Apple's new & cheaper Apple Polishing Cloth almost as good as the original

I tested out Apple's updated polishing cloth. It still cleans fine, and there are still cheaper options.

The Apple Polishing Cloth first arrived on the scene in 2021 with a $19 price tag. It's easily mocked as it is just a fancy cleaning cloth.

Its popularity was unrivaled, but it's uncertain how many were bought outside of video producers, honestly.

In the early days, Apple Polishing Cloth was routinely out of stock, both in stores and online. Over time, Apple's made it a regular practice to update the cloth's compatibility with new product releases.

It's one of six cleaning cloths that Apple has released in recent years, believe it or not.

Now the cloth itself has been updated. Sort of.

All slightly different, there is a polishing cloth for Apple Vision Pro, one for the iPad Pro with nano-texture finish, one for the Pro Display XDR, one for the Studio Display with nano-texture finish, the original Apple Polishing Cloth, and second-generation Apple Polishing Cloth.

Out with the old, in with the new

Apple's freshly-revamped cleaning cloth hasn't changed much. It's still a 6.3-inch by 6.3-inch square of material with rounded corners.

It's a dual-layer cloth with edges that are fused together. An Apple logo is stamped onto the lower-right corner of both cloths.

Comparing the two, the new version is using a different material than its predecessor. The original felt almost suede-like while the new one looks like more of a standard microfiber.

The new material, that Apple calls simply a "soft, nonabrasive material," is quite a bit softer and less stiff. Since it's still a dual-layer cloth, this makes it easier to hold as you're cleaning.

At the same time, the thinner material feels cheaper than the original, and I don't mean cost. It's more akin to the large and thin polishing cloth included with the Apple Vision Pro, but with a two-layer construction than it was to the first official Apple Polishing Cloth.

No more fingerprints

The Apple Polishing Cloth is very soft and protective. Apple says that it is specifically designed for all of its display finishes, including nano-texture which can be damaged by poor-quality fabrics.

With a change in material and price, I wanted to know how well the cloth would clean. Even though it was $20 for a cleaning cloth, the first one was basically the best-performing cleaning cloth I'd used. Opinions vary amongst the staff here.

When taking photos or shooting video, I have to clean product displays often. Using the old Apple Polishing Cloth was a daily task.

Fortunately, it seems just as good as before. It doesn't feel like it grabs oils as well, but the results were the same in the end.

Before, I thought it was the best cleaning cloth around. Now, I think it's a little more average, but still very effective.

Grab your own

If you want a very good cleaning cloth for all your devices, the new Apple Polishing Cloth is a solid choice.

You can buy both in-store and online from Apple for $9. If you want a cloth comparable to the original, the Cloth Pro Max from Copland Supply has been the closest match I've found.

Or, you could get five of them more similar to the original without the Apple stamp, for $7.79, delivered. Your choice.