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The 5 Best Tubeless Sealant Products According To Science (Lab Tests)

The Short Version

The Long Version

I’ve been on a quest to find the best tubeless sealant products for two decades now, and today, I’m excited to be sharing the results of my findings!

Not only have these tire sealants all been independently tested to perform better than the rest, but I’ve performance-tested them myself on various bicycle journeys across countries and continents.

You’ll find top-rated sealants here for low-pressure mountain bike tires, mid-pressure gravel bike tires, and high-pressure road bike tires.

If you want to analyze the puncture test data for yourself, you’ll find handy tables of the 48 different tire sealants at the bottom of this resource.

But before we get to the best tubeless sealant products, let’s learn a thing or two about sealant first.

Tubeless Sealant FAQ

What is Tubeless Sealant?

Tubeless sealant is a liquid that sloshes around in the space between your tire and rim. This liquid replaces a typical bicycle inner tube, creating an airtight seal inside your tire.

Tubeless tire sealant also repairs small punctures while you ride, often without you even knowing.

How Does Tubeless Sealant Work?

When a puncture occurs, the air pressure inside your tire pushes the sealant toward the puncture site. Through both a chemical and physical process, the sealant will then clot the hole after being exposed to the outside air.

Small, suspended particles (particulate) inside the sealant are designed to create additional surface area for the liquid base to clot around. This clotting process can repair holes up to 6 or 7mm (1/4″) in your tire but it also plays an important role in maintaining the airtight seals between your rim, tire, and air valve.

How Do We Benchmark Tubeless Sealant Performance?

The best way to benchmark tubeless tire sealants is to punch holes of different sizes in a tire and check to see if the sealant can repair the puncture.

If the repair is successful, we can measure the air loss. The sealant with the least air loss for a given hole size is regarded as the best.

Tests in a laboratory are the most accurate at taking measurements, however, they do not take into account the forces on the tire while riding.

Tires will stretch and pull apart while riding (especially under cornering loads) so I believe that outdoor tests provide a more realistic impression of sealant performance, even if the measurements are less accurate.

The gold standard in outdoor testing is conducted more than one month after the sealant has been installed. This tests the performance of the sealant after it has degraded a bit, which is a more realistic riding circumstance than a fresh installation.

Why Does Tubeless Tire Sealant Usually Use Latex?

Almost all tubeless sealants use latex. Latex is an extremely stretchy material that, even in very small quantities, can hold back both liquid and air.

There are other alternatives to latex, but they almost always test to be less effective.

How Long Does Tubeless Sealant Last?

Most sealants are effective inside your tires for between two and five months.

How long the sealant lasts depends on many factors, including how often you ride, how much has escaped through punctures, the temperatures and humidity in your area, and the brand and model of sealant you are using.

With some sealants, you’ll find dried latex inside the tire after a few months as the additives will have evaporated from the formula. With other sealants, you will find the latex will have all been absorbed by your tire, leaving the additives.

Some tubeless tire sealants will stay liquid for longer as they are formulated with higher percentages of additives. But performance takes a hit – they are thinner and take longer to coagulate around punctures.

What Temperature Range Does Tubeless Sealant Work In?

Most tire sealants will perform between -10C/14F and +50C/122F, however, some sealants have been specially formulated to be effective right down to -30C/-20F.

Can You Use CO₂ Cartridges with Tubeless Sealant?

CO₂ cartridges can be used in emergencies with tubeless tire sealant.

However, if the cold blast of gas goes directly into the sealant it can cause lumps inside latex-based sealants. Make sure to only inflate your tire with the valve at the top position (12 o’clock).

Exposure to CO₂ for multiple days can additionally cause the sealant to degrade, decreasing its longevity. If you inflate with CO₂, make sure to replace it with regular air as soon as possible.

Can You Refresh Tubeless Tire Sealant Through The Air Valve?

Thinner tubeless tire sealants can be refreshed through the air valve.

Sealants with larger, suspended particles are not suitable for valve installation. Instead, you will need to break the tire bead from the rim or the air valve will clog.

Can You Use Tubeless Sealant With High-Pressure Tires?

Most tubeless sealants will repair small holes in road bike tires. However, when it comes to larger punctures, the data suggests that performance varies significantly between brands.

When we analyse the properties of the sealants that perform best on road bike tires, it’s clear there should be large suspended particles in the sealant to clot the larger holes. These particles can seal a big hole in a high-pressure tire much quicker and with little air loss.

Why Does Tubeless Sealant Seep Through Tire Sidewalls?

This is the latex part of the sealant getting soaked up by tires with porous sidewalls. It will eventually stop when the tire is airtight.

The good news is that tire companies are getting better at reducing seeping. But expect tires with very thin, supple sidewalls to be most prone to this phenomenon.

If you notice this occurring in your tires, make sure to add an extra 30 ml of sealant (1 fl oz) after a few days. This replenishes any latex lost and will ensure your sealant can perform properly.

