Best MTB Brake Pads (2026)

Your pads went metal-on-metal three rides ago, and everyone climbing Fromme heard about it. Now you're staring at a wall of pad options.

Picking the best MTB brake pads comes down to two decisions: the pad shape that fits your caliper, and the compound that matches how and where you ride. Get those two right and everything else is preference.

Already know what fits? Head for our full brake pad collection. Every set ships from North Vancouver, BC.

Step 1: Match the pad to your caliper, not your bike

Brake pads are brake-specific, not bike-specific. The model on your caliper decides the pad shape, and shapes don't interchange. A Shimano 4-piston pad won't fit a 2-piston caliper, a Hope V4 won't fit an E4, and SRAM road pads won't fit mountain calipers.

Crouch down by the wheel. The model name is usually on the side facing the spokes. Then our Mountain Bike Brake Pad Compatibility Chart maps every brake we cover to the right pad.

One trap: some brakes changed pad shape between generations without changing the name (SRAM's road AXS is the usual offender), check the year. Wrong shape shows up anyway? Mail the unused set back and I'll send out the right ones on my dime.

Step 2: Pick your compound

Three compounds at Loam Goat, sourced from specialist pad manufacturers and tested on the trails out our back door:

• Sintered (gold). The longest-wearing compound we carry, my pick for riders logging wet, gritty kilometres all winter. Also the loudest, and a little harder on rotors. One check before you buy: make sure your rotors aren't resin-only.
• Gravity (green). Takes longer to bed in and can be vocal while it does, then settles down and outlasts Trail. It's my favourite for the trails around here.
• Trail (purple). Beds in fastest and runs the quietest of the three, trading some lifespan for it.

The part most pad marketing skips: at the lever, Trail and Gravity feel very close. Pick between them on bed-in, noise and lifespan, not an imaginary power chart. Sintered is the distinct one. Skip it unless pad life matters above all else.

A few patterns from the shop:

• Want quiet? Trail or Gravity. Both settle down once bedded in.
• Park or shuttle laps? Gravity. The park loves to eat pads.
• Wet coastal winter, or a heavy e-bike on descents? Sintered earns its noise.
• Mixing compounds front and rear is fine. Plenty of riders run one of each.

Over 210 reviews at 4.85 stars, and every set carries our 60-Day Guarantee. Pick wrong for your conditions and I'll sort it out.

Best MTB brake pads by brand

There's a full fitment guide for each major brake brand. Find yours:

• Shimano, Four pad shapes cover the whole lineup, and Saint, XT and SLX 4-piston share the same one. Start with our Shimano brake pad guide or the Shimano collection. Running XT M8120 or another 4-piston? There's a dedicated XT M8120 and 4-piston guide.
• SRAM, Code, Maven, Guide, G2 and Level are in our SRAM brake pad guide, full range in the SRAM collection. Code pads fit every Code model we list. Drop bars? See our SRAM Force, Rival and Red AXS guide.
• Hope, V4 or E4, that's the whole decision. Our Hope brake pad guide breaks it down, including which Lewis brakes share Hope pad shapes. Shop the Hope collection.
• Magura, Two shapes: 4-piston (MT5, MT7) and 2-piston (MT2 through MT8). The Magura brake pad guide covers the lineup, the MT5 and MT7 guide goes deep on the 4-pistons. Shop the Magura collection.
• Hayes, Dominion pads in Sintered, Gravity and Trail, plus Sintered for the older MX mechanical brakes. Dominion A4 and T4 take the same pad. Shop the Hayes collection.
• Formula, Cura 4 pads in Gravity and Trail, and Sintered for the 2-piston Cura, One, R1 and RX. Shop the Formula collection.

Riding an e-bike?

Extra weight and extra speed put more heat into your brakes, and heat kills pads. We stock pads for the common e-bike systems from Shimano, Magura, SRAM, Tektro and Lewis. Our e-bike brake pad guide covers fitment and compound, or browse the e-bike brake pads collection.

FAQ

How do I know which brake pads fit my bike?

Check the model name on the caliper body, then match it in our compatibility chart. The bike brand doesn't matter. The brake model does.

Are aftermarket brake pads as good as OEM?

Good aftermarket pads give you choices the stock spec doesn't. Riders ask how ours compare to their current pads. Hard to say exactly, but I know which will be quieter. The full picture is in OEM vs Aftermarket Brake Pads.

Sintered, Gravity or Trail: which should I run?

Wet coast winters, long descents, or an e-bike? Sintered. Mixed trail riding where noise and bed-in matter? Gravity or Trail. Our sintered vs organic comparison goes deeper.

Do I need new rotors to switch compounds?

Trail and Gravity run on any rotor. For Sintered, check your rotors aren't resin-only first.

When should I replace my brake pads?

Check thickness every few rides. Under about 1mm of pad material, swap them. Push the pistons back with a plastic tire lever, never anything metal on the pistons themselves. Here's how to tell when your pads are worn.

Ready to sort your brakes? A set of 2 Pairs (4 Pads) covers the whole bike, front and rear. Not sure what fits? Send us a quick message with your brake model and I'll confirm before you order.

You might also like

• How to Bed In New Brake Pads, get full power from a fresh set
• Best Brake Pads for Wet Weather Mountain Biking, for those of us riding through the rain