The Best Surf Wax: I Tested Them All!
Last Updated on February 14, 2024 by Matt Hapgood
Solid Pick
Known even amongst non-surfers, the ‘newer’ formula of Sex Wax comes in second place. A great choice for any surfer.
Best Overall
Sticky Bumps is my top pick. Hard to beat on every level, smells amazing, and in my opinion makes the best bumps for your surfboard.
Great Choice
Not so well known, as the other brands I have been using Matunas for a few years now. Great eco credentials. Go buy some!
8-10 Minute Read
Before diving into this test, I did a bit of research on the web and couldn’t really find a definitive guide to the best surf wax anywhere – at least not an unbiased one.
So, I saved up a few pennies and spent out on all of the major brands of the best surf wax I could get our hands on here in Portugal. I tested each bar over a series of weeks – thankfully the water temperature remains fairly constant so juggling different water temperatures was not much of an issue.
How I Conducted The Test
I surfed a range of boards, with each board generally having some form of basecoat already to ensure a level playing field.
I will be marking each bar of wax using the following criteria.
- Value for money / Price
- Eco Credentials (Organic, Earth-Friendly, Packaging)
- Stickiness
- Bumpability (how easy it is to get those nice bumps you want on a good wax job)
I gave each criterion a rating out of 5 and then I totted up these to give a total score out of 20. Clear as mud right?
Do Surfers Still Use Wax?
In a word, YES.
Surfboard wax is still the most common method of adding traction (grip) for the surfer to connect their feet (and their body when paddling) to the surfboard. There are other ways of adding grip to the board, but the old favorite of a bar of surf wax is still the go-to method.
What Surf Wax To Use In Hawaii?
The water temperature is the deciding factor in choosing the best surf wax. In Hawaii, the water temperature is fairly constant year-round at 25°C or 75-80°F.
Taking this into consideration you will be best off using a bar of surf wax that’s suited to either warm or tropical water. The exact formula will vary from brand to brand, and of course, you will have your own personal preference too.
As a rule of thumb, I would try a bar of tropical wax first, and see how you go.
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What Is The Stickiest Surfboard Wax?
After conducting this test, I would have to say this is a tie between Brazilian-made Fu Wax and US-made Sex Wax Dream Cream.
Both are SUPER sticky, and can be a little too sticky for Regular Joe’s – if you get your feet in the wrong position it can be difficult to adjust, or if you ride a board where you need to move your feet a lot, it can be tough if your wax is too sticky.
FCS SURF WAX
Relatively late to the game, FCS has only recently developed its wax program, but it has been worth the wait. All temperature variants come packaged in a nice cardboard box and the shape of the wax is actually pretty nice too – kinda like a small bar of soap.
It doesn’t have the ridge which allows you to snap the bar into two (which I like to do) but I don’t feel that’s a game-changer.
At the time of the test, this was for sale at €3 US$3.50 £2.50 a bar which I feel is a pretty dang good price!
Price
Excellent value for money, can’t fault it.
Eco Credentials
Recycled cardboard packaging. Likely to contain petrochemicals but not stated on the list of ingredients.
Bumpability
Very good.
Stickyness
Good.
MRS PALMERS SURF WAX
A household name in the surf industry, Mrs Palmers has a huge following probably due to their great marketing back in the day. More of a ‘traditional’ type of feel to this one compared to many of the modern wax recipes we see today.
A pretty solid choice for any surfer, although not our favourite in the test.
Interesting to note that these come in at 70g per bar – the lightest bar in our lineup.
Price
Good value.
Eco Credentials
Likely to contain petrochemicals but not stated on list of ingredients.
Bumpability
Not the best, but possible to get a nice wax job with time.
Stickyness
Good.
SEX WAX QUICK HUMPS SURF WAX
What’s not to like about Sex Wax – An iconic global brand, THE name in surf wax. The traditional ‘original’ wax that’s still in production today seems a little outdated now. However, the Quick Humps formula from Sex Wax is awesome. One of our favorite bars of wax, available in almost all surf shops across the World.
A little more on the expensive side but tipping the scales at 85g per bar, it’s still good value. Contains paraffin refined from crude oil, so I can’t give it full scores on the eco credentials.
One of the favorites in the test for sure.
Price
Good value.
Eco Credentials
Recycled cardboard box but wax contains petrochemicals.
Bumpability
Best in the business.
Stickyness
Very good.
BUBBLEGUM SURF WAX
Recently undergoing a little rebrand and freshen-up, bubblegum surf wax has been around since the early 1980’s. I tested the original formula which smells great and creates nice bumps.
Now with updated packaging (a box and not a wrapper) and at 85g per bar, it’s great value at €2.50.
Price
Great value.
Eco Credentials
Contains petrochemicals but is not stated on the list of ingredients.
Bumpability
Very good.
Stickyness
Good.
