The global car polish pad market, projected to hit $2.3B by 2027, is split between traditional foam loyalists and wool pad converts. A deep-dive into the rivalry:

Cutting Efficiency

• Wool Buffing Pads: 9/10 for heavy defects but risk holograms if misused.
• Foam: 6/10 cutting but safer for novices.

Cost Analysis

• Wool: 
  $30–$

  30–60/pad (lasts 50–70 uses)

• Foam: 
  $8–$

  8–20/pad (20–30 uses)
  Result: Wool is 23% cheaper per job long-term.

Consumer Trends
Professional channels favor wool (68% adoption), while DIYers stick with foam (82%). However, YouTube tutorials like “Wool Pad Basics” are narrowing the gap, with home users citing ceramic coating prep as a key driver.

Brand Strategy
Meguiar’s now offers hybrid foam-wool pads, while CarPro bets on AI-assisted wool systems. “The future is adaptive materials,” says industry analyst Grace Lee.