Matte paint is an uncommon feature to find on cars, and while it is commonly accomplished with aftermarket paint there are some cars that come with matte paint right from the factory. There are some inconveniences involved in having a car with matte paint, whether it’s from the factory or aftermarket, and the difference in care might be enough to ruin your car’s paint. There are still some options for getting the matte look without the hassle, and some of them might be worth the added cost.

Skip the wax

Normal car owners have either waxed their car or had their car waxed. Whether you understand why waxing your car is important, you at least know that it is. Waxing your car protects the paint from harmful UV ray exposure when left in the sun. The wax is designed to fill any imperfections in your paint and give it somewhat of a barrier from everyday wear and tear, but this isn’t a luxury you get with matte paint.

Owning a car with matte paint means having to skip waxing altogether. While that may sound like one less step in your car washing routine, this means that your car lacks the extra layer of protection provided by the wax.

Repairing damaged matte paint

As your car is exposed to changing climate, harsh weather, small rock chips, and even bugs it can become dull over time. For glossy paint, this problem is usually solved through some paint correction, buffing, and polishing, but that’s not the case of matte paint. Matte paint cannot be buffed and polish as it would ruin the matte finish, so there is little you can do to restore your car’s paint to perfect condition.

Another major downfall is that you can’t really repair scratches or paint chips, which doesn’t sound like a big issue until it is a problem you have to deal with. You cannot spot-paint matte paint as it will not blend well and be an obvious spot in the car’s paint, and it sometimes requires the specific panel to be repainted altogether.

You can still get the matte look

Matte paint can give any car an edgy and stunning look, but there is an option for giving your car a matte paint job that ditches many of the problems of aging paint – Plastidip. Plastidip is typically more matte than glossy and can give your car that unique matte look you are going for without committing to having a permanent paint job.

Another great option is to get a matte-finished vinyl wrap. This will cover the current paint that is on your car, and actually has some added benefits for protecting your car’s original paint. A matte-finished vinyl wrap can look just as good as a complete paint job, but requires significantly less work and can be removed when it gets damaged or if you just want to change your look altogether.

Both of these options can go right over your car’s original paint and be removed at any time, for any reason. There is much less commitment in caring for a vinyl wrap or plastidipped car because the coating is intended to be removed. They are great options for giving your car a matte look without the constant stress of having a truly matte car.