In this day and age, where most people are getting into DIY projects to save on costs, so many things might go wrong if you buy the wrong tools.
If you decide to do some painting work on your home or office, there is one important tool that you must get right; masking tape.
Masking tapes are quite many in today’s market, and these rolls are specifically designed to handle different types of projects.
For instance, there are tapes for arts and crafts, painting, labeling, and then there are those meant for outdoor use.
To get the best one, you need to understand a few things about these tapes’ features and how useful they are to suit your project type.
Below is a review of the best masking tapes, showcasing their different features and benefits.
Our Top 3 Recommendations – Masking Tape
“Following are the top three recommended products based on personal experience and customer feedback”
- Scotch Contractor Grade Masking Tape – (Premium Pick)
- Scotch General Purpose Masking Tape – (Runners Up)
- Amazon Basics Masking Tape – (Editors’ Choice)
Top 8 Best Masking Tape Reviews
1. 3M Scotch General Purpose Masking Tape 2020-24A-CP
This masking tape is a general-purpose masking tape designed to cover surfaces such as wood, carpets, and vinyl when painting. The important thing to note here is that these surfaces must be strong so that the masking tape cannot damage them as it is being peeled off.
Therefore, as long as you are dealing with any non-damageable surface, you can use this tape.
It is backed on crepe paper material coated with a sticky glue that makes it highly adhesive.
It is also solvent and moisture resistant, making it a good choice for painters because it can adhere strongly despite being exposed to water or solvent-based paints.
For the best painting results, the best time to peel it off is before a day ends. Removal before this period ends will leave you with a clean surface free from tape residue despite its strong adhesion. During this time, the paint will also have dried up and adhered tightly to the surface, enabling you to remove the tape cleanly without scraping it off.
The tape comes in 9 rolls, with each roll being 60.1 yards long (55 meters) and 0.94” in width. This means that you get a total of 540.9 yards, which is quite long and probably more than you will need for a single project.
Features at a glance
- It can be used on heavy, light, or smooth textured surfaces.
- It is backed on crepe paper material.
- Very high adhesion.
- Very affordable.
- It comes in a 9 roll pack, with each roll being 55 meters long.
- 0.94” (24mm in width).
- Easy to tear and unwind.
- Ideal for indoor painting usage.
- 3-inch core.
2. STIKK 3pk 1″ x 60yd STIKK Blue
This masking tape comes in a 3 pack, with each roll being 60 yards long. This gives you a total of 180 yards of 0.94” (24mm) thick masking tape to work with.
As the name suggests, the rolls are blue in color, and this helps you lay down clean, straight tape lines because its color contrasts well with most painting surfaces. The result of this is that you get straight lines of paint that look very pleasing to the eye.
It features a medium-tack adhesive on its inner side, specially formulated to stick on textured or semi-smooth surfaces. This makes it usable on glass, wallpapers, walls, and wood, among many other surfaces. However, it must be clean, dust-free, and dry before application to adhere strongly to any of these surfaces.
The adhesive is pressure and heat-activated, and thus when laying down the tape, ensure you press it tightly onto the surface and get it a little bit warm so that it adheres perfectly.
This strong bonding becomes even stronger over time, and therefore, it should be removed at most 14 days after application. Otherwise, you will have a hard time removing it because it might tear or leave tape residue behind.
Features at a glance
- UV resistant and thus, can be used for both indoor and outdoor painting projects.
- Moisture-resistant tape surface, but the adhesive is not.
- The adhesive is pressure and heat sensitive and thus, requires heat and pressure activation for tight bonding.
- It can be used on both textured and medium textured surfaces.
- 14-day clean removal.
- Blue in color.
3. 3M Scotch Masking Tape for Basic Painting, 1.88-Inch
This masking tape is designed with the spirit of sustainable green technology in mind. In total, it is made of 56% renewable materials, making it very safe for the environment when disposed of.
The most used material in tape making – paper – is made entirely from sustainably managed forest trees and recycled post-consumer fiber. This means that the manufacturing process is also environmentally friendly.
It has quite a large surface, measuring 1.88” in width, and this gives it more space to adhere to the surface it is placed on.
Additionally, it has a high adhesion level because its sticky surface is coated with a regenerative latex harvested from rubber trees. Combining the wide surface and sticky glue makes it very effective at bonding on most coated and non-damageable surfaces such as wood, vinyl, or carpet.
Apart from the 1.88” wide tape, there are 3” and 4” variations that offer a wider area for an even stronger bond. However, this tape offers a clean removal up to 3 days after application despite this bonding power.
This gives the painted surfaces enough time to dry up so that you do not scrape any of the paint coatings when peeling off the tape.
Features at a glance
- It comes as a single roll.
- As the name suggests, it is very environmentally friendly.
- Available in 3 width sizes: 1.88”, 3” and 4”.
