During the use of car wraps, I have definitely encountered three issues that seem like pitfalls but aren't, which are worth discussing. If car enthusiasts are considering applying car wraps, they can refer to these points. I've looked at some internal shares, and it seems they are purely for promoting their products, not specific usage experiences of car wraps, which some might call a 'tax on intelligence'. All three details are avoided by accounts selling car wraps.

Let's talk about the three issues first:

1. Applying car wraps will most likely affect the use of vehicle millimeter-wave radars, causing false alarms. However, cutting out the radar area for the wrap will most likely result in bubbles in the wrap's structure. Perhaps only a pure vision-based system like the new Tesla can perfectly accommodate a car wrap.

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2. Car wraps have some ability to prevent scratches, but if the wrap is scratched and the paint is damaged, and it's the owner's responsibility, then it's necessary to repair both the paint and reapply the wrap. The cost of repairing the wrap is generally higher than getting a paint job at a repair shop.

3. Since I applied the wrap last year, I've observed that the price has been continuously dropping. This year, during the 618 sales, the price even plummeted for clearance, and the development trend is towards the domestic production of raw materials, which will keep the price low. In the past, a certain price was considered a good deal, but as time goes on, if the price doesn't drop, it will become a normal price or even a rip-off.

Now, let's discuss the approximate price, functionality, and selection strategy for car wraps based on my experience with using and purchasing them.

The Price of Invisible Car Wraps

Firstly, let's talk about the unit of measurement for invisible car wraps. Generally, a set is referred to as one 'roll', and the full size of one roll is 15m x 1.524m. The size of a whole roll is sufficient to cover an MPV, so the price of invisible car wraps should be the same for all types of vehicles in terms of material cost.

As an industrial product, invisible car wraps naturally come in different grades and price points, mainly based on the brand of the wrap, whether it's imported or domestic, the thickness of the wrap, and the quality of the particles used. In terms of retail price, currently, unbranded domestic wraps cost between 1000-2000 yuan per roll; well-known domestic brands (such as high-volume brands like Moxiaer, KDX, and Tuhu Aces) range from 2000-3000 yuan per roll; premium domestic brands, pseudo-foreign brands like Yika, Rollips, and even established imported brands like LLumar, 3M, and XPEL, tend to deeply integrate product sales with installation, making it rare to buy the product in one place and get it installed in another.

Next is the cost of labor for installation, which is a price that generally doesn't come down. B-side platform quotes are 1200 yuan for small cars and 1800 yuan for regular cars. Most shops will negotiate based on the size of the car, with the lowest price for a standard size car being around 1500 yuan, but here you still need to consider factors like the shop environment and the skill of the installer.So, currently, the lowest price for a set of car covers is just over 1500 plus 1000, for unbranded car covers, and can be applied within 3000.

Some new brands and miscellaneous brands are essentially OEM unbranded products. So-called brands with a long history have now reduced their prices and, combined with e-commerce promotions, can be obtained within 4000, and some advanced models have also been reduced to within 5000. Based on the continuous introduction of new products and the progress of localization, I am optimistic that in the future, it will be possible to buy entry-level branded car covers for close to 3000 yuan, and around 4000 for advanced models.

The functional role and parameters of invisible car covers:

Invisible car covers are colorless and transparent, fitting like a protective film on the paint surface, serving as a buffer against scratches. The inner side of the car cover is adhesive, used to fix it to the car, and the outer side has a coating. This coating is similar to the coating on car paint, which repels water, enhances brightness, and makes the clean car more glossy. The core functions are to prevent scratches, enhance the brightness of the car paint to improve texture, and resist dirt.

Preventing scratches depends on the thickness and material of the car cover. The thicker the car cover, the thicker the armor, and the higher the resistance to scratches.

In terms of materials, TPH and aromatic TPU are outdated concepts that are no longer relevant, as products made from these materials are no longer available. Promoting products with these concepts is a way to create anxiety.

