The Smoother is a thin sponge about the same thickness as a wash mitt but with a band on top, which is perfect if you prefer washing with a pad but find it difficult to grip when washing vertical surfaces. It has incredibly soft fibres and a longer pile than most pads/mitts, but is not very dense and the netting is easily exposed (see close-up).
Its biggest downside is the fibres shed easily and regularly catch on things. This was immediately noticeable and there were some strands of fibre left on the car post wash. Aside from that, it’s thinness and lightness coupled with the band makes it extremely maneuverable and thus cleaning tight spaces such as door handles, underneath wind deflectors, around mirrors, and vertical surfaces are a breeze. You can also invert the band to use the other side of the pad.
Changes that would make this my ideal wash media:
- Slightly thicker, denser sponge
- Denser, slightly shorter fibers
- No label on the band
But since it lacks the above and a decent pad doesn’t cost much more, I wouldn’t recommend something like this for a main pad. However, if you find yourself struggling to clean the areas I mentioned previously with a traditional wash pad, its low price of 799 JPY still makes it worth having as a supplementary tool in my opinion. Would I recommend it as a first and only pad to beginners? Maybe. Verdict: 5/10 – it’s alright.
Product link: 799 JPY as of 21 Jan 2025 on Amazon JP
Thank you to Aetheon on the HTAD Discord for providing this review!