How we researched this guide
We compared the five friction materials a buyer actually meets on sale — ceramic, semi-metallic, organic (NAO), low-metallic and carbon-fiber infused ceramic — against maker material definitions and spec sheets, then anchored each material to one real pad set: five example sets, checked across maker catalogues from Bosch, Brembo and Power Stop, their Amazon listing records, and six retailer or comparison sources that publish material-by-material dust, noise and wear tables.
We do not test brake pads, and no price or star rating is used as evidence. Where a maker does not publish a figure, this guide prints “Not published”; where sources disagree, the disagreement is printed. Every example sits in our brake pads archive under brakes, suspension and steering.
The 30-second answer
For most drivers the best brake pad material is ceramic — quiet, very low dust and kind to rotors — shown here by the Bosch QuietCast Premium Ceramic. Tow, haul or brake hard on long descents and semi-metallic wins on heat, shown by the Bosch QuietCast Premium Semi-Metallic. Want ceramic manners with more bite? Carbon-fiber infused ceramic, shown by the Power Stop Z23. Prefer a sharp European-style first bite? Low-metallic, shown by Brembo Low-Met. Drive a light car gently and value a soft, quiet pedal above longevity? Organic / NAO, shown by the Brembo Premium NAO.
Best Overall Material
Bosch QuietCast Premium Ceramic BC2398
Material: Ceramic. The default for daily driving: the quietest, cleanest-running family in this comparison, and gentle on rotors. Best if clean wheels and a calm cabin matter more than the last word in heat capacity.
Example fitment: Front — Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, Tucson; Kia EV6, K5, Sportage (select).
Best for Heat and Heavy Use
Bosch QuietCast Premium Semi-Metallic BP978
Material: Semi-metallic. The heat handler: metal content pulls heat away from the rotor and resists fade under load. Best for towing, heavy SUVs and mountain driving — at the cost of more dust and noise.
Example fitment: Rear — Audi Q7; Porsche Cayenne; Volkswagen Touareg (select).
Best Sport Daily Material
Power Stop Z23 Evolution Sport Z23-1850
Material: Carbon-fiber infused ceramic. Ceramic’s low dust and quiet shims, reinforced with carbon fiber for stronger, more fade-resistant stops. Best for sportier daily drivers who brake harder than average.
Example fitment: Rear — BMW 530e 2018–2022, 530i 2017–2023, 540d xDrive 2018.
Best for Initial Bite
Brembo Low-Met Brake Pads (P37018 front family)
Material: Low-metallic. The bite-first middle ground: 10–50% metal by weight in Brembo’s definition, for a quick, decisive first response. Best for drivers who want an OE European feel — and accept dust.
Example fitment: Front — Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Jeep, Nissan applications (P37018 family).
Best Gentle Material for Light Cars
Brembo Premium NAO P28035N
Material: Organic / NAO. The gentle option: a non-asbestos organic compound tuned for comfort and clean wheels on light cars. Best for easy city driving; it wears fastest of the five under heat and load.
Example fitment: Front — Acura ILX; Honda Accord, Civic, CR-V, Element, Fit, Pilot (select years).
Sold through parts retailers; no Amazon ASIN verified for this exact part. Closest verified alternative in this guide — check its fitment label before ordering:
| Example pad set | Material | Best for | Warranty | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bosch QuietCast Premium Ceramic BC2398 | Ceramic | Daily driving, clean wheels | Not published | |
| Bosch QuietCast Premium Semi-Metallic BP978 | Semi-metallic | Towing, heat, heavy SUVs | Not published | |
| Power Stop Z23 Evolution Sport Z23-1850 | Carbon-fiber ceramic | Sporty daily driving | Not published | |
| Brembo Low-Met Brake Pads (P37018 front family) | Low-metallic | Sharp initial bite | 2-year limited (maker) | |
| Brembo Premium NAO P28035N | Organic / NAO | Light cars, gentle use | 2-year limited (maker) | Store only — alternative: Bosch QuietCast Ceramic BC2398 (Hyundai/Kia fitment) |
Warranty terms are maker terms from the research notes; “Not published” means no term was stated in the record checked. Fitment is always part-specific.
Brake pad material finder
Tell the finder how you drive and what you will not tolerate. Every result recommends one of this guide’s five example pad sets with its Check Price button — the NAO result uses that pick’s labelled alternative button, explained in its review. Heavy vehicles and towing are never routed to the gentle materials.
How to choose the best brake pad material
Material decides how a pad behaves long before brand does. Work through these six criteria in order — most drivers land on one material quickly. Fitment help sits in our brake rotors and brake calipers archives.
