The Best Garage Door Insulation Kits Tested in 2024
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Make use of your garage year-round by installing a garage door insulation kit.
Nowadays, the idea of converting the garage into a second living space or personal sanctuary (i.e., guest bedroom, work space, yoga studio, etc.) has become pretty popular. There is, however, one thing that’s keeping many DIYers from transforming this space—it’s uninsulated.
Insulating a garage door is a great way to ensure that a garage space is comfortable for work, play, or just hanging out without freezing. (Note that insulation won’t make a garage warm and toasty, but it will help retain heat.) Adding this layer of insulation helps prevent heat from escaping and blocks cold air from entering the garage so that a vehicle can stay safely stored away from freezing winter winds.
We carefully evaluated available garage door insulation kits and tested those that made this list for features like ease of insulation and how well they affected temperature on the inside of the garage door. Our top recommendation is the Reach Barrier 3009 Garage Door Insulation Kit thanks to its very simple installation and impressive noise-dampening capabilities. Keep reading to discover what we learned while performing hands-on testing on our lineup of the best garage door insulation kits.
- BEST OVERALL: Reach Barrier 3009 Garage Door Insulation Kit
↓ Jump to Review - BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: US Energy Products Double Bubble Reflective Foil
↓ Jump to Review - UPGRADE PICK: US Energy Products Nasatek Garage Door Insulation
↓ Jump to Review - BEST REFLECTIVE: MWS Nasatech 1-Car Garage Door Insulation Foam Kit
↓ Jump to Review - BEST EASY INSTALL: Matador Garage Door Insulation
↓ Jump to Review
How We Tested the Best Garage Door Insulation Kits
While installing garage door insulation is generally simple, testing these products is difficult. First, we needed to understand that garage door insulation will not keep a space toasty warm; it’s not that type of insulation. As our test garage contained two bays, though, we left one door uninsulated while we installed the kits on the other. This gave us a reasonable “control” subject to test the doors against.
First, we installed each kit according to the instructions (some didn’t come with any). We used double-sided tape and adhesive squares to hold each strip in place. Then, we trimmed all the sheets to size with a razor knife. We then opened and closed the door several times to ensure the product had adhered properly.
Finally, we took note of the apparent noise transfer and temperature transfer through the garage door. It’s difficult to say which product was more effective since the temperatures and sun’s position change throughout the day. However, each product appeared to be effective at reducing heat loss. We checked the insulated door against the uninsulated door and recorded the temperature readings.
| Testing Stats | |
| Products tested | 5 |
| Time spent testing | 1 week |
| Tests performed | 4 to 5 |
| Price range | $30 to $130 |
Our Top Picks
We chose the top-rated products below for their quality, price, and ease of installation to help find the best garage door insulation kit for any garage door. And, to ensure we’re only suggesting the best garage door insulation kits, we performed hands-on testing with the following products.
Note: Each of these products effectively retained heat on the garage side of the door. Our test garage was 2-bay and we didn’t insulate one door to maintain a “control door.” An hour after insulation, we took readings with an infrared thermometer, and each showed a difference of 8 to 10 degrees warmer on the insulated side.
Best Overall
Reach Barrier 3009 Garage Door Insulation Kit
Photo: Amazon
Our Ratings: Ease of Installation 5/5;Performance 5/5; Sound Mitigation 5/5; Value 5/5
Product Specs
- Type: Radiant barrier
- Size: Eight 4-foot-long by 2-foot-wide strips
- Installation kit: Yes
What We Like
- Immediately cut down on noise
- Simple installation
- Improved comfort inside the garage
What We Don’t Like
- 4-foot strips were not long enough
The Reach Barrier 3009 is ideal for helping to keep a garage warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It uses reflective aluminum on the front and back, with a laminated bubble layer sandwiched between the layers to create an effective boundary between the garage and the fluctuating temperature outdoors. The kit comes with eight precut panels that measure 4 feet long by 2 feet wide—a size suitable for most standard single-car garage doors.
This kit also makes installation easy. All that’s required is to clean the door, attach the adhesive squares, and stick the panels in place. During testing, we found that the Reach Barrier was as easy to install as claimed: Simply place a few of the adhesive squares along the perimeter of each section and press the insulation into place.
