The best duct tapes, compared.
Top pick: Enyisa rainbow duct tape, 8 × 48 mm × 10 m Best value: 3M Value Duct Tape 1900, 50 mm × 50 m – About £5.16 for 50 m of named 3M 1900, about 10p per metre, with 4.6 from 6,261 reviews. Updated 22.10.2026.
Duct tape is cloth-scrim tape with a polyethylene face and a rubber adhesive. In the UK you buy a roll for a temporary repair, for bundling loose items, for packing a carton, or for a craft that needs a wide strip. It is not electrical insulation, not a permanent seal on a ventilation duct, and not a repair for a pressurised pipe. A sound roll is about 48–50 mm wide, shows a woven scrim, and tears across the roll rather than splitting down its length. Press it onto a clean, dry surface. Width, stated metres, colour and how cleanly the tape tears are the checks that still apply when the models on the shelf change. A title that says gaffer, waterproof or no residue is a claim, not a test. Those checks, in order, are in the [duct tape buying guide](/hub/diy-supplies/duct-tape/sub/duct-tape-buying-guide). Cloth tape on real ductwork is only a short-term fix. A gas flue, a live cable, or a leak that could injure someone needs a qualified person, not another strip.
Duct tape is cloth-scrim tape with a polyethylene face and a rubber adhesive. In the UK you buy a roll for a temporary repair, for bundling loose items, for packing a carton, or for a craft that needs a wide strip.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What width do you need?
Enyisa’s rainbow set is eight rolls of 48 mm by 10 m at £13.99, and amazon.co.uk shows 5.0 from a single review. That review describes a travelling repair kit and does not test weather or removal, so the star line is not evidence of quality. The unit count is 1.0 metre against a title that implies 80 m, and the included-components field says no. Bullets say it tears by hand, removes cleanly when used correctly, and can stand in for electrical tape, with no insulating standard on the listing. UV and waterproof appear as listing language without a weather test in the file. Buy the colours for a craft box if you like the set, and do not use the 5.0 as a reason to patch a cable or a tent.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Crafts and colour coding, if you ignore the star rating.
Less suitable: A quality judgement, a cable repair, or an outdoor patch based on the 5.0.
Specifications
Common questions
How many rolls are in the rainbow set?
The title says eight rolls, 48 mm by 10 m. The unit count is 1.0 metre, and the included-components field says no.
Is the 5.0 score from many reviews?
The listing shows 5.0 from 1 review. That review describes a travelling repair kit and does not test weather or removal.
Does the listing make it electrical tape?
Recommended uses include electrical, and a bullet says it can replace electrical tape. No insulating standard is on the listing.
Duck’s black roll is listed at 48 mm by 18.2 m for £3.11, with 4.6 from 38,144 amazon.co.uk reviews, the largest sample in this set. That width matches the everyday cloth-tape size for a box seam or a short patch, and the shelf price is the lowest single roll here. The listing calls it waterproof and prints a clean-removal time of 21 days, but the saved reviews do not test that figure, and a convertible-roof repair later needed epoxy. Item thickness is printed as 9 millimetres, which is not a credible tape thickness, and reviews also describe red, gold, purple and yellow rolls on the same capture. One review says it does not rip as easily as it should. It is the top pick here for an ordinary full-width job when you can live with 18.2 m, not a long workshop roll.
Pros
Cons
Best for: One full-width roll for boxes and a short temporary patch, when review depth matters more than metres.
Less suitable: A van that needs 50 m on one core, or a job that must lift cleanly from paint.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this the black roll?
The title says black, 48 mm by 18.2 m. Reviews in the same capture also describe red, gold, purple and yellow rolls.
Does the listing call it waterproof?
The water resistance field says waterproof. One review covered a metal frame for that reason. A convertible-roof repair later needed epoxy.
How thick is the tape on the listing?
Item thickness is printed as 9 millimetres. That figure is not a credible tape thickness, and the backing material is not stated.
