Going on a camping trip and waking up to the sound of raindrops falling off on your tent might seem comforting at the start. However, once the raindrops begin to run down the ceiling of the tent, it can quickly turn your camping experience into a disaster.
In such a situation, if the tent seam is not secured correctly, it won’t be able to protect you from such unpredictable rains.
That is why you need an excellent seam sealer to prevent bad experiences from disturbing leaks. Owning the best tent seam sellers can help you enjoy camping in your favorite tent despite the weather.
In this article, we’ve listed the best tent seam sealers to make your tent long-lasting. We’ve also made a Buyers Guide so that it’s easier for you to choose the product that best fits your needs.
Contents:
- Top 5 Best tent seam sealers:
- Things to Consider Before Buying the Best Tent Seam Sealers.
- Why Do You Need to Seal Tent Seams?
- Frequently Asked Questions.
- Final Thoughts.
Top 5 Best Tent Seam Sealers
Buying a suitable sealer for tent seams is easier said than done. Therefore, we have crafted a detailed review of the top five best tent seam sealers selected as per their durability and customer feedback.
This review will help you understand each sealer and what they offer, so you can choose the one that satisfies you the most.
Coleman Seam Sealer
Are you allergic to chemicals? Or do you prefer using eco-friendly materials? If yes, then this Coleman Seam Sealer might be your next favorite product.
Moreover, Coleman has a reputation for consistently providing the best quality at an affordable price, making it a pretty good deal!
The tent seam sealer is made with a water-based formula to make it environmentally friendly. When you apply the sealer on the tent seams, it dries completely in just two hours. Besides, it comes in a 2 oz bottle that offers thorough coverage and excellent value.
The product includes a foam applicator to help you get done with the sealing. It also comes with an instruction manual to locate the spots where you need to apply the sealer.
You can use the Coleman Seam Sealer on backpacks, tarps, tents, and similar items. The bottle has enough amount to seal the seam of a six-person tent. Apart from that, the sealer is odorless when dry, washable and colorless. It will effectively protect your fabrics from dirt or water.
Pros
- It comes with a foam applicator
- It dries in just two hours
- Eco-friendly formula
- High value and affordable sealer
Cons
- Not suitable to use during rain
- Not ideal for patching materials
Gear Aid Seam Grip WP Waterproof Sealant
The Gear Aid Seam Grip WP Waterproof Sealant is a tried and tested sealer that is quite popular worldwide. The sealer is highly reliable, widely available, and easy to use. The Gear Aid Sealer has even won an Editor Choice Gold Award for Backpacker magazine.
This tent seam sealer is available in a squeeze tube. You can just squeeze it and run it along the seams in a line. You can also reseal the sealer inside the hem for added protection. Moreover, you can seal the seams with isopropyl alcohol before applying the sealer for the most effective results.
After application, the sealer creates a waterproof seal that does not crack or peel. It is also quite flexible, meaning it enables the sealer to move along the fabric naturally. All in all, you can apply this sealer to several materials and create a waterproof seal.
With a single tube, you can cover about 12 ft of seams. Furthermore, the sealer is pretty versatile in its applicability. It can quickly bond with various fabrics such as nylon, polyester, canvas, and vinyl.
Apart from resealing tents, you can use the sealer to reseal gloves or backpacks prone to damage during rain. It also has a thick consistency to repair punctures, holes, and tears effectively.
Pros
- You can use it for a variety of fabrics
- Creates waterproof seams after application
- It comes with two applicator brushes
- Flexible and doesn’t crack or peel
Cons
- It might seem difficult to apply
- It takes some time to dry
Texsport Polyurethane Waterproof Seam Sealer
The Texsport Polyurethane Waterproof Seam Sealer is available at a slightly higher price but offers several unique advantages. It is a versatile product that allows you to seal backpacks, jackets, and tents.
The sealer is made with a polyurethane coating. That means it creates a waterproof seal that comes directly manufactured from a factory.
Moreover, the sealer is odorless and colorless, so it doesn’t leave a stain behind.
Besides, the product is quite popular among campers as they most commonly use it for their gear. It also keeps your equipment safe from water, dirt, and sun, making it quite versatile and flexible.
What further adds to the product’s effectiveness is that you can do anything you want with the gear since it won’t peel or crack after the application. However, you will need to apply at least two coats for the best results.
Pros
- It has an easy spray-on application
- UV-resistant, dirtproof, and waterproof
- It flexes naturally with the fabric
- Washable, colorless, and odorless
Cons
- It takes 48 hours to dry completely
- Slightly expensive
Gear Aid Seam Grip SIL Silicone Sealant
Another smart choice for a tent seam sealer is none other than the Gear Aid Seam Grip. You can use this sealer for any gear with a silicone finish. This includes any material that is treated with silicone, such as tarps, backpacks, or tents.
The bottle contains about 1.5 oz of sealant that can easily cover about 24 ft of seams. Besides, the sealer provides a waterproof and windproof seal to withstand any outside impacts.
The sealer is also quite flexible and enables the fabric to move naturally.
The best part of the sealer is that it won’t peel or crack. Also, cold or heat does not affect the sealer, so your tent can withstand extreme weather conditions. If you make a mistake while applying the sealer, you can correct it by wiping it with a paint thinner.
Moreover, if you choose the patches and sealant kit, you get two peel-and-stick Tenacious Tape Silnylon Patches. You can easily stick these silicone patches to a silicone-treated fabric and repair holes.