Regarding thickness parameters, the mainstream thickness is currently between 6.5mil and 8mil. Within this range, the protective ability is acceptable, and the cost-performance ratio is high. It is also easy to install, and most shops can apply it with edge wrapping. Although car covers with a thickness of 9mil to 10mil offer higher protection limits, the cost, price, and difficulty of installation are significantly increased, so the cost-performance ratio is not competitive.

All car covers currently on the market are basically made from fatty acid TPU particles (thermoplastic polyurethane) as raw materials, which are processed by manufacturers into thin films, also known as car covers. The types of raw materials cannot be differentiated, and currently, manufacturers are differentiating themselves based on the quality of the TPU particles they source. For example, those from American Argotec, American Lubrizol, and German Bayer (Covestro) are considered high quality, while those from BASF are considered average, and others are not up to par. There is a lot of promotional material focusing on the concept of TPU particles, which can be quite persuasive.When I purchased a car cover last year, I also believed in this set, but after using it for 15 months, coupled with consulting with classmates who specialize in polyurethane technology at BASF, I realized that the concept was not entirely correct.

In fact, any chemical giant can provide hundreds of different aliphatic polyurethanes, so it's impossible to judge the quality of a product simply by the brand name. Therefore, when choosing a car cover, I currently believe that one should not decide based on a certain type of particle. The above is about Lubrizol's TPU, the 2000 series is suitable for making car covers, but the parameters are different, the prices are different, and the technical data are also different, with both high-end and low-end options. Naturally, Lubrizol's low-end products cannot produce high-end car covers.

The brightening function of a car cover is the result of the film layer and coating working together to make the paint surface reflective. At the same time, the car cover will inevitably yellow over time. Even aliphatic polymers will break carbon chains and age, leading to slight color differences, but the color difference is not significant. For example, the electronic warranty of various brands ensures that the color difference value ΔE ≤ 2, which is not considered yellowing. So, based on my personal experience, car covers are not very suitable for pure white colors. Applying car covers to dark-colored car paints is a way to play to strengths and avoid weaknesses. Even if the car cover has a slight color change, it will not be noticeable.

The anti-fouling property essentially relies on the surface coating, which is a specialized substance that forms a surface film. In actual tests, in areas where the coating is heavily washed by rainwater, the coating weakens after about half a year and becomes ineffective after a year. However, in areas not directly impacted by the force of rainwater, the coating remains after 15 months. This coating can be applied through sealants and car waxes on the car cover, and there is no need to use a specific car cover maintenance agent. These are all similar products. Sealants can be very inexpensive, and car cover maintenance can be very cost-effective.

The protective effect and maintenance cost of the invisible car cover:

In the actual scrapes I encountered, the protective effect of the car cover was quite good, but only if the cover did not go through to the base. If it did, then both the paint and the car cover would need to be repaired.

Regarding maintenance, first, let's talk about the materials. If it's a two-car accident and the other party is fully responsible, the car cover can help obtain a considerable amount of cash compensation. If it's a single-car accident, insurance does not cover it. Taking my KDX car cover as an example, the retail price for a set of car cover materials is 3000. During repair, it is usually cut to 3 meters × 1.524 meters, so one portion can repair two surfaces. That is, about 300 yuan can buy materials for one surface scrape, and then the repair labor, removing the old and applying the new, is 200-300 yuan per surface. That is to say, for a set of entry-level domestic brand like mine, the cost of repairing the car cover out of pocket is 500-600 yuan. If it's a higher-grade car cover, there will be more expensive maintenance costs.So, the cost of car clothing maintenance is high; a single piece of car clothing is more expensive than the paint repair at a repair shop, not to mention accidents that damage both the car clothing and the car paint. The notion that car clothing protects the car paint, takes the hit for the paint, and saves money for car owners is essentially a false proposition; do not get car clothing for such reasons.

The Price Reduction and Development Trend of Invisible Car Clothing

Invisible car clothing has been getting cheaper recently. On one hand, the number of established car clothing brands is increasing, and the prices are becoming more competitive. Most small factories now offer prices of over 3000 with installation included. For example, the KDX Shield Pro that I applied is a car film belonging to the KDX 6.7mil series.

