Over the years I have reviewed nearly all of the 22ple products, so I was more than happy to get my hands on their newest offering called 22ple Insanity.  My experiences with 22ple paint coatings have always been great.  The products have been easy to use while producing great results and long-lasting protection.  22ple has made some changes to their current paint coating lineup.  The “VX” coatings (VX3 and VX Pro 2) are no longer being produced.  Insanity is being introduced as a more premium coating option, and HPC is hanging around as an entry-level product.

Per 22ple, Insanity is a new generation of coating that has been formulated specifically for extreme ease of application and exceptional enhancements to gloss and depth on all paint colors.  Water beading performance is expected to be high for the duration of the coating, and this is their first coating that is anticipated to have a slick-feeling finish to it.  As with all 22ple coatings, they have sourced their silica materials from the finest sources available, ensuring a premium product.

As far as the application goes, the same preparation process that you are likely familiar with should be considered.  The vehicle should be thoroughly washed, decontaminated, defects should be corrected, and the paint should be wiped with an appropriate solvent such as isopropyl alcohol (or primer polish, if applicable).  Once the surface has been prepared, you are ready to begin applying the coating.  If you have used a 22ple paint coating before, the application process for Insanity will feel very familiar.  This product reminded me of 22ple VX3 in that it goes on smooth then flashes to blueish colored streaks.

22ple recommends applying a thin, even layer of coating to a panel, or section of a panel, and allowing it to dwell for 2 to 3 minutes.  Keep in mind, environmental conditions such as ambient temperatures and humidity levels may affect the dwell time, so If you’re new to coating, or just new to this specific coating, I would recommend using a small area as a test section to dial in your dwell time.

The residue should wipe away easily and cleanly.  If the product appears to be wet and the residue smears across the surface, it is likely not ready for removal quite yet, and the dwell time should be increased.  On the flip side, if the residue feels tacky and is difficult to wipe away, reduce the dwell time.  In my testing, the majority product did, in fact, wipe away cleanly and easily as advertised, however, a thin oily residue was visible under LED inspection lighting.  This is a characteristic of some coatings that I find particularly frustrating.  I used a short nap microfiber towel for initial removal followed by a medium nap for the final wipe.

It was about 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit in my garage during the application, and I found that the 2 to 3-minute recommendation allowed for very easy removal.  I did not test beyond about 4 minutes, but the product had not yet become tacky or stubborn, which leads me to believe there may be a larger window of time to work with this product compared to others.  After my initial panel, I was comfortable enough to apply the coating to several panels at a time before removing which allowed me to really speed through the application.  I appreciated how easy it was to see the coating on the paint because it made me confident that I was achieving complete coverage.

After coating the entire passenger side, I inspected the panels for high spots.  It is common to miss small spots around door handles and edges of panels, especially down low, so be sure to take a careful look under bright, but diffuse lighting.  If any high spots are found, wipe them away immediately.  If they are difficult to remove, apply a small amount of coating on top and then immediately wipe away.  If needed, spot polish and reapply, do not allow high spots to cure.

Once you have coated your vehicle, the coating needs 8 to 12 hours to cure.  The vehicle should be stored indoors, away from extreme temperatures, and out of the elements for the duration of the curing process.  22ple recommends applying a 2nd coat, if possible, and topping with Finitura after the coating has cured.  I applied my 2nd coat the following morning and found the surface to have become considerably slicker overnight.  Insanity may be applied to a variety of surfaces including the paint, coated plastic trim, and metal surfaces.   22ple is advertising a 3 to 5-year durability on this product, which would be outstanding.  Keep in mind that, as with all coating products, the performance over time will depend greatly on how the vehicle is used, the environment the vehicle operates in, and how well the vehicle is maintained.

I have applied Insanity to the passenger side of my vehicle and intend to compare it to another well-known coating that was applied to the driver side of the vehicle on the same day.  The performance of this new offering will be monitored throughout the Fall and Winter months, with the hope that in the Spring, it is still holding up as expected.  Stay tuned for a follow up!