Best Overall
3M Indoor Window Insulator Kit
Runner-Up
Duck Brand Max Strength Window Kit
Best Bang for the Buck
Duck Brand Shrink Film Window Insulation Kit
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Window insulating material kits extend an affordable way to cut the toll of your get-up-and-go bill and make a dwelling less draughty . For those who can not afford to replace windows , a window insulating material outfit is a great alternative .
Most window insulation kit ferment the same path : A piece of paper of passion - psychiatrist charge card or other isolate material is attach to the window pane with double - sided tape or magnetic strips to contribute a layer of insularism . The best windowpane insularism kits are easy to install and supply an effectual barrier to drafts . Windows that have been treated with insulation can not usually be open , signify these kit are a seasonal root todrafty window .
To serve you decide which of these window insulation kits would best conform to your needs , I researched 12 products and then do hand - on examination with all of the follow insularity kits . Read on for shopping considerations when selecting this type of windowpane treatment and to learn why these are among the best windowpane insulation kits useable .
Product Comparison
Our Top Picks
The following recommendation are among the right window insulation kits available in their several category .
ThisBob Vila Approvedproduct carry our brand ’s highest level of recommendation .
Bob Vila Approvedrecognizes the home and DIY ware that impressed us most in our actual - world testing and that exemplify core values of the Bob Vila brand , including workmanship , innovation , and value for the dollar . Winners of this designation come commend by our professional review team and are personally approved by Bob Vila .
This 3 M insulator kit comes with enough photographic film to pass over up to five window measuring 5 feet long by 3 feet wide . This comparatively thick celluloid provides enhanced insulation thanks to its heaviness of 0.75 mils ( a unit of measurement equal to a thousandth of an inch ) . The moving-picture show comes in one cut - to - set piece of paper that measures 17.5 metrical unit long by 5.16 foot blanket . This kit also comes with a 27.7 - M roll of double - sided magnetic tape to ease installation and ensure it stay in place all time of year .
This was my preferent outfit to instal . I conceive I would prefer the rolls of charge plate sheeting , and it is honest that this one was tricky to lay out and cut to sizing , but yet , this kit allow me to reposition the plastic a few times before pressing it down and heat up it . Also , the kit does cover a stack of straight footage , but the ends of the sheet can be tough , so it ’s important to take your clock time . After I finished installing the outfit , removing wrinkle was super easy . This outfit provided the safe result alongside the other 3 M Cartesian product that use the same charge plate .
scan our full review:3 M Indoor Window Insulator outfit
Get the 3 M indoor window insulation kit atAmazon .
Cozy as the winter calendar month can be , the cold out of doors can be brutal .
To keep a nursing home insulatedand strong in the winter , reckon the Duck Max Strength windowpane outfit . It comes with everything require for insulating 5 - foundation - long by 3 - groundwork - wide windows in bedrooms , office , kitchens , and more , include plastic film , tape , and an statement manual of arms . But it can be cut to match small window if necessary .
Photo: Tom Scalisi for Bob Vila
Made with puncture - insubordinate shrink film , this 126 - inch - long by 62 - column inch - all-encompassing indoor option is perfect for eminent - dealings homes with children and deary . It ’s promiscuous to establish and absent flawlessly , making it suitable for first timers . For added dependability , this kit can be used on paint woods , aluminum , vinyl , and finished / varnished Ellen Price Wood , but it ca n’t be used on plasterwork , drywall , or bare wood .
The Duck Brand window kit ’s film is considerably thick than other competing alternative , so I set up it over the window my 80 - pound sterling lab - pointer mixing likes to jump at . To be fair , no film stand up a chance against my hound , but it did stick to the windowsill that he has in effect destroyed over the retiring twelvemonth . I was able to easily repair any damage with backpacking tape . Also , the Duck kits come in rolls , which are easy to reduce to width and then throw away down over the window for sluttish unfolding . It was really difficult to get the wrinkles out ( it took over 30 minutes of heating with a blow drier to get it moderately clear ) , but it was soft to remove once I could get under the tape recording and pluck it back .
Get the Duck Brand Max Strength window insulating material kit atAmazon
Photo: Tom Scalisi for Bob Vila
Those who require to insulate on a budget can entrust this psychiatrist motion picture kit from Duck Brand . With its quartz - clear shrink motion-picture show and include threefold - sided insulating tape , this option can boil down Energy Department using up . At 210 inches long by 62 inch wide , this large film can be foreshorten if required but works honest for windows that measure 5 feet foresightful by 3 feet full . For convenience , this option is also offer in various size options .