KDX Shield Pro = Golden Scale Armor = Four Phase Air = 6.7mil Car Film.

Last year, it was 3100 for the film and 1700 for the installation fee, totaling 4800 for the full car application, purchased from a PDD dealer store. This year, during the 618 shopping festival, Taobao directly offered prices ranging from 3780 to 4180 (depending on the car model, larger models are more expensive, and my car is priced at 4180). The PDD KDX flagship store, on the other hand, started at 3580, indicating a comprehensive price drop for car films this year.

Moreover, the prices of invisible car clothing will likely be even lower in the future. Domestic chemical giants, such as Wanhua Chemical, have started supplying TPU pellets capable of producing car clothing, and domestic brands using Wanhua pellets for their invisible car clothing are already available on the market.

With the increasing domestic production of car clothing, the main products of brands in the future will inevitably focus on the 3000-3500 price range.

Car Clothing Product Recommendations

As I have shared before, the cheapest car clothing is still to buy unbranded TPU invisible car clothing on 1688 and then find installation yourself. However, this method lacks after-sales service, warranty, and brand trust. If you choose this option, it is generally better to contact local auto parts cities through reviews, and through the beauty shops in the auto parts city, select the cheapest option at 3000 yuan including labor and materials, with after-sales support through the store's warranty.

Then there are the domestic brand models concentrated in the 4000-5000 price range, which will likely further drop to the 3000-4000 range in the future. The current market situation suggests that car clothing from brands with a history, with a thickness of 6.5mil-7mil, is reasonably priced at around 4000 including installation, while car clothing with a thickness of 7.5mil-8mil is reasonably priced at 4500-5000 including installation. For this price range, you can choose to buy from the official store during major promotions or from dealer auto beauty shops outside of major promotions. The method of finding a shop is similar to that for car films; search for offline agents in your city through reviews, negotiate prices, and look for car clothing with electronic warranties on PDD or other platforms, then compare prices.When it comes to higher budgets, it's best to consider fully imported car wraps. The wraps from brands like LLumar and 3M remain the benchmarks. The reasonable price for these products largely depends on the brick-and-mortar stores, how much margin the dealers are willing to give up, and what kind of discount they offer. There is generally no advantage in purchasing these products online. For budgets over ten thousand, consider imports; for domestic options, it's recommended to look for cost-effective ones. In my opinion, there's not much point in buying expensive domestic car wraps, and unlike home appliances where high-end domestic brands can add a touch of prestige, car wraps, once applied, do not serve to enhance one's social status.

How to view the product of paint protection film and purchase insights:

Let me summarize:

In practical use, the function of a car wrap is reflected in its ability to enhance brightness, resist dirt, and prevent scratches. If one's car maintenance habits include waxing and coating, then it might be worth considering a car wrap, which is suitable for those who value aesthetics. However, if the decision to purchase a car wrap is based on the idea that it will preserve the car's value and save money on repair costs from scratches, then it's not advisable to buy one, as this product simply cannot achieve such goals.

I don't think car wraps are a tax on intelligence. They do have a function, but it's not a practical one, nor is it a necessity, nor does it offer high cost-performance ratio. However, as long as one doesn't overpay, it doesn't qualify as a tax on intelligence.

The price of car wraps continues to decrease, but the labor cost cannot be reduced, so in the future, applying car wraps will definitely be cheaper. Nevertheless, it will still be an expense of over two thousand, which is a significant outlay in the automotive aftermarket.

When it comes to the purchase and use of car wraps, most car enthusiasts prefer to buy branded ones for the sake of reliability. I believe one can opt for well-established domestic brands that have been in operation for many years, or high-quality, fully imported major brands. These are two popular choices at different budget levels.

For a new type of car wrap with a new type of particle, try not to be the first to test it. For instance, a car wrap with particles from Wanhua Chemical, which is a new product this year and cheaper than imports. If you want to apply such a product, wait for two years to observe, and if there are no major issues, it will certainly be cheaper after two years. This is my advice.

I hope the above can be of some help to you.