Which Products Were Puncture Tested To Find The Best Tubeless Sealant?

I assessed the data from the following 48 tubeless sealant products:

Bikeworkx
Bontrager
Black Ox
BRN
Continental Revo
Easy Tubeless S16
Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex
Effetto Mariposa Vegelatex
Eleven
E-Thirteen
Finishline Original
Finishline Fiber
Halo Fibertech
Hex
Hutchison
Joe’s No Flats Elite
Joe’s No Flats Super

Juice Labs
Lifeline
Maxima
Michelin
Milkit
Mucoff
Neatt
OKO Magic Milk
OKO Magic Milk Hi-Fibre
Orange Seal Regular
Orange Seal Endurance
Peaty’s Holeshot
Pirelli
Ride Mechanic
Ritchey
SB3
Schwalbe Doc Blue

Silca Ultimate
SKS
Slime
Squirt
Stans Original
Stans Race Day
VAR
Velox
Veltec
Vittoria
Weldtite
WTB
Zefal
Zeroflats

Comparing The Five Best Tubeless Sealants

Orange Seal RegularSquirt SEALPeaty’s HoleshotStans OriginalStans Race Day
Sealing Speed543.545
Sealing Size54.543.54.5
Longevity43.5553
High Pressure3.55534.5
Price4.554.553.5
Average Score4.44.44.44.14.1

1. Orange Seal Regular Tubeless Sealant

The Best Tubeless Sealant For MTB Tires

The best tubeless sealant for mountain bikes is Orange Seal Regular. This thin sealant performs extremely well in all independent tests, resulting in very little air loss on punctures of all sizes.

Orange Seal Regular is also one of the very few sealants that can genuinely seal up a huge hole without even getting off your bike.

This was my sealant of choice while I was mountain biking during the pandemic. The city where I was living (Oaxaca, Mexico) is a notably thorny region, and I am happy to report that Orange Seal always got on top of sealing holes.

Orange Seal films your tire in the first month, so expect around 50% of the liquid to be lost in this process. The remaining liquid typically lasts between 1-3 months longer depending on the environmental conditions it’s exposed to.

Performance Report: Orange Seal RegularScore
Sealing Speed5 / 5
Sealing Size5 / 5
Longevity4 / 5
Road & Gravel Tire Puncture Sealing3.5 / 5
Value For Money ($3.75 per 100ml)4.5 / 5
Average Score4.4 / 5
Today’s Best Price$35 on Amazon (946ml)
Lab Test Data

How much air pressure is lost with Orange Seal Regular?
3mm Puncture: 2.1 psi @ 22 psi – 3rd of 11 (AMB)
3mm Puncture: 0.3 psi @ 25 psi – 2nd of 8 (Bicycling)
3mm Puncture: 0.8 psi @ 20 psi – 4th of 5 (Singletracks)
3mm Puncture: 3.0 psi @ 27 psi – 3rd of 20 (Velo Vert)
4mm Puncture: 3.9 psi @ 25 psi – 2nd of 8 (Bicycling)
6mm Puncture: 3.2 psi @ 22 psi – 1st of 11 (AMB)

When we look at the MTB tire puncture tests, Orange Seal Regular has seriously impressive puncture repair characteristics. In every puncture test I could find, this sealant closed the puncture sites with very little pressure loss. Even with a 6mm cut, there was just 3.2 psi lost – few sealants can master that!

It’s worth noting the Endurance version of Orange Seal will last significantly longer in your tires, and there’s even a Subzero version that’s formulated for extreme cold temperatures.

The downside to these sealant formulations is that you trade off some sealing performance. According to the Bicycling data, Orange Seal Endurance is ok at dealing with small holes, but not so good when it comes to bigger holes (a plug will be necessary).

Keep in mind you can mix in Orange Seal Regular and Endurance together if you want to trade a bit of performance for some longevity.

Best Deals For Orange Seal Regular

2. Peaty’s Holeshot Biofibre Tubeless Tyre Sealant

The Best Tubeless Sealant For Gravel & Road Tires

Peaty’s Holeshot Biofibre is thicker than other sealants on this list, especially those with a latex base. It contains lots of suspended particles, which results in a product that’s best suited to road and gravel bike tires with high air pressures.

The particulate is highly visible inside Peaty’s sealant. These biodegradable particles are made from starches as well as a special form of cellulose that has been sourced from responsibly managed eucalyptus plantations.

Peaty’s claims Holeshot Biofibre to be compatible with CO2 (in contrast to other sealants), and despite being quite thick, this sealant can still be installed through your valve. The reusable trail bag (120 ml) is a great way to get the sealant into your tires – simply remove your valve core and squeeze the sealant in.

