Is every clay bar or clay media the same?

With respect to all of the detailing clay media I have used in the past year, my preferred option is the Koch Chemie Mild Clay bar.  There are several reasons why this clay bar is my favorite and preferred choice.  Having a clay bar preference may seem silly to the average consumer or even detailing professional who believes all clay bars are the same.  Why even use clay bars when there are other alternatives available?  With respect to thoroughness, I found the claybar to be the most consistently reliable clay media for removing a contamination.  Also compared to the Koch Chemie Agressive clay bar, the milder version provided comparable results in my testing of effective contamination removal on paint (albeit limited testing).  It is also easier to work with than the aggressive alternative.

I do not know if many people realize this, but high-quality professional detailing is  time-consuming.  It is much more than an hour or two of dedicated labor.  Then, there is the mental exertion that comes with professional work of this nature.  You do not want to deal with a clay bar that needs more work to operate in exchange for saving a few dollars.  Many of the more cost-effective options come with two problems that I immediately screen for now.  I have used a couple of cheaper options that had brittle pieces of the clay bar break off of the clay and onto the surface I am working on.  The second more common issue is the need to prep a clay bar before even using it.  Many clay bars need the ritual of soaking it in warm water for 30 minutes to create a more workable clay.  The Koch Chemie Mild Clay bar is already very malleable.

Now on to the more commonly discussed concerns like marring versus contamination removal.  Although no clay bar is above the potential for some marring, the mild clay bar passes all of these tests.

Also, the amount of clay, along with having a nice container, makes up for the high cost with respect to value.  This represents one-half of the bars that come in the container.  I will typically split each clay bar into two pieces, making essentially four clay bars.

I have one semi-gripe (not a real critique) that keeps it from being absolutely perfect.  It is not white.  I do love the aesthetic color of blue and visual representation it still provides with respect to showing contamination.  For the marketing value of a clay step, blue does not help on camera reveal all of the contamination as easily as a white clay bar.  The color blue does contrast well with contamination that is often red, orange, and brown.  Blue is also visually appealing on camera.