2017 GOLF CLUB CLEANERS BUYER'S GUIDE
Do you use a towel and a tee to clean your clubs? Or, maybe a wire brush from your local Lowes or Home Depot? Not surprisingly, many golfers do.
If the results of this Buyer's Guide are any indication, then you should make a change. A good brush not only makes cleaning your clubs easier, you'll do a much better job, and you'll be more likely to spin wedges back like the pros. Who doesn't want to do that?
We're Here to Help
The process of buying anything in today's time has become stressful and time-consuming. We feel the best reviews are those that help you make the right choices and help you get the most out of your time and money. This way you can buy with confidence and eliminate a lot of the guesswork. We are here to help show you how a product will perform before you buy.
One key to our testing protocols is that we test products head-to-head. We select the top products from each category and put them through extensive and detailed head-to-head testing. We test both in the lab and in the field. We score each product across a range of weighted categories. We then rank the products, explain why products finished where they did, and give awards to the best-performing products in the category.
Club cleaner scoring centered around how well the brush did its job. As you'd expect, the ability for the cleaner to clean was the most important factor in the scoring. We also considered the ease of use, size of the cleaner, and its durability.
THE METRICS
We're always fine-tuning the process to make sure we're collecting the best data possible. Continuing that trend we've updated and refined this year's analysis to bring you the best buying advice possible.
Club Cleaners Feature Chart
| Name | COST | Colors | BRUSHES | GROOVE CLEANER | DETERGENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FROGGER BRUSH PRO | $17.95 | 5 | 1 | Y | N |
| GROOVE CADDY | $24.91 | 1 | 1 | N | N |
| CLUB CHAMP PREMIUM 3 IN 1 | $7.68 | 1 | 2 | Y | N |
| GROOVE DOCTOR | $10.41 | 1 | 1 | Y | N |
| ATHLETIC WORKS | $8.99 | 1 | 1 | N | Y |
| D-BRUSH (X3) | $5.55 | 1 | 1 | N | N |
| RAY COOK | $4.99 | 1 | 2 | Y | N |
| LOWES WIRE BRUSH | $6.88 | 5 | 1 | N | N |
| GROOVIN-TEE | $11.95 | 1 | 0 | Y | N |
| CLEAN HIT | $37.92 | 1 | 1 | Y | Y |
| GROOVE TUBE | $5.97 | 1 | 1 | N | Y |
We put in hours of testing time, utilizing data-driven protocols to test new criteria. The metrics and attention to detail are better than ever.
The most important factor in terms of club cleaners is their ability to clean. Because of this, our testing centered around the cleaning ability of the products tested. We also noted the weight and size of the submissions. Then we took the dirtiest set of clubs we could find and got to work cleaning.
We asked our testers to rate the ease of cleaning with each product, we also asked specific questions about the durability of the club cleaners tested.
Cleaning Ability (40 points) - How well does the club cleaner do its job? Does it offer both a brush and groove cleaner? Does it offer different types of brushes? Over the course of testing, we found that there are many ways to clean clubs. The best performers in this category offer versatility. Not only to they provided multiple useful ways to clean the clubs, but they're also easier to use. Enhancements include electric brushes, groove cleaners, and detergent containers. The worst club cleaners provided little more cleaning power than what you'd get with a tee and a towel.
Ease of Use (30 points) - Straight from the package, how easy is it to clean your clubs? Testers ere allowed to read the product's instructions before the test began. Points were not deducted if a product needed to be charged, or required detergent to be added prior to use.
Durability (20 points) - Most club cleaners cost less than $10, but there's little value if you have to replace your brush every month. The top finishers in the category should outlast the average brush. Poor products in this category likely won't last very long at all.
Size (10 points) - We determined both the weight and volume of the club cleaner. While most golfers simply clip their club cleaner to their bag, a bulky brush can be annoying. The best performers in this category were small and simply clipped easily the bag. The poorer performers were bulky and lacked a fastening mechanism. This means that these club cleaners must be stored in the bag as opposed to attached to the side.
