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Tarpaulin buying guide

Updated: October 2026

You are covering a log pile, a bike, or a short building job, and the amazon.co.uk titles all say waterproof and heavy duty. A tarpaulin buying guide has to ignore that wording until you have checked the size with spare, the grams per square metre stated for that sheet, whether the parcel kilogrammes sit near that figure, and how the eyelets and rope are described. Products Compared read twelve polyethylene listings on 15 October 2026. This is not a laboratory test, and a link to amazon.co.uk may earn us a commission. The [tarpaulin comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/tarpaulin) holds the twelve-row table. Daylight versus shade is on [clear or coloured tarpaulin](/hub/diy-supplies/tarpaulin/sub/tarpaulin-clear-or-coloured).

You are covering a log pile, a bike, or a short building job, and the amazon.co.uk titles all say waterproof and heavy duty.

Our top picks

Velway Velway 2 × 3 m tarpaulin

Best overall

Velway Velway 2 × 3 m tarpaulin
7.2/10about £9.43
View offer
ANSIO ANSIO 3 × 4 m tarpaulin

Preis-Tipp

ANSIO ANSIO 3 × 4 m tarpaulin
6.9/10about £7.45
View offer
SolaDirect SolaDirect 3 × 4 m green tarpaulin

Alternative

SolaDirect SolaDirect 3 × 4 m green tarpaulin
5.2/10about £11.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Measure the job, then add spare
  2. 2.Read the GSM for that size, then the kilogrammes
  3. 3.Eyelets and rope
  4. 4.What heavy duty does not decide

Measure the job, then add spare

Start with the object, not the brand. A sheet that only just matches the tape comes up short once you turn an edge under for a tie. SolaDirect prints a finished-size warning of plus or minus 10 percent on the coloured sheets and on the clear 2 × 3 m leno. The small B2C 1.5 × 2 m sheet prints plus or minus 5 percent. If the job is a tight 3 × 4 m, order with spare. A large thin sheet is still thin.

Read the GSM for that size, then the kilogrammes

GSM is grams per square metre, and it is the number that separates these sheets. Heavy duty is not a British Standard. HipperTech states 60 gsm, ANSIO 70 gsm, Velway and the clear leno 100 gsm, KAV 130 gsm, and the silver-black B2C title 250 gsm. The coloured SolaDirect sizes state no GSM for the sheet, only a catalogue range of 50–260 gsm. Dividing item weight by the stated area is not a laboratory GSM. Near the stated figure: HipperTech about 56 and 53 g/m², ANSIO about 76, Velway about 120, and the clear leno about 103. Not near it: KAV about 96 g/m² against 130 gsm, the silver-black sheet about 21 g/m² against 250 gsm, and the small B2C at 5 kg on 3 m² against a 70 gsm cell. The conditional list is best heavy duty tarpaulin.
Velway Velway 2 × 3 m tarpaulin

Testsieger

Velway Velway 2 × 3 m tarpaulin
7.2/10about £9.43
View offer

Eyelets and rope

Most of these sheets state aluminium rings about every 1 m. Velway and the silver-black B2C title say every 0.5 m. HipperTech and KAV do not state a pitch. A closer pitch gives you more ties. It does not prove a thicker cloth. The green SolaDirect 3 × 4 m is the coloured sheet that lists rope. If the included line is only the tarpaulin, budget for cord or bungees. How to use the rings is on how to secure a tarpaulin.

What heavy duty does not decide

The same two words sit on 60 gsm titles and on the 250 gsm claim. CAP Code section 3 expects evidence for an objective claim. The Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 11, says goods must match the description, so the GSM and the size are the lines to keep. Prices on these twelve listings run from £4.83 for the small B2C to £39.99 for the KAV. That is shelf arithmetic, not a market index. A parent count of 24,025 or 4,577 is not one size.

Common questions

What should you check on a tarpaulin listing before the brand?
Check the size with spare, the GSM stated for that sheet, whether item weight divided by the stated area sits near that GSM, the eyelet spacing, and whether rope is listed. Brand and stars come after. A shared count such as 24,025 across three SolaDirect sizes does not tell you the grams of the sheet in the basket.
What is GSM on a tarpaulin?
GSM means grams per square metre. In this set the stated figures are 60, 70, 100, 130, and 250, or no figure, or only a catalogue range of 50–260 gsm. It is not a British Standard grade. Two UK shops can draw a heavy line in different places. Read the number printed for the size you are buying.
Why can the parcel weight disagree with the GSM on the title?
Item weight includes hems, eyelets, and packaging, and some listing weights are simply wrong for the claim. Dividing kilogrammes by the stated area is a check, not a lab test. KAV's 5.18 kg on 54 m² is about 96 g/m² against 130 gsm. The silver-black B2C's 250 g on 12 m² is about 21 g/m² against 250 gsm. When they clash, do not pick a winner from the clash.
How far apart are the eyelets on a typical sheet?
Most stated pitches in this set are 1 m. Velway and the silver-black B2C title say 0.5 m. Simplz says about 1 m. HipperTech and KAV do not state a pitch. A trade site may say economy sheets are nearer 100 cm and heavier sheets nearer 50–75 cm. That is a shop pattern, not a measurement of these twelve parcels.
Is rope included, or only rings?
The green SolaDirect 3 × 4 m lists rope. The small B2C says it is welded into the hem, and one review found none. Simplz builds it into the hem. The other sheets do not list a loose rope. Rings without cord still need something you supply.
Why might the sheet be smaller than the size in the title?
SolaDirect warns of plus or minus 10 percent, and the small B2C warns of plus or minus 5 percent. A seller rule of thumb, not a figure for these ASINs, is that hems can leave a sheet up to about 30 cm shorter than the cut size. One Simplz review measured about 109 × 170 cm against 120 × 180 cm. Measure on arrival if the job is tight.

Related pages

Tarpaulin

Best heavy duty tarpaulin: check GSM, not the title

Clear tarpaulin or coloured: when you need daylight or shade

Tarpaulin for garden furniture: short cover with an air gap

How to secure a tarpaulin: use every eyelet and give a fall

Sources

Public UK sources on quality, description, unsafe products, scaffolds, and advertising claims. Prices, stars, and review counts are from the twelve amazon.co.uk listings read on 15 October 2026. Prices move.

  1. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 11 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. General Product Safety Regulations 2005, regulation 5 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. HSE, scaffolds (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. Fire Safety Order 2005, article 6 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK, consumer protection rights (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Citizens Advice, faulty goods (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. CAP Code, section 3 (retrieved 16 October 2026)