Which Hot Glue Sticks Brand Wins?
In our test we compared 7 hot glue sticks options head to head. Stanley came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Surebonder
Price shown in test: 5 cents per inch
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The quick take
The short version of why each pick lands where it does, built straight from the measured results.
“Stanley finished in second place twice and in first place once with an overall average finish of 1.66 and seems to be the best all around hot glue stick”
Placed top three in 3 of 4 measurements.
Best in 1 of 4 measurements, including Shear Strength.
The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Products are listed in the order they finished.
Shear Strength
- 1Stanley Dual Melt1,503 lb
close second to Surebonder
- 2Folotearound1,350 lb
grouped with Arrow
- 3Surebonder Clear1,523 lb
best result of all brands tested
- 4Arrow all purpose multi temparound1,350 lb
grouped with Folote
- 6AdTech pro strength
described as doing a terrific job bonding to the board, strong enough to rip the side of the wood board off during testing, no specific lb figure given
- 5Gorillanot tested
- 7Elmer'snot tested
Wood Tensile Strength
- 1Stanley Dual Melt
second place, no specific lb figure given
- 2Folote800 lb
clear winner of the wood tensile strength test and the strongest single result of the video
- 3Surebonder Clearover350 lb
a respectable result grouped with Gorilla and Arrow
- 4Arrow all purpose multi tempover350 lb
a respectable result grouped with Gorilla and Surebonder
- 5Gorillaover350 lb
a respectable result grouped with Arrow and Surebonder
- 6AdTech pro strengthnot tested
- 7Elmer'snot tested
PVC Tensile Strength
- 1Stanley Dual Meltover400 lb2nd
dominated the smooth PVC surface test with about twice the tensile strength of the second place finisher
- 2Folote
rounded out third, fourth or fifth place, exact placement among that group not specified
- 3Surebonder Clear
rounded out third, fourth or fifth place, exact placement among that group not specified
- 4Arrow all purpose multi temp168 lb2nd
distant second place behind Stanley
- 5Gorilla
rounded out third, fourth or fifth place, exact placement among that group not specified
- 6AdTech pro strengthnot tested
- 7Elmer'snot tested
Overall Average Finish
- 1Stanley Dual Melt1.662nd
best all around hot glue stick, first or second place in every category
- 2Folote
between 3 and 4, described as a very good product
- 3Surebonder Clear
between 3 and 4, described as a very good product
- 4Arrow all purpose multi temp
between 3 and 4, described as a very good product
- 5Gorillanot tested
- 6AdTech pro strengthnot tested
- 7Elmer'snot tested
How it was tested
- shear strength test bonding two by four boards together in a T joint
- tensile strength test on split and reglued one by two wood boards
- tensile strength test on smooth half inch threaded PVC end caps
“Stanley finished in second place twice and in first place once with an overall average finish of 1.66 and seems to be the best all around hot glue stick”
