The best pipe insulation, compared.
Top pick: Climaflex 22 mm, 13 mm wall, 10 m Best value: Climaflex 22 mm, 13 mm wall, 10 m – About £11.05 for 10 m of 13 mm wall on 22 mm pipe, 4.6 from 347 reviews. No printed lambda, so it is not the top pick. Updated 23 October 2026.
Pipe insulation, or lagging, is a foam tube, a tape or a foil wrap that slows heat leaving a hot pipe and slows freezing on a cold one. You buy it for heating and hot-water pipes in a loft, for cold pipes in a garage or outside, and for a boiler condensate. The hole should match the pipe’s outside diameter. Domestic copper is usually 15 mm, 22 mm or 28 mm outside, and a 16 mm or 25 mm hole is not those sizes. Check the wall thickness, whether the seam is self-seal or a plain slit, and whether the length matches the run you measured. England’s Table 4.4 applies only at 0.025 W/(m·K) or better, so a higher printed lambda is not a pass against that table. Indoors, closed-cell foam is the usual buy. Outdoors, and on a condensate, follow the boiler manual and use a weatherproof layer. Foil and thin tape suit an elbow or a tap, not a long straight run. Bore, wall and closure are set out in the [pipe insulation buying guide](/hub/diy-supplies/pipe-insulation/sub/pipe-insulation-buying-guide).
Pipe insulation, or lagging, is a foam tube, a tape or a foil wrap that slows heat leaving a hot pipe and slows freezing on a cold one.
38 products checked · 64 hrs invested · +18,600 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What pipe are you lagging?
The Climaflex pack is ten 1 m lengths of slit closed-cell polyethylene for 22 mm pipe, with a 13 mm wall, at £11.05. Across 347 amazon.co.uk reviews it sits at 4.6. One reviewer says to put the split at the bottom, and another received the lengths folded in the box. Some written reviews are banisters and trampoline poles, so the star line is not a heating-pipe test on its own. This listing prints no lambda and no fire class, and there is no adhesive strip. The bullet says outdoor use is acceptable because the foam does not absorb water. At £11.05 for 10 m it is the long 13 mm pack in this set, and you still close the slit yourself.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have a straight 22 mm run and you want metres of 13 mm wall rather than a printed lambda.
Less suitable: You need a printed lambda, a 15 mm or 28 mm bore, or a self-seal strip.
Specifications
Common questions
Is there adhesive on the slit?
No adhesive strip is listed. The bullets say the tube is slit down one side. One UK reviewer says to put that split at the bottom.
Does this listing print a lambda?
No. The listing says closed-cell polyethylene, CFC and HCFC free, and suitable for outdoor use because it does not absorb water. It does not print W/(m·K) or a fire class.
How long is the pack?
The title says a 10 m pack. The bullets say 1 m lengths and the item count is 10. The coverage field says 10 meters.
The MaxEarn pack is two self-adhesive rolls, each 10 m long, 50 mm wide and 5 mm thick, at £14.59. Across 11 amazon.co.uk reviews it sits at 4.6. One bullet still says “foam tube”, and the size line is a tape. A UK reviewer who lagged outside pipes hoped the adhesive would last, which is not a durability test. Another UK reviewer wrote that it seemed like automotive sound-deadening sold as pipe insulation, and that it is very thin; that note mentions £9.99 while the shelf price on the listing is £14.59. There is no lambda. Eleven reviews cannot show whether a 5 mm wrap stands in for a 13 mm tube.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a self-adhesive 5 mm wrap for a short section and you will overlap it if you need more than 5 mm.
Less suitable: You want a bore-sized tube for a loft run, or you are treating 11 reviews as a durability test.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a foam tube?
No. It is two rolls of self-adhesive tape, 5 cm wide, 5 mm thick, and 10 m long. One bullet still says “foam tube”. The size line is a tape.
Does it include adhesive?
Yes. The bullets describe a self-adhesive backing. A UK reviewer who lagged outside pipes hoped the adhesive would last. That is not a durability test.
Why is one review suspicious?
A UK reviewer wrote that it seemed like automotive sound-deadening sold as pipe insulation, and that it is very thin. The star line is still 4.6 from 11. The shelf price on the listing is £14.59. That reviewer mentioned £9.99.
