The Last Coat is a product that has received a lot of hype and attention on social media over the last number of months. I have seen it pop up on my Instagram feed, youtube feed and Facebook posts almost daily at this point.

Being a guy who likes to try out new detailing products as they arrive on the market, it definitely piqued my interest!

As this product is produced in the US, It is not easy to come by in stores in Ireland ( Online or Otherwise ). This was quite frustrating, as I was very curious about this product that I wanted to try out on my Audi TT. Luckily enough, a reader of this blog (Phil Arnold of Amelia Boutique Auto Detailing ) was kind enough to ship me over a bottle all the way from the U.S of A! – Thanks again, Phil!

While I was waiting for this product to arrive from overseas, I decided to do some research on TLC to find out exactly what it was, and the best methods for applying and using the product.

Let’s Take a Look at my findings!

What is The Last Coat (TLC)?

One of the biggest questions I had around this product before I received it was – What Exactly Is The Last Coat? Obviously, it is a coating product, given its name but I was eager to find out the finer details.

According to TLC themselves :

“The Last Coat is our premium coating product that promises to leave any surface looking polished, protected, and silky smooth – Instantly. The Last Coat should be thought of as an ultra-premium car sealant or wax, but with much more durability and longevity than traditional waxes and sealants. The Last Coat is very different in that it is a nanotech mesh ceramic-based product, so it creates a protective “shell” of sorts via technology similar to a professionally installed 9H ceramic coating but not quite as hard, which is why it can be sprayed on, wiped off.”

As there are many different types of Coating products and sealants on the market, it was tough to find out the exact ingredients of the product as TLC state – “it is a blend of ceramic particles and SiO2 along with some proprietary ingredients in a very tight mesh blend that allows it to bond to the surface tighter than any all in one”

The last coat seem quite vague in their details, but it is safe to assume the main coating compound is Si02, which is similar to many others available on the market such as Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic and the new turtle wax spray sealant.

I wonder what the “ceramic particles” or the blend of proprietary ingredients are, but maybe it is TLC’s special sauce and wants to keep hush about it.

What’s the Difference between The Last Coat (TLC 1.0) and The Last Coat V2?

While researching this product, it turns out there are two different versions of the TLC product. The original formula (TLC 1.0) and V2 which is the newly released version(The one I received)

TLC Say:

“We’ve taken the best properties of true ceramic coating products along with our original formulation and combined them into a microemulsion formula.

All this means is that the “mesh knitting” of the formula is so tight that once bonded and fully cured, it makes it much more difficult for chemicals and road debris to get in and “uproot” the coating.

It has a mild positive charge which means it adheres to all surfaces including bare metal surfaces. It is more likely to repel dust than before. You also benefit from a lowered surface tension to bead water (so tighter beads and less chance for serious baked in water spots).”

Needless to say, I was expecting a LOT from this product after reading all of these claims.

Now that my bottle had arrived, I waited for a dry day in Ireland ( i was waiting a while! ) so that I could give the car a maintenance wash and apply some of TLC v2!

How to Apply The Last Coat V2

One of the unique selling points of TLC is supposed to be its ease of use, and that it should be accessible to detailers and enthusiasts of all levels of experience. Let’s find out just how easy it is and see if it matches those claims.

What you will need for the application

• TLC v2
• Microfiber Cloth(s)
• Microfiber Buffing Towel

Step 1.

The first step before applying TLC (Or any other protective product), is that you should absolutely make sure your car is freshly cleaned and have no contamination before applying the product. This includes a full wash and dry of the vehicle to make sure the surface is prepared before you lay down the coating layer.

Step 2.

With TLC v2 formulation, it is advised that you spray directly onto a microfiber cloth to apply it to the paintwork ( as opposed to spraying directly onto the paintwork ) The last coat advised that only a very small amount is needed, and it should be used incredibly sparingly.

Simply take the TLC bottle and spray 2 or 3 sprays directly to the microfiber cloth and wipe it across a panel of the car to apply.

Step 3.

Once you have applied TLC evenly to the panel of the car, take your microfiber buffing towel and buff any of the remainders of the coating off.

