303 Protectant vs. Armor All vs. Meguiars: Who Wins?

The surface material of your vehicle’s dashboard loses its original look and feel over time. And, if you don’t take good care of your car’s interior, they get dried up and crack eventually – especially in a bad weathered environment. 

Many people believe that 303 Protectant is the best product for protecting their car’s interior from the sun’s harmful rays. But is it really better than Armor All or Meguiars? Let’s find out.

In this post, I’ll compare 303 Protectant to Armor All and Meguiars to see which one is the best option for protecting your car’s interior.

I’ll also take a look at some of the pros and cons of each product to decide which one is.

Don’t wait till it Cracks!

303 Protectant vs. Armor All vs. Meguiars Comparison Chart

Before we go into our detailed review, I’d like to address a popular misconception about Armor All.

What Is Armor All?

Back in the 70s, interior protectants weren’t familiar. The ‘good old days’ desperately needed good protectors, but when the first protector hit the market, they weren’t ready for it. 

Armor All was the first car protector to hit the market, but I’d say they came in at the wrong time. 

They took the fall for damages they didn’t create. The domestic vehicles out in the market in 1975 had interiors of poor quality (usually plastics). Since there was no product to use back then, the dashboards were left without care. Then, the plastics dried up over the years.

So, what happened when Armor All hit the product?

As you’d expect, a lot of people jumped on it. But later, most dashboards got split or cracked after the product was applied to them. However, the product wasn’t the problem. The plastic dashboards were already damaged. It just needed a little push – simply using water would have caused similar damage. 

Sadly, this ruined Armor All’s reputation. Like I said earlier, Armor All is a great product, but it hit the market at the wrong time.

Is Armor All Good?

Armor All is a protectant that is primarily used on tires and interiors. It is a petroleum-based product that leaves a shine on surfaces.

The main benefit of using Armor All is that it leaves a shine on surfaces. It is also designed to repel dust and dirt, which can help keep surfaces clean for longer.

One of the main disadvantages of using Armor All is that it attracts dust and dirt, rather than repels it. It can also leave surfaces feeling oily and greasy.

What Is 303 Automotive Protectant?

303 automotive protectant is a water-based formula that provides long-lasting protection for your car’s interior and exterior surfaces. It is safe to use on all types of automotive finishes, including paint, leather, plastic, and rubber. 303 automotive protectant will help repel water, resist staining, and prevent fading and cracking. It is easy to apply and can be used on both wet and dry surfaces.

It is a bit pricey, but it is worth it in my opinion.

What Is Meguiars Supreme Shine Protectant?

Meguiars is a protectant that is designed for use on different car’s surfaces such as trim, dashboards, plastic bumpers, door panels or tires. One of the main benefits of using Meguiars is that it gives surfaces a deep clean and high-gloss finish. It can also help to protect surfaces from UV rays and water.

However, Meguiars Supreme Shine Protectant is not good on leather interiors.

303 Protectant vs. Armor All vs. Meguiars: Detailed Comparison

Ingredients

Taking a close look at the 303 Protectant’s Safety Data Sheet (SDS), we see that the product is made of 75% water. Well, it’s expected to have water, 303 UV Protectant Spray is a waterborne spray. Moreover, this supports their description as a non-petroleum or oil-based product.  

For Armor All Original Protectant, we don’t get to see much detail about its constituents. On the Consumer Product Information Database, the chemicals listed for Armor All protectants are; non-hazardous ingredients (95.0%) and mineral oil (<5%). But based on product usage, it is obvious it’s a waterborne spray like the 303 protectants. 

Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Protectant doesn’t give much information either. There are only two ingredients listed on the product’s safety data sheet; Sodium Di(2-Ethylhexyl) Sulfosuccinate and 2-Aminoisobutano. Like the other protectant products mentioned, their key ingredients are patented and are not listed. However, hazardous substances (if any) would be listed. 

Surfaces for Using

Armor All is primarily used on plastic surfaces, while 303 is for exteriors and interior surfaces. Meguiars is designed for dash and trim.

Effects

Armor All leaves a shine on surfaces, while 303 Protectant creates a barrier against UV rays and water. Meguiars will give non-greasy surfaces and hi-gloss finish.

Finishing Looking

We all have different tastes. Some want their dashboards and other aspects of their interiors to look shiny. In contrast, others prefer a more natural look on their interiors.

If you want a more greasy look on your interiors, then Armor All Original Protectant might be ideal for you.

On the contrary, the finish looks you get from Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Protectant, and the 303 UV Protectant are pretty similar. In fact, it’s hard to tell them apart.

If you’re a ‘glossy natural look’ lover, then we recommend you choose between the 303 Protectant or Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Protectant.

UV Protection

Another important factor to consider in this comparison is the amount of UV protection each product offers. UV rays cause vehicle interiors to lose their original color, dry out, and eventually crack. That is why the level of UV protection offered is an important point to consider.

But, how can we accurately tell the amount of UV protection these protectant sprays offer? 

The 303s, Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Protectant, and Armor All Original Protectant all claim to offer UV protection. Since we don’t have a meter to test their claims, we’ll rely on social proof. 

The MSN News compiled a list of ten of the best-selling UV protectant sprays for cars. And, 303 Protectants came in the top three. The MSN’s list was compiled based on over 13,000 reviews across several stores. 

Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Protectant also come next as the people’s go-to protectant against the damaging rays from the sun.

Then Armor All Original Protectant is the least used (probably due to its maligned reputation).

Buy 303 Automotive Protectant below:

Smell

It feels great to have your car interiors looking good as new. What’s even better is not having to perceive nasty chemicals in your car for weeks. Some protectants work great, but they smell bad.

Based on my experience and customer’s feedbacks, I see that 303 Protectant leaves a stronger odor compared to Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Protectant and Armor All. Meguiars Natural Shine is said to have a more pleasant smell.

But, it’s important to say that 303’s odor doesn’t last long. It leaves a strong smell when applied, But the order dies out within a few hours.

Buy Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Protectant below:

Price

The price of the product might be a determining factor after all. 

I found this:

Amor All is the cheapest product, Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Protectant comes second, while 303 Protectant is the most expensive product on our list.

So, if you’re on a tight budget, Armor All might be the best Protectant for you at this point.

Buy Armor All below:

Notes

Here are some safety tips you should take note of while handling these products:

• Use only with adequate ventilation
• Wear the required personal protective equipment (gloves, eye protection, etc.)
• Avoid direct contact
• Do not breathe in vapors, mist, or spray
• Do not have direct contact with eyes, skin, and clothing
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling and before eating, drinking, or using tobacco

These precautions are listed on the safety data sheets of each product. Moreover, if you live in California, you should go through the 303 Protectant SDS. On the CPID website, Ethylene Glycol (an ingredient of 303 Protectant) is flagged as a Chemical of Concern (CoC) in California. So, you might want to check that out. Moving on, we’ll be giving each product a score based on our findings.

303 Protectant vs. Armor All vs. Meguiars – Our Recommendations

Based on the results from our comparison table, Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Protectant turns out to be the best product to get based on the factors we considered.

303 Aerospace Protectant and Armor All got the same score based on our findings, each having a score of 8.2/10.

All the products reviewed scored about 5. This shows they all perform above average and are worth buying.

But, to go down into more specifics, we’ve awarded each product as follows:

• The Cheapest: Armor All

• Best UV Protection: 303 Aerospace Protectant

• Highest-gloss finish and the most comfortable smell: Meguiar’s Supreme Shine Protectant

Read more:

What Happened to Liquid Glass Auto Polish?

Random Orbital Polisher vs. Dual Action Polisher