Heat: how hot will your brakes actually get?
Heat is the first filter. Repeated stops, long descents, towing and heavy vehicles push pad temperatures past what gentle compounds tolerate: organic fades first, standard ceramic next, while semi-metallic conducts heat away from the rotor and carbon-fiber ceramic is built to resist fade at higher temperatures than OE pads. If your driving is flat, light and unhurried, heat capacity is the one criterion you can safely trade away for quiet and clean wheels.
Noise: what will you hear every day?
Noise is a material property before it is a defect. Ceramic and NAO compounds run quietest in the comparison sources, helped by multi-layer shims; semi-metallic is consistently rated the loudest family, especially on cold, light applications, and low-metallic sits between. If a squeal at parking speeds would drive you back to the shop, cross the metallic-heavy families off first — then check that the set you buy includes proper shims and hardware.
Dust: how much, and what colour?
All pads dust; the question is how visibly. Ceramic sheds fine, light-coloured dust that barely shows on wheels. Semi-metallic and low-metallic shed darker, heavier dust — the repeated owner complaint against Brembo Low-Met in the sources checked. Organic dust is where sources conflict: one comparison table rates it the dustiest family, NAO explainers rate modern NAO low-to-moderate. Either way, ceramic is the clean-wheel answer.
Rotor wear: pads are cheaper than rotors
Metallic content is abrasive by design. Semi-metallic pads wear rotors fastest in every comparison source; ceramic and organic compounds are the rotor-friendly families, and low-metallic sits in the middle. On a car with expensive or hard-to-source rotors, rotor kindness can outweigh a small bite advantage. Whatever you choose, measure rotor thickness at the same job — new pads on a below-spec rotor waste both parts.
Bite and pedal feel
Bite is the first metre of the stop. Low-metallic is the bite-first family here — Brembo describes quick response and decisive braking, and owners credit strong cold bite. Ceramic feels smoother and more progressive but softer on first application; NAO feels soft and easy at city speeds; semi-metallic feels firm and consistent once warm. Match feel to the car: a pad that feels grabby in a light hatchback can feel merely right in a heavy SUV.
Pad life and total cost of the job
Judge cost per axle job, not per box — and never by a printed price here, which is why this guide prints none. Organic pads are the low-cost family but wear fastest, so the saving shrinks if you pay labour twice. Ceramic and semi-metallic last longest in the comparison sources. Add the shared costs either way: hardware, lubricant and fluid from our brake fluid guide, plus rotor work if the old rotors are scored.
Brake pad materials at a glance
There is no vehicle GVWR table in this guide — pads are not sized by vehicle weight the way winches are. What transfers between vehicles is the material’s working character, summarised from the comparison sources in the research notes:
| Material | Metal content | Heat behaviour | Dust and noise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceramic | Low (ceramic fibres, fillers) | Stable in normal use; fades before semi-metallic at extremes | Very low dust; very quiet |
| Semi-metallic | High (about 30–70% in sources) | Conducts heat away; strongest fade resistance here for towing | Darker dust; loudest family |
| Organic / NAO | None to low (resin-bonded fibres) | Lowest heat tolerance; fades first under load | Quiet; dust ratings conflict by source |
| Low-metallic | 10–50% by weight (Brembo) | Good heat dissipation; decisive response | Noticeable dust; mid noise |
| Carbon-fiber ceramic | Ceramic + carbon fiber | Built to resist fade above OE pad temperatures | Low dust; quiet shims |
Metal-content figures are the ranges published by the sources named in the research notes — check the maker’s own definition for the line you buy, and keep axle pairs matched.
Brake pad materials by budget
| Tier | What you get | Example pick |
|---|---|---|
| Value | Shortest-lived pads; labour dominates total cost | Brembo Premium NAO (organic / NAO) |
| Mid | OE-grade daily pads with shims and hardware | Bosch QuietCast Ceramic |
| Mid-plus | Heat capacity for towing and heavy vehicles | Bosch QuietCast Semi-Metallic |
| Premium | Reinforced or bite-first compounds, ECE-R90 lines | Power Stop Z23 or Brembo Low-Met |
Tiers are qualitative: pad cost is the smallest part of a brake job once labour and rotors are counted. Spend on the material that matches your heat and noise needs first, brand second.