We noticed an immediate decline in the sound transfer through the door, and the temperature measurements on the insulated side were higher than on the uninsulated side. Our only complaint was that the 4-foot strips were not long enough for our 9-foot test door, which would mean we’d either have to live with bare spots or patch them with scrap cutoffs.
Get the Reach Barrier garage door insulation kit at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Walmart.
Best Bang For The Buck
US Energy Products Double Bubble Reflective Foil
Photo: Amazon
Our Ratings: Ease of Installation 3/5;Performance 4/5; Sound Mitigation 5/5; Value 5/5
Product Specs
- Type: Radiant barrier
- Size: 10 feet long by 4 feet wide
- Installation kit: No
What We Like
- Thicker than other radiant barriers
- Blocks sound well
- Minimal weight offers plenty of installation options
What We Don’t Like
- Not a garage door–specific kit
- Doesn’t come with installation kit
Reduce the heating bill and save money with this affordable Double Bubble Reflective Foil insulation. It has an R-value of 4, and according to the manufacturer, it reflects 97 percent of radiant heat. The insulation comes in a 10-foot-long by 4-foot-wide roll that cuts easily to the proper size with a utility knife or scissors.
This garage door insulation kit features two layers of polyethylene air bubbles to help reduce the transmission of heat through the air layer. This is sandwiched between a reflective film of aluminum polyester designed to reflect radiant heat away from the garage door and back into the open garage space. The insulation is lightweight yet durable enough to be installed with tacks, staples, or nails if necessary.
Testing the product was rather tricky. First, this isn’t a garage door–specific kit, so we needed to cut the sheet into strips. Even then, we didn’t have enough to cover an entire door. We needed to use our own double-sided tape to hang it as well, but because it’s so lightweight, it really wasn’t an issue. However, we did find that Double Bubble Reflective Foil Insulation did a good job of keeping out unwanted noise, and it measured warmer than the uninsulated door (at least in the areas we were able to install it). The doubled layers were thicker than the other radiant barriers as well.
Get the US Energy Products reflective foil garage door insulation at Amazon.
Upgrade Pick
US Energy Products Nasatek Garage Door Insulation
Photo: Amazon
Our Ratings: Ease of Installation 5/5;Performance 4/5; Sound Mitigation 4.5/5; Value 5/5
Product Specs
- Type: Radiant barrier
- Size: 18-foot-long by 2-foot-wide rolls (ours came in 9-foot rolls)
- Installation kit: Yes
What We Like
- Best installation kit and instructions in the test
- Nice workable lengths
- Blocked sound and temperature transfer
What We Don’t Like
- Strips weren’t cut squarely from the factory
For garages with two doors, a standard garage door insulation kit won’t provide the necessary amount of insulation. This Nasatek 2-car garage door insulation kit comes with four rolls of 18-foot-long by 2-foot-wide foam core insulation. This kit also includes a utility knife to cut the insulation to the right size, a squeegee to help prepare the garage door for installation, and heavy-duty double-sided tape used to attach the insulation.
The premium-priced reflective white foam core has an R-value of 8, which can reduce the temperature inside the garage by 30 degrees in hot summer weather. Installing the insulation is simple using the double-sided tape, though the kit also comes with an instruction booklet to follow.
In regard to installation gear and instructions, this kit was by far the most complete and best quality. It came with plenty of tape, a few razor knives, and squeegees for ensuring the tape and the insulation were attached correctly. Also, the rolls came in 9-foot lengths as opposed to the 18-foot lengths described, so they were very easy to work with. Like the other barriers, it did a good job of blocking sound, and the insulated door measured warmer than the uninsulated door. If there’s a complaint, it would be that the ends of the strips weren’t cut squarely, which made the installation look a little sloppy.
Get the US Energy Products Nasatek garage door insulation kit at Amazon.
Best Reflective
MWS Nasatech 1-Car Garage Door Insulation Foam Kit
Photo: Amazon
Our Ratings: Ease of Installation 5/5;Performance 4/5; Sound Mitigation 5/5; Value 4/5
Product Specs
- Type: Foam
- Size: Eight roughly 9-foot-long by 2-foot-wide strips
- Installation kit: Yes
What We Like
- Effective at keeping noise out and warm air in
- Installation kit included quality tape
- Choice of surfaces when installing
What We Don’t Like
- The white surface was a bit too much
Garage owners who’d prefer to use a lightweight insulation with a reflective barrier should check out the Nasatech Garage Door Insulation Foam Kit. This radiant barrier kit features a layer of foam sandwiched between a white layer and a reflective layer, offering a clean look with the benefit of a radiant surface.
