Which quick detailer is best? 4 recommendations from Soft99

Quick detailers are a constantly growing category in the world of car care. Some drivers are moving away from waxes and coatings altogether, preferring the speed and simplicity of a spray application.

What should you look for when choosing a quick detailer? Is it worth applying a QD only over a previously protected surface? Which Soft99 quick detailers are worth getting? We have the answers!

What is a quick detailer?

The name "quick detailer" – sometimes shortened to QD – doesn't actually say that much on its own. The category has grown so large that it's now difficult to draw clear boundaries between quick detailers and similar products. The core idea, however, remains the same, and the way these products work is actually very easy to understand.

A quick detailer is a fast-to-use car care product, most commonly in spray or aerosol form, designed for paintwork care.

To keep things interesting though, a number of similarly named products are often lumped in with quick detailers. On the market you'll find terms such as quick wax, spray wax, booster, spray coating, and SiO2, ceramic or graphene spray – among others.

The earliest quick detailers were all about gloss. Enhancing wax performance, durability and hydrophobic properties were secondary considerations. Since those first "quick sprays" appeared, the detailing market has grown significantly, trends have shifted, customer expectations have risen, and today there's a much wider choice available. Below is a brief introduction to four top Japanese quick detailers from Soft99 – each from a different world.

A good quick detailer should be easy and quick to apply, help remove minor contaminants such as dust and water spots, and of course – improve the look of the paintwork.

Beyond the obvious uses, quick detailers also come in handy during wax application, sometimes helping to remove or blend smeared residue. They're also an ideal solution for garaged vehicles or showpieces in private collections.

Finally, there are quick detailers that combine paint care with cleaning, in keeping with the waterless washing concept. Fukupika Spray is precisely that kind of quick detailer.

Fukupika Spray

"Fukupika" is a blend of two Japanese words – "to wipe" (fuku) and "to shine" (pika, from the onomatopoeia pikapika).

Fukupika has two core jobs – to protect and to clean. It's precisely those cleaning properties that led Soft99's Japanese chemical engineers to recommend waterless washing using this quick detailer. It's the perfect solution when the car is only lightly soiled with dust or has water spots, and you want to freshen up its appearance.

Versatility is the defining characteristic of this QD. It safely removes contaminants, eliminates inevitable water spots and enhances the look of the paintwork. Its formula, based on a safe PTFE additive, delivers a protective effect of up to 6 months, and the very pronounced hydrophobic performance will delight fans of water beading – with this quick detailer, you can simply see that it's working!

Who is Fukupika Spray for? Fukupika is an entirely synthetic quick detailer, so it pairs excellently with synthetic or hybrid waxes. If that's the wax you've chosen for your car, we can guarantee that Fukupika Spray will become your new favourite – it maintains protection and hydrophobic performance at the highest level and significantly extends the life of the wax. It can also be used as a standalone product for quickly protecting paintwork or hard-to-reach areas that are easy to overlook, such as door jambs or the fuel filler cap surround.

We recommend Fukupika Spray with the following waxes: Extreme Gloss Kiwami, Mirror Shine, King Of Gloss, Water Block, Soft99 Wax series.

Luxury Gloss

Luxury Gloss sits somewhere between a liquid wax and a quick detailer. It contains a high wax content that delivers depth, glassiness and a mirror-like effect comparable to conventional waxes, while the application is lightning-fast and forgiving. Add to that a pleasant mango fragrance, which Soft99's Japanese team included specifically to appeal to European drivers.

It's worth knowing what to expect from it though: it won't handle contaminants as effectively as Fukupika, and it won't provide months of lasting protection. This is the choice for those who find pleasure in detailing and want paintwork dripping with shine. On its own it makes an impression, and paired with natural waxes it takes the gloss to a whole new level.

We recommend Luxury Gloss with the following waxes: conventional waxes, Dark & Black Soft99, Extreme Gloss Kiwami, Authentic Premium.

Fusso Coat Speed & Barrier

A true multi-tasking quick detailer. Dedicated to Fusso Coat waxes, Speed & Barrier uses the same chemical technology to support existing protection – and to protect on its own.

Fusso – Soft99's flagship technology, found in the best-selling Fusso Coat 12 Months and Fusso Coat F7 waxes – provides protection for many months, including through winter. When the coating begins to lose its properties and time or conditions don't allow for a full reapplication, Speed & Barrier steps in. Its base is the same fluorine polymer (PTFE) found in Fusso coatings – which means it doesn't just refresh the protection, it literally rebuilds the original coating, restoring its full properties. To put it simply: it fills in all the missing bricks in the wall.

The result is an almost irresistible slickness, combined with a deep, high-gloss finish. It's no surprise so many drivers choose Fusso Coat.

We recommend Fusso Coat Speed & Barrier with the following waxes: Fusso Coat 12 Months, Fusso Coat F7 All Colours.

Rain Drop

The wild card among quick detailers. Rain Drop is an express spray coating using Soft99's proprietary RAS technology (Repellency, Adsorption, Smoothness), which can be applied to any surface on the vehicle – paintwork, glass, plastics, chrome and even wheels.

Designed for wet application: it bonds with water and acts as a drying aid, making the product easier to spread, speeding up drying and eliminating streaks. A special high-pressure nozzle allows large surfaces to be covered in one pass almost instantly. Rain Drop deepens colour, masks minor scratches and delivers a vivid, glassy shine.

It's worth noting that the product comes in two versions:

Rain Drop Bazooka

The durability is impressive: the effect lasts on paintwork for up to 3 months. On glass it works like a liquid windscreen wiper for up to 2 months, and is fully compatible with Glaco products as a booster. It works well on its own, as a QD for synthetic and hybrid waxes, and as a performance enhancer for quartz and ceramic coatings.

Rain Drop Tornado Vortex

We said we'd cover four products, but the new Rain Drop Tornado Vortex – currently available as a limited release – simply can't be left out. It's stronger, longer-lasting and even more enjoyable to use. Up to 5 months of durability on paintwork, up to 3 months on glass, and a powerful rotating nozzle that distributes the product more effectively than other quick detailers – and is a lot of fun to use in the process.

We recommend Rain Drop with the following waxes: Fusso Coat 12 Months, Fusso Coat F7 All Colours.

Summary

Four quick detailers, four different worlds – but one thing remains constant: quick detailers are without doubt the easiest car care products to use. Whether you're topping up a previously applied wax or protecting everything from paintwork to plastics, we wholeheartedly encourage you to try Soft99's unique Japanese QDs.