Types of brake pad material compared
| Material | Pros | Cons | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceramic | Quiet, very low dust, kind to rotors | Softer bite; fades at extremes | Daily drivers |
| Semi-metallic | Heat capacity, firm bite, durable | Noise, dark dust, rotor wear | Towing, heavy SUVs |
| Organic / NAO | Quiet, gentle, low-cost family | Fastest wear, lowest heat tolerance | Light cars, gentle use |
| Low-metallic | Sharp bite, good heat dissipation | Dusty; fewer fitments | European-feel braking |
| Carbon-fiber ceramic | Low dust plus fade resistance | Premium tier; daily, not track, pad | Sporty daily driving |
Detailed reviews of the best brake pad materials
Each material is judged on the same evidence: the maker’s material definition and spec record for the example set, the comparison sources, and owner coverage. Confirm the exact part number for your vehicle before ordering.
Best Overall Material: Bosch QuietCast Premium Ceramic BC2398
Best Overall Material — Ceramic
Why the Bosch QuietCast Ceramic is our pick
Ceramic is our pick for the typical driver because it solves the two complaints that bring most people to a pad change — noise and filthy wheels — without giving up stable everyday stopping. The QuietCast BC2398 shows the family’s form: a platform-specific ceramic formulation, an OE-style rubber-core shim for quiet running, and copper-free compliance built in.
Bosch QuietCast Ceramic key specs
- Part number: BC2398 (Bosch QuietCast Premium Ceramic)
- Friction material: Ceramic
- Position: Front
- Example fitment: Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, Tucson; Kia EV6, K5, Sportage (select)
- Shim: OE-style rubber-core multi-layer shim (Molded Shim Technology line)
- Hardware: Included where the application requires it
- In the box: Pad set plus synthetic lubricant (line standard)
- Copper status: Compliant with 2025 copper-free legislation (maker line claim)
- Formulation: Platform-specific, per Bosch
- UPC: 731413595875
- Warranty: Not published in the sources checked
Bosch QuietCast Ceramic: fits and best for
Front-axle daily drivers — sedans, crossovers and EVs in the fitment list — that brake mostly in town and on highways, rarely tow, and whose owners notice wheel dust. The material, in other QuietCast part numbers, suits the same profile on most modern cars. Riders are in our brake hardware kits archive.
Bosch QuietCast Ceramic pros and watch-outs
- Quietest family in the comparison sources, with an OE-style shim fitted
- Very low, light-coloured dust keeps wheels visibly cleaner
- Gentle on rotors — the rotor-friendly performance choice
- Stable, progressive pedal in normal temperature ranges
- Copper-free formulation meets the newest material rules
- Softer initial bite than low-metallic or semi-metallic pads
- Fades sooner than semi-metallic under extreme, sustained heat
- Premium tier within the Bosch range
- Fitment is part-specific — the EV and SUV list above is exact, not a suggestion
Bosch QuietCast Ceramic: what owners report
- Retailer and listing coverage of the QuietCast line credits the rubber-core shim with quiet running, and Bosch positions the line as its longest-life friction family. (Bosch QuietCast listing record)
- Comparison sources agree ceramic owners trade a little cold bite for clean wheels — the recurring theme in the material tables. (Mechanics Diary material comparison)
Bosch QuietCast Ceramic: who should not buy
Do not buy ceramic for a tow rig, a loaded work truck or repeated mountain descents — heat is the one fight this material concedes. The semi-metallic pick below is the honest answer there.
Bosch QuietCast Ceramic: pair it with
Pair it with fresh hardware and a caliper service: the Orion Motor Tech Disc Brake Pad and Caliper Service Tool Kit winds pistons back without tearing boots, which matters on the EV fitments in this pick’s list.
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Bed ceramic pads with a series of moderate stops from town speeds, cooling between them, and keep the first hundred miles gentle. More pad jobs are ruined in week one than year three — see our brake bleeder kits guide if the pedal feels soft afterwards.
Best for Heat and Heavy Use: Bosch QuietCast Premium Semi-Metallic BP978
Best for Heat and Heavy Use — Semi-metallic
Why the Bosch QuietCast Semi-Metallic is our pick
Semi-metallic is our pick when heat decides the argument: its metal content pulls heat out of the rotor face and keeps friction stable when a ceramic or organic pad would start to fade. The BP978 shows the family in OE form — a QuietCast semi-metallic set for heavy European SUVs, with the same rubber-core shim doing what it can to keep a loud family civilised.