This pick can also be applied to paint Sir Henry Wood , aluminum , vinyl , and fetch up wood for more insularism , but it is n’t suitable for cataplasm , drywall , or bare wood varieties .
The kit was fairly easy to instal , and it seemed reasonably long-lasting . The rolling - out installation made it manageable to untangle , and it sport quality adhesive tape that stuck well and was easy to remove the financial backing from . While it ’s alike in heaviness to most of the films we test , it feel smoother out of the box seat . It also had a more substantial , high - quality flavour . Unfortunately , it was unmanageable to take the exist wrinkles , and there were marks from the manufacturing works in the film that I could not heat out .
Photo: amazon.com
Get the Duck Brand shrink film windowpane insulant kit atAmazon .
Best for Outdoor Use
3M Outdoor Window Insulation Kit
If shoppers prefer to instal insulating photographic film on the outside of windows , they ’ll need a long - lasting ware that can hold up to the component . This outdoor - employment windowpane celluloid was created by 3 M for that very purpose . able of cover up to two 5 - foot - long by 3 - invertebrate foot - wide window , 3 M ’s outfit get with a sheet of 0.75 mil - thickset film that ’s 7 feet farseeing and 5.16 feet wide . It also let in just under 14 yards of high - timber dual - sided tape . This kit instal like an indoor windowpane motion-picture show outfit : cut , tape , shrink , and garnish .
The only conflict I could discern between this kit and the other 3 M insulation kit was that the adhesive felt like it was of a in force quality ( though there was nothing wrong with the character of the other kit ) . Otherwise , it was the same thickness with the same ease of crease removal . The only challenge I ground was that it was difficult and frustrative to install a sheet out of doors if there was any air current at all , so 3 M might moot using a axial motion - eccentric installation for this outfit . But in my opinion , there is no reason it ca n’t be instal on an interior windowpane as well , so it ’s a good kit all around .
Get the 3 M outdoor window insularism kit atAmazon .
Photo: amazon.com
Best Insulation Tape
Yotache Weather Stripping Foam Seal Tape
young isolate tape is essential for those who love to reuse their insulation sheets . When newfangled detachment is needed , Yotache ’s high-pitched - denseness foam tape is a good option . This thick tape comes in two rolls , providing a blend 13 feet of length . It can be cut with ease using a scissors grip or leaf blade .
The closed mobile phone foam is made from chloroprene rubber eraser froth and neoprene , making it weather- and dustproof , oil- and erosion - resistive , and flaming - retardant . As for the adhesive lineament , this magnetic tape has a waterproof grid backing that can endure temperature ranging from -58 to 302 degrees Fahrenheit . Though these are entail for windows , they can also be impound to furniture , cabinets , car , boats , sports equipment , HVAC system , bathymetry , and more . Plus , there are a lot of thicknesses and distance to select from ground on the drug user ’s motive .
I installed the Yotache weather stripping at the bottom of one of my windows to see how well it worked . My window are new and not talebearing , so the tolerances were a petty slopped ( though I was able to lock the sashes ) . However , if I did have leaky windows , I would n’t hesitate to buy this foam . It ’s incredibly sturdy thanks to the fibreglass adhesive mesh on the back , yet it ’s well-fixed to cut and install . It also remove flawlessly but wo n’t fall off on its own . Plus , there ’s a welfare to being capable to spread the window if necessary . I find the foam too dense for my app , but I can see it making a world of difference for older windows with too much headroom .
Photo: amazon.com
Get the Yotache window insulation tapeline atAmazon .
Also Consider
Frost King Window Insulation Shrink Kit
Comfort apart , one of the most crucial reason to isolate draughty windows is to save vigor and lower monthly heating system costs . Saving energy also benefit the environment . With Frost King ’s windowpane film , the caller claims drug user can melt off their carbon footprint touch to heating and cool down by up to 35 per centum . This outfit total with enough individual sheets of credit card to cover up to nine windows measure 5 metrical foot long by 3 feet wide . It also includes 165 feet of double - sided tape .
This outfit is very like to other kits on the list , but that ’s okay because they ’re all practiced calibre . I encounter that this one install just like the others , yet with slightly smaller sheets that were a short prosperous to manage . The motion-picture show is the same heaviness and calibre as most of the other kits , and considering it can cover up to nine window , it ’s a great deal . The wrinkle were very easy to hit with a blow drier , but I did detect the tape was n’t as high quality as the kits from other brands .
Get the Frost King windowpane insulation kit atAmazon .
