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The brake system is a vital part of any car’s anatomy. It relies on a combination of hydraulic power and friction to stop your vehicle. Each wheel has a braking mechanism and, depending on the car’s age, that mechanism may be disc brakes, drum brakes, or a mixture of the two. Most contemporary vehicles use disc brakes on at least the front axle, and these types of systems rely on metal rotors, brake calipers, and brake pads.

Brake pads are composed of a metal backplate and a layer of friction material like ceramic or metal. When you depress the brake pedal, a master cylinder compresses hydraulic brake fluid and sends it through fluid lines to the calipers. That hydraulic pressure causes the caliper to compress, forcing the brake pad into the rotor and generating friction to slow and stop your car. Those brake pads are durable components, but they don’t last forever. Depending on your vehicle, the type of driving you do, and the brake system, you can typically expect pads to last for roughly 35,000 miles of use. Once enough of the pads’ friction material has worn away, you need to replace them to keep your brake system in safe condition.

While the best move is to use original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts, many brands build quality brake pads. If you’re interested in learning about some of those brands, stick around. We searched the net and various automotive forums to find out which brands drivers consider to be the best, and we selected four names to share here. We based our selection on driver commentary and product application, but we’ll cover our methodology later. For now, here are four of the best brake pad brands according to drivers.

Akebono

Akebono is a name you’ll see a lot when it comes to discussions about the best brake pad brands. The Japanese company was founded in 1929 and entered the U.S. American market in 1980. Since then, Akebono has become an international presence in the world of automotive braking components, employing more than 9,000 people worldwide, including more than 3,500 in North America.

Akebono provides OEM parts for various automakers, including big names like Ford, General Motors, Honda, Subaru, Toyota, and more. The company cites its dedication to innovation and quality as a key reason why so many manufacturers choose Akebono parts, and claims that its specialized production system allows it to produce products with nearly zero defects per every million. Akebono’s products are centered around automotive braking and include everything from disc and drum brake assemblies to rotors, brake pads, and even electric parking brakes.

When it comes to brake pads, Akebono is a popular brand, and, as mentioned above, the company provides OEM parts to many of the biggest automakers of the day. That means that choosing Akebono pads might already be the best decision for you, depending on your vehicle. The company is highly respected among drivers and was the most frequently mentioned name we encountered in our search. Akebono’s prices on brake pads will vary slightly based on your vehicle. However, they’re relatively competitive with most other mainstream brands, and you should expect to pay around $50 to $65 for a box. You can buy Akebono brake pads and products at most local auto parts stores, as well as online through sellers like Amazon and RockAuto.

Wagner

Wagner is another well-known and popular name when it comes to quality automotive brake pads and brake system parts. The company was founded over a century ago in St. Louis, Missouri. Its first product was an electric fan with a self-starting motor, and in 1946, the company became the official brake supplier for Studebaker. Since then, Wagner has become a respected and recognizable name in the automotive brake industry, and its line of products encompasses everything from brake fluid to pads, rotors, and even vehicle light bulbs.

When it comes to top-rated brake pads, Wagner is a name you’ll see quite frequently, especially the company’s Wagner OEX line of pads. Wagner OEX pads are the brand’s line of premium disc brake pads and are designed to provide lifespans up to twice as long as standard pads. These brake pads are engineered for most vehicle types, including passenger cars, trucks, SUVs, and crossover utility vehicles (CUVs), and they feature a patented construction designed to reduce noise, vibration, and braking harshness.

The ceramic friction material is copper free and built to prevent the build up of dust, reducing rotor wear and damage over time. The company claims that Wagner OEX brake pads fit 98% of mainstream vehicles, including most popular domestic, European, and Asian makes, while the electrostatic powder coated backing plates are designed to resist corrosion and last longer than standard versions. Wagner brake products, including the OEX brake pad line, are available at most auto parts stores, as well as online retailers like Amazon and RockAuto, and the company’s prices are relatively competitive, with a box of brake pads typically going for between $45 and $65.

