Pads for those who demand quality, performance and durability
With decades spent polishing automotive paint and unpainted black spoilers and exterior trim moldings, my biggest passion within detailing has always been transforming these surfaces from dirty and dull to clean and glossy.
Basically I am obsessed about polishing and pads most of all and after all these years spent learning as much as I could about pad technology and being called “THE PAD KING” by some of my peers and knowing all the problems that there are with foam pads, wool and others on the market, in October 2023 I decided it was time for me to take on what may be my true calling – polishing pad development and sales in order to bring people far better pad options as well as solving those problems.
Some of the problems include basic pad designs that have not changed in decades and lack durability, poor quality low temperature resistance velcro adhesives that weaken with enough heat cycles or exposure to solvents in polishes, thin velour velcro which should be a thicker firmer material, foam which softens too quickly that massively reduces performance and efficiency, delamination between the pad layers as well as super soft pads not able to be used on DA polishers due to a lack of firmness which means they perform on those polishers almost like a flat tyre on a car. My GEN II and III pads fix that.
I have established and built relationships with several companies in Europe and Japan to source the best materials I can and create more advanced pad designs for my customers. The hunt to find more companies to source new and better materials from is constant
Introducing some new pad materials to the industry is one of the main goals of the business so to increase paint correction capabilities whilst offering pricing that was last seen a decade ago and helping you work smarter, easier, faster and better with superior performance pads that are a result of 120,000 hours of my detailing and testing experience combined.
This is why The Pad King brand exists
Born from 30 Years Behind the Polisher
G’day, I’m Matthew Gibb. Like you, I’ve felt the frustration of inferior pads that couldn’t keep up with my standards.
“In the spring of 1993, I embarked on the first step of what would evolve into a thirty year odyssey down the very deep rabbit hole which is automotive detailing.”
My journey began with a 1989 Suzuki Swift and shortly afterwards, my dream car, a 1972 Ford XA Falcon Fairmont 351 cubic inch V8 Coupe and a determination to make them look extraordinary. After meeting a professional detailer who maintained my father’s company cars, I was hooked—detailing became my passion and life’s work.
After thirty two years and testing over 160 brands of products and working on thousands of vehicles, I’ve experienced first hand the disappointment of pads that failed mid-job, the annoyance of inconsistent results, difficulty in finding the ideal pad and product combination for each paint type and the challenge of maintaining profit margins while delivering world class quality results
Being a hardcore detailing purist I’m not someone who likes gimmicks and will never sell them. Instead I spend my time conducting R & D testing and developing real solutions to the problems that matter to detailers.
What Separates Great Pads from the Average Ones
With modern vehicles having paint thickness between just 45 and 105 microns on average though there are some exceptions that are thicker (most are between 60-90), there’s precious little room for error in your work and having to re polish sections or whole panels and remove more paint in the process is not an option.
Your reputation and business depend on achieving great results consistently and in an efficient way without risking these thinner paint systems
Poor quality pads or the wrong pads mean:
- Wasting money on replacement pads that eat into your profits
- Shorter pad lifespan from softening quickly, losing cutting or finishing performance which equals inconsistent results
- Pad failure from velcro adhesives that lack a very high temperature resistance, lose their bond and peel off during use.
- Varied results when switching between polisher types
- Longer time frames to complete a paint correction service
- Frustrated customers and damage to your reputation
- Simple pad designs that can lose their shape over time when used on a DA polisher or when machine washed
Great pads give you the following benefits:
- Longer lifespan giving you greater value for money
- Ability to achieve great results every time you use them
- Replacement pads required less often so your more profitable
- Are capable of performing more than one task due to highly versatile and more durable foams and advanced designs
- Have better quality, thicker velcro material and adhesives that are 120 to 150 C temperature resistant preventing failure
- Dual density and other advanced designs for more power transfer from polisher to paintwork and improved contourability
- Superior designs which enable to use of ultra soft foams on DA polishers that could not be used before and other great benefits
Developed in Adelaide, Produced in Europe
Right here in beautiful Adelaide, I work with my engineer and part time detailer Dave who to come up with advanced pad designs that push the boundaries and break new ground. We partner directly with the leading European, Japanese and Australian foam companies as well as any other material manufacturers we can find to create pad formulations that address the specific challenges that Australian detailers face with our harsh sunlight, mineral-rich hard water, tropical high humidity climate and varied paint systems from soft to hard, thin and thick.
But we’re also considering the needs of detailers around the globe and how we can create solutions for them and the challenges with their environments.
Our pad designs aren’t just minor improvements to existing designs, they’re fundamental advancements developed through thousands of hours of real-world testing and know how and seeing where so many traditional pads fell down. foams that are too soft for DA polishers, crumble when used and create pad dust, start out firm but lose their cut too quickly and suffer pad softening or don’t finish well.
We bring to the market
- Foam formulations with up to 50% greater durability
- Pads that are a universal design for consistently high performance on rotary, dual-action, and forced rotation polishing machines so detailers only need to buy one range not multiple to cover all polisher types thus saving on costs.
- Our GEN II pads feature higher thermal stability plus a supportive anti flattening interface below the foam. This will be even further enhanced when our GEN III pads are released in 2026. These features help maintain cutting power without softening too much from heat generation during use.
- Unique foam combinations, materials that have never been used before in automotive detailing and many other benefits that give detailers more flexibility, versatility and achieve the results they desire faster and easier.
- Save people time, labour and cost thus making their businesses more profitable
While others focus on making and or selling pad materials and designs which are inside the box, I continue to look and think outside the box and search the globe for new materials and evolutions of current pad materials to provide my customers with solutions to industry related problems and which work better and last longer.
For Professional Detailers and Serious Enthusiasts
Whether you’re:
- A professional detailer wanting to maintain your reputation for excellence or a new detailer trying to establish one.
- A shop owner looking to improve efficiency and reduce supply costs
- A serious enthusiast wanting professional-level results on your own vehicles
- A recently established detailer aiming to shorten your learning curve and avoid the costly mistakes that others have made.
The Pad King range helps you achieve exceptional results more consistently and efficiently, without the frustration of constant replacements or unpredictable performance.
Pads Designed by a Detailer, for Detailers everywhere
The Pad King isn’t just another pad brand, it’s the culmination of three decades spent understanding the real challenges you face day after day, a passion for detailing and pad technology to the same level that my hero Bruce Lee had for martial arts, physical training and philosophy and a desire to give back to my industry and truly help my peers anyway I can and watch them succeed and thrive.
Our pads won’t just look different, they will perform differently. From durability that reduces your supply costs to versatility that streamlines your workflow, every aspect has been considered from your perspective as a detailer.
When your reputation is on the line with every vehicle you touch, you shouldn’t have to compromise on quality because of inadequate pads
Ready to Transform Your Results?
Order your professional-grade Pad King polishing pads today and experience the difference that proper equipment makes in your detailing work.
Not quite ready to make the switch? Download our free guide “5 Critical Mistakes That Are Destroying Your Polishing Pads” to learn how to make your current pads last longer while you consider upgrading to The Pad King.
Professional polishing pads designed for detailers by a master detailer: more durable, more versatile, better results.