# Brake pad material **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [September 6, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-pad-material/36241 "2009-09-06T22:41:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Perv2820](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@Perv2820](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Perv2820)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-pad-material/36241/1 "2009-09-06T22:41:26Z")
I’m wondering what’s the advantage of ceramic brakes? The organic type is cheap and usually works fine. The semi-metallic are for longer wear and heavy braking contitions like bigger vehicles, towing, leadfoots in the city, etc. Are ceramic better than original? ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 11:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-pad-material/36241/2 "2009-09-06T23:31:05Z")
The ceramics are gentler on the rotors and you don’t get that ugly dust all over your wheels. but I have no Idea how the stopping power compares. ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-pad-material/36241/3 "2009-09-06T23:40:48Z")
My own personal experience with ceramic brakes has been that they are way superior to semi-metallic. They provide the same performance, but last longer and don’t wear down the rotors near as fast. Also, they don’t leave all that black brake dust on my shiny rims. And, they are original equipment on a lot of newer cars and trucks. Another noticable difference is they tend to leave a satin finish to the rotors, where semi-metallics left a shinier, almost mirror-like finish.