Top 10 Best Brake Rotors Of 2022 Reviews

Brake rotors are as essential as proper brake pads since they are used in unison. Brake pads fit onto the rotors to grip and stop wheels, using friction.

Since they’re essential to your road safety, it can be quite the mountain to climb, trying to find the best rotors for your vehicle. That’s why we’ve searched high and low to put together a list of the best brake rotors currently on offer and reviewing them. Hopefully, that’ll help you select the perfect one for your vehicle.

So, without further ado, here are our top picks…

Best Brake Rotors On The Market Reviews And Buying Guide

1 Brembo UV Coated Front Brake Disc Rotor – Best Pillar Vented Brake Rotors

Brembo is well known for its high-quality products, and its UV coated front brake rotors are no different.

Excellent performance…

These best brake rotors are environmentally friendly with their solvent-free UV coated design, offering fantastic brake protection.

The rotors are made of high carbon cast iron, minimizing noise and vibration, delivering a super smooth ride with excellent performance and durability.

Pillar venting technology…

Brembo has also added pillar venting technology. This keeps the brake discs over 40% cooler by allowing more air to flow through them. This also adds some extra strength. These rotors are also on the heavier side, weighing more than most of the other rotors on this list.

Brembo rotors are as good as OEM brake rotors. They cost a bit more than other manufacturers, but when it comes to safety, only the best will do.

2 ACDelco Non-Coated Front Disc Brake Rotor – Best Mill Balanced Brake Rotors

The ACDelco front disc brake rotors are manufactured from multiple metal alloys and offer excellent heat dissipation. This not only helps the rotors stay cool but keeps them in excellent, working condition for longer.

Mill-balanced…

The rotors are mill-balanced, which keeps braking smooth and vibration-free. It also means that you won’t need any additional weights to balance the brakes beforehand, making installing them suitably straightforward.

The rotors look and feel premium, and have a rounded radius for extra durability.

However…

These rotors have not been coated, which could lead to corrosion if they stay wet or are used in a humid/tropical environment.

3 Power Stop Front Brake Rotors Kit – Best Brake Rotor Kit

Power Stop’s front brake rotors kit is our premium option on the list, and you can expect suitably excellent performance. They are made with high-quality materials providing extraordinary stopping power, durability, and reliability.

Premium carbon-fiber ceramic…

The rotors are made of a premium carbon-fiber ceramic compound that works well in addition to ceramic brake pads. On offer here is a whole set, which means you get the brake rotors and brake pads, as well as everything else needed to fit everything onto your vehicle.

Kitted out…

This kit offers less dust, up to 30% less than OE brakes, and the dual-layered rubberized shims help keep noise levels down. The rotors are drilled and slotted, helping keep them cool and increasing their effectiveness and durability.

Great for full replacements…

If your brakes need replacement, buying the whole set like this might end up saving you a few dollars, and the quality on offer here is superb.

The rotors are a little heavier than OEM parts, so do take note if you are a track racer.

4 Bosch QuietCast Disc Brake Rotor – Best Clean Look Brake Rotors

Bosch is known for making excellent products that are durable and perform well. Their QuietCast series includes some of the best car parts on the market, and their rotors are no different.

Clean-look coating…

They’re made of bi-metal aluminum and zinc with a clean-look coating that not only looks great but lasts longer than most competitors while offering high performance.

Vibration and noise-free…

The rotors have OEM-style vanes for optimum heat dissipation, keeping things cool and reducing wear. Their precision is balanced for a vibration and noise-free braking experience like no other.

Easy install…

Installation is easy with everything you need is included, even ABS sensor rings.

These rotors will be a perfect fit for anyone, but you will get an even better experience if you pair these rotors with Bose’s QuietCast brake pads.

5 ACDelco Professional Front Disc Brake Rotor – Best In Class Brake Rotors

ACDelco features on this list for a second time. That’s because they make excellent quality aftermarket car parts at great prices. Their Professional Front Disc Brake Rotor is no different.

Double value…

These are almost double the price of their non-coated brake rotors, so why splurge so much extra on these?

Being coated, these rotors are prevented from rusting and wearing out quickly, especially in tropical climates.

Precision counts…

These rotors have a thickness variation that is less than 0.0004. This means the rotors are well-balanced minimizing brake noise, pedal pulsation, and extending the rotor’s life.

Best in class…

The rotors follow the same design as OE parts for dispersing heat, which means cool rotors and a longer life.

ACDelco Pros are some of the best available. Even at a higher price, they will still save you money when compared to OE parts.

6 Brembo Front Disc Brake Rotor – Best OEM Brake Rotors

Brembo’s second pair of rotors on the list is cheaper, but with a lower price tag comes some compromises.

Coating…

First off, there is no real coating on these. They offer a protective oil coating that can be applied every now and then, but that won’t cut it in wet or tropical conditions.

That said, these rotors are manufactured from high-quality carbon with precision balancing keeping them vibration and noise-free.

OEM standards…

The rotors are manufactured precisely to OEM standards and sizes, making them easy to fit onto your vehicle.

