Polishing Pads
The pad you choose matters as much as the polish. Polishing pads and buffing pads come in different materials and firmness levels. Some cut fast to remove deep scratches. Others finish soft to bring out gloss. We carry pads from RUPES, Lake Country, Koch-Chemie, and Buff and Shine.
How to choose the right polishing pad
- Foam pads: the most common choice. Firmer foam cuts more and softer foam finishes better. RUPES DA High Performance foam pads run from Coarse to Ultra Fine. We also carry Koch-Chemie Polishing Pads V2, the Lake Country HDO Pad, and Buff and Shine EdgeGuard pads.
- Microfiber and wool pads: more cut for heavier defects. RUPES DA Polishing Pads come in microfiber, medium yellow wool, and coarse blue wool.
- Uro-Fiber pads: a dual-fiber microfiber pad from Buff and Shine that cuts, polishes, and finishes in one step on light to moderate swirls.
- Pad kits: Buff and Shine Reflection Artist kits bundle matched pads, from the Complete Buffing Kit V2 to the Pro Cutting Pad Kit.
Tips for polishing
Start with the least aggressive pad and polish combo that fixes the problem. Match the pad size to your polisher's backing plate, and clean your pads often while you work. Browse by type in foam pads, microfiber pads, and wool pads. Pair them with a RUPES polisher, a compound or polish, and soft polishing towels for residue removal. Our guide to the best towels for polish removal can help.
