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Your car’s brakes turn kinetic energy into heat to slow it down. By stepping on the brake pedal, you’re pushing fluid out the master cylinder, through brake lines and into the calipers. In the caliper, the fluid pushes a piston, or pistons against the brake pads, which squeeze the brake rotor, creating friction and slowing it down. Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? The theory is incredibly simple; not much more complicated than dragging your feet on the ground to stop a bicycle. But, decades of research have gone into refining the brake pad material that allows you to stop your 2-ton car over and over again, every day without issue.
You have a few choices when it’s time to replace your brake pads—and they are a consumable, so they will need replacing. The two most common brake pad chemistries are ceramic and metallic. Metallic are generally reserved for higher-performance applications. They have a higher coefficient of friction, so they wear out rotors faster, they tend to require more heat to work at full potential, produce more dust, and are often louder. Ceramic brake pads are more effective when they’re cold, are easier on rotors, are quieter, and produce less dust. For commuting, ceramic pads are the best choice.
Summary List
- Best Overall: Bosch BC905 QuietCast Premium Ceramic Disc Brake Pad
- Best Value: Wagner QuickStop Ceramic Disc Pad Set
- Premium Pick: Power Stop Extreme Performance Carbon-Ceramic Brake Pad
- Quietest Option: Wagner ThermoQuiet Ceramic Disc Pad Set
Types of Brake Pads
Non-Asbestos Organic (NAO)
Non-asbestos organic (NAO) brake pads (also referred to as organic brake pads) are made up of various fibers mixed with binding organic compounds to hold the fibers together. Common materials include glass, fiber, rubber, etc. The materials and tools used to make these brake pads are the least expensive today, which is why a high majority of new cars sold in the United States still come with them.
Semi-Metallic
As the name implies, semi-metallic pads contain anywhere from 30-65 percent metal by weight, typically consisting of steel, iron, copper, etc., combined with friction modifiers and fillers, as well as a graphite lubricant. Semi-metallic brake pads are arguably the most versatile style available, with the slight compromise being more noise and dust. They are also longer lasting and more durable, and their metallic composition can help draw heat away from the rotor and aid in more efficient brake cooling.
Ceramic
Compared to organic brake pads, ceramic brake pads often create less dust and other particles on both the pads and rotors. They can be more reliable in a broader range of temperatures and driving conditions. Ceramic brake pads handle high brake temperatures with less heat fade, allowing for faster recovery after stopping at a stop sign or red light, etc.
Best Ceramic Brake Pads: Reviews & Recommendations
Best Overall: Bosch BC905 QuietCast Premium Ceramic Disc Brake Pad
The Bosch BC905 QuietCast Premium Ceramic Disc Brake Pad is a fantastic all-around choice. This ceramic brake pad offers two critically important benefits: exceptional stopping power on the road and extremely quiet operation. You won’t have to worry about your brakes working effectively or concerning squeals or squeaks — this Bosch brake pad can offer excellent quality and reliability.
Each brake pad is made with an advanced aerospace alloy that features copper-free ceramic and semi-metallic friction materials. A rubber core multilayer shim provides insulation against noise. A protective transfer layer extends the brake pad’s life and helps lessen the dust each time you stop.
Best Value: Wagner QuickStop Ceramic Disc Pad Set
If you’re looking for brake pads that’ll offer long-term reliability and consistent performance, the Wagner QuickStop Ceramic Disc Pad Set is a great choice. Even after many drives and many years, these ceramic disc brake pads will offer even and consistent braking.
This set includes brake pads and all the stainless steel installation hardware you need. It will restore like-new braking performance to your vehicle and offers OE fit and design, with special engineering that ensures you get long-term durability. The brake pads can reduce vibrations, which quiets any noise, and they’re designed, tested, and certified to function as your original brakes.
Premium Pick: Power Stop Extreme Performance Carbon-Ceramic Brake Pad
This brake pad is an excellent fit for muscle cars or other performance cars. Made out of carbon-fiber ceramic, each brake pad features a thermal scorched pad surface that breaks in quickly. Chamfered slots ensure you’ll enjoy noise-free braking every time you stop. Premium stainless steel shims also help quiet any braking noise. A high-quality powder-coated backing plate enhances braking performance and helps increase durability by resisting rust and corrosion. You’ll also get brake grease and premium-quality stainless steel hardware with each brake pad. If you’re looking for high performance braking capability that still offers dailly driving usability, this is the ceramic brake pad for you.
