Best Garage Door Insulation Kits: Seal Out the Elements

If you’re looking for something that will withstand even the most trying conditions, the SmartShield Reflective Insulation Roll has you covered. The roll design of this polyethylene material makes it compatible with any garage door, working in all environments. The reflective exterior has an efficiency rating of 97 percent. 

This kit consists of three-millimeter closed polymer cells held closely together. Tightly held between thick aluminum material, it is maneuverable yet tough. You can even use it to improve your garage’s soundproofing. Plus, when it comes time to cut it to size, the non-toxic contents keep you safe throughout. It’s easy to place and makes overhauling your garage an overall pleasant experience. 

Keep in mind that this roll comes in 16-inch wide sheets and includes 50 feet of material. To make sure you can get through the whole project in one go, measure your garage door surface area ahead of time.

The most cost-effective option for insulating your garage is the Reach Barrier. This product is a radiant barrier that benefits from being lightweight and easy to customize. The garage door insulation kit comes with eight pre-cut insulation panels that can be trimmed with just a utility knife and straight edge.

The Reach Barrier's most notable feature is its price. It can insulate a steel garage door at a fraction of the cost of its competitors. The outer layer is made of a unique reflective polyethylene material that can block up to 95 percent of reflecting heat. The reflective barrier and bubble layer adhere to the door with five sticky pads that come included with the kit.

Despite being the best garage door insulation for heat and cold weather, the Reach Barrier may not be the right choice for you. The surface of the door panels cannot be painted, so depending on how you like the look of the material, that could be a big drawback. Also, because of the trimming that is required, it can be a messier installation compared to others.

The Cellofoam Garage Door Insulation Kit is designed to provide excellent performance and a straightforward installation. With insulation made out of closed expanded polystyrene cells, it offers the benefits of water resistance and thermal control. 

Coming with eight pieces—each can be cut to size efficiently—the laminate material helps you control frays. Structured for residential applications, this insulation kit leaves a smooth, clean look behind. Moving it around doesn’t pose a challenge since it’s so lightweight, but it packs a punch when it comes to strength. This insulation is durable, and once it’s in place, it stays there. Plus, you can wash it easily if dust builds up over the season. 

With one kit, you can easily cover a full garage door nine feet long or smaller. However, double garages will require two of these insulation kits.

It might sound like a marketing gimmick, but it’s true: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration doesn’t just engineer super-powerful construction materials, it also sells them to the public. Insulation is literally a matter of life and death on the space shuttle, so you can be sure this product has been rigorously tested.

This NASA garage door insulation kit is made of reflective white foam and measures  9 x 8 feet. With an R-value of 8, it just takes a small layer to cut way down on heat transfer in and out of your garage. It’s also easy to mount. If you install it the way the manufacturer recommends—leaving a gap between the insulation and the door—it’ll be even more effective.

This insulation seal tape is meant to reinforce your existing insulation, patching the cracks and drafts throughout your garage. It's only a half-inch wide and peels away to a strong adhesive agent. You get a full 1/8 inch of protection from the cold and drafty outdoors without having to overhaul the whole door's insulation. With 26 feet, you can easily patch the top and bottom of your door. 

It's ideal for the spots where cutting your main insulation to size left a small gap. Placing this high-density foam tape on top of the issue lets you repair it in an instant. Flexible enough to access the nooks and crannies yet adherent enough to hold its position, this tape is an excellent way to repair insulation for less. 

Keep in mind that this tape's glue doesn't hold up in extreme temperatures. Be sure to install it on the inside facing part of the insulation so it doesn't have to contend with the elements quite as much and will last for longer.

This insulation is the reflective foil kind that will make your garage look like a Star Trek set, but it’s worth it (also, that might be a feature for some people). With an R-value of 8.5, it’s one of the most efficient insulators on our list, while also covering a two-car garage for a very budget-friendly price.

The product includes four rolls of 2-foot by 18-foot insulation, along with detailed instructions for installation. It keeps heat inside in the winter, and outside in the summer, well enough that the temperature in your garage will always be about 20 degrees closer to the average than the temperature outside.

Of course, there are some drawbacks. The big one is customer service, as it can be hard to get in contact with Ant Enterprises if you have a problem. Like with some other kits, the tape only really works once, so you have to be extremely diligent with your cleaning and measuring if you want this kit to work for you.

When we checked out SmartGARAGE’s reflective door insulation kit, we were wary: Double-sided reflective sheets like this one are often much more effective in the summer than the winter, and we were hoping for a true all-season product.

Luckily, this insulation kit gave us nothing to worry about. Its outer layers are made of pure aluminum rather than Mylar, which combines with an internal layer of polyethylene foam to block heat transfer at any temperature. All of these materials are non-toxic and recyclable, and serve to block humidity and sound while they control heat.

This kit ships with four rolls, enough to cover most two-car garages, and includes enough double-sided tape to mount the entire kit. The price is a little high, but it doesn’t take long to pay for itself in electric bill savings.

The true caveat with SmartGARAGE’s insulation kit is that it’s not very sturdy. While installing this, it’s easy to tear or damage the rolls, which is aggravating since there’s no extra insulation in the package. If you have a five-row garage, or if you damage one roll and need a replacement, you’ll have to buy a whole new kit.

For a change of pace, here’s a different kind of garage door insulator: a weather strip you attach to the bottom of your door, in order to keep the elements out of the leakiest part of the mechanism. Panady’s garage door seal, made out of PVC rubber, is 20 feet long but can be cut down to fit smaller garages.

There’s a ton of reasons we like this insulation. First and foremost, it truly is universal, so if you’re wondering whether it fits your garage door, the answer is yes. Second, it actually works. While it doesn’t cover the entire door like the other insulation kits on this list, you’ll still notice your garage becoming a lot more comfortable (and your electric bill getting correspondingly lower).

In addition to regulating temperature, Panady’s weather strip is waterproof, debris-resistant, and easy to install. On top of everything else, it’s also easy to recycle.

As enthusiastic as we are, there’s a limit to what a weather strip this small can do to insulate your garage. It leaves a lot of areas uninsulated, doing nothing to help with sunlight baking the garage door itself. Also, the required adhesive isn’t included.

The Bowsen Garage Door Seals come in a 16-foot-long roll, a quarter-inch thick to offer proper protection. Made out of high-grade rubber, it can withstand weather between -40 and 240 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The T shape at the end of the rubber panel ensures complete water and windproofing once it’s installed. Capable of blocking all types of precipitation, it installs without any hardware to ensure complete structural integrity. Coming with end plugs to attach it firmly, this rubber garage door baseboard shores up your overall insulation. It reinforces the garage door where it is most likely to be challenged by the weather. You can get this seal in a lot of different sizes, ranging from ten to 20 feet.

Keep in mind that it’s better to have a bit extra than not enough, so measure the length you need and pick the option that’s the next size up.

The TradeGear Wall Plate Insulation is a handy set to have around, even if only for its low price and innovative design. This 100-pack of polyethylene foam is designed to resist both extreme cold and moisture. It’s thick enough to keep out drafts even in the intense wind and durable enough to not crack under pressure (literally or figuratively). 

Each piece is the exact size of an AC wall outlet. While it won’t be enough to do your entire garage door, it makes a fantastic way to reinforce your existing insulation. The small size makes it effortless to trim the panels, enabling you to fix insulation issues without a problem. Water-resistant and resilient, this wall plate insulation works wherever you need it. 

While the nature of this material enables you to insulate the garage door’s nooks and crannies, you’d need a lot of it to cover the whole door. Use it in conjunction with larger polymer sheets to get the most value out of both.