The Gorilla handy roll is 25 mm by 9 m at £4.00, and amazon.co.uk shows 4.6 from 30,330 reviews. Reviewers tear it in straight lines and mention brick, garden chairs, Christmas lights and a suitcase, which is a bag-sized repair tape rather than a box-seam roll. One review says it cuts without leaving too much residue, though that is a single comment, not a clean-removal test. Gorilla UK describes the range as temporary and not a plumbing, electrical or structural repair, with an applied range of about 0°C to 65.5°C. At about 44p per metre it costs several times the pence-per-metre of a 50 m value roll in this set. The width is about ordinary sticky-tape width in reviews, so a carton flap that wants roughly 48 mm will need two strips or a different roll.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A narrow temporary patch, or a short roll you keep in a bag.
Less suitable: Sealing a carton with one 48 mm strip, or buying metres for a van.
Specifications
Common questions
How wide is this Gorilla roll?
The listing gives 25 mm by 9 m. Reviews call it narrow, about Sellotape width, so it is a poor match if you need about 48 mm for a box seam.
Does it tear by hand?
Reviews say it tears cleanly in straight lines.
Is it listed for outdoor use?
Recommended uses are indoor and outdoor, and water resistance is water resistant. Reviews mention brick, garden chairs, Christmas lights and a suitcase. Gorilla UK still calls the tape temporary and not a structural repair.
3M Value Duct Tape 1900 is one silver roll, 50 mm by 50 m, at £5.16, with 4.6 from 6,261 reviews. That is about 10p per metre. 3M UK positions 1900 as a non-critical, light-duty cloth tape rated to 60°C. The December 2008 UK data sheet gives adhesion 15 N/25 mm, tensile 70 N/25 mm and a 0.17 mm thickness. The amazon.co.uk listing prints 147 micron, which is a separate listing figure, not that sheet. Reviews split between a clean hand tear and a roll that no longer tears cleanly, and one review says it leaves residue if it is left on or pulled off. The listing says it is for industrial and professional workplace use and is not intended for consumer sale, which is an odd line on a consumer page. Water resistance is water resistant, not a plumbing seal. It is the best value long roll in this set when you want a named grade and 50 m, though it is still a temporary cloth tape.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A long silver roll for non-critical packing and temporary patches, when you want a named grade.
Less suitable: A heavy structural or outdoor UV job, or anyone who needs the tape to lift without residue.
Specifications
Common questions
What size is the 3M 1900 roll?
The listing gives one silver roll, 50 mm by 50 m, and prints 147 micron. The December 2008 UK data sheet is a separate document and states 0.17 mm and 60°C.
Does it leave residue?
One review says it leaves a residue if it is left on too long or pulled off.
Is it sold as consumer tape?
The listing says it is designed for industrial and professional workplace use and is not intended for consumer sale or use.
Crimson Starfish’s black 12-pack lists twelve rolls of 48 mm by 45 m at £36.99, with 4.5 from 1,456 reviews and a unit count of 540 m. If that length is what arrives, the price is about 7p per metre, which is the low end of this set, but the figure is a listing field, not a measured length. Several reviews call the tape thinner than branded duct tape, and removal can come off in pieces. Hand tear splits between an easy rip and a need for scissors or a knife, including lengthways tears. The title says heavy duty and water resistant, which the thin-tape comments undercut. It suits a van or a workshop that will use a lot of ordinary cloth tape, not a single repair where thickness matters.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A workshop that will actually use hundreds of metres of ordinary black cloth tape.
Less suitable: One household repair, a thick patch, or a buyer who needed matte gaffer tape.
Specifications
Common questions
How much tape is in the black 12-pack?
The listing gives 12 rolls of 48 mm by 45 m. The unit count is 540 m. That length is a listing field, not a measured length.
Can you tear it by hand?
Reviews split. Some tear it easily. Others need scissors or a knife, or say it tears lengthways.
Is it listed as heavy duty?
The title says heavy duty and water resistant. Several reviews call it thinner than branded duct tape, and one says removal comes off in pieces.