Bosch QuietCast Semi-Metallic key specs
- Part number: BP978 (Bosch QuietCast Premium Semi-Metallic)
- Friction material: Semi-metallic
- Position: Rear
- Example fitment: Audi Q7; Porsche Cayenne; Volkswagen Touareg (select)
- Shim: OE-style rubber-core shim
- In the box: Pads individually wrapped, synthetic lubricant included
- Hardware: Included where the application requires it
- Copper status: Compliant with 2025 copper-free legislation (maker line claim)
- Listing weight: 2.2 lb (package figure)
- UPC: 077212089734
- Warranty: Not published in the sources checked
Bosch QuietCast Semi-Metallic: fits and best for
Heavy SUVs, trucks and tow vehicles, and any car that brakes hard on long descents. The example fitment — Q7, Cayenne, Touareg rear axles — is exactly the heavy-vehicle profile the material serves. Front sets in the same material suit the same jobs; match material front and rear unless the vehicle maker specifies a split, and check wheel bearings while the wheel is off.
Bosch QuietCast Semi-Metallic pros and watch-outs
- Strongest heat handling of the classic families — resists fade under load
- Firm, consistent bite, including from cold
- Durable friction material with low pad wear in comparison sources
- OE-form set with shim and lubricant in the box
- Copper-free compliant despite the metallic content
- Loudest material family, especially on cold, light stops
- Dark dust coats wheels quickly
- Hardest on rotors of the five materials here
- This example is a rear set — front fitments carry different part numbers
Bosch QuietCast Semi-Metallic: what owners report
- Listing coverage for the BP978 stresses the QuietCast brief — quiet operation with the durability Bosch claims for the line — on a pad whose material is normally the noisy one. (Bosch BP978 listing record)
- Material comparisons record the owner trade plainly: semi-metallic drivers accept dust and noise in exchange for heat capacity. (Frontech material guide)
Bosch QuietCast Semi-Metallic: who should not buy
Do not buy semi-metallic for a quiet luxury cabin or a show-wheel car — you will hear it and you will clean up after it. The ceramic pick above keeps the same Bosch quality without either.
Bosch QuietCast Semi-Metallic: pair it with
Pair it with rotors inspected for heat damage — semi-metallic pads on scored rotors wear both parts fast. Our brake rotors archive covers what to measure; for the job itself, the caliper tool kit below keeps piston work clean.
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Expect a short noisy spell while the transfer layer builds, then judge the pads. If grinding replaces squeal, stop — that is wear, not bedding. Torque and sequence notes live with our brake caliper tools picks.
Best Sport Daily Material: Power Stop Z23 Evolution Sport Z23-1850
Best Sport Daily Material — Carbon-fiber infused ceramic
Why the Power Stop Z23 is our pick
Carbon-fiber infused ceramic is our pick for drivers who brake harder than the commute but still live with the car daily. Power Stop’s Z23 formula reinforces a ceramic base with carbon fiber for stronger, more fade-resistant stops, then keeps the ceramic manners — rubberized shims, stainless hardware and low dust — that make it easy to own.
Power Stop Z23 key specs
- Part number: Z23-1850 (Power Stop Z23 Evolution Sport)
- Friction material: Carbon fiber + ceramic (listing Material Type)
- Position: Rear
- Example fitment: BMW 530e 2018–2022; 530i 2017–2023; 540d xDrive 2018
- Shims: Dual-layer rubberized shims (Z23 line)
- Hardware: Premium stainless-steel installation hardware included
- Lubricant: Ceramic brake lubricant included in every Z23 set (line claim)
- Manufacture: Positive mold technology; powder-coated backing plate (line claims)
- Fade claim: Rated by Power Stop to resist fade above OE pad temperatures
- UPC: 889906326748
- Warranty: Not published for this pad-only set in the sources checked
Power Stop Z23: fits and best for
Sporty sedans and SUVs driven with spirit on the road — the BMW 5 Series rear fitment is the template — and daily drivers who found standard ceramic pads fading or feeling soft on their route. It is a street upgrade, not a competition pad: track-day cars need a dedicated compound and the cooling to match, whatever the marketing says. See also our performance brake pads archive.
Power Stop Z23 pros and watch-outs
- Stronger stops than standard ceramic, with better fade resistance
- Low-dust formula keeps the ceramic clean-wheel advantage
- Dual-layer rubberized shims target noise directly
- Stainless hardware and lubricant included — a complete box
- Powder-coated backing plate resists rust jacking
- A daily-driver pad — not a track compound despite the Sport name
- Premium tier above standard ceramic sets
- This example is rear-only; the matching front set is a separate part
- Pad-only warranty term was not published in the record checked
Power Stop Z23: what owners report
- Power Stop’s own Z23 owner video and listing coverage credit low dust and quiet running for daily drivers — the exact brief the line is sold against. (Power Stop Z23-1850 listing record)
- Z23 line copy across fitments repeats the same owner-facing promises: hardware in the box, lubricant included, fade resistance above OE pads. (Power Stop Z23-2417 listing record)
Power Stop Z23: who should not buy
Do not buy the Z23 for track days or for a vehicle whose OE pad is already a high-metallic performance compound — sideways moves waste money. Commuters who never brake hard should save the premium and take the standard ceramic pick.
