Buyers Guide: Plugging those Leaks
Tire Sealant Buyers Guide
There’s no worse way to disrupt your ride than getting an untimely flat. Thankfully, though, tubeless setups are becoming more of a normality in the industry these days. A simple puncture with the correct tire sealant and tubeless tire and you won’t even have to stop your ride after that irksome puncture.
Here we look at half a dozen of the latest tire sealants that you can find on the market to help keep rolling (as long as the puncture isn’t too big) down the road as if nothing ever happened.
1. SLIME
Slime has been plugging holes with their patented sealant since 1989. When a puncture occurs in your tubeless system, the pressure of the losing air allows the Fibro-Seal particles to build up and intertwine in the opening to act as a plug. Slime sealant is ready for any type of extreme weather with a low freezing point of -35 degrees Fahrenheit and a high separation point of 182 degrees.
Price: $10.99, 8-ounce bottle
2. ORANGE SEAL
Orange Seal has proven to be one of the more popular sealants, with a choice of either a standard or endurance version. Tested to seal larger punctures up to 6mm with their regular sealant and up to 3mm with their endurance and subzero sealant. Their endurance sealant will last you an average of 60 to 120 days before having to be replaced. The subzero sealant is designed for riders in much more frigid temperatures and also comes with an average sealant life of up to 180 days.
Price: $16.49, 8 ounces (includes injector)
3. STAN’S
Stan’s suggests that just 2 ounces of their tire sealant in either a tubeless system or tube can repair up to a 6mm hole instantly. Their sealant stays in a liquid state for two to seven months and is made up of natural materials, which are safe for the environment. With Stan’s, you can ride in weather down to -30 degrees Fahrenheit without having any issues due to their anti-freezing agents.
Price: $17 per pint/bottle
4. BOYD
Boyd’s Tickled Pink tubeless sealant went through over two years of testing to reach the final product. Tickled Pink is made in-house using all-natural ingredients, which equates to a sealant that smells similar to bubblegum. The congealers in the sealant, which are the particles that plug the hole, are lightweight and do not clump up. Because of this, they stay suspended in the sealant longer, ready for any possible puncture
to come.
Price: $9, 8-ounce bottle
5. JOE’S No-Flats
Joe’s No-Flats has a full line of sealants with a total of five different varieties to cover all types of riding needs. Their Super Sealant is made for everyday use, Eco-Sealant for an environmentally friendly application, Elite Racer sealant for top-notch performance, Road sealant for the roadies who want to ride all day, and a specific sealant for e-bikes and commuters. Their sealant is compatible in a wide range of air pressures, from 15–120 psi. Joe’s No-Flats also offers self-sealing road tubes that are effective for up to two years.
Price: $6.49, 60 ml bottle
6. EFFETTO MARIPOSA
The Italian-made Effetto Mariposa offers their Caffélatex sealant, which belongs to the family of sealants that polymerize clogging the hole and is also very lightweight. Caffélatex expands with a foaming process that fills the tire’s internal cavity. Unlike traditional latex sealants, Effetto does not contain any ammonia or other aggressive ingredients. You can add Vitamina Caffélatex directly to the Caffélatex inside the tire, which will increase the maximum puncture size from 4mm to 8mm.
Price: $13.50, 250 ml
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