So, you need to soundproof your car, but you’re not quite sure where to begin? You’ve come to the right place.
Whether you’re just looking to cut down outside noise or improve the sound of your speakers, there are a lot of reasons you might want to install deadening mats. In this article, we’ll discuss and compare two materials you might use:
- Noico 80 mil
- Dynamat 67 mil
Now, before you get to check out these two contenders’ specs, let’s spend some time considering the characteristics of effective soundproofing mats. You should be able to identify exactly what you’re looking for in your soundproofing by the end of this review.
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How to Choose Between Noico and Dynamat
Some of the specifications to keep your eye on while you’re picking between Noico and Dynamat are:
- Effectiveness – or how good the material is at its job
- Application – can you install it yourself or do you need a professional
- Base – how the material is made is a big factor in odor and heat resistance
- Usage – you’ll need to pick your deadening mats depending on your needs
- Price point – can your wallet handle it?
These factors are all already mentioned in the articles where I compare Dynamat, Hushmat, and Fatmat, or Dynamat and Kilmat, but here’s a refresher. The effectiveness of the material will most often be determined by its thickness. So, the thicker the material, the more effective the mats will be. Other factors like the base material play a role, though.
Secondly, you’ll have to be willing to put up with the difficulty of the material’s installation process. You might not want to have to dedicate more than a few hours to it. On the other hand, maybe you’re prepared to dig in and have the tools necessary for cutting into thicker materials. That is all going to be based on your personal preference and ability.
The base material your soundproofing is made of will determine its heat resistance and any potential odors you’ll have to put up with. Butyl-based mats are very heat-resistant, for example, but asphalt-based materials aren’t going to do you much good in high temperatures. Asphalt-based mats also tend to omit an odor in hot conditions, and the material may also seep out a bit.
You’ll want to pick your mats based on your usage plans, so consider what you need them for. Will you be insulating your car or your home? Maybe you need to soundproof a boat or an RV. Are you looking for temperature control? Different mats will accommodate different usages.
Finally, another reason you might consider is fairly obvious – the price point. Shoot for whatever you can handle. Just take into consideration the other factors listed above. Now, without further ado, let’s get back to the champions.
Noico 80 Mil Sound Deadener Review
Now that we have a basic idea of what we’re looking for in a sound deadening mat, let’s review our first contender. I’ve already explained the five factors we’ll want to keep in mind. Now, we’re going to see how well Noico’s 80 mil mat does in each of these categories.
Effectiveness
As we have established, the effectiveness of a sound deadening mat is determined by its thickness, which is usually expressed in mils, or thousandths of an inch. The 80 mil Noico mat is, therefore, 0.08 inches thick. It also weighs in at about 0.7 pounds per square foot, further ensuring its excellent performance. Overall, these 80 mil mats should be pretty effective — unless you’re looking for complete silence, that is.
With these properties, Noico claims their butyl-based 80 mil mat eliminates vibration, reduces noise and the vehicle rattle, and even improves your sound system quality.
However, the company doesn’t claim that this product is 100% effective as a stand-alone insulation method. Instead, they recommend using it with a closed-cell foam material (like this one).
Still, if you’re only looking for a slight noise reduction, you won’t even have to completely cover the insides of your vehicle. According to Noico, covering about 25–50% of the surface will still sufficiently cut down some of the noise. But that goes for many other soundproofing mats as well.
Application
Generally speaking, Noico’s 80 mil mat is thicker than most of the other ones on the market, including Dynamat. As we have discussed, thicker materials tend to be significantly better at noise reduction. However, when it comes to automotive soundproofing, thickness has a downside as well.
Basically, the thicker the mat, the harder it will be to install it — or at least that’s usually the case. If you’ve ever tried to cut a dense piece of rubber, you can see how that might present a problem. On top of being relatively dense, these mats are also self-adhesive. The other part of the equation is the sticky residue you might have to deal with.
So you should try to protect your skin and your clothes when installing these mats in your vehicle. It goes without saying, you shouldn’t wear clothes you don’t want to get glue on. Gloves are also a good idea since they would protect your hands from any sharp metal parts in your car and the strong adhesive.
After you cut a mat with a knife or some shears, you’ll be able to peel, stick, and buff it in wherever you want.
Just keep in mind that this product doesn’t ship with a roller, so you might have to get it separately or use another round tool. Even if you go all-out and thoroughly soundproof your whole car, the process shouldn’t take more than a day or two.
Base
As I have previously explained, most automotive sound deadening mats are made of either butyl or asphalt. The main difference is in the way these base materials handle the heat. Asphalt is known for being slightly less heat-resistant, often melting and releasing a certain odor in high temperatures.
Since this material is pretty good at blocking heat, we know that it’s mostly made of butyl. The manufacturer has said that their mats contain both butyl and certain “improvers.” Some users have noted that the product has a rubbery scent, which may be due to it having an asphalt undercoat. However, Noico hasn’t specifically mentioned that their products contain asphalt, so that may be pure speculation.
In addition to these base materials, Noico mats also have one shiny, foil side. The foil is embossed, so you’ll be able to see if you’ve correctly rolled out the mat to activate the adhesive.
Usage
Personally, I can think of several places outside of a car that could use one of these mats. Still, Noico has only ever endorsed the use of these mats for vehicle soundproofing. If you were looking for a product you could use around the house and in your car, these mats may not be the ones for you.
