If you require a quick answer, the best clay bar kit is the Autoglym Surface Detailing Kit and it comes complete with a premium clay bar, lubricant, polish and a microfiber cloth. However, if you don’t require a complete kit, the Bilt Hamber Auto Clay is the best alternative that’s available in three different types to best suit your requirements.
To rate the clay bar kits within this article, we based our recommendations upon testing, research and multiple factors. The factors that we considered included the quality of the clay, supplied accessories, ease of application and value.
Table of Contents
Clay Bar Kit Comparison
| Clay Bar | Size | Lubricant |
|---|---|---|
| Autoglym Clay Detailing Complete Kit | 200g | Included |
| Bilt Hamber Auto | 200g | Only Requires Water |
| Meguiar’s Smooth Surface Kit | 160g | Included |
| Mothers California Gold | 200g | Included |
| T-Cut Classic Kit | 100g | Not Included |
| Gifort Magic | 400g | Not Included |
Claying your car’s paintwork isn’t a task that’s required each time you wash your car and it’s only really needed once or twice a year. It’s a worthwhile task that helps to remove iron particles, brake dust, tree sap, over spray and much more.
Below is a list of the best clay bars that remove all types of contamination and are suitable for all types of paint.
The Best Clay Bar
1. Autoglym Clay Detailing Complete Kit
Autoglym are one of the largest detailing brands in the UK and they are well-known for their high quality products. Their complete clay detailing kit follows that great reputation and includes a clay bar, lubricant, polish and microfiber cloth.
The clay bar itself is designed to remove all types of bonded contamination such as tree sap, tar and even iron fallout. It’s a quick and easy solution that’s suitable for use upon all the exterior surfaces of your car.
Other features of the Autoglym Clay Detailing Kit include:
- Removes all bonded contamination
- Leaves behind a silky smooth finish
- Supplied with a lubricant for spraying the clay bar
- Safe to use upon all exterior surfaces
- Includes a 100 ml bottle of Super Resin Polish
Overall, the Autoglym Clay Detailing Kit is an excellent all-round option that comes with everything you need to begin claying your car. Although it comes with a premium price tag, the additional products that are included within the kit make it a worthwhile investment.
2. Bilt Hamber Auto Clay Bar
Bilt Hamber offer a choice of three clay bars that are dedicated to the condition of your paintwork. The regular option is designed for heavy contamination but they also offer a medium and soft alternative for better condition paints.
A unique feature of Bilt Hamber’s clay is that it only requires water as a lubricant and not any expensive detail sprays.
Other features of the Bilt Hamber Regular Clay include:
- 200g clay bar
- Suitable for heavy contamination
- Only requires water as a lubricant
- Removes brake dust, tree sap, over spray and much more
- Contains no surfactants, detergents or soaps
- Made in England
The Bilt Hamber clay bar is a high quality option that provides a smooth finish and restores even the most contaminated of paints. It also has the benefit of only requiring water as a lubricant, which will save you money in the long run.
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3. Meguiar’s Smooth Surface Clay Bar Kit
By far the most popular clay bar kit in the UK is the Meguiar’s Smooth Surface Clay Kit. It’s a complete kit that comes with two 80 gram clay bars, Quiik Detailer lubricant and a microfiber towel. The two clay bars within the kit are designed for all types of paintwork and safely remove iron fallout, tree sap, tar and so much more.
Other features of the Meguiar’s Smooth Surface Clay Kit include:
- Safe and easy to use on all type of paint
- Creates a “smooth-as-glass” finish
- 160g of clay and 473 ml of lubricant
- Supplied with a clay bar storage box
- Suitable for tackling up to 6 or 7 cars
Overall, the Meguiar’s Smooth Surface Clay Kit is a complete system that tackles all types of paint with instant results. It also comes with more clay than its predecessor for extra bang for your buck.
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4. Mothers California Gold Clay Bar System
Another popular clay bar kit is the Mother’s California Gold, which comes with two blocks of clay (200 grams), lubricant and a microfiber towel. The clay bar itself is designed to safely remove particulate debris and contaminants on all types of paint. According to the brand, it can even remove embedded grains of metal too.
Other features of the Mother’s California Gold Kit include:
- Removes all types of contamination
- Safe to use on all paints
- Two 100g clay bars
- Supplied with a lubricant and microfiber cloth
- Firm but not too aggressive
Overall, the Mother’s California Gold Kit is another highly rated clay bar kit that provides excellent value and great results. It’s completely safe to use on all types of paint and is able to return it back to a “like-new” finish.
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5. T-Cut Classic Clay Bar Kit
T-Cut are a well-known brand that produce a wide range of detailing products in the UK. Their clay bar kit is new and improved and includes a 100 gram clay bar, lubricant, wax and a microfiber cloth to complete the kit.
Other features of the T-Cut Car Clay Bar include:
- Comes as a complete kit
- 100 gram clay bar
- Helps to maintain a super smooth surface
- Leaves a showroom shine
- Safe to use on all paints
- Manufactured in the UK
The T-Cut Classic Clay Bar Kit is a great option that’s developed by a reputable brand and made in the UK. It does exactly what it sets out to do and provides a great base ready for any car polishes you decide to use.
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6. Gifort Magic Car Clay Bar Cleaner
The cheapest clay bar that’s actually worth buying is the Gifort Magic Clay, which is available as a 3 or 5 piece kit. It offers the best bang for your buck but it doesn’t come with any lubricant, or polish.
According to the brand, their clay is far better quality than similar priced alternatives and can even be kneaded into various shapes without becoming damaged.
Other features of the Gifort Magic Clay include:
- 400 grams of clay (split into 5 bars)
- Supplied with a convenient storage box
- Suitable for all paint types and glass
- Effortlessly removes all types of contamination
- Reusable and suitable for up to 50 uses
Although it’s not produced by a well-known detailing brand, the Gifort Magic Clay offers the best value for the money. It’s a premium quality clay bar that can be reused upon multiple cars and it won’t disappoint.
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How We Tested & Rated The Clay Bars
The majority of detailing brands in the UK offer their own clay bar and this means that there is plenty to choose from. In terms of testing the clay bars, we tested multiple options from the big brands in the UK and used them with the same lubricant for consistent results. We also tested them upon a range of paintworks that were in good and neglected conditions.
To rate the clay bar kits within this article, as well as testing, we also based our recommendations upon plenty of research and multiple factors. The factors that we considered included the quality of the clay, supplied accessories, ease of application and value.
Conclusion
Claying your car is an advanced detailing task that provides excellent end results. If you haven’t already got a suitable lubricant such as a quick detailer, it’s highly recommended to purchase a complete kit with one included. All of our recommendations are suited to a range of budgets and are produced by the best detailing brands in the UK.