One thing I did notice when applying, the coating didn’t haze up or flash so there was actually nothing to really buff off with the towel. It seemed to leave no residue behind and was a very forgiving product to work with.

I was not left with any streaking or residue on the car, which can sometimes be a problem with these types of Si02 spray products. Nicely surprised by this!

Step 4.

Repeat step 2 and 3! Yup, it’s that easy.

I experimented as I went around the car by spraying directly onto the paintwork in some areas before wiping with the microfiber cloth, and I found that there was no problem in doing so. However, spraying directly onto the cloth seemed just as effective and used a little less product so I quickly reverted back to the original application method after that.

Step 5.

Admire your work in between panels!

 

Can You Use The Last Coat on Glass?

Yes – you can use TLC on Glass, or any other exterior surface of the vehicle. Although personally, I would recommend a dedicated Glass Coating for the Job.

The Last Coat is also suitable to use on the surface of your wheels to add some protection there also.

TLC also states that the last coat can even be used on Interior surfaces. I have not been brave enough to try that yet as I am slightly nervous about it affecting the finish on some of the interior surfaces, but who knows I may be brave enough soon to give it a go.

The Last Coat Review – Is It Any Good?

My Initial impression of TLC is that it is a very good consumer-level product. The biggest thing that stood out to me when I used it was just how EASY it was to apply to the car’s paintwork, I mean really easy. A child could probably do it. ( And that is not an exaggeration )

The second thing that stood out to me was the feel of the paintwork. It left an incredibly smooth to the touch and silky feel to the paintwork, more so than any similar product I have used before in the same category.

This slick feeling also translated into some lovely gloss and shine from the paint. Much more than I was expecting.

Here are some shots of the paintwork after the application was complete.

Was definitely pleased with the overall results

The Last Coat V2 – How long Does it Last?

TLC claims that this product will give you 4-6 months of protection. I need to give this product some time to sit on the paintwork before I make my final judgement but given how easy it was to apply I would have my doubts that it will last that long.

However, I do plan to give the car a second coat soon to top up on what I have applied but let’s see. I may be pleasantly surprised.

It did rain for 2 heavy days straight here in Ireland after the application, which I did a lot of driving and I must say the car stayed pretty clean in that time. This picture below was taken on the second day of driving and it almost looked like it was just cleaned!

I was also treated to some lovely beading on the next morning when I woke up, so it was clear that there was actually a good level of protection on the car.

I will report back in a few weeks and update this post on how long TLC lasts. I will be very keen to find out.

The Last Coat Vs Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic Wax

Regular readers of this blog will know that I am a big fan of Megs Hybrid Ceramic, so they will be keen to know how they compare against each other. It’s a bit too early for me to judge between the two, but I definitely feel that TLC gives a better gloss and slickness to the car’s paint.

I think Megs Hybrid has better hydrophobicity straight off the bat, and potentially it holds up better than TLC will. But that is yet to be decided.

For now, given the method of application of TLC, I believe they are quite different and cannot be directly compared. But time will tell.

Is The Last Coat Worth it?

Initially, I am quite impressed with TLC and I am glad I got to try it out ( thanks to a generous reader! ) I have seen some people complain about how much it costs ( I think it’s around $40 per bottle), but given the amount I have used on the first application, this bottle will go a LONG way. I think I could easily get 10 full applications out of the bottle, so I guess it is actually pretty good value for money.

I am looking forward to adding the next coat, and seeing just how long it can give some protection and shine to the TT!

The Last Coat – Where To Buy?

If you want to try TLC – please consider purchasing it through my link HERE . You can also combine it with the code DRIVEDETAILED20 to receive a 20% Discount on anything you buy from TLC.

This helps me keep this blog up and running (and saves you 20%! )

 

Have you tried this product already? If so please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or join the discussion over on the DriveDetailed Forum.

Until Next time, Happy Detailing!

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About the Author – Darren O Hara

Darren is the founder of the DriveDetailed blog and is a keen detailing enthusiast living in the rainy south of Ireland. When he is not cleaning his car he is always researching ways he can improve his techniques and enjoys testing out new products.

Darren currently drives an Audi TTRS and is a big fan of performance cars.

You can follow Darren on Instagram @darrenoharacork