Table of Contents
- View The Best Duct Tape Below
- 1. Gorilla Black Duct Tape
- 2. Lockport Heavy Duty Silver Duct Tape
- 3. Duck Brand Duct Tape
- 4. T-REX Ferociously Strong White Duct Tape
- 5. Craftzilla Colored Duct Tape
- 6. Tape King Professional Grade Duct Tape
- 7. Nashua Professional Grade Duct Tape
- 8. 3M All-Weather Duct Tape
- 9. Professional Grade Duct Tape
- 10. Grizzly Brand Professional Grade Duct Tape
- Duct Tapes Buyer’s Guide
It’s common knowledge that duct tape is the miracle tape that can be used for so, so many things. What some people don’t realize, though, is that there is a wide variety of duct tapes, and many are designed to perform better in certain ways than others. Some tapes adhere better to wood, brick, vinyl, etc. Depending on what you need to repair with the duct tape, you may need to look for max strength.
There are many duct tape manufacturers, many different options. Discerning which will be the best duct tape for you, may earn you some frustration. It is much better to do your research and know what you need before hitting the stores.
View The Best Duct Tape Below
1. Gorilla Black Duct Tape
There is much to appreciate about Gorilla Tapes. They are rated as the best duct tape for a reason. With a double layer of adhesive, gorilla tape can stick to anything from rough and uneven surfaces to smooth surfaces. The backing of gorilla tape is tightly woven for toughness and reinforcement. The shell is weather-resistant, withstanding UV rays, extreme temperatures, and moisture.
Even though gorilla tape is built to be so tough, it is still easy enough to tear by hand. Gorilla tape is good for small projects or repairs and can be used to clamp objects together. Like sticky ass tape, gorilla tape can handle almost any project you throw at it.
Pros:
+Can purchase any amount between 1 and 12
+Great reputation
+Max strength
Why We Like It – One group of people that swear the top pick is gorilla tape are mountain bikers. It works great for taping up the rims to switch to a tubeless tire.
2. Lockport Heavy Duty Silver Duct Tape
Lockport’s duct tape is the best option for you if you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck. At a great price, you get six rolls, which amounts to 180 yards. This bundle is a top pick for those who either like to stock up or need to do big projects or industrial repairs. You can use it to tape up heavy packages for shipment or bundle up wood.
You could also just make them extremely accessible for whenever you happen to need them. Put one in the kitchen, garage, one in your vehicle, etc. While this is a max strength tape, it doesn’t leave behind any sticky residue. The adhesive on this duct tape is all-natural.
Pros:
+Waterproof, weatherproof
+Lifetime satisfaction guarantee
+Strong for repair but easy to tear
Why We Like It – Only 11% of reviewers on Amazon did not give this tape 5 stars. Only 2% gave it a 1-star review. Those who love it say that it holds on tight and when it’s time to come off, it doesn’t leave a residue.
3. Duck Brand Duct Tape
This is one of the best duct tapes you can find for outdoor use. It’s constructed to be able to perform at its top potential, in all weather. To create the perfect outdoor tape, Duck brand uses co-extruded tape that has a waterproof backing. Co-extrusion means that the three layers (cloth, adhesive, and polyethylene backing) are bonded together in on step.
The high-temperature used for the bonding creates a permanent and airtight seal throughout the tape, for an effective repair. For those who need a good, heavy-duty tape, duck tape brand may be the best option for value and strength.
Pros:
+Rubber-based adhesive
+Works on stone, plastic, glass, and wood
+Co-extruded for weatherproofing
Why We Like It – Duck Tape brand has a lot of loyal customers, and for a good reason. It is dependable and versatile, and best yet, waterproof. Customers compare to gorilla tape.
4. T-REX Ferociously Strong White Duct Tape
Cleverly named, T-rex duct tape is “ferociously” strong with premium adhesive and high-tensile strength. The materials used to make this duct tape are resistant to UV rays, keeping them from weakening the adhesive. T-rex tape works great both indoors and out; on concrete, brick, shingles, wood, and even vinyl siding. The cloth used in the construction of T-rex tape is a knit cloth that is heavy duty for repairs that need to last a while. The backing is waterproof and durable and can keep fixes safe from extreme temperatures and water.