Power Stop Z23: pair it with
Pair it with the matching Z23 front set for the same vehicle rather than mixing materials across axles, and use the included lubricant on contact points only — never on the friction face.
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Use every part in the box: the stainless hardware and pin bushings are half the noise fix. Old clips reused “to save time” are how new pads learn to squeal. Our brake cleaners archive covers hub-face prep.
Best for Initial Bite: Brembo Low-Met Brake Pads (P37018 front family)
Best for Initial Bite — Low-metallic
Why the Brembo Low-Met is our pick
Low-metallic is our pick for pedal feel: with 10–50% metal by weight in Brembo’s definition, it answers the first press harder than ceramic or NAO pads, and dissipates heat well enough for confident road use. Brembo’s Low-Met line is the reference example — an ECE-R90 approved, North-America-market compound with a premium shim, sold for drivers who notice bite.
Brembo Low-Met key specs
- Line: Brembo Low-Met (example family incl. P37018, front)
- Friction material: Low-metallic — 10–50% metal by compound weight (Brembo, Prime definition)
- Position: Front (P37018 family)
- Example fitment: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Jeep, Nissan applications; OE ref 00K68144427AB
- Approval: ECE-R90 (Summit’s Brembo Low-Met guide)
- Shim: Premium shim fitted (line standard)
- Hardware: Premium stainless hardware and lubricant included with most orders (Summit)
- Market: Formulated for the North American market (Summit)
- Warranty: 2-year limited, manufacturing defects (Brembo terms via retailer)
- Dust: High by owner accounts — see owners section
- ASIN note: Family ASIN verified from listing embeds — see research notes
Brembo Low-Met: fits and best for
Drivers of European and premium cars — and anyone who found ceramic pads vague on first application — who want the OE-style bite their car shipped with. Low-Met is also the honest middle path for mixed town-and-highway driving where semi-metallic feels like overkill and ceramic feels soft. Confirm your car’s OE material first in our brake pads archive; switching a car designed for NAO to Low-Met changes pedal feel by design.
Brembo Low-Met pros and watch-outs
- Sharpest initial bite of the five materials here
- Good heat dissipation for confident repeated stops
- ECE-R90 approved line with premium shim
- Hardware and lubricant included with most orders
- Maker warranty term is published — 2-year limited
- Dusty — the repeated owner complaint for this line
- Fitment skews European and premium; fewer applications
- More rotor wear than ceramic or NAO compounds
- Can feel grabby at parking speeds on light cars
Brembo Low-Met: what owners report
- Owner summaries for Brembo Low-Met report no squeak, strong feel with no fading in street use and excellent cold bite — alongside high dust on wheels. (Drive55 Brembo guide — owner notes)
- Retailer coverage of Brembo Low-Met fitments (Audi A4/A5 family) lists electric wear indicators and full hardware in the box. (Vivid Racing — Brembo Low-Met P85098)
Brembo Low-Met: who should not buy
Do not buy low-metallic if clean wheels are a genuine priority, or for a car whose maker specifies NAO and whose driver values a soft pedal — the grabby first bite is the point of this material, and it is not for everyone. The ceramic pick is the calm alternative.
Brembo Low-Met: pair it with
Pair it with Brembo’s matched rotors where offered — Brembo itself recommends pairing Low-Met pads with its Xtra rotors to manage rotor wear — and budget a wheel-cleaning routine into ownership from day one.
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Bed low-metallic pads firmly but progressively; a timid bed-in leaves an uneven transfer layer that feels like judder. If the pedal pulses afterwards, check rotor runout before blaming the pads — see our pad spreaders and caliper notes.
Best Gentle Material for Light Cars: Brembo Premium NAO P28035N
Best Gentle Material for Light Cars — Organic / NAO
Why the Brembo Premium NAO is our pick
Organic / NAO is our pick for gentle use in light cars: a resin-bonded, asbestos-free compound that is quiet, easy on rotors and easy on the pedal. Brembo’s P28035N shows the modern form of the family — Brembo catalogues it as an NAO pad inside its Prime ceramic line, with an acoustic wear indicator and anti-squeal shim, tuned for comfort and clean wheels on Honda and Acura cars.
