10 Best Clay Bar for Car in 2021 – Reviews & Buyer’s Guide

If you feel that car washing is the solution to make your car glossy, shiny, and will turn your car into a brand new one, then let me inform you that you’re thinking wrong.

Car washes help us to some extent in cleaning the car. But there are going to be some stains or defects that may not noticeable in bare eye on the car body, however those imperfections affect overall glossy look of a car . The only solution to regain your car’s original shine is using the best clay bar for car.

Clay bars play a crucial role in removing the contaminants and dirt off your car surface, making it clean and free of stain. How does it do that?  Well, you will learn more regarding them in detail below.

What Is a Clay Bar?

A clay bar is a small and flexible cleaning tool made out of synthetic materials. It has a sticky texture that enhances the shine and smoothness of a car by grabbing all the dirt from the paint and decontaminating the car body.

You can use it in a car’s glass, metal, and fiberglass. A clay bar can be stretched and molded because it has elasticity. Clay bars are the main ingredient which is used by many professionals for clay bar treatment of a car.

Clay bar treatment is quite necessary for the car as it helps in removing brake dust, rail dust, and other pollutants from the car body, giving it a glass-like smoothness.

Reviews of 10 Best Clay Bar for Car

Clay bar reviews help the car lovers in deciding which clay bar is perfect for their car’s exterior. Here is my detailed review of 10 best clay bars for cars.

1. Chemical Guys Cly_113 OG Clay Bar & Luber Synthetic Lubricant Kit

The Chemical Guy’s OG clay bar kit comes with an OG clay bar and synthetic lubricant for effective cleaning of your car. The yellow elastic clay bar will remove any stubborn contamination that ruins the shine of the car’s paint, like a magnet.

Most of shiny parts of the car like glass, metals, plastics, and others, can be cleaned by this clay bar. This light-to-medium grade clay bar is used by many professionals to improve rough paintwork into a smooth one.

There are several reasons to call this product the best clay bar kit. Its flex clay technology removes over-spray, brake dust, debris, and pollutants from the paintwork with every swipe.

The clay luber synthetic lubricant creates a slippery surface to prevent scratching and decontaminates the surface to make the exterior quite smooth.

Good For:

• Pulling out embedded dirt from the surface.
• Cleaning most of the shiny parts of car.
• Restoring glass-like shine.

2. Mothers 07240 California Gold Clay Bar System

Removing debris, paint over-spray, and embedded grains of metal with Mother’s California gold clay bar system is a great idea. This product package comes with two clay bars, each 100 gram, 16oz immediate detailer, as well as a 16″ x 16″ microfiber towel.

All types of paint and clear coats can be cleaned by this bar. You can remove any kind of embedded dirt from the paint, without harming your car’s exterior, as this clay bar is not too aggressive.

It is not stiff like some other clay bars, and you can get a marvelous smooth exterior if you use it on a regular basis to clean your car.

I like this best car detailing clay bar, as it also removes paint-fouling grime from the surface and windshield that makes complete waxing of the car easier.

Good For:

• Removing any kind of contamination.
• Silky and smooth exterior.
• More flexibility than other clay bars.

3. Mothers 17240 Speed Clay 2.0

Another best clay bar for car from Mothers, an outstanding innovation that decontaminates the exterior of your vehicle easily and quickly. It is durable, versatile, and take less time to get the work done, which is simple to use and provides a flawlessly clean and smooth surface.

This fast cleaning clay bar can remove over-spray, bird droppings, tree sap, light oxidation, rail dust, and other contaminants, which are the main culprits to damage the paint of your car.

You can use this clay bar on other parts of the car, like glass, chrome, and smooth plastics, to restore their shine. Ergonomically designed, this clay bar can also be re-used in maximum 20 cars.

Good For:

• Quick and easy cleaning.
• Removing any kind of embedded contaminants.
• Reusable up to 20 vehicles.

4. Griot’s Garage 11153 Paint Cleaning Clay 8oz

Griot’s paint cleaning clay prepares your car’s surface for polishing and waxing by eliminating all the contaminants from the paint. It can be used regularly on the paintwork to remove the contamination and to prevent from oxidation.

This Griot’s Garage is useful and large-sized. This 8-ounce clay bar can clean up to 7 cars, depending on the contamination level on the surface and windows. It works on all types of paint, and you can also clean the glass with it to make it shiny and glossy.

