[Review] Buff and Shine Microfiber Pads

[Matt@Vivid]

Ever since my recent dealings and loose partnership with Corey at CarPro-US.com, I've been trying lots of their stuff to see if I can support them when I can. Now, people that know me know that my number one priority with ANY detailing product is effectiveness. I will NEVER endorse a product for monetary gain or because I like the guy selling it. If I happen to think a product is best and it just so happens to be sold by a super nice guy or company, that's just a bonus.

People know that I'm a huge, huge proponent of microfiber polishing systems on a DA polisher. I feel they cut through swirls much faster and finish excellently on all but the softest of paints. I have long believed they are the future, and with the number of companies making the transition to Microfiber lately (Adam's, Lake Country, Meguiars, Optimum and Buff and Shine all have lines now), it appears I am not alone in this belief.

My current go-to system is the Optimum Microfiber system. These pads cut through swirls very nicely and, with practice, are capable of an extremely good finish

Pros:
-Ease of use
-Speed of cut
-Finishing capability
-Machine Washable
-Don't clog like foam pads

Cons:
-Become matted quickly, need fluffing after each section
-Sometimes sketchy construction. Microfiber sometimes separates from foam backing
-So-so velcro attachment

So recently I've been working with the Buff and Shine Microfiber pads. Same idea, different company. Here's a side by side, white is Optimum



As you can see, the Buff and Shine is much, much thicker. It has a lot more foam between the polisher and the paint, and the layer of microfiber is thicker as well.

For comparison, here's a BnS next to a traditional foam pad



It's nearly as thick as foam, which is unusual in the microfiber disc market.

Let's take an up-close look at the differences





You can see right off the bat, the BnS is beefier in every regard. It's got a big mop of "hair" on top, whereas the Optimum goes with shorter fibers. The foam is obviously much different in the two. I can tell you that the Optimum foam is much firmer than is the BnS.

So let's look at the "business end" of each and compare





Again, you can see the BnS is much denser and longer fibers. Running your fingers through that is like shag carpeting vs the Optimum. Both are very soft, so no concerns there. The Buff and Shine also just feels more durable in the hand. You can twist the pads, pull on the fibers and you never feel like you need to worry about doing damage. The Optimum is good, but definitely not on par with the level of construction. Even the velcro is so good that you have to put in some effort to remove it from the backing plate.

So in terms of performance, how do the two stack up? In my testing, I've found that the BnS cuts a bit more effectively. The finishing disc of BnS cuts nearly as well as the cutting disc of Optimum. That being said, I believe the Optimum finishes slightly better, but the difference is extremely minor and will likely be rectified as I put in more hours of practice with the new pads. The best thing about these pads is that they don't gum up and become matted down as easily as the Optimum. When I use Optimum discs, I know I have to run a brush through them after each panel to fluff the fibers back up. The thicker, plusher fibers of the BnS can easily go 2, maybe 3 sections without becoming matted at all. Even when they do get a little gummy, it's nothing like the Optimum pads do. That's a huge plus for me.

So in conclusion, both pads will get you where you want to go. They're both very capable of doing the same job. I have to give the nod to Buff and Shine here because of the cutting speed, the ease of use, and the construction.

Let me know if you have any questions at all.

[JoeliusZ28]

Good review, do you know if anyone has tried these pads with a rotary buffer or are they strictly for DA?

I think this method does make a lot of sense. There have been a number of cars ive done that have "just enough" swirling to require a 2, sometimes 3, stage rotary polish to look perfect, but yet perfection was never drastically far away from the starting point... In other words not the most efficient / not always worth the work.

[turbohawk]

Have you had any experience with Zaino products? If so, thoughts.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

[meissen]

Have you had any experience with Zaino products? If so, thoughts.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

I just found my Zaino kit the other day. 3 or 4 bottles of the different Zaino polishes/waxes/whatever that I hardly ever used. I'm not sure what the shelf life is but I ended up throwing it all away. I think I vaguely remember hearing they had since made the kit easier to use, but having to do the mixtures and measurements and all that crap was just too much work for minimal results. Any product that doesn't have cleaning agents in it is going to produce great results when you apply it 4 times over and over again

[Matt@Vivid]

Good review, do you know if anyone has tried these pads with a rotary buffer or are they strictly for DA?

I think this method does make a lot of sense. There have been a number of cars ive done that have "just enough" swirling to require a 2, sometimes 3, stage rotary polish to look perfect, but yet perfection was never drastically far away from the starting point... In other words not the most efficient / not always worth the work.

Microfiber is actually specifically designed for DA motion. To my knowledge, they are not recommended for rotary. You'd likely rather reach for a wool or foamed wool pad.

Have you had any experience with Zaino products? If so, thoughts.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

I have read a lot about Zaino but never tried it first hand. It seems like a ton of work and no real added benefit. Adding all those layers, carefully mixing products. Not for me. I can produce much better results in a fraction of the time.

I also fundamentally disagree with any company that sells mislabeled products. They do NOT sell polish and Sal Zaino should know better.

That being said, their border less blonde towels are one of the finest in the world.