Duct Tape May 2018 Test: Which Brand Wins?
In our May 2018 test we compared 8 duct tape options head to head. Flex Tape came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Some figures on this page were transcribed from the test video and have not been independently re-verified. Treat the numbers as a close guide and watch the full video for the exact readings.
Flex Tape
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StikTek (Harbor Freight)
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The quick take
The short version of why each pick lands where it does, built straight from the measured results.
“We set out to determine whether or not Flex Tape is the best and it is indeed the best when it comes to its ability to stick.”
The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Products are listed in the order they finished.
Tensile Strength
- 1Flex Tape
test setup was described in detail but no result was narrated for any of the 8 products; likely an on-screen-only graphic
- 2Gorilla
not narrated; see video-level note
- 3T-Rex
not narrated; see video-level note
- 4Nashua 357
not narrated; see video-level note
- 5Polyken Gaffers
not narrated; see video-level note
- 6StikTek (Harbor Freight)
not narrated; see video-level note
- 73M
not narrated; see video-level note
- 8Hurricane
not narrated; see video-level note
WaterPressureTest(1hr submerge, air pressure to leak)
- 1Flex Tape
tested in round 2 with Harbor Freight, Gorilla, and T-Rex; exact leak/failure pressure not spoken, unlike the other three round-2 products which all got explicit psi figures
- 2Gorilla
round 2, with Harbor Freight, Flex Tape, T-Rex; leaked at 13 lb of pressure
- 3T-Rex
round 2, with Harbor Freight, Flex Tape, Gorilla; leaked at 20 lb of pressure, the best result with a stated number in that round
- 4Nashua 357
round 1, with Hurricane, Polyken Gaffers, and 3M; leaked at 26 lb of pressure
- 5Polyken Gaffers
round 1, with Hurricane, Nashua 357, and 3M; leaked at about 2 lb of pressure, tied with Hurricane for first to leak
- 6StikTek (Harbor Freight)
round 2, with Flex Tape, Gorilla, T-Rex; leaked almost immediately, before the tank even reached 1 lb of pressure, the worst result of all 8 products; a screw was added to plug the leak so the round could continue
- 73M
round 1, with Hurricane, Polyken Gaffers, Nashua 357; still holding tight (no leak) when the round moved on, the best result of that group
- 8Hurricane
round 1, with Polyken Gaffers, Nashua 357, 3M; leaked at about 2 lb of pressure, tied with Polyken Gaffers for first to leak
HeatResidueTest(150F oven, peel from Plexiglas)
- 1Flex Tape
leaves a lot of residue behind; the tape itself rips before the adhesive releases from the Plexiglas, indicating very strong adhesion, especially once heated; narrator calls this ability 'unbeatable'
- 2Gorilla
very similar to T-Rex, left residue at the very end of the tape line and slightly more residue throughout than T-Rex, though described as 'a very very small amount'
- 3T-Rex
left a little residue at the very end of the tape line and possibly a little along the way, described as 'not too bad'
- 4Nashua 357
not narrated; the transcript never revisits this brand in the residue/peel segment
- 5Polyken Gaffers
left a little residue on the Plexiglas, described as traces 'pretty much everywhere, just little bits and pieces,' and 'did not come off very cleanly'
- 6StikTek (Harbor Freight)
left quite a bit of adhesive behind, described as 'everywhere on this plastic,' the worst residue result of all 8 products
- 73M
best result of all 8 products; narrator sees 'no residue or any traces of it anywhere'
- 8Hurricane
leaves residue behind; curled up a lot in the oven and 'just did not stick' well
How it was tested
- tensile pull-strength test (setup described in detail, but results were never narrated for any product in this transcript)
- underwater seal / air-pressure test (tape applied over a drilled hole, submerged 1 hour, then pressurized in two rounds of 4 products each until each leaks)
- 150F oven heat-soak adhesion and residue test (tape applied to Plexiglas, baked 1 hour, then peeled off and residue assessed)
“We set out to determine whether or not Flex Tape is the best and it is indeed the best when it comes to its ability to stick.”
