Size - 5.25" for the US and 6" for the UK. This was negligible in my opinion. The size wasn't a major difference since this was both around my desired size of ~5.5". 6.5" was too big for me though. I like the 6" and smaller ones for their flexibility in getting into the tighter areas. Anything else is for 3" pads. Face style - both are waffle faced Thickness - UK pads are significantly thicker than the US ones. For those of you who find thickness as a factor, the UK ones are definitely the ones to buy. Foam - For the US ones, I have black and white. For the 3M UK, I have green and yellow. This may not be the most accurate comparison since they are made for different purposes, but the 3M UK ones are softer in my opinion. Maybe it's the extra thickness or maybe it's the different type of foam. Price and availability - Well, because of shipping, the US pads are much easier to attain. Seems like the colors are completely different though. Collectively, they've got everything. My go to colors are black, green, orange, and yellow now, so it's not a huge problem for me. Verdict : I slightly prefer the UK pads mostly because they are significantly thicker. It gives you a little more room to push the waffle face down to be a little flatter, so it breaks down polish a little more evenly. The US pads skid a little bit if you push too far. You've got to be a little more delicate in putting pressure to flatten the pad, but overall, once you're used to it, it's not bad at all. 3M UK wins in my opinion by a slight margin! Aside from maybe the Uber pads which I'm dying to try, I'd say either of these two pads are the best pads to buy. Compared to the LC pads, I like these a lot better. I dislike the stiffness in their orange pads. It would break down polish nicely, but it didn't go around slight bends in angel nearly as well as either of these 3M ones. I haven't tried Sonus pads yet, so I can't comment on that. I hope you all find this review helpful in your future buys!