- All these sizes are 60.1 yards long (55 meters).
- Very high adhesion levels.
- 3-day clean removal.
- Ideal for use on most coated and non-damageable surfaces.
- Tan in color.
4. Duck 394693 General Purpose Masking Tape
Duck’s general purpose masking tape comes in many sizes. There are 0.7”, 0.94”, 1.41”, and 1.88” options, with all these measuring 60 yards in length. There is also a 0.75” option, but this one is shorter, measuring 30 yards in length.
This range of widths gives you enough options to choose from for your projects, while the length will leave you with enough tape to use for the next project.
Despite its width or length, the tape’s stickiness is the same. It is made using a rubber-based adhesive, which provides superior stickiness performance. This adhesive is resistant to oil, water, and low temperatures and is ideal for bundling, packaging, labeling, and non-critical painting tasks.
However, if you intend to do some heavy painting jobs, this might not be the best tape to use.
Even though it has a high tack for quick sticking to a variety of smooth or textured surfaces, it can be peeled off cleanly within 24 hours of application.
After that time period, there is a high possibility that it will tear off or leave a sticky residue behind as it is being removed.
It is available in 4 types of packages. These are a single pack, twin pack, 24 pack, and 36 pack, and all of them are sold at a very affordable price.
Features at a glance
- Available in 4 packages: single roll, 2 pack, 24 pack, and 36 pack.
- It is not recommended for heavy painting jobs.
- Made using a rubber-based high tack adhesive.
- 24-hour clean removal.
- Available in 4 width options.
- 60 yards in length.
5. Craftzilla Colored Masking Tape
Color is the defining feature of this pack of masking tapes. It comes as a 6 pack of vibrant red, yellow, orange, pink, green, and blue colors, making it the perfect gift for kids interested in arts and crafts.
These different colors are perfect for painting because they provide a contrasting color for almost any paint or surface that you will work with.
The tapes have a 3-inch core, which is like the standard core size among many masking tapes. This makes it ideal for replacement in desk holders or vinyl dispensers for easy use.
Each tape in the set has a width of 1 inch, giving you a wide enough surface for superior stickiness. Also, each tape is 60 yards long, giving you enough tape to use for multiple projects.
They are quite sticky, and thus, their use ranges from packaging to painting and coloring to creative labeling and decorative birthday use. Of course, these uses are augmented by the colorful nature of the tapes, and thus, their stickiness and color contribute a lot to their diverse application areas.
However, despite their stickiness, they are quite easy to remove from the surface they are applied on. This leaves you with a clean surface whenever you are done using them.
Features at a glance
- Very colorful pack of 6 assorted differently colored tapes.
- 3-inch core.
- 1-inch wide and 60 yards long.
- Very affordable.
- The pack is recommended for kids ranging in the age 2-12 years old for arts and crafts.
- Quite sticky but easy to peel from surfaces.
6. Bates Choice Masking Tape
This masking tape is treated to remain consistently sticky in different temperatures and humidity levels. This means that it can remain consistently adhesive to smooth or textured surfaces throughout its clean removal period, which is 14 days.
Of course, it will continue being sticky after the 2 week period, but it should be peeled off before then so that it does not leave any residue behind.
It is blue in color, and this gives it a contrasting color to the most likely white color found on wall surfaces that it can be used on. This enables you to apply it perfectly, and thus, whether you are working on house walls or automobile bodies, you can create crisp, straight, and clean lines on any painting project.
It has a 3-inch core, which is advantageous because most desk holders and dispensers support such cores. Therefore, it can be used as a replacement for easy and convenient applications on several surfaces.
The tape is recommended for painting and comes in a pack of 3, with each roll measuring 54 yards (50m) in length. This gives you a total of 150 meters of tape to work with, which is enough for your current project and future ones.
Features at a glance
- It can be used on smooth surfaces such as glass, tiles, porcelain, and metal or textured surfaces such as untreated wood.
- It comes as a pack of 3, each measuring 0.7 inches by 54 yards.
- Blue in color.
- 14-day clean removal.
- Treated for consistent stickiness in different temperatures and humidity conditions.
7. Scotch(R) Home and Office Masking Tape 3436-3
The scotch 3436-3 masking tape is designed to conform to straight, curved, or contoured surfaces. This makes it usable in several areas such as hanging charts, labeling items, and packaging in both home and office use.
Its packaging can be misleading. What is considered a 1 pack that contains 3 rolls inside and comes at an excellent price? It is also available in a 4 pack, which means you get 12 rolls. This makes it very economical to buy them, although all of them have the same tan color.
Each roll is 0.75” wide and 60 yards long. Therefore, for a 1 pack, you get 180 yards (154 meters), which is long enough to help you take care of several homes or office projects. The 4 pack, which comes at an even better deal, gives you a total of 720 yards.
