Review - Gyeon Leather Shield (Leather Coating)

[The Guz]

Product: Gyeon Leather Shield

Product link: TBD if it becomes available through Autogeek

Price: $49.99

Quantity: 50 ml

Product description: From Gyeon's site

Advanced quartz coating specially formulated for automotive leather. Q² LeatherShield is suitable for every type of leather produced to date and does not change the finish of your upholstery. Very easy to apply, only one layer required. Repels dirt and prevents discoloration, protects against liquids and UV-rays.

Q² LeatherShield is an advanced, SiO2 (silicon dioxide) based formula, specially developed for automotive leather upholstery. It provides superb protection against dirt, UV rays and the rigors of everyday usage. Q² LeatherShield is amazingly simple to apply, requiring only one layer. It’s designed for and been tested on all modern types of leather, providing great protection and no change of feel or color, leaving a fully matte finish. Q² LeatherShield does not stiffen the leather or make it more slippery, maintaining the regular comfort of use.

Clean leather with Q²M LeatherCleaner. Apply a moderate amount of the product with the attached suede applicator. Ensure even application. Wipe off if necessary or just leave to dry. Apply on a hardly visible part of the upholstery to test before coating. Q² LeatherShield is a coating developed for all types of leather upholstery to date. Before use on open-structure, aniline leather, proceed with a test panel and be extraordinary carefull about even application. Please note, that Q²M LeatherShield is a product designed for protection and not restoration. It will not show its full abilities on old, worn or damaged leather.

Usage and durability claims from Gyeon's Site

Consumption: 40ml/car
PH Tolerance: pH 2-11
Durability: >12 months / 20K km

Brief background on this particular product. This was announced back in November at SEMA. It is a new product offering from Gyeon for 2017.

As the above product description states, this is an Si02 leather coating. It's similar to Cquartz Leather Coating in terms of both being quartz based coatings designed to work with leather.

I had pre-ordered it from a different site and not thru Autogeek. I am not sure if it will be sold through Autogeek.

It comes in a really nice and attractive package. Similar to can coat.

Here are the what the product claims to do.

Directions clearly stated on the package and on the bottle. Easier to read on the box instead of the clear bottle.

The amount included is 50 ml for $50. More than the cquartz leather coating which is 30 ml for $70. The 50 ml of cquartz leather coating is $95.

Included contents except the costco towel.

Per Gyeon's site

Box contains: Q² LEATHERSHIELD / APPLICATOR / 6 SUEDE CLOTHS

I was missing two suede cloths if this kit is supposed to come with 6. Other than that I received everything.

I am going to have to refer to the video for application. The product goes on wet but as it is flashing off the surface it goes clear. I followed the directions as the leather coating is left to flash off. No darkening effect noticed. The leather looks untouched in terms of looks just as the product description states.

Prior to applying it, I cleaned the leather with Meguiar's D181 followed by a towel damp with water to remove any residue left behind by the leather cleaner. Essentially the same process that I did for cquartz leather coating.

Finished photo

Due to me not knowing how the coating works and whether or not it can get wet right away, I let it sit overnight to cure. Cquartz leather coating recommends to not get the coated surface wet for 4 hours as well as the coating fully curing in 3 days. I treated Gyeon Leather shield the same.

The next day I used the included pipette to deposit water onto the leather surface to see if the surface had become hydrophobic. I also misted it with a spray bottle (water in the spray bottle) as seen in the part 2 video. The only reason I show this is to display whether or not the surface tension has changed. No other reason. Plus we all enjoy seeing beading .

Here are the results of depositing water onto the leather surface. The water was easily wiped off and left no water spots behind.

Overall I enjoyed using this leather coating. Initial impressions is that it is a very good competitor to Cquartz Leather Coating. It helps that it is cost less with more in quantity compared to cquartz leather. Making leather shield more attractive. Long term performance will be the telling sign of whether or not it is a direct competitor. I will update the progress on it as I applied it to all the seats other than the driver's seat as I have a test for another leather protectant going. Once that is done I will be coating the driver's seat.

The hydrophobic properties it leaves behind is very good. Similar to cquatrz leather. The surface between both coatings feels very similar as well. Not super slick but just enough to tell that there is something on the surface.

One thing I liked more with Gyeon Leather Shield is that a little product goes a long way. Much more than cquartz leather. I found it to be a little easier to work with as well as spreading out better.

Gyeon only recommends one coat. I was able to get a in touch with Jeff the rep from Gyeon to answer my question on multiple coats. He confirmed that one layer is all that is needed but that it can be layered for multiple coats. Thanks Jeff for getting back to me.