Light and heavy contaminations can be removed by this cleaning clay safely and quickly. Overall, it works best for effective polish and proper wax.

Good For:

• Effective waxing and polishing.
• Restoring the smooth surface of the car.
• Removing roughness from the paintwork.

5. MEGUIAR’S Smooth Surface Clay Kit – G1016

Another best clay bar kit, make waxing of your car easier by removing the bonded contaminants and other environmental pollutants from the surface, safely and quickly with MEGUIAR’s Smooth Surface Clay Kit.

The kit contains two 80 grams premium clay bar, 16oz quick detailer mist and wipe, a microfiber towel, and a case to store the clay bar. You can achieve a smooth finish by wiping the surface with the shine microfiber towel.

It removes not only the above-embedded contaminants like tree sap, debris, bird droppings, etc, but also below surface defects like scratches, oxidation, and swirl marks. Moreover, this clay bar makes the surface very smooth so that it becomes easier to wax the surface for long-lasting protection.

Good For:

• Decontaminating above and below embedded contaminants.
• Long-lasting wax protection.
• Safe, quick, and easy usage.

6. YGDZ 2pcs Car Clay Bar, 100g x 2 Auto Detailing Magic Clay Bars Cleaner

If you are on a budget and want to buy clay bar that will do all those things which a high-quality clay bar does, then the YGDZ’s car clay bar is the perfect choice. It is soft and removes all the contamination safely.

You can use half of the 100-gram clay bar to clean the whole car. It works without any lubricant, as this best-quality magic clay bar can be used with soapy water to decontaminate the car and to prepare it for polishing or waxing.

You can also use it on the other parts of the car like the bumper, clear coat, mirror, and more to eliminate the grease, tars, or any paint-spots. Moreover, you can return the magic clay bar within a week if it doesn’t work for you.

Good For:

• Using without a lubricant.
• Affordable and safe use.
• Removing contamination effectively.

7. IPELY 4 Pack 100g Car Clay Bar Auto Detailing Magic Clay Bar Cleaner

IPELY magic clay bar is convenient to use, which can clean headlights, paintwork, polished metals, glass, wheels, and more, effortlessly. It can be deformed easily, as it is soft and you can use it with soapy water to clean your car.

This pack contains four 100g auto detailing clay bar, so it is suitable for long time use, depending upon the level of contamination on your car’s exterior.

If you are willing to use a clay bar for cleaning your car and have never used one before, then this magic clay bar is best as a beginner choice.

Good For:

• Safe use on different car parts.
• Easy removing all the specks of dirt.
• Convenient for a first time user.

8. LEOBRO 4 Pack Top Quality Car Clay Bar

From pulling out smaller dirt to making your car shining bright, this LEOBRO’s top-quality car clay bar does it all. It eliminates variety of dirt such as over-spray, grease, and rust.

You can easily use this magic clay bar with a detergent, cleaning agent, or any lubricant for better results. It is quite flexible and soft, and you can store it in its plastic wrapper or inside a bag after use.

Four 100g magic clay bar comes with each order. Several parts of the car’s body, like bumper or mirror surface can be cleaned with this clay bar.

Good For:

• Removing safely all the contaminants.
• Affordable purchase.
• Using with soapy water.

9. TriNova Clay Bar Kit – Auto Detailing Claybar for Car, Truck, SUV

The impressive TriNova’s clay bar kit contains all the required items in one package, which you will need to clean the car. It comes with two clay bars, an 18oz spray detailer, and a plush cloth, the perfect all in one clay bar kit.

Compared to other clay bars, TriNova’s clay bar does a better job removing embedded metal and brake dust. Its shape doesn’t change much when you use it, as the clay bar is not too flexible.

You can remove all the debris from the paint with this useful auto-detailing clay to get a smooth surface. This clay bar is quite reasonably priced than other clay bars.

Good For:

• Removing embedded metal and brake dust.
• Reasonable price.
• Purchasing all items in one package.

10. Senrokes Clay Bar Car Detailing Clay – Clay Bars Magic Clay Bar

A clay bar that helps to remove the odd-looking scratches and stains from the car body is the Senrokes’s clay bar. Made with unique and high-quality clay material, this clay bar can wipe off dirt and debris from various surfaces like glass, chrome-plated surfaces, and lacquer surfaces.

Soak it in water before using, then use any car fluid or water to clean the car with it. After cleaning the exterior, you have to dry the clay bar and store it in a safe place to use it again next time.

