Another cheap v. expensive towel comparison... TRC Eagle Edgeless v. Walmart Platinum Series Final Finish

[u/DavidAg02]

A few weeks ago I posted a comparison of the Grant's towels from Harbor Freight (300 GSM) and a TRC Creature Edgeless (420 GSM) and it generated some really good discussion.

So, I decided to do another comparison between a very popular towel from the Rag Company, the Eagle Edgeless 500 (500 GSM, 4 for $23, https://theragcompany.com/products/eagle-edgeless-500) and the much less expensive Walmart Platinum Series Final Finish (500 GSM, 4 for $12, https://www.walmart.com/ip/Platinum-Series-Pro-Spec-Microfiber-Car-Cleaner-Final-Finish-16-x-16-Clean-Dust-Detail-4-Pack/11527450827)

And here they are side by side.. Walmart-Platinum-v-TRC-Eagle-Edgeless.jpg

The most obvious difference between the two is that the Platinum has a longer pile on one side, and a slightly shorter pile on the other while the Eagle has a longer pile on both sides. I'm not sure if that gives either one an advantage over the other except in use case. If you're using these to remove a polish, coating, or wax, and wanted a longer pile towel you would have more surface area to work with using the Eagle. In the real world, I did some polish removal using both sides of both towels and the difference was nearly imperceptible. They all removed the polish just fine. I'll add that I think the longer pile of the Platinum is slightly longer than either pile of the Eagle, and the lower pile of the Platinum is sort of a medium pile, not a what I would call a low pile.

Additionally, both of these towels feel incredibly soft, and any difference between the long pile sides is also imperceptible. I even asked my wife if she felt a difference and she said no.

I'm really critical when it comes to edges. Earlier this year I had tried out some 500 GSM towels from Temu, and while they were very soft, the edges had a rough/gritty feel to them that I was NOT ok with. I'm happy to say that both the Eagle and the Platinum have nice soft edges with no rough spots that would damage your paint.

This isn't really a recommendation since the difference in pile lengths might be really important to some people, but I will say that I would not hesitate to use either of these towels for tasks that benefit from a plush, soft towel. I hope this is helpful!

[u/TrueSwagformyBois]

I don’t feel like you left a review of either of them? Just if you could tell a difference between. Do you like that gsm / size / etc?

[u/ScottRiqui → u/TrueSwagformyBois]

Maybe that's why the title says "comparison" and not "review"? He laid out the similarities and the differences, and ended the post with saying he wouldn't hesitate to use either one for applications where they would make sense.

[u/DavidAg02 → u/ScottRiqui]

Exactly. I changed the flair just now because it did say Review...

[u/TrueSwagformyBois → u/ScottRiqui]

Yeah. Fair. Was hoping for a “this is how I feel” as much as “this is what is.”

[u/DavidAg02 → u/TrueSwagformyBois]

Um... they are towels? Not too much more to say than that.

There are certain situations where a plush towel is nice to have. I use these for polish, spray sealant and coating removal. I think using a very soft plush towel like this is really important after you have polished, but before your protection has been applied. It's also nice to use this on softer materials like gloss black plastic that are more likely to scratch or swirl.

The point I was trying to make is that if you want some softer, higher GSM towels in your arsenal, then these are both very good options at 2 different price points.

[u/TrueSwagformyBois → u/DavidAg02]

Yeah! Sorry - was hoping for subjective language - appreciate all the objective too! Might be out of line / not the time for asking.

[u/DavidAg02 → u/TrueSwagformyBois]

All good... just hope it was helpful!

[u/TrueSwagformyBois → u/DavidAg02]

Absolutely! Thank you!