The silver Crimson Starfish 12-pack is the same £36.99 shelf price for a stated 12 by 48 mm by 45 m, with 4.5 from 1,025 reviews. Material is listed as cloth and polyethylene, and the unit count is again 540 m. One review says the glue creeps in direct sunlight and dries after about a month, so an outdoor cover in sun is a weak use even though recommended uses include outdoor sealing. Several reviews call it thinner than Gorilla or branded duck tape. Some praise an easy rip, while one says it curls and sticks to itself. Treat the pence-per-metre only if the rolls really are 45 m each, and keep it off a surface that sits in full sun.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Indoor silver bundling in volume, if you have checked that each roll is 45 m.
Less suitable: A cover left in direct sun, or a single weekend repair.
Specifications
Common questions
What is in the silver 12-pack?
The listing gives 12 silver rolls, 48 mm by 45 m, with a unit count of 540 m. Material is cloth and polyethylene.
Does it hold in sunlight?
One review says the glue creeps in direct sunlight and dries after about a month. Recommended uses include indoor and outdoor sealing.
How does the tear compare in reviews?
Some reviews praise an easy rip. One says it curls and sticks to itself. Several call it thinner than Gorilla or branded duck tape.
Stymiya’s three black rolls are listed at 4.8 cm by 18.3 m, about 55 m in total, for £9.99, with 4.5 from 485 reviews. That is a full-width cloth pack at roughly 18p per metre if the 55 m line is right, between a single value roll and a 12-pack. The listing says hand-tearable and also says no residue, while some reviews say it must be cut and that adhesive transfers onto the cutter. One reviewer received silver instead of black. One review says the glue melted and let go on a warm air-conditioning hose, and another mentions a strong indoor smell. Water resistance and a waterproof special-feature line sit on the same page, so do not treat either as a weather test.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A small black multipack for indoor packing if the colour in the parcel matches the title.
Less suitable: A warm hose, a painted wall, or a buyer who needs the colour to be certain.
Specifications
Common questions
What length does the listing give?
The listing gives three rolls of 4.8 cm by 18.3 m, and a total length of 55 m. The included-components field says refill rolls.
Does it tear by hand?
The listing says hand-tearable. Some reviews say it must be cut, and that adhesive transfers onto the cutter.
What happened in warm use?
One review says the glue melted and let go on a warm air-conditioning extractor hose. Another mentions a strong indoor smell.
Stick Well’s silver roll is 48 mm by 50 m at £5.04, with 4.4 from 117 reviews. That is about 10p per metre, close to 3M 1900, on a much smaller sample. The listing says waterproof and puts electrical and plumbing in the recommended uses, but no insulating or plumbing standard appears on the page, and one review says the roll is narrower than usual. The same listing tells you to apply it on clean, dry, smooth surfaces and to avoid rough or wet areas such as carpet, concrete or uneven wood. Residue comments disagree: one says none on cloth, another had trouble removing it. A drain-pipe anecdote in the file is one story, not a method for a leak. It is a cheap long roll if you accept a thin review count and ignore the electrical wording.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A long silver household roll when you accept a smaller review sample than 3M 1900.
Less suitable: Live cables, a wet rough surface, or anyone treating one drain-pipe story as a repair method.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this listed as electrical tape?
Recommended uses include electrical and plumbing. No insulating standard is on the listing. Apply it on clean, dry, smooth surfaces, and do not treat it as insulation for a live cable.
What size is the roll?
The listing gives one silver roll, 48 mm by 50 m. One review says the roll is narrower than usual.
Does it leave residue?
One review says it left no residue on cloth. Another had trouble removing it.
