If you’ve ever owned a black car you’ll probably be more than aware of how quickly the paintwork starts to show dirt. It’s not just mud and traffic film but tiny little imperfections in the paintwork too. These swirls and marks are particularly visible on black paintwork and contribute to a black car looking tired and slab-sided.
Related: The best classic car waxes for extra protection
Black paintwork is so suspectable to damage that black car waxes have been developed to keep black paintwork looking its best. Soft99 is one such company offering dedicated black car waxes, with the Dark and Black Wax sitting as the cheapest black car wax in its lineup, below the Kiwami Gloss Wax and highly-rated Fusso Coat.
A synthetic wax infused with natural carnauba wax, Dark and Black Wax is designed to add a deep shine to black cars as well as hydrophobic protection for up to two months. It also dates back to 1984, which means it must be doing something right to still be in production.
Soft99 Dark & Black Wax
Price: £15.99 | VIEW OFFER
Wax in a can
Anyone familiar with older car cleaning products will find the Soft99 product immediately familiar. The wax comes in a black metal tin with suitably ’80s-looking decoration. There’s a plastic lid to remove but to get to the wax you’ll be needing a screwdriver, much like you would for a paint can. There the 300g of wax is neatly pressed into the tin, complete with a strong solvent smell, a reminder that this old-school wax is solvent-based and very flammable.
There’s even a sponge applicator included for applying the wax. It’s perfectly acceptable if you have nothing else to apply it with, but it’s a smart idea to look at buying a proper foam or microfibre applicator sponge. The supplied sponge is coarse, cumbersome and difficult to use properly. Soft99 don’t supply a microfibre buffing towel either, meaning you’ll need to source your own to get the best finish possible.
The actual wax was incredibly easy to work with, thanks largely to how soft and buttery it was straight out of the tin. There was never any real fighting with the wax, even when it came to buffing. Tougher waxes often show resistance as you buff them, but the Soft99 wax lifted away with ease, leaving behind a deep gloss.
Like a black mirror (but not dystopian)
Black cars look spectacular when freshly waxed and the Soft99’s finish was top quality. The black paintwork took on a deep, mirror-like finish, the sign of a good black wax. Those tiny swirls that detract from a black car’s finish were filled in with tiny filler to create a totally smooth surface. Running the back of your hand across a panel showed just how good those fillers were.
The finish showed some good initial signs of durability too, rain beaded straight off and left the car looking just as glossy as when it was first applied. While it may only offer two months of protection, the glossy finish should remain looking good for that entire time.
Any downsides?
There are two main downsides with the Soft99 wax, refinement and durability. As a nearly 40-year-old product, it stems from a time when waxes weren’t as advanced or nice to use. It’s agricultural in almost every aspect, from the metal tin and useless sponge applicator right down to the fact the wax stinks of fumes. It’s this last part that’s really worrisome, the smells could be a health risk if there’s poor ventilation.
The bigger issue however is that an application lasts for only eight weeks. For a wax you need to hand-apply, cure and buff away, eight weeks simply isn’t long enough to make it all worthwhile. This is especially true if you realise that modern spray waxes can offer longer protection, are easy to apply and cost roughly the same. While that black shine is excellent, the two-month durability is unacceptable.
Price and competition
Black car waxes are a fairly specialist product and there’s nothing that fits directly into the Soft99’s price bracket. It’s an affordable option and the only products cheaper are either sample pots or not worth your time. Most proper black car paste waxes start at nearly twice the price and simply can’t compete with the generous 30 applications from a single tin. Just realise that you’ll need to spend some extra money on a buffing towel and a decent applicator.
The closest black car wax available would be Poorboy’s World Natty Paste Wax. With better durability than the Soft99 option and nice to work with thanks to its 100% carnauba construction, it’s arguably a better product. However, it’s almost twice the price and you only get 20 applications from the 235ml tin.
Verdict
For a product that debuted nearly 40 years ago, it does have a number of redeeming qualities. The shine it brought out in black paintwork was unbeatable and the wax was a joy to work with. However, its age also means it relies on outdated materials (sponge) and has an offensive smell of solvents about it.
It also falls severely short in terms of durability. Two months is unacceptable for a hand-applied paste wax, even if the black finish is excellent. If you’re looking for an ultra-shiny show wax, or you enjoy hand-applying wax regularly, it’s fine. If not, Soft99 Fusso Coat might be twice the price, but it’s genuinely twice the product.
Soft99 Dark & Black Wax
3.5/5
| Pros | Cons |
| + Flawless black finish | – Doesn’t last long at all |
| + Easy to use | – It stinks |
Specifications:
Capacity: 300g
Durability: Two months
Suitable for: Dark and black paintwork
Extras: Sponge applicator
How we tested it:
We followed the printed instructions on the tin and prepared a black car by washing it first. We used the supplied applicator and left the wax for the recommended time before buffing it with a proper buffing towel. The car was then used as normal afterwards and inspected for its gloss and protective durability.
Other products used in this test: Soft99 Creamy pH Neutral Wax | Duel Autocare Buffing Towel | Kärcher K3 Power Control
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