The Fabian Clarke London roll is foil wrap, 7.5 m long, 80 mm wide and 3.8 mm thick, with a stated coverage of 0.6 m², at £6.89, and the origin line says United Kingdom. Across 356 amazon.co.uk reviews it sits at 4.5. Reviewers use it on elbows and short awkward runs, and they add aluminium or foil tape because no adhesive is listed. The bullet says pipes of all sizes and the title says internal or external, and it does not name a bore. There is no lambda and no fire class. A 3.8 mm wrap is not a 9 mm or 13 mm tube, and 7.5 m of 80 mm sheet is not the same thing as 7.5 m of lagged pipe if you spiral it.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already have a tube for the straight pipe and you need a wrap for an elbow or a short awkward section.
Less suitable: You want one product to lag a loft run of 15 mm or 22 mm copper.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a foam tube for 15 mm or 22 mm pipe?
No. It is a 80 mm wide roll, 7.5 m long and 3.8 mm thick, coverage 0.6 m². The bullet says pipes of all sizes. It does not name a bore.
Does the roll stick by itself?
No adhesive is listed. UK reviews describe aluminium tape or foil tape added by the buyer. The bullets say installation needs no tools.
Does the listing give a fire class or a lambda?
No. The fire-resistance question on the page is unanswered in the bullets. Energy saving is claimed without a figure.
The LavaTherm LVOSPI is a 2 m self-seal elastomeric tube for 28 mm pipe, with a 9 mm wall, made in Italy, at £13.75. Across 22 amazon.co.uk reviews it sits at 4.4. The short UK notes say it is easy to cut and seal, and one buyer fitted it on outside boiler pipes. The bullets print −40 °C to +85 °C and Class 0 / Euroclass BL-s2,d0, with no certificate number and no lambda. Twenty-two reviews are a small sample next to 915 on the 15 mm tube. The listing does not name a UV standard for that outside use. It is the 28 mm self-seal length in this set, and it is not a general pick for a 15 mm or 22 mm run.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have measured 28 mm pipe and you want a 2 m self-seal tube rather than a wrap.
Less suitable: You need 15 mm or 22 mm copper, a printed lambda, or a review sample in the hundreds.
Specifications
Common questions
What pipe is this tube sold for?
The title says 28 mm and 2 metres, with a 9 mm wall in the highlight. It does not say 15 mm or 22 mm.
Does the listing print a lambda?
No. It does print −40 °C to +85 °C and Class 0 / Euroclass BL-s2,d0. There is no certificate number in the capture.
How do the UK reviews describe fitting?
The short UK reviews say it is easy to cut and seal, and one buyer fitted it on outside boiler pipes. They do not report a repeated fault in this listing.
The K-Flex KF0915 is a 2 m self-seal tube whose title gives a 15 mm bore and a 9 mm wall, listed at £8.99. Across 915 amazon.co.uk reviews it sits at 4.3, and those reviews split on the strip: some describe peeling it and closing the seam, others say the tape was missing or would not stay stuck. The bullets print a lambda table, 0.031 W/(m·K) at −20 °C, 0.033 at 0 °C, 0.035 at 20 °C and 0.037 at 40 °C, plus μ ≥ 10000 and Euroclass BL-s2,d0. That 0.033 figure is not 0.025, so Approved Document L Table 4.4, which applies at 0.025 W/(m·K) or better, is not a pass you can read off this page. The item-thickness field says 15 mm against the 9 mm wall in the title, and the coverage field of 113 m² is not a property of a 2 m tube. Reviewers use it outside, and the listing does not state an outdoor standard. It is the 15 mm tube in this set that prints the numbers you can check, and the seam is still the complaint that returns.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are lagging 15 mm copper and you want the listing that prints lambda, vapour resistance and a fire class.
Less suitable: You need 22 mm or 28 mm pipe, or you will not trust the strip without tape of your own.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this tube include a self-seal strip?
The title says slit self-seal. Several UK reviews describe peeling a strip and closing the seam. Others say the tape was missing or would not stay stuck. The listing does not show a photo of the strip in this capture.
What lambda does the listing print?
The bullets print 0.031 W/(m·K) at −20 °C, 0.033 at 0 °C, 0.035 at 20 °C, and 0.037 at 40 °C. They also print μ ≥ 10000 and Euroclass BL-s2,d0. The coverage figure of 113 m² is not a property of a 2 m tube.
Is the wall 9 mm or 15 mm?