PowerStop

Another name you’re sure to hear in discussions about the best brake pad brands is PowerStop. The company has been around since the mid 1990s and focuses primarily on providing high-quality brake upgrades for DIYers. PowerStop is known for its brake upgrade kits, which can include everything you need to revitalize your car’s brakes, like pads, rotors, hardware, and calipers. PowerStop’s brake upgrade kits include things like drilled and slotted rotors and/or powder-coated calipers. However, you can also buy individual brake parts if all you’re interested in are some replacement pads.

Most of PowerStop’s brake pads are made with ceramic or carbon fiber ceramic friction materials. They’re designed to create minimal amounts of dust and feature powder-coated backing plates to prevent corrosion buildup. Despite offering various upgrade kits, many of PowerStop’s products don’t require you to make modifications to your vehicle. Rather, the upgrade part of the name refers to the pad’s advanced technology and performance-oriented design. The pads come with all of the hardware you need for a brake pad replacement, including dual-layer rubberized shims to reduce noise and a high-temperature lubricant. In addition to building a range of performance-oriented brake components, PowerStop tests all of its products using the L.A. Traffic Test — the same process that automakers use when checking new vehicles — to ensure that its brake systems meet the demands of real-world use.

As mentioned, PowerStop is a popular name among DIYers and was one of the most frequently-mentioned brands we encountered during our search. PowerStop products are available through various online and in-person retailers, like local auto parts stores and Amazon. However, the company’s products are slightly more expensive than the previous names covered, typically costing between $60 and $80 for a box of pads.

Raybestos

Raybestos is another popular manufacturer of automotive brake components with a history dating back more than a century. The company was founded in 1902 and maintains a team of engineers in McHenry, Illinois, along with various manufacturing plants located across North America and the globe. In the past century, Raybestos has become a well-known name in the automotive brake world and is committed to producing equipment up to or exceeding OEM standards.

One of the attractive features of Raybestos is that the company offers an expansive inventory of brake components. Not only can you buy things like new disc brake pads, calipers, and rotors, but Raybestos also sells drum brake parts, like drums and brake shoes, as well as various types of brake hardware, hub assemblies, air brake components, and numerous hydraulic brake parts. When it comes to brake pads, Raybestsos sells various types. One of the company’s most popular brake pads are the Element 3 pads. These products are built using a combination of ceramic and semi-metallic friction materials and feature multi-layer noise-dampening shims for a quieter ride. Raybestos also sells brake pads designed for specific types of driving and certain jobs, like its line of police and emergency response vehicle pads, as well as a line of specialty truck brake pads.

Like the other brands covered here, Raybestos has a pretty solid reputation, and we saw the name mentioned various times on different forums. Also, like the other names, Raybestos brake products are available at auto parts stores and through numerous online retailers. Raybestos brake pads are somewhat pricier than some of the other brands on this list, and you should expect to pay between $70 and $110 for a box.

Why did we choose to include these brake pad brands?

When selecting brake pad brands for this list, we examined a few criteria. While our primary interest was in discovering the brands that drivers and DIYers consider to be the best, we also wanted to look into the products’ prices and applications. For driver reviews and commentary, we took to the internet to search popular automotive forums for discussions about brake pads. Ultimately, we selected the four names that we saw appear most frequently in these threads, excluding brands that were mentioned negatively. Each of the names covered here is well-rated by drivers, DIYers, and professional mechanics across various forums, in addition to being well-known and respected brands outside of digital discussion.

Next, we wanted to find a handful of brands that offer quality parts at different price points. The first two brands featured here fall relatively close to the average when it comes to price, while the second two provide a slight step up in terms of price. It’s important to remember that a product’s price tag isn’t always a reflection of its quality, though, as the top-mentioned name we covered here is also one of the cheapest.

Finally, we also wanted to showcase a couple of different styles of brake pads. While Akebono pads are very similar to many OEM brake pads — in fact, depending on your vehicle, Akebono pads might be the same products that your manufacturer installs — PowerStop pads represent a slightly more performance-oriented option. We included this variety to offer a well-rounded group of choices. However, remember that OEM products are usually the best move for most drivers, so don’t forget to do your research when shopping for brake pads, and, if in doubt, select the products that your automaker recommends for your specific vehicle.