Brembo’s patented pillar venting technology also keeps the rotors cooler for longer, increasing their effectiveness and lifespan.

7 Wagner Premium E-Coated Brake Rotor – Best Low Prep Brake Rotors

The Wagner Premium brake rotors are affordable but still offer high performance and durability.

OE-specific vane design…

The rotors are manufactured with an OE-specific vane design that gives you excellent braking power while keeping the rotors cool, noise-free, and smooth.

Braking stability…

The rotors are coated in a protective coating that keeps rust at bay, even in cold or wet weather. The design also means less break-in time than most other rotors. Also, they are spin balanced, which improves braking stability.

Less prep time for fitting…

Wagner Premium rotors are stored in a vapor corrosion inhibitor bag, which helps with the prepping before putting the rotors on. This means there is no need to put an oil coating over these, reducing the prep time needed.

These rotors pair perfectly with Wagner’s premium brake pads for optimal braking performance.

8 Raybestos Professional Grade Disc Brake Rotor – Best Out the Box Brake Rotors

Raybestos’ professional-grade rotors are decently priced, high-quality rotors that offer exceptional stability and durability for the ultimate braking experience.

99.8% Compatibility…

There are three options in Raybestos’ line-up. These are the cheapest of the bunch and are manufactured for everyday use. They fit 99.8% of vehicles on the road currently.

The rotors are SAE-compliant and have tight lateral runouts and almost no thickness variation, which means the smoothest of rides and quick braking power.

Out of the box fitting…

Raybestos disc brake rotors have a non-directional ground finish, which makes fitting them easy as it can be done right out of the box.

These rotors are not coated. They do come shipped with a bit of corrosion-resistant oil, but they won’t last as long as coated rotors.

9 Centric Premium Brake Rotor – Best E Coated Brake Rotors

Centric’s Premium brake rotors are a little bit more expensive than most rotors on the list but offer great durability and performance.

E-coating…

They are coated with an E-coating. This coating is electrostatically applied to the rotors and can withstand 400 hours submerged in saltwater and not rust. The coating is far superior to phosphate finishes, which tend to dissipate upon installation.

Split center core castings…

The rotors stay cool with split center core castings, and the mill balancing keeps them vibration and noise-free for the most part.

These rotors have a more premium price and don’t really offer anything special for the extra expense. We’d recommend looking at some of the better-priced brakes if you need something cheaper.

10 Bendix Brake Rotor – Best Budget Brake Rotors

The Bendix brake rotors are the cheapest rotors on our list, so are they worth saving some cash for?

As low priced as they are, the Bendix brake rotors are manufactured to OE standards with original vane designs and configurations. This keeps the rotors as cool as any OE on the market. These rotors are also manufactured to SAE-standards, which ensures proper durability and quality performance.

Smooth, vibration-free…

The rotors are smooth with a non-directional surface. They’re well balanced, ensuring a seamless, vibration-free braking experience every time.

These rotors aren’t coated, so you need to apply a layer of protective oil or paint before you install these, or they will rust in wet or cold conditions quickly.

Best Brake Rotors Buying Guide

If your car isn’t braking as fast or smoothly as you’d like, it’s most likely time for some new brake rotors and pads.

Buying the correct brake rotors for your needs is essential, and there are three different types of rotors on the market.

Drilled

Drilled rotors have holes drilled into them, and these holes help with heat dissipation, which is vital for longevity. The holes also help control water flow during rain or other wet conditions, which prevents the brakes from slipping.

Slotted

Slotted rotors have slots carved onto their surface area, and these slots help move heat, water, and gas away from the brake pads. These rotors are mostly used for professional driving like racecars and tuner cars.

Smooth

Smooth rotors have no holes or slots. These blank rotors are designed for light usage and usually come with cars straight off the showroom floor. These rotors are generally much cheaper to manufacture and sell for less too.

When buying rotors, it is essential to look at a few key manufacturing details as well…

Material

The material the rotors are made of is significant. Most rotors are made of cast iron, but some more premium rotors can be made of carbon or steel. Carbon rotors have the best performance and do well with heat dissipation. You will find them on high-performance vehicles a lot. If you are looking for casual-use rotors, steel offers better heat dissipation than cast iron and is also lighter.

Coating

Some rotors have protective coatings on them for rust prevention. These coatings are excellent for the longevity of your rotors, especially if you live in tropical conditions where it is very wet and humid. These coatings also help for places that get extremely cold.

Looking for some more excellent products for your car?

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You may also be interested in our reviews of the Best Garage Door Opener, the Best Car Vacuum Cleaner, the Best Car Compasses, and the Best Carburetor Cleaners currently available.

Back to brake rotors…

So, what are the Best Brake Rotors?

Our top pick for the best of all the brake rotors on our list are the…

Bosch QuietCast Premium Rotors

These brake rotors are exceptionally well built with aluminum and zinc casting. They are coated with Alutherm 80, which prevents rust forming. The G3000 heat flowed castings also keep them from getting too hot, extending their lifespan, and keeping them vibration and noise-free.

They are also reasonably priced, and for what you get, you won’t find better.

Stay safe on the road.