Chain wax in a comparison test: The cleanest solution for chain and cassette

This article was originally published on 21.12.2024 - we have now updated it.

Chain waxing pioneers started applying paraffin wax to the chain instead of oil decades ago, basically using candle wax. A drive lubricated with this hardly attracts any dirt and where there is no dirt, there is also less wear. Much less wear. Especially when biking in damp terrain. However, because waxing requires a lot of preparation - the components must be completely free of grease before application so that wax can adhere at all - waxing was a niche topic for a long time. That has changed. Nowadays, pretty much every traditional manufacturer has chain wax in its programme, and there are also countless companies that have made waxing their main focus. The market has literally exploded.

The overview: The 16 chain waxes in the test

• Dry Fluid High End chain lubricant
• Dynamic Slick Wax
• Finish Line Halo Wax Lubricant
• Motorex Chain Wax
• Muc Off Dry Lube chain wax
• Silca Super Secret Chain Lube
• Toniq Chain Wax All Weather
• Wend Wax-On Liquid Lube Dry
• Wend Wax-On Liquid Lube Wet
• Zéfal Extra Dry Wax
• Cyclowax Performance Pro Wax
• Dynamic Hyper Wax
• Dynamic Wander Wax
• Finish Line Halo Hot Wax
• Molten Speed Wax Mspeedwax
• Silca Secret Chain Blend

Hot wax or drip wax? The crucial question

There are essentially two product lines: Hot waxes and drip waxes. The former must be melted and chains removed before entering the hot bath - which makes the procedure time-consuming. Drip waxes, on the other hand, are applied from a bottle - similar to oil. According to manufacturers, however, hot waxes are supposed to be better.

However, as drip waxes are easier to use, the market seems to be moving more in this direction. Both methods can also be combined. The hot-waxed chain can be relubricated with drip waxes before being returned to the hot wax bath for a general overhaul after a few cycles.

Shine in the deepest dirt thanks to chain wax

We can confirm from years of experience that waxed chains hardly attract any dirt. Even after a ride through the thickest mud, the waxed chain is still amazingly clean. And this in turn is the basis for a significantly longer service life of chains, sprockets and chainrings (several times the service life is possible!). As the wear packages of modern bikes can run into the hundreds - cassette prices range up to 500 euros - durability is an immensely important factor in ongoing operating costs.

However, cleanliness is not only beneficial to the technology. Waxed chains leave few traces, only a little chain wax trickles when running in. This makes handling the bike more pleasant. The advantages are particularly noticeable during transport and frequent wheel changes.

Chain wax - dirt-repellent, but susceptible to corrosion

Problems in practice mainly concern riding in the rain. Putting the bike in the garage wet has never been a good idea. Especially not with a waxed drivetrain, as this offers less corrosion protection than oil, which, unlike wax, can creep in. The first rust can therefore bloom overnight on a wax chain that has been parked wet. Waxed drives should therefore be dried and ideally relubricated after every wet ride.

How far the bike can go with one application of wax varies. Some manufacturers promise mileages of up to 1,000 kilometres per application. This may be true under certain conditions on the road, but in our experience 200 kilometres a more realistic practical range, and significantly less in winter conditions. We tend to get further with oil.

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The test field - enjoyable hot and cold

Our test field comprises 16 products from eleven manufacturers. Six hot waxes meet ten drip waxes. The price per gram varies between 9 and 50 cents. Waxes are therefore relatively expensive. This is certainly less due to the price of the base material paraffin than to the additives that are added to the waxes. Solid-state lubricants such as tungsten disulphide or special ceramics, which are designed to adhere to the metal surface, are expensive ingredients. Chain wax is also economical. Only around 4 grams of wax are effectively used for one hot waxing. A 400 gram pack therefore lasts for a small eternity.

With drip waxes, how long a bottle lasts depends on the viscosity and the application. Even a small container can be economical, as is the case with Dry Fluid, which is very thin and has a fine dosing tip. To estimate: To keep a fleet of eight bikes running, the author needed 240 ml of dripping wax in a year. Estimated total mileage: just under 20,000 kilometres (chain wax costs: 0.23 cents/kilometre).

