Red Green, that quintessential Canadian TV putterer, called duct tape “the handyman’s secret weapon.” And certainly there are endless uses for the stuff at the cottage. But which brand is best? We tested some of the top offerings for stickability, rain resistance, strength when stretched, and ease of use. Read on to find out our favourite for your next hasty cottage repair.
Cheerful but cheap
Cantech’s “multipurpose” tape has great stick and water resistance, but it was pretty flimsy and also had a fatal flaw: when we were ripping off pieces, it often tore lengthwise.
Solid stuff Scotch
Tough lives up to its name; we could hardly break it in the stretch test. Though that durability makes it difficult to tear pieces off, and it wasn’t the stickiest tape. Still, the sleek, rubbery black finish looks nice and repelled water, making this tape a good choice for duct-tape repair jobs that will look smart and last.
A real looker
Duck Tape wins points for best colour selection (it comes in everything from lime green to leopard print), but loses in every other category. Use it for crafts.
New guy
Fresh on the market, T-Rex Tape isn’t available everywhere yet, but it held up well in all our tests, except for rain: it lost some stick.
Editors’ choice
Gorilla Tape is our new fave: sticky as hell, easy to rip, strong when stretched, affordable, and available everywhere.
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