During our testing process, we decided that the best alloy wheel brush is the Meguiar’s Supreme, which ticks all the boxes in terms of safe and effective cleaning of your wheels. However, if you need more precision for tricky wheel faces that a standard brush won’t effectively clean, the Autoglym Hi-Tech is the best alternative.
To rate the wheel brushes within this article, we based our recommendations on our experience, testing, plenty of research and a number of factors. Some of the factors that we considered included the build quality, materials used in the construction, cleaning effectiveness, sizes available, ease of cleaning after use, warranty and value for money.
Best Wheel Brush Overview
- Best Overall: Meguiar’s Supreme
- Best For Wheel Face: Autoglym Hi-Tech
- Best Budget: Armor All Luxury
- Best With Pressure Washer: Kärcher 26432340
- Best For Large Brakes: LICARGO Extra Thin
- Best Budget Runner-Up: Kent Brush
In order to maximize the effectiveness of any alloy wheel cleaners that you use, you’ll want to be able to agitate the formula into all of the “nooks and crannies” of your wheels. The best way to do this is to use a dedicated wheel cleaning brush that’s safe to use on all types of wheels and cleans without scratching the surface.
Below is a list of the best alloy wheel brushes that are completely safe and easy to use on all wheel finishes.
The Best Alloy Wheel Brushs
1. Best Overall: Meguiar’s Supreme Microfibre Wheel Brush
By far one of the most popular alloy wheel brushes on the market is the Meguiar’s Supreme Brush. It’s available in two different sizes and is suitable for cleaning all types of wheel finishes thanks to its ultra-soft microfiber pile.
- Available in two sizes (47 cm x 10 cm or 37 cm x 8 cm)
- Solid shaft for improved durability
- No metal parts within the construction
- Suitable for all wheel finishes
- Thick microfiber pile head
- During testing of the larger brush, we struggled to get under brake calipers of some cars with large brakes
- Relatively expensive when compared to the alternatives
Although expensive, the Meguiar’s Supreme is the best alloy wheel brush that’s well-made and very easy to use. It’s also available in two different sizes to best suit your requirements. We own two of these cleaning brushes and use them on a wide variety of wheels and it truly is a versatile option that won’t disappoint.
2. Best For Wheel Face: Autoglym Hi-Tech Wheel Brush
The Autoglym Hi-Tech brush is fairly unique due to its “paint brush” construction that’s designed to reach all the “nooks and crannies” of the wheel face. Whether the wheels you are cleaning have multiple spokes or you want to clean the inner section of the rim, this alloy wheel brush is the perfect solution for the job.
- Tapered bristle head
- Metal free and safe to use
- Head doesn’t lose its shape
- Can also be used with engine degreasers
- During testing, we found that it was best used for the wheel face and not for cleaning in the inside of the alloy wheel
Overall, the Autoglym Wheel Brush is a high-quality option that’s built to last and is ideal for any detailing professional or enthusiast. It isn’t the cheapest but the unique design can completely transform the way you clean your wheels. We use this particular brush alongside the Meguiar’s Supreme alternative above for multi-spoke wheels.
3. Best Budget: Armor All Luxury Alloy Wheel Brush
For those looking for a cheap alloy wheel brush that’s effective and completely safe to use, the Armor All brand has the answer. At a fraction of the cost of the above examples, this brush offers the best value for the money.
- Ergonomic rubber handle
- Non-scratch bristles
- Attractive orange and black design
- Made by a reputable detailing brand
- Not as high quality as the alternative brushes
Overall, the Armor All Luxury Wheel Brush is the best budget option that offers far superior quality when compared to similarly priced alternatives. It’s also backed by a reputable brand for complete peace of mind.
4. Best With Pressure Washer: Kärcher 26432340 Wash Brush
If you own one of the many highly rated car pressure washers by the Karcher brand, you may want to opt for their intuitive wheel brush attachment. It’s compatible with the K2 to K7 models and the attachment provides superior cleaning power when compared to any of the alternatives on the market.
- Attaches to the K2 to K7 models
- Contains 360 hard bristles
- Rotating brushes for all round cleaning
- Compatible with the machine's detergent application
- Most expensive brush within our roundup
- May not be suitable for certain multi-spoke wheels
To conclude, the Karcher Wheel Brush Attachment is a great choice for those with compatible pressure washers that want to thoroughly clean their wheels. However, for certain types of wheels, the larger design may restrict the areas of the wheel you can clean using the brush.
5. Best For Large Brakes: LICARGO Extra Thin Wheel Brush
For wheels with multiple spokes or large brakes, a thin alloy wheel brush is highly recommended. The Licargo brand offers a great solution with their extra thin design that’s made of an ultra-soft microfiber pile.
- Standard or extra thin size
- Slim brush head and long handle
- Guaranteed to last by the brand
- Knuckle guard to prevent injury
- Easy to rinse clear after use
- Relatively expensive when compared to the alternatives
The Licargo Extra Thin Wheel Brush is a well-made option that’s ideal for tricky wheel designs that need cleaning with care. It also features a desirable knuckle guard that prevents the painful collision between your knuckles and the rim.
6. Best Budget Runner-Up: Kent Wheel Cleaning Brush
Another cheap wheel cleaning brush that’s the main competitor to the Armor All alternative is by the Kent Car Care brand. It’s an easy to use brush that’s hard-wearing and safe to use on all wheel types due to its soft bristles.
- No metal within the brush for safe usage
- Soft bristles to avoid damaging the wheel face
- Ergonomic grip
- Easy to clean after use
- Not as high quality when compared to the alternatives
Overall, it’s an excellent all-round alloy wheel cleaning brush that’s affordable and completely safe to use. The popularity of the brush is a clear indication of its quality and it certainly won’t disappoint.
How We Rated
Whilst we were cleaning the alloy wheels of multiple cars, we tested a number of alloy wheel brushes when tackling the wheels. As you can see in our below Instagram post, in this particular example we used a wheel brush on a tricky multi-spoke design and the Meguiar’s Supreme Brush (our top recommendation) did a great job.
However, as mentioned above, the design of the wheel plays a big role in which wheel-cleaning brush works best. For example, the Autoglym Hi-Tech is perfect for precision cleaning and is a great choice for many people. The “paint brush” design makes it ideal for the wheel face as it can reach all the “nooks and crannies” that a standard brush can’t clean.
Another example of where certain brushes are limited can be seen in the below photos. Whilst cleaning the wheels of an Audi R8 using the Meguiar’s Supreme (large size), we were unable to clean the inner of the wheel near the brakes due to how big they were. Therefore, we had to switch between the brushes in order to clean underneath the brakes.
If you have the budget, purchasing both brushes would allow you to tackle any wheel design with ease. For example, we usually use the Meguiar’s Supreme for the inner of the wheel and the Autoglym Hi-Tech for the wheel face.
As well as our experience and testing of multiple wheel brushes, we also based our recommendations upon plenty of research and a number of factors. Some of the factors that we took into consideration included the build quality, materials used in the construction, cleaning effectiveness, sizes available, ease of cleaning after use, warranty and value.
Conclusion
Although certain types of wheels can be cleaned thoroughly using a standard car wash mitt, others with multiple spokes can be far more time-consuming. The thin design of a wheel cleaning brush makes it far easier to reach the difficult spots at the end of the spokes as well as the inner of the rim which many people avoid cleaning.
All of our recommendations above are suitable for all wheel designs and budgets. Although there are plenty of cheap brushes, it really does make a difference investing in a slightly better brush that’ll be more effective and safer to use.
If you require further information with regards to wheel brushes, feel free to get in touch and we will try to help out where possible.
