Is Paint Protection Film / Ppf Worth It?

With the growth of paint protection film for vehicle protection becoming more popular, many ask us if we think paint protection film/PPF is worth the cost. As experts in the industry, and 1000's of cars installed over the years, we have some conclusions about paint protection film and its value to help inform your decision

If you have purchased a new vehicle recently or if you are considering purchasing a new vehicle, it’s likely you’ve come across paint protection film, clear bra, PPF or clear shield as an option to protect the paint of your new car. With the price tag quickly getting into the thousands, many find themselves questioning if it’s worth the cost associated with the protection.

We have installed paint protection film on over 1500 vehicles over the last few years and we’ve replaced paint protection film on several cars so we’ve had a good chance to understand the positives and negatives about paint protection film and if it’s worth the cost. We’ve found the answer is not concrete and it really depends on the individual and the car you are protecting.

The answer is yes. The industry has evolved tremendously over the last few years, gone are the days on paint protection film quickly turning yellow and becoming dull on your paint or being able to truly see the film on your car. With a great installer and one of the better products (we have had good luck with brands like XPEL and Suntek), you’d be hard pressed to be able to tell there is anything on the vehicle. Paint protection film (PPF) truly does have the magic ability to heal swirls and scratches with heat, leaving your paint glossy and shiny. It also has the ability to absorb impact and preserve your paint from rock chips. 

However, to be clear, it is not bullet proof. The film can be punctured, often times however the film takes the brunt force saving the paint. Other times, if the object that hits the car is sharp enough or the speed is fast enough, it may make it through and damage the paint, but expect that damage to be far lower than what would have been if there were no film at all. This rarely happens, but we have seen it, mostly on highway driven or heavily tracked cars (high speed). To resolve this, Suntek and XPEL have both released a thicker film for high impact areas that works tremendously, so we expect this industry to continue to evolve with better products.