Chemical Guys Wonder Wave Durafoam Applicator Pad: Amazon
One of the most popular tire dressing applicators that you can find on Amazon are the Chemical Guys Wonder Wave Durafoam Applicator Pads. These things have really good reviews and there are just a ton of people who have purchased and used them. In my time of detailing cars, I never deviated from the use of my Carrand Foam Applicator. However, it’s time I ventured out and tried out a new tire dressing applicator.
The Chemical Guys tire dressing applicator pads come in a pack of two and go for about $7 at the time of this review. They are quite large, measuring in at about 6″ x 4.5″ and over 2″ thick each.
Chemical Guys uses their Wonder Wave design on these foam applicators, which a fancy way of saying they have a wavy texture cut into the foam. The intention of these waves is to push your tire dressing into every peak and valley of your tire sidewall. I tested these out using some Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Gel.
The foam feels a bit large in the hand feels kind of awkward when you’re wiping on the tire dressing onto the tire. I think the bulkiness of the pad makes it feel uncomfortable when you’re using it, although I think if you had a larger tire and sidewall (e.g. all terrain tires on say an SUV or truck) it would probably be more suitable.
Even with the wavy texture on the foam surface, the Chemical Guys Wonder Wave Durafoam applicator has an overall a flat applicator surface. Because tire side walls are curved for the most part, I feel that this leads to you pressing harder on the applicator resulting in too much tire dressing being applied to the tire. The smaller Carrand Tire Applicator that I typically use doesn’t have this issue because of its curved applicator surface.
The foam applicator applies tire dressing adequately. With foam applicators, you have a higher chance of leaving too much tire dressing behind, resulting in a higher chance of tire sling. Even with the wave texture on the foam, the applicator doesn’t do too well with reaching every nook and cranny of the tire sidewall. It takes some effort and caution to leave a nice, moderately spread coating behind.
For that reason, I apply tire dressings with these foam applicators and then follow up with wiping away any excess with a microfiber towel. If you don’t, you run the risk of the tire dressing slinging off onto your car’s paint when you go and drive. The Chemical Guys tire applicators are no exception.
The Chemical Guys Wonder Wave Durafoam Applicator Pads work perfectly fine, but you do need to follow up with thtat microfiber towel to minimize the chance of tire sling. The size of the pads are too large for me, so I’m always reluctant to reach for these when I’m applying tire dressing. But, they work just fine and they’re pretty cheap since you are getting two decently large applicators for about $7.
Chemical Guys Wonder Wave Durafoam Applicator Pad: Amazon