Quietest Ceramic Brake Pad: Wagner ThermoQuiet Ceramic Disc Pad Set
The Wagner ThermoQuiet Ceramic Disc Pad Set is a great option if you’re tired of hearing your car’s brakes squealing. This ceramic brake pad set is specially designed to offer quieter operation, with a unique laser-created shape that spreads out heat, sound, and vibration to reduce noise. These ceramic brake pads also help keep your wheels cleaner, reduce rotor wear and improve, braking performance.
Our Verdict on the Best Ceramic Brake Pads
If you are looking for powerful stopping and quiet operation, your best overall choice is the Bosch BC905 QuietCast Premium Ceramic Disc Brake Pad. If you prefer to focus more on affordability, reliability, and value, the Wagner QuickStop Ceramic Disc Pad Set is your best bet.
Benefits of Ceramic Brake Pads
- Reduce noise. If your vehicle’s brake pads squeak or squeal, it most likely does not have ceramic brake pads installed. Ceramic brake pads are not noisy; instead, they are very quiet and create almost no sound when pressing on the brakes.
- Reliable in all driving conditions. Hot or cold, ceramic brake pads are more reliable in a wider range of temperature and driving conditions than organic pads. With ceramic, you can drive more places without worrying about the status of your brake pads.
- Reduce wear and tear residue. When your vehicle is coming to a stop, ceramic brake pads produce less dust and kick up fewer particles than organic brake pads.
Ceramic Brake Pad Pricing
- $15-$80: Keep in mind that the price of ceramic brake pads typically depends on the type of vehicle you own and the complexity of the manufacturing process. Also, be sure to consider the maintenance cost for replacing brake pads, which can range from $100-$300 per axle.
Key Features
Long-Lasting
As all brake pads wear down over time, they produce dust. However, ceramic brake pads produce a finer and lesser amount of dust and other particles. Not only is the lighter-colored brake dust less noticeable, but it also does not stick to the vehicle’s wheels as most other brake dust. The design of ceramic rotors is to last the lifetime of a car, yet, this will depend on the driver’s impact to the discs.
Noise Level
Nobody likes hearing a loud sound after pressing down on their brakes. Ceramic brake pads are much quieter than semi-metallic pads because they are not as abrasive. The noise they do emit is above the range of human hearing. Thus, you should hear very little or no sound when braking.
Durability
Whether you drive in hot or cold climates, ceramic brake pads are more stable than most other pads. The ceramic pads can handle a wide range of temperatures and still deliver consistent performance. Since they are more reliable in varying weathers, ceramic pads provide a fast recovery time after braking, produce less dust, and handle high brake temperatures with less heat fade.
Other Considerations
- Change All Four Brake Pads at Once. When the time comes to replace your automobile’s brake pads, there are a few things to consider: it is best to change out brake pads in pairs—either the two in front or the two in the back. However, the front brakes wear faster than the rear ones due to doing most of the work, causing them to need replacing more often. It is highly recommended that you replace all four simultaneously to avoid uneven braking time or steering issues.
- Know When Your Brake Pads are Wearing Out. Your vehicle needs new pads if you start hearing high-pitched noises (squealing, squeaking, or grinding) whenever applying pressure to the brake, either when slowing down or stopping the vehicle. These noises are a good indication that your vehicle’s brake pads need replacing.
Tips
- Take note that ceramic pads do not prevent rotors from warping. If a driver misuses or overheats car brakes, the rotors will warp. Some brake pads have improved heat-dissipation qualities, which can help prevent warping, but only to a certain degree since there is no way for rotors to be completely exempt from becoming warped. Thus, handle the brakes of a vehicle with care by avoiding hard braking whenever possible.
- Whether you have a vehicle with new or replacement ceramic brake pads, go easy on the pads at first. With ceramic brake pads, it is a good idea to avoid stopping quickly or braking heavily for at least the first few 100 miles.
- Each brake pad manufacturer will have a different recommendation for when you should replace your vehicle’s brake pads. Yet, most shops urge car owners to replace brake pads when only 20 percent of the original thickness remains or anywhere up to 70,000 miles.
FAQs
The evolution of brake friction materials allows ceramic pads to handle high brake temperatures with less heat fade, smoother braking, and less friction. Ceramic pads are soft and wear down slowly; they do not damage rotors.
Ceramic brake pads are often very quiet. However, if squeaking sounds occur, it is often the result of not using a brake lining shim or needing more anti-squeal lubricant on the back of the brake pads.
Just like their metallic brake pad counterparts, ceramic brake pads also uses metal parts in their formula, but the primary material is ceramic. The combination of ceramic compounds and copper fibers allow ceramic brake pads to handle higher brake temperatures with less heat fade, resulting in faster braking. Compared to organic brake pads, ceramic brake pads are also better at handling a more comprehensive range of temperatures and driving conditions.
