How do you know if a MF towel is of good quality?

[fastfurious23]

I was looking at the AGO MF comparison chart and it seems the only major differences are weight and price.

Microfiber Towels Comparison Chart (http://www.autogeek.net/mfchart.html)

For example:

Mango madness towel = 220/gm2, price $3.33 each
Supreme 530 towel = 530/gm2, price $7.99 each

Couldn't you build a towel with very cheap material, lots of it, so it is heavy? Would that then be a premium towel?

Is it in the softness of the towel?

[CDot]

Weight isn't necessarily the quality measurement, country of make/sew work and sometimes the blend ratios are what make the difference for me.

The Korean-made towels are better quality than those made/assembled in China. The blend ratios indicate how soft a towel can be. MF towels are part polyester and part polyamide (which is a polymer chain). An example of a synthetic polyamide is nylon, a natural example is silk/wool. The higher the polyamide percentage, the softer the towel.

[allenk4]

More often, the key difference is whether the fibers are split or not

Split will tend to be softer, more absorbent and clean more effectively


They key difference for me is that the cheaper towels seem to put off more lint

[NikonGuy]

Ouch. I buy the Zwipes brand on Amazon. 48 for $20. Maybe should invest in "better" towels

[fastfurious23]

Weight isn't necessarily the quality measurement, country of make/sew work and sometimes the blend ratios are what make the difference for me.

The Korean-made towels are better quality than those made/assembled in China. The blend ratios indicate how soft a towel can be. MF towels are part polyester and part polyamide (which is a polymer chain). An example of a synthetic polyamide is nylon, a natural example is silk/wool. The higher the polyamide percentage, the softer the towel.

Woobie towel? 70/30 polyester/polyamide. $9.33 each towel

For the polyamide portion of the MF towel, are there specific materials that are better quality? For example, from the ones you mentioned, is one better quality than the other? Also, is what the polyamide is made of typically available to the consumer as information? From the listings I see on AGO I can't find one that says what polyamde was used.


More often, the key difference is whether the fibers are split or not

Split will tend to be softer, more absorbent and clean more effectively


They key difference for me is that the cheaper towels seem to put off more lint

Going back to what I wrote above, as a consumer is this information of whether the fibers are split or not available to us? Regarding the lint, that I have seen in product information where some say that the towel does not lint.

[allenk4]

I think you are on full information overload


Here is some additional basic info:

Learn About Microfiber. Microfiber towels & tools are the future of car care detailing! (http://www.autogeek.net/leabmi.html)

[JHL88]

Most if not all MF towels made in Korea that I've come across are leaps and bounds higher quality than China made MF IMHO.

[FUNX650]

For the polyamide portion of the MF towel, are there specific materials that are better quality? For example, from the ones you mentioned, is one better quality than the other? Also, is what the polyamide is made of typically available to the consumer as information? From the listings I see on AGO I can't find one that says what polyamde was used.

IMO:
•It would be wonderful if PA 66 was the most prevalent polyamide used in MicroFiber (MF) towels, and other MF car-care products as well. It's a little expensive, though.

•A reputable Company/reseller, such as AGO, would not sell anything other than high quality MF products...
regardless the MF products': "plastics-ratio".


Bob

[cardaddy]

Nope, weight isn't the absolute factor. For instance, the Costco Kirkland gold towels that come 36/$13.95 are a true 350GSM towel (actually a little bit more than 350). Yet the "standard" for a decent microfiber would be 350GSM but that would preclude those exact towels.

What you would want as your 'low end' towels would be the dual-plush type that are still only 350~360GSM but are marketed along the likes of Gold Plush Jr. or better yet MFT's own dual-plush units.

Softness isn't exactly a Chinese versus Korean matter either. There are plenty of newer ultra-fine towels of the dual-nap design that you'll never find to be lacking in softness. But yes, the split weave Korean's are nice (I still have around 45+ of them). :D Yet I'll use the dual-nap design hands down over those as they tend to do more, work more, remove more products, in more instances than the split weave units.

FWIW, the 530's are nothing more than the grown up brother to the 360/365's. Whereas the 400's and 500's tend to be the finer, thinner, softer thread versions of the 360's and 530's while still having the dual-nap design.

[wdmaccord]

Agree with the split thread comments. I got a sample from MFT of the 500 gsm split towel and I like it better than the standard 530's they sell.

[VISITOR]

so many great sources to buy microfiber these days. just make sure it's soft, doesn't lint and monitor them after multiple washings to see if the degrade any. how you wash & care for them is just as important as the towels themselves...

[CDot]

Woobie towel? 70/30 polyester/polyamide. $9.33 each towel

For the polyamide portion of the MF towel, are there specific materials that are better quality? For example, from the ones you mentioned, is one better quality than the other? Also, is what the polyamide is made of typically available to the consumer as information? From the listings I see on AGO I can't find one that says what polyamde was used.

Never tried the Woobie towel, so not sure. A great resource on AGO is the reviews--they should tell you which MF towels everyone loves. I can tell you the ones I have from AG (Gold Plush Jr/Super Plush/Clean & Buff/Guzzler Combo) are all TOP quality.

I wish I knew what polyamide was used in MF towels, but I'm betting it's some sort of synthetic one. That's all I know :-(

[frankprozzoly]

I thought that the split fibers just meant its absorbent and non split repels water. I'll look it up I could be wrong

[cardaddy]

I thought that the split fibers just meant its absorbent and non split repels water. I'll look it up I could be wrong

If your towels are repelling water it's time you boil them and remove the sealants/oils and such. ;)

Remember that even the "Gary Dean method" didn't use fancy split fiber towels. Just your plain ol' everyday 360GSM towels. :)

[VP Mark]

If your towels are repelling water it's time you boil them and remove the sealants/oils and such. ;)

Remember that even the "Gary Dean method" didn't use fancy split fiber towels. Just your plain ol' everyday 360GSM towels. :)

You have boiled MF towels?? How did this effect them long term? Never heard of boiling a MF before.

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