2019 test9 productsAdhesives, Glue & Tape
Which Duct Tape Brand Wins?
We compared 9 duct tape options head to head. T-Rex came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video. Shoppers cross-shopping heavy duty duct tape, white duct tape, black duck tape and black duct tape land here for the head to head that settles it.
Winner
T-Rex
Price shown in test: $14.99
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Runner-up
Gorilla
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | TensileStrength(5 samples, lb pulling force) | WrapStrength(pipe test) | Adhesive Showdown(tournament) | WeatherExposure(~1yr, prior video samples) | Tow Test | ValuePerPenny(lb tensile strength per penny per foot) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1T-Rex Brute Force$14.99 | first attempt 250 lb before the tape broke free from the metal anchor (not a tape failure); reinforced and retested at 278 lb before slipping; reinforced again and reached 442 lb without breaking (test halted); a separate purpose-built test jig later measured over 450 lb to rip the tape in half, the strongest of all products tested | not tested in the pipe-wrap event | lost round 1 of the bracket, slipping at nearly the same time as Duck Max (tied for first out of that 4-way heat) | not part of the weathering segment (used for the tow-strap demo instead) | successfully towed a heavy tractor up a slight grade using only the tape | 23, the best value of any tape by this metric |
| 2FiberFix 10x | only 2 of 5 samples run, tester stopped early for reliability/time reasons: 221 lb then 227 lb; summary rounds this to "a very respectable 224 lb", second-strongest tensile result behind T-Rex Brute Force; described as highly elastic even after failure begins | not tested | lost round 1, third to lose grip (after Duck and 3M, before T-Rex) | not tested | not tested | 13, tied with Gorilla for second-lowest value |
| 3FiberFix wrap$11.46 | not tested | soaked in water about 12 seconds, wrapped tightly around the pipe, cured overnight; held to the very end of the pipe at the initial 25 lb load without breaking; retested with 35 lb (still held to end of pipe) and finally 45 lb, failing with a tear at 29 inches out from the base, described as 'totally destroying the competition' | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 4Gorilla | 106, 106, 108, 106, 103 lb (103-108 lb range); tape itself ripped, not an adhesive failure | sideways force caused the tape to split; exact inch/lb failure point not narrated in the transcript, but the video's own chapter metadata lists 'Gorilla: 8 inches' | lost round 1b (heat with Duck Max, Gorilla Weather, T-Rex Brute Force), third to lose traction, beaten by its own Gorilla Weather sibling | after about a year of weather exposure, did not hold as well, adhesive underneath became extremely brittle and crumbling | not tested | 13, tied with FiberFix 10x |
| 5Gorilla Weather | 105, 101, 102, 102, 101 lb (101-105 lb range); adhesive let go before the tape itself ripped on the first attempt, requiring edge reinforcement to get a valid reading; noted as more elastic than regular Gorilla | stretched beyond providing structural support rather than ripping outright; exact inch/lb failure point not narrated in the transcript, but the video's own chapter metadata lists 'Gorilla Weather: 6 inches' | won round 1b (beating Duck Max, Gorilla, and T-Rex Brute Force), then lost the final to T-Rex at a 15 lb load after an initial back-and-forth | not tested | not tested | 8, the lowest value of the seven brands measured by this metric |
| 6T-Rex$6.99 | 101, 105, 106, 101, 106 lb (101-106 lb range); narrator notes the tape seems 'really sticky' | adhesive (not the tape) failed at 9 inches out from the base | won round 1a (beating Duck, 3M, and FiberFix 10x, never budging), then won the final against Gorilla Weather at a 15 lb load; tournament winner | after about a year of weather exposure, held up very well, still glued strongly, required a lot of force to peel | not tested | 16, second-best value after T-Rex Brute Force |
| 7Duck Max$5.12 | 71, 70, 69, 69, 71 lb (69-71 lb range); packaging includes an on-box strength meter shown maxed out | failed at 8 inches out from the base at a 25 lb load | lost round 1b, tied with T-Rex Brute Force for first to slip | not tested | not tested | 14, tied with 3M Pro Strength |
| 8Duck$6.59 | 44, 48, 48, 47, 44 lb (44-48 lb range), the weakest tensile result of the 8 core products tested | failed at 8 inches out from the base at a 25 lb load | lost round 1a, first to slip | after about a year of weather exposure, did not hold up well, described as 'not a whole lot left' | not tested | not tested |
| 93M Pro Strength$7.79 | 62, 63, 63, 62, 61 lb (61-63 lb range); narrator notes more elasticity than Duck Max despite lower peak force | failed at 9 inches out from the base at a 25 lb load | lost round 1a, second to slip (after Duck, before FiberFix 10x) | not tested | not tested | 14, tied with Duck Max |
How it was tested
- tensile pull-strength test (5 samples per tape, upward force in lb to rip the tape in half)
- pipe-wrap strength test (25 lb progressive load, inches of pipe supported before failure)
- adhesive showdown tournament (10 lb plate on a tilted table, single-elimination bracket)
- approximately one-year weather exposure adhesion test (carryover samples from a prior video)
- tow-strap test (towing a tractor)
- tensile strength value per penny per foot
“Regarding the best all-around duct tape, I would have to say that my favorite is T-Rex.”