It comes with four 100g clay bar, a sealed plastic storage box, and a towel with each purchase. Buying this clay bar is a good decision for making your car shiny. You will never be disenchanted as it is one of the best clay bar for car scratches.

Good For:

• Removing stains and scratches.
• Easy and effortless use.
• Re-usability.

Benefits of A Clay Bar

Removes Contaminants Safely: When you use a car for a long time, it becomes contaminated with lots of stubborn spots and stains. Removing them becomes hard even with routine car washing or polishing.

So, you will need any of the best clay bar for car to pull out them safely, without doing any damage to the paint of the car.

Better Waxing and Polishing Result: Waxing and polishing are also beneficial for a smooth and shiny surface. Once the clay bar removes all the impurities from the surface of the car, it becomes easy to wax and polish the surface faster and gives the results you desire for.

Brings Back the Gloss: When you finish cleaning the surface with a clay bar, you get a surface without any bumps or roughness, which is smooth and clean. This smoothness helps in restoring the gloss, which fades as your car becomes old. Your car starts looking like brand new and eye-pleasing after using clay bar.

Do It Yourself: Clay bar is quite easy to use, you can use it without paying any professional or car washing companies. All you need is to know the methods of using a clay bar properly, and you are ready to eliminate the impurities from your car.

Types of Clay Bar

There are three (3) types of clay bars with a difference in their grade or aggressiveness.

1) Fine Grade Clay: Fine grade clay bar is soft and is easy to use. It removes a limited amount of contamination from the paint without ruining the finish, but it cannot remove tree sap or stubborn stains from the surface of the car. For regular use, this clay bar is the perfect one.

2) Medium Grade Clay: Medium grade clay bar is more aggressive and removes stubborn debris and dirt more than fine clay. This grade weighs more, so it leaves little marring or micro-hazing on the surface, and your car needs to be polished after claying it by this medium grade clay bar.

3) Heavy Grade Clay: This high-grade clay bar is more aggressive than the other two. You can remove any deep embedded and adhered contaminants like overspray or tars from the surface. It works on glass, metals, and plastics too. Make sure to polish the car immediately after cleaning, as this clay bar may leave a haze on the surface.

Preparation before Using Clay Bar

Before using a clay bar, you need to ensure some preparations. The first preparation is to wash the car. You need to clean it without any special stain removal cleaner to eliminate all dirt or visible stains from the surface.

Removing as much as contaminants from the surface will help in the quick claying process. After the car is washed and dried, you need to take it into a garage or in the shade so that the surface of the car stays cool, and this helps in not drying the lubricant quickly.

You can check whether the surface is smooth or rough after washing the car with a plastic bag.

Just take a plastic bag, put your hand inside the bag like a glove and run your hand across the surface of the car, if there are any bumps or invisible filth, you can sense roughness on those areas with the help of the plastic bag. Those rough areas will feel like glass after cleaning it with the clay bar.

Things to Consider when Buying a Clay Bar

There are different kinds of clay bars available in the market, different in size, design, and color. You should carefully determine before buying the best clay bar for car. Some of the determining factors are:

Size: Size is one of the important factors in buying a clay bar. Large clay bars can be used to clean the whole car, but if you think a small clay bar is enough for your car, then you should buy a small one.

Color: Color is important because if the clay bar is light-colored, then you can actually know how much dirt the bar has picked up. On the pther hand, this cannot be determined with a dark-colored clay bar.

Aggressiveness: Different clay bars have different aggressiveness. If you are applying a clay bar for the first time, then you should buy a clay bar with less aggressiveness. In contrast, if you have enough experience in cleaning the car with a clay bar, then you can also choose a heavy-grade or professional one.

Why Choose a Clay Bar Kit for Detailing?

For detailing your car, you will need a clay bar and a good lubricant. Instead of searching the most suitable clay bar and lubricant and buying them individually, search for a good clay bar kit for detailing as you get everything together.

Clay bar kits come with different usefulness and features. Moreover, you get all the items in one package with instructions on how to use them without the need to purchase them separately, which becomes easy for those who use clay bars for the first time.

If you think using a clay bar with an ordinary cleaning spray or water will work just like lubricants, then not only you are wrong but also you may ruin your car. The lubricants in a clay bar kit has some specific qualities.

They make the surface slippery and saturated so that it becomes easy to clean with the clay bar without marring the surface. Lubricants help to make your car contamination-free and give a smooth surface, which ordinary cleaning sprays can’t do.

