Anyone will benefit from keeping a roll of duct tape around the house. From DIY enthusiasts to homeowners to professional tradespeople, duct tape should be part of your essential tool kit. But don’t just buy any brand of duct tape. Certain brands are stronger, more reliable, and easier to use than others. T-Rex Tape and Gorilla Tape are two of these brands. But which one is best? Our thorough duct tape comparison answers that question in detail. Here’s the lowdown on T-Rex Tape vs Gorilla Tape.
Quick Look: Duct Tape
Duct tape is an incredibly versatile product. It’s a very strong type of tape with a cloth-backing for increased strength. A powerful adhesive is used so that the tape will stick to wood, plastic, glass, and most other materials. Here’s what you need to know about duct tape.
What Is Duct Tape?
According to Forbes, duct tape is one of the greatest tools ever invented. The organization makes this claim because of duct tape’s incredible versatility as well as its ease of use and low price. Most of the time, duct tape isn’t a permanent fix. Instead, it’s a temporary solution that gives you more time to device a permanent solution. So, what exactly is duct tape?
Simply put, it’s any pressure-sensitive tape with a cloth back. Most brands are also coated in polyethylene for increased strength. Although most types of duct tape are relatively similar, there is some brand to brand variety in terms of backing and adhesive materials. Furthermore, some types of duct tape are created for general use while others have more specific purposes (heat-resistant duct tape, for example).
Duct Tape Benefits
Duct tape has a long list of benefits. The most important include:
- Tape Strength – The strength of the tape itself.
- Adhesive Strength – The sticking strength of the adhesive material.
- Water Resistance – The resistance to water.
- Durability – How long the tape will last (including length of sticking strength).
- Flexibility – The ease of bending and twisting the tape to stick.
- Versatility – The number of uses the tape can be easily used.
- Ease of Use – How easy the tape is to tear and apply to objects.
The only real drawback to general purpose duct tape is lack of heat resistance. Most duct tape doesn’t do well in extreme heat, such as conditions over 140°F (such as is experienced in a heating supply air system, for example). For applications where extreme heat is present, special heat-resistant duct tape should be used to prevent failure. Check out these top 15 duct tape hacks compiled by Greatest.
How to Buy Duct Tape
There are a few main factors to keep in mind when buying duct tape for home DIY projects and other applications. First up is thickness. Thickness is measured in millimeters. Most duct tape ranges from 3-mil to 17-mil (both T-Rex Tape and Gorilla Tape are 17-mil). Although thicker duct tape is undoubtedly stronger, it’s also far less flexible, more difficult to tear, and slightly less versatile.
In addition to thickness, it’s important to consider strength. Duct tape strength depends on two factors: the cloth grid layer and the adhesive layer. The adhesive layer dictates adhesive strength. This varies greatly between brands depending on the adhesive material used. The cloth grid dictates durability strength. The lengthwise threads directly influence strength (the more vertical threads, the stronger the tape). The crosswise threads in the cloth grid dictate ease of use. The more threads, the easier the tape is to tear for applications.
Finally, the best duct tape has a polyethylene coat for increased strength and durability as well as waterproofing. This video by Sensible Prepper shows you 44 uses of duct tape.
Duct Tape Showdown
| Image | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | T-Rex Tape |
| CLICK HERE TO BUY |
 | TOP RATEDGorilla Tape |
| CLICK HERE TO BUY |
T-Rex Tape is FAR SUPERIOR to Gorilla Tape. It’s stronger, sticks better and to more things. It withstands water, wind, extreme heat & extreme cold. Tears just as easily, if not a little easier than Gorilla Tape. The ONLY time I will buy Gorilla Tape is if the store is out of T-Rex Tape. To me, there really is no comparison.