I also like that it does not need to be buffed off as the product is designed to flash off. It's optional to buff off. CarPro recommends buffing off any excess 2-3 mins after applying cquartz leather. One thing that worried me is that leather shield appeared to leave high spots as it was drying. I was so tempted to buff it off but I left alone as shown in the video and all was well. No high spots or streaking.

The Gyeon site states the average consumption is 40 ml per vehicle. On my 99 Pontiac Grand Prix, I hardly used any of it. The bottle is about 3/4's full. The front and rear seats are leather as well as portions of the door panel and the shift boot. So I have plenty to coat a couple more vehicles.

Based on initial impressions, I would give Gyeon Leather Shield the thumbs up. If Autogeek decides to carry it, I would recommend others to try it out.

Before I forget this product is meant to protect and not restore.

Application video

Water Repellent Test

The applicator did not get hard or stiffen up as the coating dried overnight. Similar to cquartz leather. I would say this is by design so that it flexes with the leather material.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the videos. Future updates for long term durability testing will be available as time goes on.

-Mike

 

[atgonzales]

Mike

Nicely done and always professional


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[Tc99m]

Top Notch review. I've been debating about this product. Now I feel, I can pull the trigger. Thank you, and the Gyeon conversion continues.

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[Marc08EX]

Amazing review as always Mike! Very detailed and you covered all aspects of this product.

You're making me want to try leather coatings and this seem to be easier to use and cheaper than he CQuartz counterpart.

Do you think any leather cleaner will do or is it only Gyeon leather cleaner that will work? I saw you used the Meg's.

Will this also prevent leather from cracking?

Thanks for doing this. Could not have been a better review man.

 

[Sicoupe]

Great review my friend!

 

[Ancient1]

I did my front seats almost exactly a month ago on my car. I agree with pretty much everything you said. To me it did make it feel slicker but didn't add any sheen to it which is a good thing for me. The main reason I coated mine was to help the wear on my side bolster which I rub every time I get into my car. It is the only area that shows much wear on a 8 year old car.

As far as the hydrophobic qualities I don't know if the drops of water mean much on the coated leather used in cars. They all should bead with nothing applied to them. I just did the same to mine on the front seats which are coated and the rears which I haven't done yet. To me they look the same but my fronts were coated a month ago. What I don't know is how good it bonded with my leather since in January I did my whole interior with WG cockpit and just cleaned my seats with Q2M leather cleaner and not sure of it being good enough to bond correctly.

Mine also came with 4 application suede's and I wonder if that is right for the 50ml size and the 6 is with the 100ml size. I agree that it goes a long way and I will be able to do a car my size 3 times at least. I have put 3 coats on the side bolster and did the seat on my 33 year old garden tractor and still have quite a bit left. The seat on the tractor really took a beating this winter and I hope the Leather Shield will help with UV protection on the vinyl. A new seat cover may be hard ti find.

Here is how much I have used.

Here is a picture of my garden tractor I just took.

My front side bolster.

Water drops on my front seat which was coated.

Water drops on my rear seat which has not been coated even tho did have WG Cockpit applied mid January.

All Pictures were taken in the last hour or so.

 

[The Guz]

Mike

Nicely done and always professional


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Thanks.

Top Notch review. I've been debating about this product. Now I feel, I can pull the trigger. Thank you, and the Gyeon conversion continues.

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Thanks. Hopefully it will be carried here at Autogeek. I picked up on sale at another place.

Amazing review as always Mike! Very detailed and you covered all aspects of this product.

You're making me want to try leather coatings and this seem to be easier to use and cheaper than he CQuartz counterpart.

Do you think any leather cleaner will do or is it only Gyeon leather cleaner that will work? I saw you used the Meg's.

Will this also prevent leather from cracking?

Thanks for doing this. Could not have been a better review man.

Thanks Marc. I'm a fan of cquartz leather and how easy it is to clean. Typically a damp towel is all that is needed. On occasion I will use Meguiar's Quick Interior Detailer for a wipedown. It has not degraded the cquartz leather coating.

I am hoping Gyeon Leather Shield performs just as well.

I am sure any leather cleaner will work. I used Meguiar's because that is the only leather cleaner I have and it works very well.

I am not sure if it will prevent the leather from cracking. I don't think it will. But I really don't know.

I did my front seats almost exactly a month ago on my car. I agree with pretty much everything you said. To me it did make it feel slicker but didn't add any sheen to it which is a good thing for me. The main reason I coated mine was to help the wear on my side bolster which I rub every time I get into my car. It is the only area that shows much wear on a 8 year old car.