This Stymiya listing is four rolls of 2 in by 20 yards at £12.99, with 4.3 from only 33 reviews. The colour field is grey, the title also says black, and many saved reviews describe silver rolls or a three-roll pack, so the carton may not match the title you clicked. The listing says it tears by hand across the roll, and it states it is not for electrical insulation, medical use or a pressurised pipe repair, which is clearer than several neighbours. A no-residue line is on the page and the reviews do not test removal. Unit count is 73.6 m, about four times 20 yards. With 33 reviews and a colour clash, it is a speculative multipack rather than a roll you can specify.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Only if you have opened a recent review that matches the four-roll grey or black pack you expect.
Less suitable: A specified colour, or any electrical or pipe repair the listing already refuses.
Specifications
Common questions
How many rolls, and what colour?
The current title says four rolls and both black and grey. The colour field is grey. Many saved reviews describe silver rolls and a three-roll pack.
Can it seal a pressurised pipe or insulate a cable?
The listing says it is not intended for electrical insulation, medical use or pressurised pipe leak repair.
Does it tear by hand?
The bullets and the reviews say it tears by hand, across the roll rather than down the length.
PixiPals lists three silver rolls at £8.49, with 4.2 from 110 reviews, and the length fields do not agree. The title says both 75 m and 25 m per roll, the size name says 48 mm by 45 m, and reviews report about 25 m or 40 m, not 75 m. Width at 48 mm is the useful everyday size, and several reviews say it rips across without scissors. The title also says no residue and mentions UV, but the saved reviews do not confirm clean removal or weather life. At £8.49 you cannot work out pence per metre until you know which length is in the box. Skip it until the size on the page you are looking at is one number.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Nobody, until the listing shows one length and the reviews match it.
Less suitable: Any order that assumes 75 m per roll from the title.
Specifications
Common questions
How long is each PixiPals roll?
The title says 48 mm by 75 m and also 25 m per roll. The size name says 48 mm by 45 m. Reviews report about 25 m or 40 m, not 75 m.
Does the title’s no-residue claim show up in reviews?
The title says no residue. The saved reviews do not confirm clean removal.
Can you tear it by hand?
Several reviews say it rips across without scissors.
ZVANI’s three-pack is titled as gaffer tape, 48 mm by 45 m, at £7.79, with 4.1 from 2,071 reviews. Reviews say it is not proper gaffer and that it can split into two layers, so the title is a naming problem rather than a stage-tape specification. The unit count is 135 m, which matches three times 45 m, but some reviews say 45 m is the total length of the pack. Tear comments split between a straight rip and a lengthways tear into triangles. Material is printed as Vi, and tensile strength is listed at 200 pounds per inch, a figure you should not treat as a measured result from this page. One review claims no residue and the others do not. Buy it only if you want cheap black cloth metres and you have checked the length on the roll you receive.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Cheap black cloth tape after you have measured the metres on the roll in the parcel.
Less suitable: Stage gaffer, a cable you must lift, or any order that assumes 135 m without checking.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this gaffer tape?
The title says gaffer. Reviews say it is not proper gaffer and that it sometimes splits into two layers.
How much tape is in the pack?
The listing says three rolls of 48 mm by 45 m, and the unit count is 135 m. Some reviews say the 45 m is the total, not the length of each roll.
Does it tear by hand?
Some reviews tear it straight. Others say it tears down the roll into triangles or sticks to itself.
Shelf prices and stars are the amazon.co.uk snapshot of 21 October 2026 already stored for these eleven listings. This is not a laboratory test and not a national ranking. The score starts from the star rating and the size of the review sample. A 5.0 from one review does not outrank a 4.6 from tens of thousands. Width and a single agreed length score higher than a 25 mm handy roll or a title that disagrees with the size field. Price per metre is used only when the length is one figure. Listing words such as waterproof, heavy duty and no residue are not treated as proof.
Review depth and stars
35%The star rating is the start. Review depth can lift or cut the score by more than the gap between 4.4 and 4.6. A single review cannot lead.
Width and stated length
30%About 48–50 mm with one agreed metre count scores higher than a 25 mm handy roll or a title that disagrees with the size field. A one-review sample and a length clash are heavier deductions than a short roll of a known width.
