Sheen is the same. Difference is durability and color. HD will be the most durable of the traffic family.

Oh, thank you. What is the difference in color? I assumed both were clear... is that not the case?

Bona Traffic HD is the TOUGHEST finish in the Bona line-up. It is SUPER TOUGH. You can use the NaturalSeal + the Bona Traffic HD (in the lowest gloss possible) to achieve a raw looking floor with the toughest finish possible.

There should be no perceptible difference in color between the Traffic and Naturale. Bona quotes gloss level on Naturale at 4-7, Traffic HD at 7-10 and Mega HD Extra Matte at 8-10. These are on a scale from 1 to 100, with 100 being high gloss.

BTW these are ALL from the Bona site so it is actually "of some help". Go to: https://www.bona.com/en-US/Bona-Professional/Products/Coatings/Waterborne-Finishes-and-Sealers/Bona-Traffic-Naturale/ , click on Documents, choose TDS which will open https://www.bona.com/Global/Documents/United%20States/Technical%20Data%20Sheets/TDS%20Bona%20Traffic%20Naturale%20US.pdf?epslanguage=en . Halfway down in the Technical Data section you'll see the gloss level. The same is true with each product.

Gloss level affects color clarity of the finish. Just like diamonds, different clarity different color.

But the gloss levels being compared here are matte, matte and matte.

Yes, and you will see in the TDS. The gloss levels are different for matte.

No need to look in the TDS since I quoted them all above. With the lowest at 4 and the highest at 10, I suspect there would be no discernible difference caused by putting one coat on a natural colored floor.

I thought the same, found out two coats of hd extra matte is shinier . Allow more color to come through.

Funny you should mention that. One of my guys made a sample with the Mega Extra Matte and we both thought it was surprisingly shiny.

@SJ McCarthy How many coats of Bona Naturale and Traffic HD do you recommend? And what level of sheen for each one? Thank you!

I'm not fond of matte. It is TOUGH to live with. Soooo many people complain about matte showing shiny foot prints (that's when the skin oils on your feet/body are SHINIER than your floors.

I like to see the under coats being glossy (as clear as possible) and then the FINAL coat in the gloss level you want. I prefer satin so I would do gloss + gloss + satin for sheen level. Today's satin is very low gloss. If it was around 15 years ago it would have been named 'matte'. It is that low.

And remember: floors ALWAYS lose gloss. They get DULLER as they age. So you might as well start out a snick shinier than you THINK you want...because it will ALWAYS drop down as it ages.

@SJ McCarthy, so I have decided to use Bona Naturale and then 2 coats of Traffic HD, the first one in gloss (semi?) and the second one in satin. Does this sound good for trying to achieve the "freshly sanded" shade? Thanks for your expertise.

to the pros on this thread- thank you for the info. Do you think the matte (naturale, specifically) provides less protection from scratching? Is glossy more durable? Thanks

No Difference, the ingredients are the same with the exception of the amount of gloss in it. If, you want better performance, choose a better product line.

I have Bona Naturale on my white oak floors with IntenseSeal, I think it hides dirt exceptionally well and never see footprints on the surface from feet like one person mentioned. I did notice over time (2.5 years) that floors have lost that soft glow the matte had when first finished. Looks more between a matte and lower-sheen satin now I guess from wear, but still no scratches. As for Naturale vs Traffic HD, Traffic HD will have a slightly harder, more durable finish. The "Traffic HD" line also has full cure in 3 days vs 7 days for naturale (which is part of the "Traffic" line), so better for commerical applciations where quicker access is needed. I can't speak well on the color difference mentioned, I honeslty would guess there isn't one since the color is achieved through thier sealers or stains.