As far as the hydrophobic qualities I don't know if the drops of water mean much on the coated leather used in cars. They all should bead with nothing applied to them. I just did the same to mine on the front seats which are coated and the rears which I haven't done yet. To me they look the same but my fronts were coated a month ago. What I don't know is how good it bonded with my leather since in January I did my whole interior with WG cockpit and just cleaned my seats with Q2M leather cleaner and not sure of it being good enough to bond correctly.

Mine also came with 4 application suede's and I wonder if that is right for the 50ml size and the 6 is with the 100ml size. I agree that it goes a long way and I will be able to do a car my size 3 times at least. I have put 3 coats on the side bolster and did the seat on my 33 year old garden tractor and still have quite a bit left. The seat on the tractor really took a beating this winter and I hope the Leather Shield will help with UV protection on the vinyl. A new seat cover may be hard ti find.

From what I have noticed is that on untreated coated leather with nothing on it, the water will sit flat. The beads will not be as tight. If the rear seats are not used as much then I could see wolfgang cockpit still hanging around.

 

[The Guz]

Bumping up my review as it is now available on Autogeek.

GYEON Q2 Leather Shield

 

[GSKR]

Product: Gyeon Leather Shield

Product link: TBD if it becomes available through Autogeek

Price: $49.99

Quantity: 50 ml

Product description: From Gyeon's site



Usage and durability claims from Gyeon's Site




Brief background on this particular product. This was announced back in November at SEMA. It is a new product offering from Gyeon for 2017.

As the above product description states, this is an Si02 leather coating. It's similar to Cquartz Leather Coating in terms of both being quartz based coatings designed to work with leather.

I had pre-ordered it from a different site and not thru Autogeek. I am not sure if it will be sold through Autogeek.

It comes in a really nice and attractive package. Similar to can coat.

Here are the what the product claims to do.

Directions clearly stated on the package and on the bottle. Easier to read on the box instead of the clear bottle.

The amount included is 50 ml for $50. More than the cquartz leather coating which is 30 ml for $70. The 50 ml of cquartz leather coating is $95.

Included contents except the costco towel.

Per Gyeon's site



I was missing two suede cloths if this kit is supposed to come with 6. Other than that I received everything.

I am going to have to refer to the video for application. The product goes on wet but as it is flashing off the surface it goes clear. I followed the directions as the leather coating is left to flash off. No darkening effect noticed. The leather looks untouched in terms of looks just as the product description states.

Prior to applying it, I cleaned the leather with Meguiar's D181 followed by a towel damp with water to remove any residue left behind by the leather cleaner. Essentially the same process that I did for cquartz leather coating.

Finished photo

Due to me not knowing how the coating works and whether or not it can get wet right away, I let it sit overnight to cure. Cquartz leather coating recommends to not get the coated surface wet for 4 hours as well as the coating fully curing in 3 days. I treated Gyeon Leather shield the same.

The next day I used the included pipette to deposit water onto the leather surface to see if the surface had become hydrophobic. I also misted it with a spray bottle (water in the spray bottle) as seen in the part 2 video. The only reason I show this is to display whether or not the surface tension has changed. No other reason. Plus we all enjoy seeing beading .

Here are the results of depositing water onto the leather surface. The water was easily wiped off and left no water spots behind.

Overall I enjoyed using this leather coating. Initial impressions is that it is a very good competitor to Cquartz Leather Coating. It helps that it is cost less with more in quantity compared to cquartz leather. Making leather shield more attractive. Long term performance will be the telling sign of whether or not it is a direct competitor. I will update the progress on it as I applied it to all the seats other than the driver's seat as I have a test for another leather protectant going. Once that is done I will be coating the driver's seat.

The hydrophobic properties it leaves behind is very good. Similar to cquatrz leather. The surface between both coatings feels very similar as well. Not super slick but just enough to tell that there is something on the surface.

One thing I liked more with Gyeon Leather Shield is that a little product goes a long way. Much more than cquartz leather. I found it to be a little easier to work with as well as spreading out better.

Gyeon only recommends one coat. I was able to get a in touch with Jeff the rep from Gyeon to answer my question on multiple coats. He confirmed that one layer is all that is needed but that it can be layered for multiple coats. Thanks Jeff for getting back to me.

I also like that it does not need to be buffed off as the product is designed to flash off. It's optional to buff off. CarPro recommends buffing off any excess 2-3 mins after applying cquartz leather. One thing that worried me is that leather shield appeared to leave high spots as it was drying. I was so tempted to buff it off but I left alone as shown in the video and all was well. No high spots or streaking.