TERRA WAX SURF WAX
I stumbled across this brand many years ago and was impressed with the eco credentials of Terra Wax.
Soy-based ink on recycled paper packaging and natural, non-toxic and biodegradable ingredients is the brands USP.
Having said that the wax is pretty good too – nice stickability and creates nice bumps.
Price
Good value.
Eco Credentials
Super ‘green’ wax and packaging.
Bumpability
Works well but can be a little ‘slimy’.
Stickyness
Good.
TOE JAM SURF WAX
Toe Jam seems to us to basically be a big version of Palmer’s and wrapped in a paper bag from a candy store!
Old school formula ‘a-la Palmers’
I’ve not seen this widely available but a solid option if you ride a log or prefer a big bar of wax – it tips the scales at 90g.
Price
Very good value.
Eco Credentials
Likely to contain petrochemicals but not stated on the list of ingredients.
Bumpability
Not the best, but possible to get a nice wax job with time.
Stickyness
Good.
STICKY BUMPS SURF WAX
Another household name in the Surf World from the USA.
Sticky Bumps is one of our favorites and should be one of yours too. Amazing bumpability, and stickiness and I love the smell too (which apparently is blueberry).
It’s actually difficult to go wrong with Sticky Bumps – the only thing I can find is the fact that the formula is not organic.
85g and a great price, it’s hard to beat this one.
Price
Excellent value.
Eco Credentials
Excellent, hard to fault
Bumpability
Best in the business in our opinion.
Stickyness
Excellent
MATUNAS SURF WAX
Still manufactured on a farm outside Santa Cruz, California, Matunas surf wax is one of our favorites!
Unfortunately no cardboard box, just a paper wrapper, but a nice big 90g bar. Creates lovely bumps and good stickiness Matunas ended up with one of the top overall scores.
All organic ingredients (which you wouldn’t know from the performance) of beeswax, jasmine, clay, and tree sap.
Get a few bars and try some on your next trip to the beach.
Price
Excellent value.
Eco Credentials
Top marks on the eco front
Bumpability
Makes good bumps.
Stickyness
Very good.
FU SURF WAX
The formula we buy today was apparently a happy accident back in the factory some years ago where a batch of wax melted before it shouldn’t have, and altered the makeup of the recipe.
Fu wax has only recently become available to the masses, because, as the old story goes, the Brazilians wanted to keep the good stuff for themselves – makes sense to us!
This is an expensive bar of wax – coming in at roughly double the price of most of the other bars of wax I tested. For that reason it’s hard to give it top marks, BUT… stickiness? Top marks! It’s a super sticky wax, maybe a little too tacky for most surfers, unless you’re an air guy/gal.
80g of sticky goodness.
Price
A bit too expensive for the everyday surfer.
Eco Credentials
Likely to contain petrochemicals but not stated on the list of ingredients.
Bumpability
Makes pretty good bumps.
Stickyness
Super sticky!
DREAM CREAM SURF WAX
Seems to me to be the mainstream competitor to Fu Wax, Sex Wax released their Dream Cream primarily as a super sticky top coat.
Again, similar to Fu Wax, this is an expensive bar of wax which probably makes it more of a novelty purchase and not your day-to-day bar of wax.
Stickyness – 10/10
Expensive, yes.
Price
A tad expensive for an everyday purchase.
Eco Credentials
Contains petrochemicals and bars are shrink-wrapped in plastic.
Bumpability
More of a top coat kinda wax to get the stickiness you want.
Stickyness
Super sticky!
ROB MACHADO SURF WAX
This one is a result of Rob Machado working together with Bubble Gum Surf Wax – his long-time sponsor. The cool part? It’s all about being eco-friendly. A lot of the stuff in it is natural or even vegetable-based.
The wax itself is coconut-scented which is a nice touch. Plus, it’s packed in a 100% recycled box, so they’re really thinking about sustainability from start to finish.
Price
Good value.
Eco Credentials
Great! Organic blend with recycled packaging.
Bumpability
Makes pretty good bumps over time.
Stickyness
Good overall level of stickiness.
The Results
Sticky Bumps came out on top in our test. It’s a totally solid choice for the everyday surfer – Great sticky bumps (the clue is in the name) and a pretty good price depending on where you buy.
On a personal note, I LOVE the smell of sticky bumps which of course goes a long way too.
With an overall score of 17.5 out of 20, I felt that the wax from Matunas was the next best pick. A household name they may not be, but the wax is great, produced on a farm in Northern California with great eco credentials.
And, best of all – super sticky, and makes great bumps!
The big players in the game didn’t get there by chance either – Sex Wax Quick Humps is probably the top-selling wax globally.
And for good reason! Great bumpability and stickiness!
I felt the fact that they are still using non-renewable petrochemicals just takes the edge off the potential win. Still a solid choice for any surfer.
Now Check Out
How to Wax a Surfboard