Brembo Premium NAO key specs
- Part number: P28035N (Brembo Premium NAO)
- Friction material: NAO — non-asbestos organic (Brembo NAO compound, Prime line)
- Position: Front
- Example fitment: Acura ILX 2013–2015; Honda Accord 2003–2017, Civic 2012–2021, CR-V, Element, Fit, Pilot (select)
- Thickness: 17 mm (Brembo catalogue; retailer lists 16.9 mm — minor conflict, printed)
- Width / height: 142 mm / 57 mm (Brembo catalogue)
- Braking system: Akebono (catalogue)
- Wear indicator: Acoustic
- Shim: Anti-squeal shim fitted; accessories included
- WVA numbers: 23868, 23869, 23870; FMSI 7795-D914 (retailer)
- EAN: 8020584097694
- Warranty: 2-year limited, manufacturing defects (Brembo terms via retailer)
Brembo Premium NAO: fits and best for
Light cars driven gently — school runs, short commutes, flat towns — where the brakes rarely get hot and a soft, quiet pedal is the whole point. The Honda and Acura fitments above are that profile exactly. It is the wrong material for heavy cars, towing or hills, whatever the saving: pad life and fade resistance are the family’s known limits. Related reading sits in our brake line kits archive.
Brembo Premium NAO pros and watch-outs
- Quiet, soft pedal feel at city speeds
- Gentle on rotors — kind to older, thinner discs
- Asbestos-free modern organic compound
- Acoustic wear indicator and anti-squeal shim fitted
- Maker specs published in full by Brembo’s catalogue
- Fastest wear of the five materials under load or heat
- Lowest heat tolerance — fades first on long descents
- No Amazon ASIN verified for this exact part — retailer-sold (see below)
- Brembo markets NAO inside its ceramic Prime line; purists seeking a resin-only classic organic pad should read the label twice
Brembo Premium NAO: what owners report
- Owner-facing retailer coverage credits the P28035N with smooth, quiet braking and cleaner wheels on its Honda and Acura fitments, with hardware included. (Vivid Racing — Brembo P28035N)
- Brembo’s own catalogue summary for the part promises braking comfort, reduced friction wear and a low dust mission — maker claims, stated as such. (Brembo catalogue — P28035N)
Brembo Premium NAO: who should not buy
Do not buy NAO for towing, mountain driving, track use or a heavy SUV — the material’s limits are heat and wear, and no shim fixes physics. The semi-metallic and carbon-fiber picks above are built for exactly that work.
Brembo Premium NAO: pair it with
Pair it with a fluid check: gentle pads on old, moisture-loaded fluid still fade early. The fluid spec is on the reservoir cap and in our brake fluid guide.
No Amazon ASIN verified for this exact part — it is sold through parts retailers. Closest verified alternative in this guide (check its fitment label):
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Inspect NAO pads more often than metallic ones — put a pad-thickness check on the tyre-rotation schedule, because this family wears fastest precisely in the stop-start use it suits. Our alignment tools archive covers the rest of the corner check.
Spec comparison
Full specifications, split into two tables so nothing overflows the page.
How the score is built: each material is scored out of 10 on noise, dust, heat capacity, rotor kindness and initial bite, from the maker definitions and comparison sources in the research notes; the printed score is the simple average of those five. This is editorial judgement, not test results.
| Spec | Bosch Ceramic BC2398 | Bosch Semi-Met. BP978 | Power Stop Z23-1850 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Ceramic | Semi-metallic | Carbon fiber + ceramic |
| Position (example) | Front | Rear | Rear |
| Shim | Rubber-core multi-layer | Rubber-core | Dual-layer rubberized |
| Hardware in box | Where required | Where required | Stainless kit included |
| Lubricant in box | Yes (line) | Yes | Yes (line) |
| Copper-free status | 2025 compliant (maker) | 2025 compliant (maker) | Not published |
| Wear indicator | Application-specific | Application-specific | Application-specific |
| Warranty | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Our score (avg, /10) | 8.8 | 8.4 | 9.0 |
| Check Price |
| Spec | Brembo Low-Met | Brembo NAO P28035N |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Low-metallic (10–50% metal) | NAO organic compound |
| Position (example) | Front | Front |
| Shim | Premium shim | Anti-squeal shim |
| Hardware in box | With most orders | Accessories included |
| Lubricant in box | With most orders | Not published |
| Copper-free status | Not published | Not published |
| Wear indicator | Application-specific | Acoustic |
| Warranty | 2-year limited | 2-year limited |
| Our score (avg, /10) | 8.6 | 8.2 |
| Check Price | Store only — alternative: Bosch QuietCast Ceramic BC2398 (Hyundai/Kia fitment) |
Fitment and installation basics
Pads are bought by part number, not by material alone: the same ceramic line holds dozens of shapes, and a wrong shape never fits, whatever the compound. Confirm year, model, trim, brake system and axle position before ordering, and replace pads in axle pairs. The job itself is methodical: support the car properly, wind pistons back with a proper tool, clean and lubricate contact points, fit new hardware where supplied, and torque the wheel to spec. Our brake caliper tools, brake line flaring tools and Nugeon brake caliper review cover the tooling and caliper side. Pump the pedal to seat the pads before moving the car, then bed the set as its maker directs. Electronic parking brakes and wear sensors add steps on many modern cars — if your car needs a scan-tool service mode, that is a shop job, not a shortcut opportunity.