Final grades were awarded based on total scores. Best Overall is our highest overall scoring club cleaner, and awards are given to the top three submissions. Also, more specific Best in Class recognitions are awarded to club cleaners in certain categories (like durability, ease of use, and cleaning ability) that push the industry's design envelope.
We also give an "Editor's Choice" and a "Best Buy" award to those products that provide value products that compete with the bigger names on performance.
THE BEST CLUB CLEANERS OF 2017
FROGGER BRUSH PRO
"Editor's Choice"
|
Cost
|
$17.95 |
|
Ease of Cleaning
|
1st |
|
Size
|
3rd |
|
Durability
|
2nd |
|
Functionality
|
1st |
|
Score
|
90.25 |
What We Liked
Reliability is what we’ve come to expect from Frogger, and its Brush Pro doesn’t disappoint. The multi-material brush is extremely effective at removing caked on mud. Multiple color options ensure that, if you care about such things, your club cleaner matches your bag. The groove cleaner safely collapses into the brush. Did you know Frogger makes a range of other golf accessories?
Pros
- “Best in Class” Ease of Cleaning
- “Best in Class” Functionality
- Multiple color options
- Hidden groove cleaner
- Integrated brush
Cons
- Retractor clip can be difficult to fasten/unfasten
GROOVE CADDY
|
Cost
|
$24.91 |
|
Ease of Cleaning
|
2nd |
|
Size
|
9th |
|
Durability
|
1st |
|
Functionality
|
4th |
|
Score
|
88 |
What We Liked
There’s no need to labor over cleaning your clubs with the Groove Caddy. Just flip the switch, and clean away. The high-quality bristles will last for several rounds. Groove Caddy’s electronic club cleaner offers the most significant technological enhancement in the test.
Pros
- “Best in Class” Durability
- Electronic cleaning is unbelievably easy
Cons
- Must be charged
- Not particularly ergonomic
- Comparatively large and bulky
CLUB CHAMP
"Best Buy"
|
Cost
|
$7.68 |
|
Ease of Cleaning
|
3rd |
|
Size
|
3rd |
|
Durability
|
4th |
|
Functionality
|
2nd |
|
Score
|
87.25 |
What We Liked
Club Champ’s Retrac technology ends the chances of you loosing your club brush. Two different brushes ensure that you can tackle even the dirtiest clubs. An extra-sharp groove cleaner keeps spin rates up. A great value at less than $8. Overall a club cleaner that does everything you would expect it to.
Pros
- Retrac technology
- Extreme value
- Multiple brushes
- Effective groove cleaner
Cons
- Sharp groove cleaner
- Detachable groove cleaner can be easily lost
- No new technology
2017 Golf Club Cleaner Buyers Guide
| Name | COST | Cleaning | Ease of Use | Size | Durability | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FROGGER BRUSH PRO | $17.95 | 1st | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 90.25 |
| GROOVE CADDY | $24.91 | 2nd | 1st | 9th | 1st | 88 |
| CLUB CHAMP | $7.68 | 3rd | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 87.25 |
| GROOVE DOCTOR | $10.41 | 4th | 5th | 5th | 3rd | 85.5 |
| ATHLETIC WORKS | $8.99 | 6th | 7th | 8th | 6th | 83 |
| D-BRUSH (X3) | $5.55 | 7th | 4th | 1st | 10th | 81 |
| RAY COOK | $4.99 | 5th | 6th | 6th | 7th | 77.75 |
| LOWES WIRE BRUSH | $6.88 | 10th | 8th | 6th | 8th | 74.5 |
| GROOVIN-TEE | $11.95 | 11th | 9th | 2nd | 11th | 74.25 |
| CLEAN HIT | $37.92 | 8th | 10th | 11th | 5th | 73 |
| GROOVE TUBE | $5.97 | 9th | 11th | 10th | 9th | 66.5 |
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