Pros
- It offers great coverage
- Waterproof and windproof
- Highly affordable sealer
- Easy to remove using a paint thinner
- Ideal for sealing silicone-treated fabrics or gear
Cons
- The thickness of the sealer makes it difficult to apply
- It comes in a small quantity
Gear Aid Seam Grip FC Fast Cure Sealant
The final product on our list of the best tent seam sealers is the Gear Aid Fast Cure Sealant. Being a top manufacturer, Gear Aid provides adequate coverage with all of its sealants. However, if you’re looking for one that can dry quickly, the Fast Cure Seam Sealant is the way to go.
This Gear Aid sealer can dry within two hours at room temperature after application. This is a much faster rate compared to most other sealants.
Furthermore, a single bottle of the sealant can cover about 60 ft of seams, which is the highest coverage any sealer offers.
Another exciting feature of this sealer is that it comes with a built-in brush for easy application. This brush makes it quite efficient for you to apply the sealer on the tent seams.
After application, the sealer creates a waterproof and long-lasting seal that moves naturally along with the fabric. The flexibility of the sealer makes it protect the tent seams from the stretching of fabric and leaks. You can also use the sealer on both polyester and canvas.
Pros
- Dries relatively faster than most sealants
- It offers a vast coverage of 60 ft
- Includes a built-in brush as an applicator
- Waterproof, odorless, and colorless sealant
Cons
- Visible glossy finish
- Some users find it challenging to use the brush for application
Things to Consider Before Buying the Tent Seam Sealers
Now that you’ve read the detailed reviews of the best tent seam sealers, the next step is to identify the most critical factors to help you get the best product for your camping adventures.
Here are some of the essential factors to make sure your money doesn’t go to waste.
Fabric
The tent seam sealer may be suitable for a particular fabric but not for the other. That is why you must find out the fabric coating of your tent before buying the sealer.
- Dyneema/Cuben Fiber: These fabrics don’t require you to use a seam sealer.
- Silpoly Coated Fabric: This fabric has a urethane coating on one side and silicone on the other. You should know which side is silicone before applying the sealant.
- Silicone Coated Fabric: Since this fabric is coated with silicon, you will only need a silicone-based seam sealer.
- Polyurethane Coated Fabric: You will need to buy a urethane seam sealer for this type of fabric.
Quantity
The second thing to consider when buying a tent seam sealer is the quantity of sealant you need. A small tube or bottle would be sufficient for a two-person tent. For a larger tent, you will probably need multiple bottles. However, you will be able to save money if you buy a bigger bottle.
Moreover, you will need to buy the sealant in large quantities if you regularly go camping.
Thickness
Tent seam sealers come with varying thicknesses, so you’ll be able to find both thin and thick tent sealants in the market. However, both have their pros and cons, which is why you’ll need to carefully consider the one you want to get for yourself.
- Thick Tent Seam Sealer
A thick seam sealer is helpful if you want to attach a specific part of the tent or fabric. This will prevent you from wasting the seam as the sealant doesn’t run along with the material. Most silicone-coated fabric tents are thick, but you can add mineral spirits to make them thinner.
- Thin Tent Seam Sealer
Thin seam sealers are primarily used among campers. That’s because they’re easy to apply and also flexible since they run along with the fabric.
Applicator
When buying tent seam sealers, you will find different options of applications. These include paint-on, spray-on, nozzle, and built-in applicators. Here’s a quick rundown of how each applicator is used:
- Paint-on: You can find two types of this applicator. One is with a brush at the end, while the other is where you paint the tent using a paintbrush.
- Spray-on: As the name suggests, you can use this to spray the sealer on the seams directly. This is by far the most convenient form of application.
- Nozzle: Most of the time, the tube or bottle of the seam sealer comes with a nozzle. You can directly apply the sealant from the bottle onto the fabric.
- Built-in Applicator: Another convenient form of applying sealer is via a built-in applicator available as both brush and foam.
Why Do You Need to Seal Tent Seams?
Sealing the tent seams can offer you more advantages than you can think of. Here’s how the seam sealers prove to be helpful to you while camping.
Maintenance
Tents seem to wear out and lose their original quality over time. Thus, seam sealers help maintain and repair the tents to avoid any problem when camping in the wilderness.
Protection
The primary purpose of sealers is to protect the tent seams. Nowadays, several tents have sealed edges, while others come as simply stitched. Stitched tents are usually watertight, but using sealers will add more waterproofing and strength to protect against any chance of leakage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is duct tape effective in sealing the tent?
Duct tapes are water-resistant but not waterproof. However, Gorilla Tape can offer more water resistance than standard tapes. Still, they tend to lose their effectiveness over time.
How long does it take for a Seam Sealer to dry?
Typically, it takes about three to four hours for seam sealers to dry. This time can vary as per the weather conditions. In areas like Arizona, the drying process is much faster compared to more humid and moist areas.
What waterproof level do you need to have in your camping tent?
A waterproof rating higher than 3,000 mm hydrostatic head is considered good, although the ideal range is from 1,000mm to 10,000 mm. This means a tent with a 1,000 mm rating can only sustain a water funnel of 1,000mm before it begins to leak.
Final Thoughts
A tent seam sealer is a necessity for an exciting and comfortable experience while traveling outdoors. The last thing you need is for unexpected weather conditions to ruin your trip. Therefore, you must be prepared in advance to tackle such situations.
If you have already found your suitable sealer, all you need is apply it to your tent and wait for it to dry. After drying, you should first test whether the tent effectively protects from leaks or not. You can do this by sprinkling some water on the sides to see if the seals are properly secured.
After that, you’re set to go and experience new adventures where rain or other extreme weather conditions can’t interrupt your trip!