Pros:
+Comes in packages of 1, 3, 6, or 9
+Protection from UV rays, temperature, and water
+Works on most surfaces
Why We Like It – Customers are impressed by how strong T-rex tape is. It is incredibly sticky, very strong, and easy to tear. It is so good that it is compared to gorilla tape.
5. Craftzilla Colored Duct Tape
If you’re someone with a lively personality, have fun kid projects to work on, or are just plain tired of drab gray or black duct tape, then Craftzilla may have the best option for you. You don’t just get one fun color; you get 12 rolls of different eye-catching, bright colors. These colors include white, orange, yellow, red, lake green, blue, pink, black, brown, grass green, purple, and navy blue. With each roll measuring 2in x 15yds, you get a total of 180yds of tape.
Pros:
+Residue-free
+Great for arts and crafts
+Wide variety of colors
Why We Like It – Adults say that their children love using this tape for projects like taping together cardboard boxes to make hideouts, cars, spaceships, etc.
6. Tape King Professional Grade Duct Tape
If you need a tape that’s going to be dependable when you need to get a job done quickly, Tape King can be there for you. It can be used for general maintenance, repairs, weatherproofing, etc. It can stick to several surfaces, including metal, concrete, and plastic, even if the surface is uneven. Even though it is very strong, it is still easily removed without causing damage to your surfaces or leaving a sticky residue behind.
Pros:
+Natural Rubber Adhesive
+Weather-proofing
+Tear-resistant strength
Why We Like It – Most customers who use this product say that it is just as good as other tapes, can deliver just as much dependability, and is all around comparable to duck tape.
7. Nashua Professional Grade Duct Tape
Nashua promises professional-grade, cloth type (polyethylene-coated), adherent duct tape. The brand may not be as well-known as gorilla tape or duck tapes, but it does perform almost as, or just as, well. It can conform to uneven surfaces. Duct tapes all promise to be strong and sticky, but they can’t all promise to be able to tear in straight lines and hang straight without curling when you’re setting up strips to be used momentarily.
Pros:
+9 color options
+Comparable to gorilla, duck, and sticky ass tapes
+Heavy-duty professional-grade
Why We Like It – Some may wonder how much extreme weather this tape can withstand. Customers confirm that it will not melt, even in temperatures around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. 3M All-Weather Duct Tape
If you’re on the hunt for duct tapes that will stand up to the elements, this could be the best option for you. If you need to repair, patch, or reinforce, 3M can help. They use a powerful adhesive so that it can create a longer-lasting bond from the very first contact. It is strong enough to be durable, but you can also easily tear strips off.
It is designed to be flexible enough to be able to create tight seals, even on uneven surfaces. There are four options as far as yardage goes. You can purchase 3M duct tapes in either 20, 30, 35, or 45 yards. There are also options for the type of tape available: heavy-duty all-weather, no residue, transparent, tarps and poly-hanging, and extreme hold.
Pros:
+9 color options
+Versatile
+Creates tight, dependable seals
Why We Like It – Customers have used this tape for many projects outdoors, including many who patch up tarps or adhere them to one another. Those who put it on tarps say it’s a much better hold than most competitors, except sticky ass tape.
9. Professional Grade Duct Tape
This professional-grade duct tape has excellent tensile strength and can be torn in either machine or cross direction. This means that it can easily tear parallel to whatever it is adhering to, or perpendicular. This is one of the best duct tapes to use for binding, bundling, wrapping, packaging, sealing, and general maintenance. It can be compared to both sticky ass tape and gorilla tape. Because it’s as strong and adhesive as leading brands, it can bond to almost any surface.
Pros:
+Does not leave residue
+Great value
+High-quality
Why We Like It – Customers use this tape because it works just as well for packaging and binding as gorilla and duck tapes. Many even prefer it over the top name brands because it’s just as good at a better price.