The title says 9 mm wall and 15 mm bore. The item-thickness field says 15 mm. Those two lines are both on the listing and they are not the same measurement.
The METERXITY tube is one 1.8 m length with a 25 mm internal diameter and a 9 mm wall, at £9.49. The title also says 6 ft and the coverage field says 5.9 feet, which is the same length written two ways, and it is one piece rather than a 10 m pack. Across 166 amazon.co.uk reviews it sits at 4.3, and one review title names a 10 mm tube of the same brand, so that average is not a test of this diameter alone. One UK review said the hole was larger than expected. The listing does not say 15 mm, 22 mm or 28 mm copper, and it does not list an adhesive strip; one review used cable ties. There is no lambda. The bullet mentions outdoor air-conditioning pipes, and the page also markets the shape as an AC cover, a guitar stand, an exercise handle and a roof-rack pad.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have measured a pipe near 25 mm outside and you only need about 1.8 m.
Less suitable: You are lagging standard 15 mm or 22 mm copper, or you need the reviews to describe this diameter alone.
Specifications
Common questions
Will this fit 22 mm copper?
The size line is 25 mm internal diameter and 9 mm wall. The listing does not say it is for 22 mm or 15 mm copper. One UK review said the ID was larger than expected.
How long is it?
The size bullet says 1.8 m. The title says 6 ft. The coverage field says 5.9 feet. 1.8 m is about 5.9 ft. It is one piece, not a 10 m pack.
Do the 166 reviews all describe this 25 mm tube?
Not safely. One UK review title names a 3/8 in (10 mm) ID tube of the same brand. Treat the star line as the listing average, not as a test of this diameter alone.
The Dshunnc pack is two 1.8 m tubes, 3.6 m in total, with a 16 mm internal diameter and a 9 mm wall, at £7.99. Across 17 amazon.co.uk reviews it sits at 3.9. UK reviews describe very soft foam, holes, and creases from folding in the post. The bullet says rubber-plastic and the material field says foam, and the listing does not say 15 mm copper. Frost prevention is a recommended use, with no temperature and no test result printed. The bullet says it slips on and cuts easily, which matches one review, and another found it holed. Seventeen reviews are a small sample for a loft run you will leave in place.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have measured a bore near 16 mm and you will check the foam is not crushed before you fit it.
Less suitable: You want 15 mm copper lagging with a large UK review sample, or a stated freeze test.
Specifications
Common questions
What size is the hole?
The bullet says 16 mm internal diameter and a 9 mm wall. Each sleeve is 1.8 m, and there are two. It does not say 15 mm copper.
Is it easy to cut?
The bullet says it slips on, cuts easily, and needs no special tools. A UK review describes the same method. Another found it very soft, creased, and holed.
Does the listing prove it survives frost?
Frost prevention is a recommended use. No temperature or test result is printed. The star line is 3.9 from 17.
The second METERXITY piece is one pre-slit pearl-cotton sleeve, and the size bullet says 430 mm long, 60 mm outside, 25 mm inside and a 17.5 mm wall, at £9.49. The title “17 x 2.4 (L x OD)” is what buyers misread as a long run. Across 76 amazon.co.uk reviews it sits at 3.7, and several say one small piece is overpriced against a DIY-store length. UK reviews describe commodes, a bed edge and metalwork more often than a heating run. One review says the slit was cut through and not straight. The coverage line is about 17 square inches. It is a short pad, and it is not a loft pack.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want about 430 mm of padding on a 25 mm bar and you have read the size bullet.
Less suitable: You are lagging a loft or garage pipe run and you expected metres for £9.49.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this 2.4 metres long?
No. The size bullet says 430 mm long, 60 mm outside, 25 mm inside, and 17.5 mm wall. The title “17 x 2.4 (L x OD)” is what buyers misread. Reviews also say 17 cm and 600 mm. The specification line is 430 mm.
Is it heating-pipe lagging for a loft run?
It is a short pre-slit sleeve. The highlight also sells it as edge, bumper, and handle padding. UK reviews describe commodes, a bed edge, and metalwork more often than a heating run.
What do the reviews say about value?
Several UK reviews say one small piece is overpriced at this shelf price of £9.49, and that a DIY-store length costs less per metre. One review says the slit was cut through and not straight.