Safety essentials
Brake work is safety work. Six rules:
- Support the car on stands on level ground — never work under a jack alone, and chock the wheels that stay down.
- Replace pads in axle pairs with the same material both sides; mismatched friction pulls under braking.
- Pump the pedal until it is firm before the first drive — the first stop after a pad change is not the place to find travel.
- Bed new pads as the maker directs and avoid maximum-effort stops in the first hundred miles unless avoiding a collision.
- Never let a caliper hang by its hose, and never open a brake line unless you can bleed the system afterwards.
- Grinding, a sinking pedal, or fluid loss means stop driving and inspect — pads are cheap, stopping distance is not.
The one job accessory with a verified listing in this guide’s research is the Orion Motor Tech Disc Brake Pad and Caliper Service Tool Kit — a 24-piece wind-back and compression set that retracts pistons without tearing boots, including on the wind-back calipers many rear axles use:
Two more job essentials are named without buttons because no listing was verified for them in this guide’s research: fresh brake fluid matched to the DOT spec on your reservoir cap — see our brake fluid guide — and a new hardware clip kit when the old clips are heat-blued or bent, covered in our brake hardware kits archive. Suspension neighbours worth inspecting on the same lift: control arms, ball joints and tie rod ends.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Squeal on light stops | Metallic material, missing or reused shims, no lubricant on contact points | Confirm material suits the car; fit shims and new hardware; lubricate contact points only |
| Grinding under braking | Pads worn to the backing plate | Stop driving; replace pads and inspect or replace rotors |
| Pedal pulses when stopping | Uneven transfer layer or rotor runout/thickness variation | Measure rotor runout and thickness; machine or replace rotors; re-bed |
| Long pedal after a pad change | Pistons not seated, or air/fluid problem | Pump to seat pads; check fluid level; bleed if a line was opened |
| Fade on a long descent | Material beyond its heat range — organic and ceramic first | Use engine braking; upgrade material (semi-metallic or carbon-fiber ceramic) at the next change |
| Wheels black within a week | Normal for semi-metallic and low-metallic compounds | Expected behaviour, not a fault; switch material at replacement if it bothers you |
Who should NOT buy these materials
Track-day drivers should buy none of the five as a track pad. Every example here is a street compound; circuit heat needs a dedicated pad, fluid and cooling. Start from our performance brake pads archive instead.
Towers and mountain drivers should not buy organic / NAO or standard ceramic. Heat is the deciding load, and both families concede it. Semi-metallic or carbon-fiber ceramic are the honest choices in this guide.
Quiet-cabin and clean-wheel owners should not buy semi-metallic or low-metallic. The noise and dust are material properties, not defects to be warrantied away; ceramic exists precisely for you.
Anyone unwilling to confirm a part number should not order yet. Material advice transfers between cars; shapes do not. Ten minutes with the maker’s catalogue beats a return, every time — the full brake pads archive is organised by fitment.
Final verdict
Best Overall Material: Bosch QuietCast Premium Ceramic BC2398.
Best for Heat and Heavy Use: Bosch QuietCast Premium Semi-Metallic BP978.
Best Sport Daily Material: Power Stop Z23 Evolution Sport Z23-1850.
Best for Initial Bite: Brembo Low-Met Brake Pads (P37018 front family).
Best Gentle Material for Light Cars: Brembo Premium NAO P28035N — retailer-sold; browse the brake pads archive for fitments and its labelled alternative in the review above.
One-line summary: ceramic for most, semi-metallic for heat, carbon-fiber ceramic for sporty daily pace, low-metallic for bite, NAO for gentle light-car use.
FAQ
What is the best brake pad material overall?
Ceramic, for most drivers. It is the quietest and cleanest-running family in the comparison sources, gentle on rotors and stable across normal temperatures, which is why it is our Best Overall pick. It only loses when heat becomes the main job — towing, heavy vehicles or long descents.