Tear, residue and colour
20%Review comments on tear, residue, colour and thin cloth count. A clean tear across the roll scores higher than a lengthways split. Listing claims are not proof.
Price per metre
15%Pence per metre is a rule of thumb from the shelf price in GBP, and only when the length is a single figure. It does not override a size clash or a one-review sample.
Buy the job before the words heavy duty. Duct tape is cloth over a rubber adhesive for a temporary hold. About 48–50 mm and one agreed length matter more than a waterproof bullet. It is not gaffer tape, not electrical tape, and not a seal for a live cable, a flue or a pressurised pipe.
Duct tape on a UK shelf is cloth-scrim tape: a polyethylene face over a woven fabric, with a rubber adhesive. You buy it for a temporary repair, for bundling, for packing and for crafts. It is not the same product as gaffer tape, parcel tape or electrical tape. A sound roll has a real woven scrim, tears across the roll rather than down its length, and holds after you press it onto a clean, dry surface. Treat every roll as a temporary fix.
Heavy duty, waterproof and no residue are listing words. Reviews in this set describe thin cloth, residue, wrong colours and tears that split down the roll. Read those comments before the bullet.
Everyday cloth tape is about 48–50 mm. A 25 mm handy roll is a bag patch. A carton seam that wants one strip will need two, or a different roll.
Cloth tape is not electrical insulation, not a permanent ventilation-duct seal and not a pressurised-pipe repair. A gas flue, a live joint or a leak that could injure someone needs a qualified person. Tape can hold a cover until then.
About 48–50 mm is the everyday width. A 25 mm roll is for a narrow patch, not a single strip on a carton. The length has to be one figure: if the title, the size field and the reviews disagree, do not calculate pence per metre. A cloth scrim should tear across the roll. A lengthways split, or a roll that needs scissors every time, is a weaker cloth tape even when the star line looks high. A short roll of a known width is easier to trust than a multipack whose unit count does not match the title.
Cardboard and rough bundling can use a value cloth roll. Finished paint, hired kit and cables you must lift want gaffer tape. A no-residue title is not evidence. Water resistant is not a plumbing seal, and a bullet that says electrical does not make insulating tape. Ordinary duct tape sits outside BS EN 60454-1. RS treats cloth tape on real ductwork as a short-term fix only. 3M’s UK line for its value grade is non-critical use to 60°C.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want one full-width roll for boxes and a short patch. The Duck black roll is the top pick at about £3.11, 48 mm by 18.2 m, with 4.6 from 38,144 reviews. It is a short roll. Reviews also describe colours other than black, and a car-roof patch later needed epoxy. It will not lift cleanly from paint.
You want a long roll of a named grade, and you already know cloth tape is not duct mastic. 3M 1900 is best value at about £5.16 for 50 mm by 50 m, about 10p per metre, with 4.6 from 6,261 reviews. 3M rates it non-critical and to 60°C. Reviews split on tear and residue.
You want short coloured rolls, and the colour is the point. The Enyisa set is eight rolls at a stated 48 mm by 10 m, about £13.99. The 5.0 is one review, and the unit count says 1.0 metre, so do not treat the stars as a quality test. Do not use it on a cable or a tent.
The top pick is the Duck black roll, 48 mm by 18.2 m, at about £3.11. It scores 8.8, with 4.6 from 38,144 reviews, the largest sample here, at the usual width for a box seam. It is only 18.2 m, the printed thickness of 9 millimetres is not credible, and reviews mention other colours. Best value is 3M Value Duct Tape 1900 at about £5.16 for 50 mm by 50 m, score 8.4, about 10p per metre, with 4.6 from 6,261 reviews. 3M positions it as non-critical tape to 60°C. A 5.0 from one review, on the colour set, does not lead.
3M Value Duct Tape 1900, 50 mm × 50 m
About £5.16 for 50 m of named 3M 1900, about 10p per metre, with 4.6 from 6,261 reviews.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Listings read 21 October 2026. Updated 22 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures already stored for this set. This is not a laboratory test.