10. Grizzly Brand Professional Grade Duct Tape
If you’re looking for tapes that have plenty of strength, you’ll typically go for gorilla or duck tapes, but Grizzly brand has professional-grade, clock-backed, and waterproof tape that is good for repairs, crafts, construction, and more.
It can also be used on uneven surfaces, including plastic, concrete, and metal. Even though it is heavy-duty, it can be easily removed and does not leave any sticky residue that you can see or feel. Grizzly is resistant to wear, and therefore will be able to stay on longer without coming apart at the seams.
Pros:
+Versatile uses
+Waterproof
+Dependable and durable
Why We Like It – Customers who have purchased this product on Amazon have claimed that the rolls are stuck together when shipped in the mail. You may want to consider purchasing elsewhere or in a store.
Duct Tapes Buyer’s Guide
Who had the idea for this kind of tape, and who brought it to life? Duct tape has become such a staple in our lives that it’s hard to imagine what we’d do without it. Vesta Stoudt was working with melted wax and paper tape to seal ammo cases in 1943. He was concerned that the cases would be difficult to open when soldiers were on the battlefield, so he proposed to use cloth type that would be waterproof, instead.
Agreeing with his idea, Johnson & Johnson decided to adapt surgical adhesives to his specifications. Because this tape had the unique ability to repel moisture, similar to the way moisture glides right off a duck’s back, soldiers nicknamed it duck tape. The duck tape was such a hit in World War ll that civilians started using it around the house or on job sites.
Once it became popular in homes, it became common to use it for holding metal air ducts in place/together. Because of this, duck tape got rebranded as duct tape. This is also why you see most duct tapes in silver color (to match the aluminum).
How It Works
Tapes like gorilla and duck brands depend on stickiness to be effective for repairing purposes. If they can’t stick, the problems you’re trying to solve could become worse, leading to frustration. The way that duct tapes get their stickiness is through pressure-sensitive adhesive, more easily known as PSA’s. These are polymer blends that can bring two objects together and keep them together. The bond has strength because the adhesive can resist flow when it is stressed.
Interestingly enough, duct tape is no longer recommended to be used on ducts. Studies have shown that other types of tapes performed better than duct tapes such as gorilla brand. These studies resulted in many coding guideline changes. There are plenty of buildings nowadays that will cite you with a violation if they see a duct tape product on your ducts.
Studies have also shown, though, that duct tape is exceptionally successful at doing things like patching an airplane fuselage, building a usable bridge, constructing a cannon that works, and also lifting a car that weighs 5000 pounds. When used for the right applications, you can see why duct tape has such a good reputation.
Uses For Duct Tape
Some specifics examples of what you can use these tapes include fixing a tent, removing splinters, hiding valuables (in a hose, under a table, etc.), or patching a hose. It can also be used to catch flies if you don’t want to spend the money on traps explicitly designed for that. It can patch a hose, like a garden or a vacuum hose. Mind you, it is not permanently going to fix your hose, but it will buy you time.
You can use it to temporarily pull up a hem on pant legs or shirt sleeves that are too long. If you are leaving the house and realize you’re covered in dog hair, AND you’re out of lint roller paper, you can grab the duct tape from the utility drawer and get the hairs off with it.
It seems odd, but you can use it to keep your feet from being too cold. If you wrap it around your insoles, it will help your shoe or boot retain heat. Another way to see if you can test the limits of duct tape is to try to remove a wart with it. Some say that if you leave it on the wart, sealing it off well, you can cut off the oxygen and suffocate the wart. It is recommended that you leave the tape on for six days and check to see that the seal stays intact during that time. You can use it on the bottoms of the legs on your furniture to protect hardwood floors from scratches and scuffs. It can also be handle if you’re having a hard time opening a job.
Types Of Duct Tape
There is much to consider when you’re looking for the right duct tape for the task at hand. It’s important to do your research and shop around to make sure you don’t waste your money on tape that won’t perform the way you need it to. There are seven different kinds of duct tape. They include general-purpose, industrial grade, professional-grade, gaffer’s tape, stucco tape, true duct tape, and coated cloth tape.