On the other hand, if you’re just looking to use these mats in your car, it’s a match made in heaven. You can paste Noico mats to the insides of the doors, under the roof or hood, even in the back of the vehicle. And, if you want to go all out, they’re flexible enough to adhere to the floor, the wheel arches, and other complex shapes.
Price Point
When it comes to affordability, if you’re looking for butyl-based mats, Noico mats are probably your best option. You can find the Noico 80 mil mats for just under $2 per square foot on Amazon. The product contains several rectangles measuring in at 29.5 by 19.5 inches.
Overall, you get enough materials to cover a surface of 36 square feet. Depending on the size of your vehicle, you may have to get more than one package. Still, this square footage should be more than enough to cover an average-sized car. The company also offers smaller packages that cover 5, 10, or 18 square feet surfaces.
Noico Sound Deadener: Quick Recap
Overview of Noico sound deadening mats:
- It’s pretty effective, but not absolutely noise-canceling
- Easy to cut and install
- Butyl-based (good heat resistance)
- Manufactured for car use
- Budget-friendly at less than $2 per square foot
- Possible rubbery odor – most users didn’t take note of it
- Contains nine 29.5 x 19.5-inch sheets
Another thing to note would be that Noico actually sells their 80 mil mats in two colors. The silver foil one is the original, marginally less expensive version of the product. But if you’re planning on leaving the mat visible, I’d go for the black foil mats (which also come in smaller packs). Of course, the manufacturer also recommends using these mats in conjunction with some of their other products.
Now let’s see the competition! But before we jump into it, check this short video review of Noico sound deadener:
Dynamat Xtreme Sound Deadener Review
You can read more about Dynamat in the article already mentioned above. Just in case you need a refresher, though, you can see the specs right here, too.
Price
Firstly, you can find Dynamat in 18″ x 32″ x 67 mil dimensions on Amazon for around $150, and that gets you nine sheets of aluminum-coated heat-resistant soundproofing. That translates to 36 square feet of total coverage and about $4.30 per square foot, but it’s more likely to be about $5 per square foot.
Effectiveness
In terms of its effectiveness, Dynamat is one of the most effective products on the market – they claim it can cut outside noise in half. You can only achieve this effect if you buy enough to line the whole cabin, though. Still, even partial coverage will have noticeable results.
Material
Dynamat is a butyl-based material, so it’s stretchy, durable, and even heat-resistant. However, the denseness, which is its main strength, also has drawbacks – you might find the application process, and your customization of the mat can be hindered. So, you might need to invest in cutting tools.
Usage
These deadening mats can be useful in many different places. They’re great for your car, but you can also use them at home or wherever else you might need soundproofing. The manufacturer offers different kits for different uses. None of them are particularly wallet-friendly, but the results are amazing.
Dynamat Sound Deadener: Quick Recap
Overview of Dynamat sound deadening mats:
- Excellent efficacy (even without total coverage, but especially with it)
- Can experience problems with application
- Butyl-based material that’s durable and heat-resistant
- Car and home soundproofing
- A steeper price point at $5 per square foot
- 9 sheets, each 18 x 32 inch
Basically, Dynamat is all around amazing for soundproofing. If your budget allows for it and if you can get through the frustrating installation process – this could be the one for you.
But now, let’s see how it compares to Noico 80 mil mats.
Noico vs. Dynamat (The Comparison)
It goes without saying, Noico and Dynamat products are some of the most effective sound deadening mats on the market. But which one of them reigns supreme? How do they compare to each other? Let’s find out.
Noico and Dynamat Are Both Butyl-Based
Both of these products are butyl-based materials, which do quite well in high temperatures and have minimal odor. However, some users did take note of a rubbery scent after installing Noico mats.
That being said, Dynamat is still the king of soundproofing in most people’s eyes. Despite the fact that Noico’s 80 mil mats are thicker than Dynamat’s 60 mil ones, Dynamat seems to have won this round.
Noico Is Easier to Install
Noico 80 mil mats have the advantage when it comes to application. Despite being a bit thicker than Dynamat, customers agree — Noico mats are easier to cut and install.
Dynamat Has More Uses
Unlike Noico 80 mil mats, Dynamat soundproofing mats have uses outside of your car. You can even buy separate kits for different surfaces of the car, and some for your home. Of course, if you want to play around with those, you have to be ready to invest.
Noico Is the More Affordable Option
Of these two, Noico is definitely the more affordable option. But as we have determined, this doesn’t really make it the absolute winner. Obviously, you’ll need to take into account all of the other factors we’ve discussed and choose based on your priorities.
Ultimately, both of these deadening mats have pros and cons to them. If you want a reliable product that will ensure absolute silence and you have the budget to buy several Dynamat kits to cover your entire vehicle, your choice will be easy. But, what if you don’t have that kind of money, and you just need to stop your car from rattling?
Well, if that’s the case, I’d go for the Noico 80 mil mats. They’ll do a great job even without covering the whole interior of your vehicle car. So which one will you choose?
And, if you still can’t decide about which soundproofing is the one for you, that’s just fine! These Reviews of the Best Automotive Sound Deadening Materials are sure to help you make up your mind.
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