by Joshua Thomas
clean and shiny car is always more aesthetically appealing and fun to drive. And the good news is that it is easy to achieve by using the best clay bars.
Clay bar is a flexible material that is used to keep your car shiny and clean. And it achieves this by removing contaminants from the surface whilst maintaining the appearance.
The clay bar is made of plasticine material that deforms and rubs on the lubricated surface. After washing, it is used to remove environmental debris and once done, you only need to wash the car for a neat and shiny finish.
Moreover, claying is a simple process which is done before waxing or polishing. Anyone can do it given the fact that instructions are pretty clear.
But, you still need to choose a good clay bar from the many types out there to get the best results. And here, we help make a choice easier with our review and comprehensive buying guide.
Contents
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES |
|---|---|---|
 | 1. Mothers 07240 (Best Overall) |
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 | 2. Meguiar's G1016 (Safe & Easy to Apply) |
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 | 3. Chemical Guys CLY_109 (Professional Quality) |
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 | 4. TriNova 33322 (All-in-One Cleaning Solution) |
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 | 5. Towel Motors 28-01 (High-Quality for Multi-Surface) |
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 | 6. YGDZ FBA_LT0088 (Affordable & Effective) |
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 | 7. Ipely 5864131162 (Easy to Use & Convenient) |
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Mothers is a popular brand that has been manufacturing various products to take care of your vehicles and different surfaces for many years now. And this gold clay bar system is a perfect choice for removing embedded environmental deposits, metal grains, and tree sap.
Also, it will be highly effective in dealing with debris and dirt that regular polishes cannot remove.
It is safe to use on paint as well. With this clay bar, you don't have to worry as it will not cause any scratches or annoying marks.
Plus, there 2 clay bars to cover larger areas and microfiber towel to make cleanup easy. And using it regularly will provide long-lasting benefits for your vehicle.
While this clay might be a little hard to brake apart, it is still possible to do it with a little extra effort, and it should get easier as you use it more and more.
Pros
Cons
Meguiar's G1016 clay kit is designed to make claying easier and provide longer lasting results. And it also removes bonded contaminants safely.
This top-rated clay bar removes above surface contaminants, paint overspray, and environmental debris while giving the surface a glassy smooth finish.
Plus, it is a non-abrasive clay bar which is safe and easy to use as it will not scratch the surface. With this clay kit, you can expect great performance and best value as it also comes with a full sized supreme shine microfiber towel.
Other than that, this Meguiar's clay bar kit includes 280 gram bars and clay lubricant to ensure you have enough product to clean large areas.
The included lubricant does not seem enough for large surfaces but there are many other home made alternatives and the relatively high price tag is a reflection of the superior quality.
Pros
Cons
The house of Chemical Guys brings you this clay bar kit to help remove stubborn contaminants in one go. This heavy duty clay bar works wonders in removing bugs, rail dust, tar, bird droppings, road grime, and overspray.
And besides working effectively for different surfaces like plastic, taillights, chrome, glass, aluminium, fibreglass, and painted finishes, this clay bar also delivers smooth finish.
Moreover, it makes the surface silky smooth like a mirror, and you don't even need to do hard scrubbing. An this clay bar is also soft enough and to get the best results you only need to use it before applying wax, polish or paint sealant.
As it is a non-abrasive product, it is ideal for newly purchased vehicles as well. Plus, it maintains the finish of the surface as its superior elastic structure cleans the toughest contaminants without scratches.
You will need some extra force to deform this clay as it is quite stiff, but this is a small issue that should not be the deal breaker.
Pros
Cons
TriNova makes this automotive clay bar kit to give you an all-in-one and comprehensive cleaning agent to take contaminants away from your vehicle's surface.
This kit includes plush cloth, lubricant and a clay bar which is everything you need for claying. And you can easily apply it both by hand and with a polishing machine.
Talking about the benefits, the clay bar leaves the surface as smooth and shiny as glass. Furthermore, this clay pulls out the contaminants leaving behind a smooth surface, and it can work on various material and surfaces.
You will need more force to shape these stiffer bars but this should not be a big concern. Also, with a little extra rubbing you should be able to get rid of most water spots.
Pros
Cons
Towel Motors makes these clay bars efficient for chrome, glass, rims, plastic, and paint. It is also perfect to remove stubborn contaminants from the car's surface while clearing bugs, bird droppings, and tar.