The general-purpose tape has a polyethylene film, low fabric count, and low-weight adhesive, allowing them to work great for small jobs or projects that don’t need a long-lasting hold. It’s great to have around the house for small odd jobs. If you need an upgrade in the polyethylene and fabric, the industrial-grade is stronger duct tape. This type of duct tape is commonly used to hold and seam carpets at shows because it will do the job that needs to be done without leaving residue behind.
Even more of an upgrade is professional-grade tapes. They add extra durability, strength, and adhesion, which is why contractors tend to choose it. Gaffer’s tape is typically found in a matte black color so that it doesn’t reflect light. Studios that tape movies, television shows, and do photoshoots often use gaffers. It is great for taping cables on the floor and also taping light fixtures onto posts. This kind of tape is also easy to tear by hand and can be torn up without leaving a mess behind.
Stucco duct tape is most commonly used in construction to put a protective film covering over windows and doors while homes are being sprayed with stucco. It can handle being outside for multiple days in a row and is also able to resist UV rays.
True duct tape is the kind that is now recommended for use on air ducts. For this kind of job, the duct tape needs to be able to be a permanent solution. Therefore, it needs to be able to handle prolonged air pressure and heat. It would be best to find one that is also flame retardant so that you’re sure to meet your building codes.
Duct tape can play a much more significant role in our safety than we realize. The last type of duct tape we’re talking about here is coated cloth tape. Did you know that every space launch from the U.S. that includes men onboard has been sent with a roll of this type of duct tape? Believe it or not, it plays a huge role in constructing carbon dioxide absorbers. These have saved the lives of 3 astronauts (Apollo 13).
Having such a wide variety of options to choose from can be overwhelming, but hopefully, after reading about the different kinds, you can better discern which will work best for your needs. Consider the backing: is it waterproof? Is it strong? How thick is the adhesive coating on the other side? Will it attach to uneven surfaces? Will it work on brick or glass or metal or plastic? How long will it hold? Can it handle being in the elements?
Adhesion Issues
Duct tape may be great at temporary repairs, but sometimes it just can’t get the job done. If you’re having trouble getting your tape to stick, don’t automatically blame the company that created the tape. If you’re using water-resistant tape, it can be used for leak repairs but does not work well when being placed on wet surfaces. When the adhesive side is in contact with too much water, it will cause the adhesion to become less effective.
If you’re trying to stick your tape to a surface that is 140 degrees Fahrenheit or above, the adhesive will soften, causing it to lose it’s strength, and fail. Duct tape also doesn’t hold up well when it is trying to be stuck to cold surfaces. The adhesive will harden if it’s in freezing temperatures. When it hardens, it does not stick anymore.
If you put your tape in a place that gets a lot of UV light, it can break down the bond on the adhesive over time. If you need the tape to be on something that’s exposed to a lot of direct light, make sure you choose a duct tape that is also treated for UV resistance.
Many duct tapes have trouble sticking to rough surfaces, like stucco and concrete. This is because there is typically a thin layer of adhesive, making it difficult to come in contact with anything but the high points of the surface you’re trying to stick it to. This results in a weaker bond. If you want your duct tape to work at its fullest potential, don’t try to apply it to dirty surfaces. The surface must be dust-free, oil-free, dry, and clean.
Some duct tape is not suited for sealing cardboard boxes. Boxes are porous, with small fibers that break down and result in the failure of the adhesive. Teflon has low surface energy, which prevents adhesive from being about to spread out and form a strong bond. A duct tape product typically doesn’t do that well on treated or painted surfaces because it’s much harder to adhere to than the substrate.
Stronger Than Duct Tape
If you’re doing a project that requires a tape even stronger than duct tape, you may think you’re out of luck. But, there is a stronger one. 100x stronger. It is called Fiber Fix and can deliver more durable and dependable repairs that duct tape. It can be used to repair pipes, roll cages, garden tools, and farm equipment. Make sure you use gloves when handling this tape, soak Fiber Fix in water, and apply it to whatever needs repair. Leave dry for 10 minutes and enjoy the ending result.