The Gyeon site states the average consumption is 40 ml per vehicle. On my 99 Pontiac Grand Prix, I hardly used any of it. The bottle is about 3/4's full. The front and rear seats are leather as well as portions of the door panel and the shift boot. So I have plenty to coat a couple more vehicles.

Based on initial impressions, I would give Gyeon Leather Shield the thumbs up. If Autogeek decides to carry it, I would recommend others to try it out.

Before I forget this product is meant to protect and not restore.

Application video

Water Repellent Test

The applicator did not get hard or stiffen up as the coating dried overnight. Similar to cquartz leather. I would say this is by design so that it flexes with the leather material.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the videos. Future updates for long term durability testing will be available as time goes on.

-Mike

Nice may have to buy.

 

[BudgetPlan1]

Used it on the Sport Seats in our 2004 Corvette which has only seen occasional use of Zaino Leather In A Bottle over the years. After cleaning, applying left them quite nice, little bit of revitalization, nice finish. Pretty easy to apply, will leave a streak if applied carelessly, though.

 

[The Guz]

Jeff McEachran from Gyeon just wrote a nice article (found at detailed image Ask A Pro Blog) on the difference between Leather Shield and Leather Coat. I recommend those that are interested in either product to check it out.

In it he mentions the following:

From a service perspective, Q2 LeatherCoat is great to recommend to clients who may have chosen your long-term leather protection service as a maintenance upkeep product. It can be used over Q2 LeatherShield as needed.

So I took this and said let me give it a try.

A little feedback as to how Leather Shield is holding up for me. The rear seats and passenger front seat are not used as often or at all. Primarily it is just me driving and sitting on the drivers front seat. The rear seats and front passenger have had the coating for 14 months and the coating is still there. The front drivers seat has had the coating for 11 months as I was testing out another leather sealer for 3 months. Did a quick test and the coating is still on the seat and doing fine. Unfortunately no photos or videos at this time.

I gave them a wipe down this past weekend with Gyeon Leather Cleaner which will not remove the coating. I decided to give Leather Coat a shot over Leather Shield just as Jeff states. It went on fine. I misted one seat just to try something a bit different and saw the product tightly beading indicating Leather Shield is doing it's thing. I noticed that Leather Shield repels the Leather Coat while spreading it around the surface. I simply applied it and let it dry for a few minutes. Came back to remove any excess. This added a hint of slickness to the seats and no change in color to the seats.

Thanks for the tip Jeff :xyxthumbs:.

FYI I typically use Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer or Optimum Opti-Clean to wipe down the seats every week or couple weeks. Noticed no dirt build up on the seats after using the leather cleaner.

 

[msquared100]

Thanks for the great review. It sounds like Gyron is a great protection product. One of my main concerns with leather maintenance is making sure it is always conditioned in order to avoid cracking. Once Gyeon is applied, does that barrier keep the leather from being able to absorb a leather conditioner? Thanks.

 

[The Guz]

Thanks for the great review. It sounds like Gyron is a great protection product. One of my main concerns with leather maintenance is making sure it is always conditioned in order to avoid cracking. Once Gyeon is applied, does that barrier keep the leather from being able to absorb a leather conditioner? Thanks.

Yes. But modern day leather is coated so conditioners are not really needed unless the leather coating is compromised (not the applied coating like Gyeon or Cquartz).

 

[msquared100]

Yes. But modern day leather is coated so conditioners are not really needed unless the leather coating is compromised (not the applied coating like Gyeon or Cquartz).

I guess but I have trouble believing that leather has progressed so much that conditioning it is no longer necessary. When applying Gyeon your simply applying it to the surface. The leather still goes through an incredible amount of stress on the backside where is untreated. Think about all the seat heaters, seat coolers, and massaging mechanisms in seats today. The leather is going to dry out from the backside even if it is sealed on the surface. Is this correct or is my thinking miss guided?

 

[The Guz]

I guess but I have trouble believing that leather has progressed so much that conditioning it is no longer necessary. When applying Gyeon your simply applying it to the surface. The leather still goes through an incredible amount of stress on the backside where is untreated. Think about all the seat heaters, seat coolers, and massaging mechanisms in seats today. The leather is going to dry out from the backside even if it is sealed on the surface. Is this correct or is my thinking miss guided?

I think we get stuck in our heads and begin to overthink things. Leather will wear with time and the coating applied on top of it is not going to prevent it from aging. Agitation from getting in and out is going to degrade it. So routine maintenance is always needed to some degree.