Moreover, it works way better than traditional car washing as the surface becomes quite clear after single application.
This clay bar is medium grade and designed to be easy to knead for easier use. Plus, besides the 2 clay bars, the package also comes with a travel pouch and storage tin for easy storage.
Because the clay bars are a little too soft, they can fasten fast if you put too much pressure but the softness also comes with its advantages as it makes these bars ideal to use even in cold weather.
Pros
Cons
YGDZ bar is quite an affordable pick for everyone looking for a good clay bar, and it is the cheapest item among our clay bar review.
It is convenient and easy to use as well as a quality product that will always leave your vehicle in great shape. And furthermore, this clay bar is ideal for use on different parts of the car's body such as bumpers and even mirrors.
This clay bar is easy and convenient to use. The small size makes it easy to store and these bars will also last long enough.
While this clay bar does not seem very effective on water spots, this is not a big issue as this is not what is meant for and also despite being a little too soft, it is still easy to use.
Pros
Cons
IPELY makes these clay bars for convenience and ease of use and they will always leave your vehicle looking cleaner and neater.
Moreover, this product is suitable to use on tail lights, paintwork, optical plastics, headlights, glass, polished metal, chrome, aluminium, stainless steel, clear brass, wheels, exhaust tips, and carbon fiber.
This bar pulls embedded dirt out from the paintwork whilst making it last longer. It also lends nice shine and brightness to the surface by removing the foreign particles which stick to the paint.
Moreover, it decontaminates the surface before you put new coat of wax or polish to get shine.
Use this clay bar on any exterior part of the car and get clear and shiny results. When you buy this product, you will get 4 magic clay bars to ensure you have enough for several uses.
Like many other inexpensive blue clay bars, this one can leave some blue streaks on some surfaces but the good news is that they are easy to remove.
Pros
Cons
Finding clay bars is super easy as they are quite common given their popularity. However, finding the best ones takes a little more effort as you need to watch out for various things which include the following.
Vehicle surfaces will differ in both material and texture, and so you need to keep this in mind when choosing clay bars.
Chrome, aluminium, stainless steel, brass, glass, plastic and painted surfaces are some of the most common vehicle surfaces.
Once you determine the surfaces you want to work on you should make sure that the clay bars you choose are ideal for them.
Usually the clay manufacturers make clay bars in a blue color. The color of the bar holds significance because the lighter the color, the more dirt it will show.
As a result, it will be easy for you to know when to fold the bar to reveal the clean side in order to start rubbing again. A lighter color bar will also help you see when a patch of surface is clean and you can move on to the next area.
Using the clay bar on a dry surface is not recommended. It can chip off the paint and ruin the whole surface. Most of the clay bar kits come with a detailer which is used as a lubricant.
If the clay bar kit does not come with the lubricant, you can use concentrated soapy water or rinseless car wash solution to get things right. But, these are not always very effective.
Hence, the best clay bar kits for you are those that come with a spray for lubricating the surfaces.
The size and shape of the clay bar does not actually matter much. Here it all depends on the size of your palm because you hold the clay bar in your hand while rubbing it on the surface.
Also, because you can split the bar further, the size can be adjusted according to your hand. A normal clay bar is about 100 grams which can then be broken to clean the car a few times.
A good clay bar is one that is easy to use. And this means it should be easy to flatten in the palm as before you clay and it is important to make it fit comfortably in the hand.
Also, an easy-to-use clay bar should not be too soft as it will lose its shape while rubbing and it should also not be too hard as it will be difficult to apply.
Clay bars are safe as long as the surface is properly lubricated. Since clay bars are lightly abrasive, a little amount of paint can be removed if not used properly. Safety comes with lubrication so the more the lubrication, the safer the surface will be.
Using the clay bar is quite easy and smooth if you follow the manufacturer's instructions. And while the instructions might differ a little depending on the brand here is how to use most clay bars.
