When detailing we tend to focus on finding our favorite chemicals as they are most of the time, the most important product used during a specific detailing step. Items such as microfiber towels and applicator pads are incredibly important as well, but seem to be always overlooked.

This past weekend I wanted to not only test out a few different tire dressings, but also a few different applicators to see if any stood out to me while in use. The CarPro Tire Swipe Applicator v2 has been on my list of applicators to test out and the first one I reached for.

CarPro designed this applicator with an asymmetrical radius shape and two layer makeup. The top foam is more porous and features the unique shape, while the bottom foam is more dense and durable. This construction allows you to easily hold the applicator with the bottom foam, while gliding it across the face of many different tire shapes. For reference, this applicator is 3.75″ long, 1.57″ wide and has a depth of 2.50″ (Lowest point) and 3.25″ (highest point).

When testing I was looking for three key features:

• How easy is the applicator to hold and maneuver?
• Does the tire dressing sit on the surface or soak into the applicator?
• How much of the tire is covered in one pass?

After use, it is safe to say that this applicator is one of my favorite applicators for medium to smaller tires! The more dense lower foam not only makes holding and handling of the applicator easier, but it stops a lot of the applicator from becoming saturated during use. Your hands stay dry and you have less dripping on reapplication due to reduced saturation of the foam. Now I used this applicator with the CarPro Perl, which is a thicker solution, so a thinner solution may soak into the foam more quickly, but overall the construction will help limit that.

The asymmetrical radius shape was one feature I originally thought was more of a gimmick or something that would simply not work as well, but I find myself loving the shape. The tires on my Maverick have a wider face to them, so the longer side of the applicator tipped slightly over the face of the applicator allowing me to more thoroughly cover the tire in less passes. I also used this applicator on my wife’s Escape and her tires have a more narrow face, but a small lip just before the tire and rim meet. You can use the Tire Swipe with the long side at the top to help cover more of the face, or with these tires I found myself flipping the applicator and using the longer side at the bottom. Since the tire face was a little more narrow, the short side still reached the top of the face, while the longer side at the bottom helped me tuck into the lip, more thoroughly covering the entire area of the tire in one swipe.

Simply put, if you have not had the chance to use this applicator I highly recommend putting it at the top of your testing list!