Are ceramic brake pads better than semi-metallic?
Better at quiet, clean, everyday braking; worse at extreme heat. Ceramic dusts less, runs quieter and wears rotors more slowly. Semi-metallic conducts heat away from the rotor, bites firmly and resists fade under load, at the cost of noise, dark dust and faster rotor wear. The right answer is the one that matches your driving, not a universal winner.
What are organic brake pads, and what does NAO mean?
Organic pads are resin-bonded fibres and fillers rather than metal or ceramic compounds. NAO means non-asbestos organic — the modern, asbestos-free form of the family. They are quiet, soft-pedalled and gentle on rotors, but they wear fastest and tolerate the least heat, so they suit light cars and gentle use. Some makers, Brembo included, sell NAO compounds inside a ceramic-named line, so read the material description, not just the box title.
What is a low-metallic brake pad?
A compound between organic and semi-metallic: in Brembo’s published definition for its Prime Low-Met pads, metal makes up 10–50% of the compound by weight. That metal content gives a quick, decisive initial bite and good heat dissipation, which is why low-metallic pads are common OE fitments on European cars. The trade is dust — owners consistently rate them dirtier than ceramic.
What are carbon-fiber brake pads?
In the street market, the term usually means a ceramic compound reinforced with carbon fiber — like Power Stop’s Z23 — not a full carbon-carbon racing pad. The carbon fiber raises braking power and fade resistance above a standard ceramic or OE pad while keeping ceramic’s low dust and quiet shims. It is a sporty daily-driver upgrade, not a track compound.
Can I mix brake pad materials front and rear?
Match materials across an axle without exception — left and right must be identical. Front-to-rear splits exist as factory specifications on some cars, but as a DIY rule, keep all four corners the same material family unless the vehicle maker’s own specification says otherwise. Mismatched friction changes brake balance and pedal feel in ways that are hard to predict.
How long do brake pads last by material?
Driving style and vehicle weight move the numbers more than material does, but the ranking in the comparison sources is consistent: organic wears fastest, ceramic and semi-metallic last longest, with low-metallic and carbon-fiber ceramic between. Any exact mileage figure would be a guess for your car — inspect thickness at every tyre rotation instead of trusting a calendar.
Do ceramic pads work when cold or in winter?
Yes for normal road use — ceramic pads stop from cold without a warm-up routine. Their first-bite feel is softer than a metallic pad’s, which some drivers notice most on the first stop of a cold morning. Semi-metallic’s firm cold bite is one reason it remains popular on heavy vehicles in cold climates.
Why do my new brake pads squeal?
Usually the material and the hardware, not danger: metallic compounds are inherently noisier, and reused shims or dry contact points add their own note. A short squeal during bedding is common; persistent squeal deserves an inspection for missing shims, glazed pads or worn rotors. Grinding is different — that is metal on metal and means stop and inspect now.
Should I replace rotors with new pads?
Only on measurement, not habit. If rotors are above minimum thickness, free of deep scoring and within runout spec, they can serve another pad set — though many shops replace or machine them to guarantee a flat bedding surface. Below spec, grooved or heat-cracked rotors will ruin new pads of any material, so the rotor decision comes before the material decision.
Sources & changelog
Manufacturer and listing sources: Bosch QuietCast Premium Ceramic BC2398 — Amazon listing record; Bosch QuietCast Premium Semi-Metallic BP978 — Amazon listing record; Power Stop Z23-1850 — Amazon listing record; Brembo — choosing the right pads (Low-Met definition); Brembo catalogue — P28035N NAO pad; Summit Racing — Brembo Low-Met and NAO lines.
Comparison and owner sources: Mechanics Diary — pad material comparison table; Frontech — brake pad materials guide; IDParts — Brake Pads 101; Drive55 — Brembo Low-Met owner notes; Vivid Racing — Brembo P28035N; Advance Auto Parts — Brembo Premium NAO line.
Changelog — October 22, 2026: guide first published.
By Leo, Founder, WinchInsider
Leo researches brakes, winches and truck gear from maker spec sheets, manuals and owner reports — never from a test bench he does not have. Every guide on this site is research-based and says so.
Related guides
- Brake pads archive — all pad guides by fitment
- Brakes, suspension and steering — the parent archive
- Brake rotors
- Brake calipers
- Nugeon brake caliper review
- Best suspension lift kit for trucks
- Sway bars
- Suspension bushings
Top pick: Bosch QuietCast Premium Ceramic BC2398 (ceramic — best overall material)