Photo: amazon.com
ALSO TESTED
TheStangH Portable Thermal Insulated Blackout Curtainsdidn’t fill my expectations . First , the way the sucking cups are affixed to the mantle with keyrings is extremely frustrating and meter - exhaust . Also , unless the chicken feed is warm , adhere a suction cup to a stale surface is very difficult . This curtain also bet terrible from the outside , as the suck cup are extremely visible . A standard thermal curtain will probably bring almost as well , look much nicer , and be prosperous to install .
Jump to Our Top Picks
How We Tested the Best Window Insulation Kits
I wanted to ensure that any window detachment outfit we recommended was truly effective and light to install , so I put each of these kits to the trial . I instal each outfit fit in to the manufacturing business ’s education to see how easy they were to put in and to determine the components ’ character . I also test how well the charge card shrank and how prosperous the line were to remove . I left them on the window for 2 day to see how well they worked ( I even leave a few on permanently to get through the wintertime ) . I then removed them to determine what that procedure was like and how much killing there would be .
It ’s worth mark that without a laboratory full of expensive machinery and repeatable , coherent conditions , it ’s hard to objectively determine which windowpane insulation kits insulated better . However , all the kits we included on this list were effective at stopping any detectable air motion or condensation .
What to Consider When Choosing a Window Insulation Kit
There are a number of factor to regard when shopping for window insulation kits . They ’re uncommitted in different foil types , such as charge card , magnetised , and reflective . Features like picture heaviness , dimensions , reusability , andinstallation requirementswill determine which insulation outfit is most desirable for your home .
Type
Several window insulation merchandise eccentric are on the market place : plastic plastic film , magnetic roadblock , and reflective foil insulation .
Dimensions
Windows do in all size , so see for kits with enough film to cover your windows . Most kits get along with enough plastic sheets and twofold - sided tape recording to seal several windows . It ’s all-important for shoppers to have a go at it their window ’ dimensions to determine which outfit will work for their place .
Air Lock
Window insulation kits create a ambuscade for atmosphere between the window and the film . That trap is call an air lock chamber . Double - sided tapeline , which holds the plastic film in place on the window acid , will create an air ignition lock . By adjure the pic firmly onto the mag tape , users can create a secure adhesiveness that hold on drafts out .
Film Thickness
To create a long - last seal , durable celluloid is a must . lastingness is often determined by the film ’s thickness . Thick film offer more immunity to puncture from kid or pet . It ’s also easier to apply aright , thus establishing a good seal . Thick moving-picture show does a well job of insulating windows . Standard window picture is about 19 micrometers ( μm ) heavyset , while intemperate - duty motion picture can be as compact as 38 μm .
Number of Windows
Some homes have only one or two truly draughty windows , while others have a mass of them . Choose a kit that has enough film to cover all the draughty windowpane . Many kits come in multipacks that can cover up to 10 windows . They come with tabloid of film that can be cut to size , so every window that ask insularity can be cover .
Reusability
windowpane insulation kits are meant to be irregular solutions to drafty windows . The unspoiled news is that most of these kit are reusable , so buyers wo n’t have to buy a raw kit every year . Films 19 μm or thicker can be strip down off the forked - sided tape , folded up , and store when wintertime is over . The double - sided tape wo n’t be reusable , but a roll of dual - sided tape is cheaper than a houseful of window kit .
Installation/Application
The best window insulant kits are effective , affordable , andeasy to instal . Most kits are installed by placing double - sided tape around the circumference of the window jamb . Then , window picture show is applied to the taping . At the bottom of the windowpane , the cinema is attached to a piece of tape on the sill , making a sealing wax . at last , the flick is wake with a handheld blast dryer to make a filmy , airtight seal costless from wrinkles .
FAQs
Still have doubt about choosing the best windowpane insulation kit ? Here ’s some more info to help you decide .
windowpane insulation kits create an efficacious barrier preventing cold air from entering a dwelling house . heating - head-shrinker film applied to the windowpane pane with bivalent - sided tape creates an air gap that works like a thermic window .
Insulated curtain do a good line of keeping the cold temperature at bay , but they do n’t create airtight SEAL to adjudge back drafts like window insulating material kits do . Plus , insulated drapery must be closed to turn , so they stop instinctive light . windowpane insulation film is commonly clear , so it does n’t block those precious ray of winter sun from glow into a home .
Photo: amazon.com
Some windowpane insulation kits exact to slenderize a home ’s energy use of goods and services by up to 35 percentage . user will involve to install these product cautiously and on every talebearing window to maximize their strength .
Meet the Tester
Tom Scalisi is a full - time DIY and construction writer for many of the big websites in the diligence , including BobVila.com , This Old House , Family Handyman , and Forbes as well as his own pest control blog .
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Photo: amazon.com
Photo: Tom Scalisi for Bob Vila