Adam's Clay Mitt - Medium Grade Clay Bar Infused Mitt | Car Detailing Glove Quickly - Walmart Link
Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Detailing Clay, Aggressive - Remove Defects & Restore a Glassy - Walmart Link
Clay Mitt, AutoCare Fine Grade Clay Bar Mitt Surface Prep Mitt Finish Clay Bar Mitt Wash - Walmart Link
Mothers 17240 Speed Clay 2.0 - Walmart Link
Chemical Guys WAC_CLY_100 Luber Clay and Clayblock Synthetic Lubricant and Detailer, 1 Gal - Walmart Link
Mothers 07240 California Gold Clay Bar System - Walmart Link
Chemical Guys CLY_109 Light Duty Clay Bar and Luber Synthetic Lubricant Kit (16 oz) (2 - Walmart Link
TAKAVU Car Clay Bar 2 Pack 100g, Premium Medium Grade Material, Auto Detailing Magic Clay - Walmart Link
MR.SIGA Microfiber Cleaning Cloth,Pack of 12,Size:12.6" x 12.6" - Walmart Link
Griot's Garage 11291 Paint Clay and Speed Shine Kit - Walmart Link
MEGUIAR'S Smooth Surface Clay Kit - Safe and Easy Car Claying for Smooth as Glass Finish - Walmart Link
TriNova Clay Bar Kit - Auto Detailing Claybar for Car, Truck, SUV. Includes Lubricant - Walmart Link
Adam's Fine Grade Clay Bar Kit 200g - Premium Car Detailing Clay Fallout Removes - Walmart Link
Senrokes Clay Bar Car Detailing Clay - Clay Bars Magic Clay Bar 4 Pack x 100g Auto Wash - Walmart Link
IPELY 4 Pack 100g Car Clay Bar Auto Detailing Magic Clay Bar Cleaner for Car Wash Car - Walmart Link
Ordenado Car Clay Bar 4 Packs of 100g Each, Auto Detailing Magic Clay Bar Premium - Walmart Link
Adam's Clay Mitt - Medium Grade Clay Bar Infused Mitt | Car Detailing Glove Quickly - eBay Link
Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Detailing Clay, Aggressive - Remove Defects & Restore a Glassy - eBay Link
Clay Mitt, AutoCare Fine Grade Clay Bar Mitt Surface Prep Mitt Finish Clay Bar Mitt Wash - eBay Link
Mothers 17240 Speed Clay 2.0 - eBay Link
Chemical Guys WAC_CLY_100 Luber Clay and Clayblock Synthetic Lubricant and Detailer, 1 Gal - eBay Link
Mothers 07240 California Gold Clay Bar System - eBay Link
Chemical Guys CLY_109 Light Duty Clay Bar and Luber Synthetic Lubricant Kit (16 oz) (2 - eBay Link
TAKAVU Car Clay Bar 2 Pack 100g, Premium Medium Grade Material, Auto Detailing Magic Clay - eBay Link
MR.SIGA Microfiber Cleaning Cloth,Pack of 12,Size:12.6" x 12.6" - eBay Link
Griot's Garage 11291 Paint Clay and Speed Shine Kit - eBay Link
MEGUIAR'S Smooth Surface Clay Kit - Safe and Easy Car Claying for Smooth as Glass Finish - eBay Link
TriNova Clay Bar Kit - Auto Detailing Claybar for Car, Truck, SUV. Includes Lubricant - eBay Link
Adam's Fine Grade Clay Bar Kit 200g - Premium Car Detailing Clay Fallout Removes - eBay Link
Senrokes Clay Bar Car Detailing Clay - Clay Bars Magic Clay Bar 4 Pack x 100g Auto Wash - eBay Link
IPELY 4 Pack 100g Car Clay Bar Auto Detailing Magic Clay Bar Cleaner for Car Wash Car - eBay Link
Ordenado Car Clay Bar 4 Packs of 100g Each, Auto Detailing Magic Clay Bar Premium - eBay Link
Clay bars are some of the most important things you need to keep your vehicle looking neat and pristine. And choosing the right ones for your vehicle should not take a lot of effort.
All you need to do is consider the points highlighted in our buying guide above which include the vehicle surface, lubrication and ease of application.
And with our review for recommendations, finding the best clay bars should also not take a lot of your time as you should now have an idea of the brands and models to buy.
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About Joshua Thomas
Joshua Thomas just simply loves cars and willing to work on them whenever there's chance... sometimes for free.
He started CarCareTotal back in 2017 from the advices of total strangers who witnessed his amazing skills in car repairs here and there.
His goal with this creation is to help car owners better learn how to maintain and repair their cars; as such, the site would cover alot of areas: troubleshooting, product recommendations, tips & tricks.
Joshua received Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University.
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