The kit comes as a set of eight precut panels for 9-foot doors. It also comes with the double-sided tape required for hanging it (which is quite easy).
During the test, this kit also proved to be effective at keeping noise, as well as the cold air, at bay while working in the garage. The kit was very easy to install, and the double-sided tape was effective enough to hold this lightweight foam up through multiple up-and-down cycles with the garage door. We liked that there were two options for the surface (the directions even state that there is no “right side”) since we weren’t really into the white.
Get the MWS garage door insulation kit at Amazon.
Best Easy Install
Matador Garage Door Insulation
Photo: Amazon
Our Ratings: Ease of Installation 5/5;Performance 4/5; Sound Mitigation 5/5; Value 4/5
Product Specs
- Type: Rigid foam
- Size: 54 inches long by 20.25 inches wide (ours was closer to 21 inches)
- Installation kit: No (shouldn’t require one)
What We Like
- Minimal weight gave us hanging options
- Effective sound and temperature transfer control
- Thick, dense foam, but it’s easy to cut
What We Don’t Like
- Only really works for garage doors with rails
Anyone who wants to insulate a garage door but is uncomfortable using adhesives or fasteners should check out this simple-to-install garage door insulation kit. The kit comes with eight polystyrene laminate panels that can be cut to the perfect size for any garage door panels. Each piece of polystyrene laminate measures 54 inches long by 20.25 inches wide by 1.25 inches thick and has an R-value of 4.8.
With this insulation kit, tape, glue, pins, or any other adhesives or fasteners aren’t necessary. After cutting everything to size, carefully slot them in between the horizontal and vertical rails on the garage door. The insulation also has a bright white and easily washable surface to keep the garage looking great.
In full disclosure, these panels didn’t work with our garage door since we didn’t have the rails to slide them between. However, since they’re lightweight, we were able to tape them in place with the extra adhesive and tape from the other kits. Once we did, we were very impressed with the noise reduction and temperature difference between doors. The foam is thick and dense, but it’s easy enough to cut (though it does make a mess!) for custom-fitted panels.
Get the Matador garage door insulation at Amazon, Ace Hardware, The Home Depot, or DK Hardware.
Jump to Our Top Picks
What to Consider When Choosing a Garage Door Insulation Kit
Finding the best garage door insulation kit for a home isn’t difficult once the type of insulation is chosen. Even so, there are still a few things to consider. Here are six considerations to keep in mind while shopping for a garage door insulation kit.
Types of Garage Door Insulation Kits
Garage door insulation kits can come in many types, including radiant barrier, fiberglass, foam, and cellulose. And, because the garage is one of the places in a home that could most benefit from better insulation, it’s worth getting familiar with the various types.
Radiant Barrier
Radiant barriers are usually inexpensive and are made of highly reflective materials such as aluminum. This type of garage door insulation kit is used to block the radiant heat energy instead of absorbing it like fiberglass insulation. It typically features one or two layers of reflective material to create a heat barrier in addition to an “air space” layer that can be made of bubble wrap. This air space layer creates a pocket that reduces both conductive and convective heat flow (spreading and containing heat) to help keep the garage warm.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass is commonly used to insulate homes, so it only makes sense that it can have the same effect on a garage door. This thick, fibrous material has a high R-value, meaning it’s ideal for insulating attics, ceilings, walls, and floors, in addition to garage doors. (R-value is determined by the thickness and the density of a material. The higher the R-value, the better the material will insulate.) The only downside of fiberglass is that it’s messy to work with.
Foam
Foam garage door insulation can be split into two categories: spray foam and rigid foam, which is also known as foam core.
- Spray foam is exactly what it sounds like: a foamy substance that sprays onto a garage door. It’s cheap and easy, but it’s not the best option for garage doors.
- Rigid foam, or foam core, is made from Styrofoam. It’s lightweight, user-friendly, and affordable. There are three types of rigid foam used for garage door insulation, including expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), and polyisocyanurate (polyiso).
Cellulose
Cellulose is a low-thermal product that’s made entirely from organic material like plant fibers, cotton, or wood. This type of insulation can also use recycled materials such as old newspapers, cardboard, office paper, and other paper products. Cellulose also contains a fire-resistant borate treatment to help p