coat formulated specifically for headlights, the Optimum Opti-Lens Headlight Coating. The Opti-Lens has the longest and toughest protection of the headlight specific class.
The other class is the whole car class. We are inclined to go with the Wolfgang Uber. After our tests, and viewing other’s results, the Uber Ceramic coating was fast and easy to apply to the headlights and made them shine.