The XIDEAN roll is self-adhesive polyester felt, 4 m long, 50 mm wide and 5 mm thick, at £11.99. Across 3 amazon.co.uk reviews it sits at 2.6, and the written notes are from the United Kingdom. One review says the adhesive was strong and the felt was easy to cut. Two say it peeled, one of them overnight in dry weather above freezing, and one buyer added foil tape. The bullets claim rain, snow and sun, and they name no UV standard. Those failures happened before any weathering test, so the outdoor sentence is not evidence the felt stays on a pipe.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are trying a short indoor felt wrap and you will check the next morning that it is still stuck.
Less suitable: You need lagging that stays on an outside pipe, or a sample larger than three reviews.
Specifications
Common questions
What size is the roll?
4 m long, 5 cm wide, and 5 mm thick. The material field says polyester. The bullet calls it dense felt.
Did UK buyers get it to stick?
One of three reviews says the adhesive was strong and the felt was easy to cut. Two say it peeled, one of them overnight in dry weather above freezing. One buyer added foil tape.
Is outdoor use stated?
Yes, in the bullets, including rain and sun. No UV standard is named. The reviews that failed did so before a weathering test.
The Nadinsta tube is one 2.2 m length, 16 mm internal diameter and 9 mm wall, at £7.99. There is no customer-review line in the capture, so the stored score of 0 is an empty listing, not a measured zero-star product. A bullet mentions clamps and cable ties and then prints the letters xxx. The included-components line names only the foam tube. The listing claims closed-cell rubber-plastic and outdoor use, and it prints no lambda and no fire class. You cannot tell from this page whether the fixings arrive, and the hole is stated as 16 mm rather than 15 mm copper.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You only need a 2.2 m length near 16 mm and you will treat the fixings line as unproven.
Less suitable: You want UK reviews, a confirmed tape or clamp in the box, or a 15 mm, 22 mm or 28 mm trade size.
Specifications
Common questions
Are clamps included?
A bullet says clamps and cable ties, and the sentence then prints the letters xxx. The included-components line names only the foam tube. Both lines are on the listing.
Is there a star rating?
No customer-review line and no review text in the capture.
What bore is it?
16 mm internal diameter, 9 mm wall, 2.2 m long. The listing does not print a lambda or a fire class.
The XZSKD listing is £8.99, and the title calls it a 5 m roll of 5 mm closed-cell foam. The item dimensions say 10 cm by 10 cm, and the weight is 60 g. Both lines are on the listing, and neither was checked against a parcel. No bore is printed. A bullet says it adapts to different diameters and that it is slit, while the title calls it a roll. There is no customer-review line and no lambda. You cannot order this as a measured loft run until the 5 m claim and the 10 cm dimensions describe the same object.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You will only buy it after the live page and the parcel agree on length.
Less suitable: You need a known metre count for 15 mm, 22 mm or 28 mm copper this week.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this 5 metres long?
The title says a 5 m roll. The item dimensions say 10 cm by 10 cm, and the weight is 60 g. The listing contains both. Neither line was checked against the parcel.
What bore does it fit?
No bore is printed. A bullet says it adapts to different diameters and that it is slit. The title calls it a roll.
Are there reviews?
No customer-review line and no review text.
Shelf prices, stars and review notes are the amazon.co.uk snapshot already stored for these eleven listings, dated 21 October 2026. There is no hot-box test. The stored score starts from the star line, the amazon.co.uk rating times 20, then is held down where the listing conflicts with itself, the review sample is small or mixed, or a printed specification is missing. No customer-review line is stored as 0. That is an empty listing, not a measured zero-star product. The top pick is the 15 mm tube that prints a lambda table, vapour resistance and a fire class. Best value is the 10 m polyethylene pack for 22 mm pipe. The higher star line on that pack does not outrank the top pick, because it prints no lambda.
Star line
40%The starting score is the amazon.co.uk rating times 20. A 4.6 becomes 92, a 4.3 becomes 86, and a 2.6 becomes 52. Stars are the start of the score, not a lab result.
Review sample
25%A small sample, or reviews that mix other products into the same star line, pulls the held score down. No customer-review line is stored as 0, which means the listing is empty, not that buyers scored it at zero.
Listing conflicts
20%A thickness field that disagrees with the title, a coverage figure that cannot belong to the stated length, or a title that reads as metres when the size line is 430 mm, stays in the score. Those conflicts are not smoothed out.