Light running or endurance - the range of waxes is diverse

Some manufacturers categorise waxes according to their intended use into low-friction products and endurance waxes, which are designed to deliver higher mileage. Three manufacturers (Dynamic, Motorex and Toniq) also advertise biodegradable waxes.

For testing, we applied the waxes to degreased Shimano XT chains and subjected them to an efficiency test on a special test stand, at high to very high loads of between 370 and 680 watts. We compared the waxes with the original lubrication of the Shimano chains and a very good chain oil.

Chain wax - these are the advantages

Our test shows that the manufacturer's promises are actually true: Chain wax lubricates very well. The best also beat a very good high-end chain oil in terms of efficiency - but only just. The efficiency gain compared to the original lubrication from Shimano, which has more of an anti-corrosion character, is clear. A good wax saves 5.5 watts with 370 W drive power. That's 1.5 per cent after all. A little or a lot? That's in the eye of the beholder. Replacing the original chain lubrication with something faster should be a must, at least for racers. Worn and/or dirty, the differences between the products are presumably even greater than those determined in our test.

Chain wax is also suitable for e-bike drives

The efficiency of the chain transmission generally increases at higher outputs. The ranking for high power is therefore not completely identical to that for lower power (see chart below). Our measurements show that most waxes work very well even at very high power levels - such as those generated by e-bikes. One recognisable trend is that hot waxes work reliably well and lead the ranking. However, some drip waxes are also among the front runners. A wax-free dry lubricant, the "Dry Fluid", also performs very well.

Robert Kühnen carried out the chain wax test. The engineer has been associated with the magazine as an author and tester for a long time and has played a key role in the test benches of BIKE and also developed the chain test bench. Kühnen offers measurements for the bike industry and elite sport via bike-engineering.de.

Waxing does the trick. More speed, more durability, clean fingers. The biggest effort is degreasing the chains. Pre-waxed chains make it particularly easy to get started. Once waxing is up and running, it is only slightly more time-consuming than oiling and saves money, as the drive lasts longer, which more than compensates for the cost of waxing. - Robert Kühnen, graduate mechanical engineer

The different chain wax concepts

Hot wax

The chain wax is melted and the dismantled chain is placed in the wax bath.

• Advantage: Complete filling of the chain with wax
• Disadvantage: HHigher expenditure

Dripping wax

It is applied like oil from a bottle.

• Advantage: Easy handling
• Disadvantage: takes several hours to dry, somewhat less efficient than hot wax. The combination of both methods is practical. Preparation with hot wax, relubrication with drip wax. Pre-waxed interchangeable chains are another option.

What speaks in favour of chain wax, what against it?

+ Hardly any dirt adhesion, therefore longer service life
+ Lower operating costs
+ increased efficiency
+ No more black fingers

- Initial effort for degreasing
- Corrosion after wet driving
- Relubrication on the road problematic

How does the wax actually get onto the chain? And what do you have to bear in mind when waxing the chain? You can already tie on your chef's apron, Because in this article, we cook up a delicious wax menu for your bike drive unit - whether MTB, gravel or road!

How we tested the chain waxes

Chain wax defies the classic, isolated lubricant test. That's why we tested it the way we use it - while riding. In doing so, we measured how efficiently the drive works. However, we drove on the spot, because only in the laboratory are such precise measurements possible.

Test setup

Our test machine measures the difference between incoming and outgoing power in the chain transmission. This is technically challenging because the chain efficiency is generally very high. The measurement technology must be able to withstand coarse forces, but still provide a fine resolution. This is achieved by the setup consisting of a 1.5 kW drive and two industrial burster torque sensors that can handle up to 200 Nm of torque - more than the strongest bikers can squeeze out of their muscles. In contrast to humans, the machine stays on the ball even at performance levels that would make our lactate come out our ears.

Test procedure

For the chain wax comparison, we prepared 20 Shimano XT chains from a production batch with our test waxes after degreasing, allowed them to harden and then rode them for an hour at 370 watts - which for most people corresponds to a fairly strenuous uphill ride. We record the development of the efficiency. The average value of the final 20 minutes is our measured value. We ride at 92 revolutions per minute and a gear ratio of 32/17 - without skewing. The chain is routed via a rear derailleur and the sprockets are made of steel.