The term conditioner is loosely used. But the so called conditioners are just going to sit on the upper surface of the leather where it is essentially abraded off. If the leather is in bad shape or just starting to wear then yes a conditioner could probably penetrate through the coating on the leather surface.

So the question of do we really need it will come down to user preference.

 

[Finick]

I always think of leather conditioners like I think of wax or sealants. It might have some UV properties that mirage into the clear coat, but it’s not going to make it to the base coat.

The coating on leather is the first line of defense against everything, and I’m sure no conditioner will penetrate and hydrate anything, unless the leather is cracking like Guz said. I think best case scenario some of them could have UV inhibitors that could help, but you getting in and out/shifting in your seat is going to beat it to hell over time, and I don’t think there’s any way around that. I just look at conditioners as beauty products.

Sounds silly, but as expensive as they may be, I consider seats replaceable. If you have a car for 20 years and have to have your driver seat redone once.. maybe twice? That’s a pretty low cost I the grand scheme of things.


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[Eldorado2k]

The term conditioner is loosely used. But the so called conditioners are just going to sit on the upper surface of the leather where it is essentially abraded off. If the leather is in bad shape or just starting to wear then yes a conditioner could probably penetrate through the coating on the leather surface.

I always think of leather conditioners like I think of wax or sealants. It might have some UV properties that mirage into the clear coat, but it’s not going to make it to the base coat.

If leather conditioners never make it past the top coating, then how do you explain this seat still feeling supple and conditioned 3 weeks later as it sits in my buddies garage? It looks and feels just like the day I conditioned it with D180.

And if it never makes it past the top coat, then how does the leather seat ever get to feel soft and supple, the way it does after applying leather conditioner?

 

[Finick]

I can’t really answer some of those questions, other than to say I’ve never noticed an increased feeling of suppleness. This is just based on my experience in the past with OTC conditioners (megs gold class spray cleaner/conditioner comes to mind, as well as natural shine protectant.)

I’ve definitely felt the seats feel slicker, though.

Just recently I applied natural shine protectant by meguiars to some black leather seats, which pretty much felt the same after application as they did before.

I would say that since the seat is sitting in a garage, id be surprised if anything applied to it wore off in three weeks (assuming it’s literally just sitting there.)

I’m sure I’m the odd one out on never noticing leather feeling more supple, and I definitely don’t know enough about the chemistry behind these conditioners to really argue one way or another. Maybe there’s so unicorn blood in them or something, I’d never know.

Maybe the conditioners do in fact soak through the coating on the leather and hydrate it. But taking it to extremes, if I was to put a heavy layer (relatively speaking) of conditioner on top of leather and just leave it, would it eventually soak in and disappear? It just seems far fetched to me that it’s really penetrating.. but again, I could certainly be way off base.


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[Eldorado2k]

I wouldn’t put Meguiars Natural Shine Protectant in the same category as leather conditioners. I believe the old saying goes, you can use leather products on vinyl, but you shouldn’t use vinyl products on leather.

But taking it to extremes, if I was to put a heavy layer (relatively speaking) of conditioner on top of leather and just leave it, would it eventually soak in and disappear? It just seems far fetched to me that it’s really penetrating.. but again, I could certainly be way off base.


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The same thing could be said for waxes, sealants, coatings, etc. on paint?

Also, if leather conditioners never make an actual difference, then why do so many people [myself included] like to apply leather conditioner after steam cleaning as a way to “bring it back” from its state of shock and get it feeling supple again..

 

[Finick]

Is it meant for vinyl? I had no idea. The bottle is so old the front label came off some time ago lol.

About the soaking in.. while I think that’s a fair point, clear coat doesn’t have flesh under it.

If I was to put a half dollar amount of product onto a piece of coated leather, and it was penetrating and soaking in.. would capillary action not cause the product to eventually soak in and spread to an area greater than it was originally applied to?

Clear coat just sits on base coat, which sits on some kind of primer, none of which (to the best of my knowledge) would behave the same way a hide would that needs to be hydrated and nourished.

So I guess in my head - once the “pores” of paint are saturated with product, excess has nowhere to really go. So it just sits there and dries up. With leather being under the coating, capillary action could (potentially, this is just what makes sense in my head) carry any deliciously nourishing conditioner beyond the borders of where it’s applied.

Edit: I wouldn’t say they make no difference. I just have my doubts they’re penetrating into the actual leather itself. Maybe their application makes the coating more malleable, for instance.

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