This has the potential to serve you for a very long time and is a better deal for projects requiring heavy masking tape usage.
The tape is quite sticky, and its 0.75” width provides a wide enough area to adhere tightly to clean and smooth surfaces. It also peels cleanly from these surfaces without leaving any paper or adhesive residue behind.
Features at a glance
- Available in a 1 pack or a 4 pack.
- It is designed to conform to curved or contoured surfaces.
- Each tape has a surface area of 0.75 inches by 60 yards (54 meters).
- Applies easily to smooth, clean surfaces
- Peels off without leaving paper or adhesive residue behind.
8. Duck 240877 Masking Tape
This Duck tape (see what I did there) comes in multiple colors. These are black, green, light blue, light green, orange, pink, purple, red, white, and yellow.
However, these do not come in one pack; they can only be bought separately. On the bright side, you will get to buy only what you need and, thus, save some money instead of spending a lot of colored tape packs in which you might never use.
Each tape is made using writeable crepe paper, enabling you to easily label items using any pen on the tape. This paper has a medium-high adhesion surface that does the sticking, making it ideal for color coding, decorations, and arts and crafts.
Each roll has a length of 30 yards (around 27 meters) and is 24mm wide, giving you a wide surface for better adhesion.
Despite all its possible uses, this tape is specifically designed for art and craft projects. It even meets the US Labelling of Hazardous Art Materials Act requirements for arts and crafts products and conforms to ASTM D-4236.
This means that even youngsters are safe to use it because it will not cause them harm just if they decide the color looks good to eat.
Features at a glance
- Available in 10 colors.
- 0.94 inches wide by 30 yards long.
- It is made using writeable crepe paper.
- High adhesion surface.
- Easily removable without leaving any residue behind.
- Ideal for home use in arts and crafts.
- It comes as a single roll.
Are You Looking For Masking Tape? Here’s What You Need to Consider
Most people assume that masking tapes are the same. However, there is a lot that goes into their designs that make them different. If you need one for your project, you need to consider the following.
Indoor or outdoor use
Not all masking tapes can be used outdoors. Exposure to the sun’s UV rays might cause the adhesive to lose its tact for stickiness and, thus, make it peel off on its own.
If you need masking tape for your outdoor project, ensure you get the one that is UV resistant.
However, all masking tapes can be used indoors because there are no UV rays in the shade. The only thing you need to do is to clean, dust, and dry the surfaces before applying the tape.
Length
Length is a crucial factor that tells you how much tape you have to work with. Most tapes are either 60 yards long, 30 yards long, or anything in between. Generally, the longer the tape, the better because you can store the remainder for future use.
Width
A masking tape’s width determines the area that you can cover. For instance, if you want thin stripes between your paintings, you better use thin tape. However, if you want thick stripes, go for thick tapes.
Most tapes range from widths of 0.75 inches to as thick as 2 inches. Therefore, you can get any width you want. Alternatively, you could also lay two rows or columns of tape to get a thicker stripe, but this will consume a lot of it.
Texture can be applied on
The adhesive on different masking tapes is also different. Each has its own properties, and thus, each has its own application areas. Some are suitable for textured, semi-textures, and smooth surfaces, while others can only stick on either textured or smooth surfaces. Therefore, before buying any masking tape, ensure you know what you will be working on to get the right tape to adhere to its surface.
Clean removal period
Whether you are a painter or enjoy arts and crafts, ultimately, you want to have a clean project. Masking tapes have different removal periods, and these basically mean the time frame in which the masking tape must be peeled off so that it does not leave residue behind.
This is important to consider because the more the adhesive is in contact with the surface, the stronger the bond that it forms with it. Therefore, if it stays in place longer than the clean removal period, it will give you problems during removal, leaving behind pieces of paper or adhesive residue.
Core size
The tape’s core size is important if you intend to use a dispenser or a desk holder. Dispensers and desk holders can support different tape core sizes, and thus if you already own any of these, it is important to consider the size that they can support so that you get the matching tape size.
Color
Masking tapes come in different colors, with the most common one being tan. Ideally, for projects such as arts and crafts or color coding, you will need different colored masking tapes. When painting, it might be good to use tapes with contrasting colors to the wall color to clearly see the straightness of the foundations that you lay to get perfect lines.
Number of rolls
Some tapes come as a single roll, while others come as a pack. Generally, more is better, but there is an additional cost associated with more rolls. Therefore, if you need just a few meters of tape for your project, a single tape is enough. However, if you need many tapes and probably in many colors, it is better off to buy a pack of either single-colored rolls or multicolored rolls, depending on your project.
Conclusion
From this review, you can see that masking tapes can be quite different. They may look the same and have the same form of stickiness when you hold them, but they have different features that make them either suitable or not for the actual project.
Therefore, this review/guide is essential because it will help you buy the best masking tape.