4 Best Car Buffers, According to Car Experts

Starting with a real junker of a '90s Chevy Caprice they found in Howell, Michigan, the experts at Car and Driver yanked off the hood and began by prepping it for a good buff. To find the best car buffers, they washed and clay-barred the surface to remove contaminants and then separated the hood into squares using painter's tape, leaving one control square. Then they grabbed Meguiar's Cleaner Wax, one of their favorites, and got to work buffing away.

They took notes on the grip and comfort of holding each buffer's handle, noting whether caused fatigue and assessing general ease of use. They also pulled out their decibel reader and recorded the average decibel output from two feet away. Once they finished, they visually inspected the results and snapped photos.

Tester Collin Morgan then dropped each running car buffer from chest height and recorded any damage incurred. Finally, they ran any battery-powered units from a full charge until they died, recording the time it took for each machine to run out of battery. They thought it would be a short test but instead reported, "testers Collin Morgan and Gannon Burgett drove home and had dinner, all with dancing buffers in tow, eventually taking note of their time of death."

✔️ Dual action v. rotary: The experts at Car and Driver recommend going with a dual-action buffer unless you've got some serious professional chops. Dual-action buffers spin and oscillate in random patterns, lowering the risk of paint damage. A dreaded swirl scuff can occur with the misuse of a rotary polisher, which spins at a constant speed

✔️ Pads and other accessories: A buffer is nothing without its pads, so make sure to take a glance at what comes with the machine or what pads you can purchase to go along with it. If you have specific goals in mind for your car, make sure you get pads with those goals in mind. Not sure what you're looking for? You can check out Car and Driver's guide to car buffer pads. Pads with an aggressive "cut" can handle deeper scratches faster, while a less aggressive one requires more time but leaves a smoother finish. Make sure to check your manufacturer's instructions too; different manufacturers recommend different types of buffing pads for clear coats, dark paints and more.

✔️ Safety features: If you're a beginner, look for buffers that have a fail-safe stop if you push down too hard. This can reduce your risk of damaging the paint. Though none of our picks have this feature, it is something to keep in mind as you shop.

You want to be careful and follow the correct process when buffing a car, since you're basically stripping off the top layer and exposing the paint. Car and Driver recommends starting by thoroughly washing and rinsing your vehicle, then using a clay bar to remove any environmental contaminants (brake dust, sap, water spots, etc.) Don't forget to have a lubricant for your clay bar, like a quick-detailing product to spray on.

One small section at a time, spray and rub the clay bar over the area, regularity folding the clay bar over to trap the contaminants. Do not skip this step! Car and Driver warns that if you don't clean these off your car, you risk buffing these contaminants into the paint.

Now you can start actually buffing the car. With a small amount of polish on a moistened pad, start by polishing in an overlapping zigzag pattern, making sure to keep the buffer pad even on the surface. Work slowly with moderate pressure. Add more product as needed and wipe away excess product with a microfiber cloth. Repeat the process to add a layer of car wax afterward, using less pressure than you used for the initial buffing.

Abigail Bailey was awarded her Master of Science in Publishing Digital and Print Media from NYU and writes about products for the Good Housekeeping Institute. For this article, she consulted with the experts from Car and Driver, including Associate Commerce Editor Colin Morgan, Assistant Testing Editor Katherine Keeler and Associate Testing Editor Gannon Burgett, who tested and evaluated the best car buffers in their own independent tests and provided related insight, data and expertise for this article. She also consulted with Rachel Rothman, Chief Technologist and Executive Technical Director for the Good Housekeeping Institute, who regularly covers auto content for the brand.