How to Choose the Right Brake Pads？

Choosing the right brake pads is crucial, as it directly impacts your driving safety, driving experience, and vehicle maintenance costs.

Step 1: Understanding the Basic Types of Brake Pads (by Material)
This is the core of choosing brake pads, as different materials determine their performance characteristics.
Semi-metallic Brake Pads
Composition: Contains approximately 30% - 65% metal fibers (such as steel, copper, and iron).
Advantages: Wear-resistant, long service life, low cost, good high-temperature resistance.
Disadvantages: Potentially louder braking noise, relatively greater wear on brake discs, poor braking performance at low temperatures, may produce more dust.
Suitable for: Ordinary daily driving, commonly found as original equipment on mid-to-low-end vehicles.

Low-metallic Brake Pads
Composition: Lower metal content (approximately 10% - 30%), usually containing copper.
Advantages: Good thermal conductivity, sensitive braking response, better heat fade performance than semi-metallic pads.
Disadvantages: Noise and dust issues still exist, and may even be more severe than with semi-metallic pads.
Suitable for: European cars requiring good braking performance, and some sporty driving styles.

Ceramic Brake Pads
Composition: Composed of ceramic fibers, non-ferrous metal fillers, and binders.
Advantages: Nearly no noise: Quiet operation and comfortable experience.
Low dust and light color: Less likely to soil wheel rims.
Minimal wear on brake discs: Extends brake disc life.
Stable performance: Provides linear braking force at various temperatures.
Disadvantages: Higher cost; may not perform as well as high-end NAO or sintered metal pads under extreme track-grade temperatures.
Suitable for: The first choice for most family cars and luxury cars, prioritizing comfort and cleanliness.

NAO (Non-Asbestos Organic) Brake Pads
Composition: Uses non-metallic organic materials such as glass, rubber, and carbon; contains no metal.
Advantages: Very soft, quiet, and provides excellent protection for brake discs.
Disadvantages: Not wear-resistant, short lifespan, prone to heat fade at high temperatures.
Suitable for: Less common now, mainly used in some older vehicles or low-speed vehicles.

Step 2: Define Your Needs and Driving Habits
Urban Commuters:
Needs: Comfort, quietness, low dust.
Recommendation: Ceramic brake pads are the best choice. They meet the needs of frequent starts and stops without producing annoying noise and dust.

High-Speed/Long-Distance Drivers:
Needs: Good resistance to brake fade (i.e., braking performance does not decline after prolonged braking).
Recommendation: High-quality ceramic pads or low-metallic pads. They maintain stable performance at medium to high temperatures.

Aggressive or Sporty Drivers:
Needs: Excellent initial braking ability and strong resistance to brake fade.
Recommendation: High-performance low-metallic pads or sport ceramic composite pads. Note that these brake pads may require reaching a certain operating temperature to achieve optimal performance (i.e., "warm-up"), and noise and dust may increase.

High-Load/Commercial Vehicles:
Needs: Durability, cost-effectiveness.
Recommendation: Semi-metallic brake pads. While slightly less comfortable, they are robust and durable.

Step 3: Consider Specific Factors (Shopping List)
Vehicle Specifications:
Most Important! Ensure the brake pads are a perfect match for your vehicle model, year, and engine displacement. Brake caliper and disc sizes differ between models. Consult parts suppliers or use online catalogs.

Price and Budget:
Brake pads are a safety component; don't just go for the cheapest option. Inferior brake pads can lead to longer braking distances, abnormal brake disc wear, or even brake failure.
Within your budget, choose the most reliable brand and type you can afford.