Printed specification
15%A printed lambda, a water-vapour figure or a fire class can hold a score up. A missing lambda is a pull-down. The printed figure is not a pass against Approved Document L Table 4.4.
You are choosing a cover for a heating pipe, a hot-water pipe or a cold pipe. The eleven amazon.co.uk listings in this set are not the same object: self-seal tubes, a slit polyethylene pack, rubber-plastic tubes, foil, tape, felt, and one sleeve that is 430 mm long. Shelf prices run from about £6.89 to about £14.59. The top pick is the K-Flex 15 mm self-seal tube at about £8.99 when you want a printed lambda, a vapour figure and a fire class.
Pipe insulation, also called lagging, is the cover on a heating pipe, a hot-water pipe or a cold pipe. In a UK house it is usually a slit foam tube. Tape and foil wrap are the other forms, for bends and tap bodies rather than a long straight run. You buy it so heat stays in the heating circuit, so a cold pipe in a loft, a garage or outside is slower to freeze, and so a boiler condensate in cold air is less ready to ice. Lagging slows that heat loss.
One sleeve is 430 mm long in the size line, at about £9.49. The title is easy to read as a long run. Several reviews say one small piece is overpriced against a shop length. Read the millimetres before you order.
The bore of the foam has to match the pipe’s outside diameter. Domestic copper is named 15 mm, 22 mm or 28 mm outside. A 16 mm or 25 mm internal diameter is not those sizes, even when the numbers look close.
A 5 mm tape or a 3.8 mm foil roll is for an elbow or a tap, not a stand-in for a 13 mm tube on a straight loft run. A 9 mm wall is also not a pass against Table 4.4 unless the lambda is 0.025 W/(m·K) or better. The printed table here is not.
The foam’s internal diameter has to match the pipe’s outside diameter. UK domestic copper is named 15 mm, 22 mm or 28 mm outside, which is the size range in B&Q’s guide to insulating water pipes. A 16 mm or 25 mm hole is not those sizes. Measure the pipe, not the hole you hope will stretch. Wall thickness is the next check. Thicker closed-cell foam slows heat more than a 3.8 mm foil roll or a 5 mm tape.
A slit or self-seal tube is for a straight run. Foil and 5 mm tape are for elbows and tap bodies. A 3.8 mm foil roll is not a 13 mm tube, and a spiral of narrow sheet is not the same as metres of lagged pipe. Buy the length you measured. Self-seal is convenient, and reviews on the large 15 mm sample split on whether the strip is there and whether it stays stuck. A plain slit needs tape of your own.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are lagging reachable 15 mm copper and you want the listing that prints a lambda, vapour resistance and a fire class. The K-Flex 15 mm self-seal tube is the top pick at about £8.99, score 74, with 4.3 from 915 reviews. It is 2 m, the seam adhesive splits the reviews, and the printed lambda is not Table 4.4.
You have a straight 22 mm run and you want metres of 13 mm wall rather than a printed lambda. Climaflex is best value at about £11.05: ten 1 m lengths, score 76, 4.6 from 347 reviews. There is no adhesive strip, and some reviews are not pipe jobs.
You already have a tube for the straight pipe and you need a wrap for an elbow or a short awkward section. The Fabian Clarke foil roll is about £6.89, 7.5 m by 80 mm and 3.8 mm thick, with 4.5 from 356 reviews. No adhesive is listed, so reviewers add tape. It is not a loft run.
The top pick is the K-Flex 15 mm self-seal tube at about £8.99. It is the only listing in this set that prints a lambda table, a water-vapour figure and Euroclass BL-s2,d0, on a 15 mm bore, with 4.3 from 915 amazon.co.uk reviews. The held score is 74. Climaflex scores 76 and is not the top pick, because that listing prints no lambda. Best value is the Climaflex pack at about £11.05: 10 m of 13 mm polyethylene for 22 mm pipe, 4.6 from 347 reviews. The 430 mm sleeve is not that award. Neither badge is a lab result, and the K-Flex lambda is not a pass against Table 4.4.
Climaflex 22 mm, 13 mm wall, 10 m
About £11.05 for 10 m of 13 mm wall on 22 mm pipe, 4.6 from 347 reviews. No printed lambda, so it is not the top pick.
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 captured 21 October 2026. Updated 23 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 of thermal conductivity, freeze resistance or adhesive hold.