In the second part of the test, the run-in chains are loaded with 680 watts for 10 minutes. We also record the efficiency here. This test provides information on the extent to which the lubricants also work under brute force. Finally, we subject a waxed chain to a tough endurance test after a mud bath. We also monitor the development of the efficiency during this test.

Wax performance - the laboratory values at a glance

We have tested these chain waxes

Drip waxes

We put a total of ten different drip waxes through their paces. In terms of handling, these are of course somewhat easier than their hot wax counterparts. However, when it comes to the hard currency, the measured values, liquid chain wax usually performs somewhat worse.

Dry Fluid High End chain lubricant

• Price 24,80 Euro >> available here
• Size / price per litre 50 ml / 496 Euro
• Solvents / Additives Alcohol / lubricating particles
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 12.2 W / 16.3 W

Dynamic Slick Wax

• Price 12,99 Euro >> available here
• Size / price per litre 100 ml / 130 Euro
• Solvents / Additives Water / none
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 15.9 W / 21.1 W

Finish Line Halo Wax Lubricant

• Price 38,50 Euro >> available here
• Size / price per litre 120 ml / 321 Euro
• Solvents / Additives Water / tungsten, ceramic
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 15.2 W / 17.7 W

Motorex Chain Wax

• Price 9,95 Euro >> available here
• Size / price per litre 100 ml / 100 Euro
• Solvents / Additives Water / none
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 13.7 W / 14.3 W

Muc Off Dry Lube chain wax

• Price 16,99 Euro >> available here
• Size / price per litre 120 ml / 142 Euro
• Solvents / Additives Alcohol / none
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 13.3 W / 16.3 W

Silca Super Secret Chain Lube

• Price 54 Euro >> available here
• Size / price per litre 240 ml / 225 Euro
• Solvents / Additives Water / tungsten disulphide
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 13 W / 16.3 W

Toniq Chain Wax All Weather

• Price 13,90 Euro >> available here
• Size / price per litre 100 ml / 139 Euro
• Solvents / Additives Water / none
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 16.7 W / 17 W

Wend Wax-On Liquid Lube Dry

• Price 15,40 Euro
• Size / price per litre 120 ml / 128 Euro
• Solvents / Additives Water / ceramic, HDPE
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 12.6 W / 13.6 W

Wend Wax-On Liquid Lube Wet

• Price 15,40 Euro
• Size / price per litre 120 ml / 128 Euro
• Solvents / Additives Water / ceramic, HDPE
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 13 W / 13.6 W

Zéfal Extra Dry Wax

• Price 9,95 Euro >> available here
• Size / price per litre 120 ml / 83 Euro
• Solvents / Additives Water / n. A.
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 14.4 W / 17 W

Hot waxes

At Eurobike 2024 alone, various manufacturers presented new hot wax products - Dynamic, Finish Line, etc. This shows how hot the topic is right now. In the road bike sector in particular, many of the top-class racing teams rely on hot-waxed chains in the hope of reducing friction losses. Our test proves it: Waxing does the trick!

Cyclowax Performance Pro Wax

• Price 27,49 Euro
• Size / price per litre 190 g / 147 Euro
• Solvents / Additives none / tungsten disulphide
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 13.3 W / 14.3 W

Dynamic Hyper Wax

• Price 39,99 Euro >> available here
• Size / price per litre 240 g / 167 Euro
• Solvents / Additives none / none
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 11.5 W / 14.3 W

Dynamic Wander Wax

• Price 39,99 Euro >> available here
• Size / price per litre 240 g / 167 Euro
• Solvents / Additives none / none
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 11.8 W / 12.9 W

Finish Line Halo Hot Wax

• Price 51,50 Euro >> available here
• Size / price per litre 600 g / 86 Euro
• Solvents / Additives none / tungsten and ceramics
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 12.6 W / 15 W

Molten Speed Wax Mspeedwax

• Price 44,90 Euro
• Size / price per litre 520 g / 86 Euro
• Solvents / Additives none / tungsten disulphide
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 12.2 W / 12.2 W

Silca Secret Chain Blend

• Price 49,95 Euro >> available here
• Size / price per litre 500 g / 100 Euro
• Solvents / Additives none / tungsten disulphide
• Power loss 370 W / 680 W¹ 12.6 W / 13.6 W