Satin Black VS Matte Black VS Gloss Black Wheels

Matte black tires have the least sheen and a color pattern that is the least brightest. It is the easiest to maintain. Whereas Satin black is slightly brighter than Matte black and has more sheen. Finally, Gloss Black wheels come with the most sheen and is the brightest of the choice. Although Gloss black wheels are the most prone to scratch marks. 

To get an even clearer view of Satin Black VS Matte Black VS Gloss Black Wheels, you need to get an idea behind the reason for the differences between reflectivity, color pattern and other properties. So, to get a clearer idea, let’s get started. 

Satin Black VS Matte Black VS Gloss Black Wheels: Brief Difference

Before the discussion begins, here is the tabular difference between Satin Black, Matte Black and Gloss black wheels. 

Factors	Satin Black	Matte Black	Gloss Black
Color Pattern
Color Durability	More Durable	Durable	Most Durable
Ease of Applying	Easy	Easy	Easy
Cleaning	Easy	Hard	Easier
Polishing	Easy	Hard	Easier
Ability to Handle Dust	Better	Good	Best
Prone to Scratch Marks	More	Least	Most
Reflectivity	More Reflective	Least Reflective	Most Reflective
Maintenance	Hard	Easiest	Hard
Cost	$75 – $930	$165 – $1050	$70 – $1500

Satin Black VS Matte Black VS Gloss Black Wheels: Detailed Difference

Now, let’s get into the details of each of the factors and see what causes the difference between Satin, Matte and Gloss black wheels. 

Color Pattern

Color Pattern is the main differing factor between Satin, Matte and Gloss Black wheels. Let’s start with the Matte Black finish. Matte type colours have the least brightness among the three and their shade of black is very unsaturated. The painting itself looks very dark and is mainly used to make the car look very sleek.

Satin type colours have more brightness compared to Matte type finishing. In comparison to matte-type finishing, it has more sheen in it and a more polished shade of black. This makes satin-type paints have a more shiny effect. 

But when it comes to the shiniest, glossy black should be the choice for you. It has a very shiny finish and has the best reflectivity. 

Now, use matte black color if your car has matte or gloss finish. Whereas gloss black will suit cars with gloss, matte and satin black finishing.

Apart from the sheen of the tires, here’s the 18×9.5 tire size if you needed a guide.

Verdict:

Choose gloss black if you want really shiny wheels whereas go for matte black is the best option if you want a relatively lighter shade. And, satin black for flat shade on your wheels. .

Color Durability

Sheen affects the durability of the wheel finishing. More is the sheen, more will be its resistance to damage. 

Among the options here, Gloss black wheels have the most sheen in it followed by satin black paints. Finally, matte black has the least sheen in it. So, in terms of durability you will get the most resistance from gloss wheel finishing and the least from matte black finishing.

Verdict:

Go for Gloss black for more color durability however matte black finishing has the least resistance and satin black falls in between in terms of color durability. 

Ease of Applying

In terms of difficulty in applying, you can easily apply the Satin, Matte and Gloss black on the wheels using the spray paint. Even as a novice, the steps are easy to follow and are pretty self explanatory.

With that said, you need multiple layers of coating for Satin, Matte and Gloss Black wheels. For example the manufacturers for gloss black wheels will suggest you to use 10 wet coats but for Satin black you can go for 5 wet coats.

If you’re confused about using Hyper Dip vs. Plasti Dip to colour the rims or anywhere on your car, know that hyper dip is the better option in terms of ease of cleaning and durability.

Verdict:

Although all three coatings are relatively easy to apply by spraying, you still need to remember the difference in the layer of coating. Normally, the gloss black wheels require the most level of coating. 

Cleaning 

Among the options, matte finish wheels are the hardest to clean. The cleaning ability is directly related to how easy it is to find the dust in wheels.

Normally dust is more visible on glossier wheels than darker wheels. That means matte finish wheels will be the hardest to clean since it is the darkest. Following that, satin black wheels will be relatively easier and gloss black wheels the easiest to clean. 

Verdict:

Gloss black wheels are the easiest to clean followed by satin black and matte black wheels are the hardest to clean. 

Polishing

It is possible to polish only the gloss black wheels. Generally you are recommended to not polish satin and matte black wheels because it will make the surface even more reflective. 

Ability to Handle Dust

Matte black wheels have smoother finishing which means it won’t have dust accumulating over its surface. The thicker and rougher the finishing, more will be its probability to accumulate dust.

On the other hand Satin and Gloss black have smoother finishing which is why there will be a higher probability that you will find dust on Satin and Gloss black wheels than Mattel.

Verdict:

Go for gloss black wheels if you don’t want to keep wiping off dust on a regular basis. 

Prone to Scratch Marks

Prone to scratch marks have a direct relation to the color reflectivity and the color shade of the wheels. If the wheel color shade is dark and has low reflectivity then it will have the lowest chance of showing the scratch marks. 

Based on this, you are better off choosing Matte black wheels because it will have the least probability of showing scratch marks and also the least chance of getting a scratch mark. On the other hand, you are at most risk of a scratch mark by choosing Matte black wheels. 

Verdict:

Choose Matte black wheels if you want to avoid dealing with scratch marks on a regular basis. 

Reflectivity

This depends on the brightness and color pattern. Darker shades of colors have the least reflectivity. So, Matte black wheels are the least reflective and on the opposite end, Gloss black wheels are the most reflective.

Verdict:

If reflectivity is your priority, then choose Gloss Black Wheels. 

Maintenance

Just like cleaning, the maintenance of the wheel depends on how easy it is to accumulate dust on the wheels and if it comes over through scrubbing or not.Since, gloss and satin back wheels show more dust compared to matte black wheels, it is more prone to scratches and requires more maintenance.  

But the way you maintain these tires vary a lot between Satin, Matte and Gloss black wheels. 

Normally you should use regular pH neutral cleaners to clean Satin, Matte and Gloss black wheels but avoid using chemicals or at least don’t let it dry. One of the main differences is that for Matte black wheels you treat it with iron fallout remover and tar remover. 

Verdict:

It is the easiest to maintain Matte black wheels since the colors are not as bright and it is harder to find brake dust. On the contrary, Gloss and Satin black wheels are the hardest to maintain. 

Cost

Normally the cost will vary based on the manufacturer of the wheel rim and the wheel diameter. 

Let’s look at an example. If you check the price for a wheel of smaller diameter you will find the price of a gloss black wheel will be around $70. But similarly if you look at the price for a larger diameter wheel made specifically for a brand like Chevy Camaro the price will be around $1500.

Although in this case $1500 means the total price of 04 pieces of wheels. Individually it will cost over $300. 

FAQs

Conclusion

Hopefully, by this point you should be clear between Satin Black VS Matte Black VS Gloss Black Wheels. Make sure to choose the right color type option based on your choices and definitely keep the cost in mind before you go on to make the decision.