So, I recommend choosing a clay bar kit for car detailing instead of buying them alone as it will be more useful and time-saving.

When I Need Clay Bar Detailing?

Everyone wants their car to be clean and have a  glass-like surface looking like a brand new one every day. But the reality is different from what we desire.

Our car becomes dirty due to different kinds of contaminants like brake dust, debris, industrial fallout, tree sap, oxidation, and more, which we cannot see with our naked eyes.

But we can feel the roughness on its surface when you touch it. Then you realize that you need to wipe off all the pollutants from the paint of your car to restore its shine and smoothness with the help of a clay bar.

You can use a clay bar regularly to clean your car or when it is heavily bounded with contaminants.

Clay bar detailing is also necessary before preparing your car for polishing or waxing, as you can get an outstanding result on a neat and smooth exterior.

You can also use the plastic bag method to check (Described above in preparation section) whether there are any contamination on the surfaces after an ordinary car wash, and later on, clean those sides with any best clay bar for car detailing.

How to Use Clay Bars: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Take the clay bar and cut it into pieces according to your need, make sure it doesn’t fall on the ground, if it does, then you need to throw it immediately. So you need to store it in a safe place.

2. Stretch the clay and flatten it with your hands so that you can effortlessly move it with your fingers.

3. Divide the panels into small sections and spray the lubricant on those sections.

4. Glide the clay bar with mild pressure on the lubricated surface before it dries out as gliding dry surface will damage the paint. As you keep sliding the clay over the surface, you can sense the clay bar picking up all the dirt, and contaminants making the surface smooth and clean.

5. Timely check the clay bar, if it becomes filled with dirt and contaminants, then knead and re-flatten it to get a fresh side. Keep repeating this process until the entire car surface is clean.

6. Run your fingers across the surface, if you feel there is no roughness and the section is smooth, wipe off that section with a microfiber towel or any clean cotton cloth. If you feel any roughness, then you need to repeat the clay bar process in those uncleaned sections.

7. Clean all the panels entirely one by one and re-knead the clay bar to get the clean side. Make sure to keep the surface moist with lubricant while cleaning and not to use the clay on a dry surface.

8. After cleaning the whole car surface, you can also clean the glass, mirror surface, or metal of the car with the clay bar too.

9. Check with your fingers whether there is any rough or uncleaned section. If the car is perfectly clean, then if you want you can wash the car and polish it to get a shiny and glass like exterior.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How does a clay bar work?

Clay bars are light and a mixture of resin, which helps in pulling out all the dirt from the paint when you glide it on the surface of the car, back and forth. You need to use the clay bar on a lubricated surface to prevent it from ruining the car’s paint.

2. What kind of clay bars are out there?

There are different kinds of clay bars in the market. Some of the common ones are fine, medium, and heavy grade clay bars having different aggressiveness in removing the dirt. You have to choose the right kind of clay bar according to the level of contamination on your car surface.

3. Can I use the clay bar on other car parts to make them shiny again?

Yes, clay bars can also be used in glass, plastic, or on metal surfaces. However, the clay bar you will use should have the ability to be used on glass. Therefore, before purchasing a clay bar, you need to check it’s specifications.

4. Can clay bars damage the paint on my car?

Yes, it can. To prevent that, you have to spray the lubricant detailer properly on the surface so that there is no dry area. Clay bars move freely only on a lubricated area. If you use a clay bar on a dry area, then it may scratch or damage the paint.

5. How often should I clay bar my car’s paint?

It depends on how clean your car is. If you feel that you need to clean your vehicle with a clay bar more often, then you can do it, or else you can use them once in a month when your car becomes heavily bonded with contamination.

6. Should I use a clay bar on a brand-new vehicle?

Brand new cars are transported by rail, by highway or by sea. And while being transported, the vehicles can get contaminated with various dirt. So, there is no harm in using a clay bar on a new car as it will remove the dirt and will add more shine.

Final Verdict

Clay bars are the most effective product for decontaminating and making your car shiny, which is known to most car owners and drivers.

They are quite easy to use and give an outstanding result that will surprise you. But you always need the best clay bar for car to attain the best result and above writing can help you in that regard.

Among the above mentioned best clay bar kits, Mother’s California gold clay bar system is my preferred option, as it comes with all the necessary features you require to clean the car and will satisfy your expectations with a neat and smooth car exterior.

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