Performance Report: Peaty’s Holeshot BiofibreScore
Sealing Speed3.5 / 5
Sealing Size4 / 5
Longevity5 / 5
Road & Gravel Tire Puncture Sealing5 / 5
Value For Money ($3.70 per 100ml)4.5 / 5
Average Score4.4 / 5
Today’s Best Price$36 on Amazon (1000 ml)
Lab Test Data

How much air pressure is lost with Peaty’s Holeshot?
1.5mm Puncture: 1.0 psi @ 87 psi – 1st of 11 (Fiets)
3mm Puncture: 18.9 psi @ 29 psi – 5th of 11 (Fiets)
4mm Puncture: 21.8 psi @ 29 psi – 2nd of 11 (Fiets)
5mm Puncture: 0.1 psi @ 40 psi – 1st of 18 (Off-Road.cc)

According to the data, Peaty’s Holeshot outperforms all other sealants at the gravel and road bike tire pressures.

In the Fiets test, Peaty’s sealant lost just 1.0 psi from a starting pressure of 87 psi when stabbed with a 1.5mm thick nail – the tire then later held 101 psi with its repair. In the Off-Road.cc test, it repaired a 5mm cut at 40 psi with just 0.1 psi lost!

Peaty’s Holeshot Biofibre is less impressive at mountain bike tire pressures, so I’d recommend some of the other sealant options for low air pressures.

Best Deals For Peaty’s Holeshot Sealant

3. Squirt SEAL Tyre Sealant

The Best Tubeless Sealant For The Price

As you know by now, large particles in tubeless sealant create additional surface area for the liquid to coagulate around. The problem is the particles can sometimes settle at the bottom of sealant bottles, making them hard to pour into your tire at the appropriate ratio.

To solve this problem, Squirt SEAL comes in two parts: the liquid sealant, and the BeadBlock particles. You will need to mix them at a rate of 3-5ml particles (one cap) per 100ml-150ml of sealant.

A cool thing is that you can customise the ratio according to your riding conditions. For example, if you were going somewhere with a high chance of punctures, you could add a bit more BeadBlock.

We used Squirt SEAL with BeadBlock on our 3,000km bike tour through Outback Australia, and never needed to plug a hole.

The only thing to note is that the particles require a good quantity of liquid sealant to transport them to the puncture site, so make sure to check your levels periodically. I’ve also found the sealant to disappear quicker than most, so I tend to use 20-30 ml more Squirt in my tires than comparable sealants.

You can top up the liquid sealant through your valve, but you’ll need to unseat your tire to install the BeadBlock particles. That said, Squirt makes a 150ml-sized container with a slightly different sealant formulation that can go through your valve. This product is primarily designed for top-ups out on the trail.

Performance Report: Squirt SEALScore
Sealing Speed4 / 5
Sealing Size4.5 / 5
Longevity3.5 / 5
Road & Gravel Tire Puncture Sealing5 / 5
Value For Money ($3.06 per 100ml)5 / 5
Average Score4.4 / 5
Today’s Best Price$30 on Amazon (1000 ml)
Lab Test Data

How much air pressure is lost with Squirt SEAL?
1.5mm Puncture – 3.6 psi @ 87 psi – 3rd of 11 (Fiets)
3mm Puncture – 1.2 psi @ 22 psi – 1st of 11 (AMB)
4mm Puncture – 2.8 psi @ 29 psi – 1st of 11 (Fiets)
5mm Puncture – 9.6 psi @ 29 psi – 1st of 11 (Fiets)
6mm Puncture – 10.9 psi @ 22 psi – 8th of 11 (AMB)
6mm Puncture – 14.2 psi @ 29 psi – 1st of 14 (Fiets)

In terms of performance, Squirt SEAL is one of the best according to the lab test data.

Squirt SEAL lost the least pressure in the 3mm MTB puncture test by AMB (out of 11 sealants), and in the Fiets test, it lost the least pressure in the majority of the MTB puncture tests conducted (out of 14 sealants).

Squirt SEAL gets a perfect score for road bike tires. This sealant lost 3.6 psi from a starting pressure of 87 psi in the Fiets test when stabbed with a 1.5mm thick nail. The tire then later held 101 psi with its repair.

Best Deals For Squirt SEAL

4. Stans Original Tubeless Sealant

The Best Tubeless Sealant For Global Availability

Stans produce two versions of their tubeless tire sealant: Original and Race Day.

Stans Original has the best global availability of any sealant, and for a good reason – it works very well at air pressures in the 15 to 40 psi range (MTB and gravel tires).

I started using Stans almost 20 years ago on my mountain bikes. For the first decade, this sealant was much better than everything else, but nowadays, the competition has caught up.

Laura and I are currently using Stans Original on our off-road journey through Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique. It has been 9,000km so far, and we’ve been puncture-free despite the excess acacia thorns and goat heads littered around the place.

A huge advantage to Stans Original is that it’s one of the least viscous sealants around (ie. it’s runny). This makes it easy to install through your valve, and easy to syringe out of your tires too (great for swapping tires).

Stans Original sealant also lasts longer than most. When we recently opened our tires up after four months of cycling in hot conditions, there was still sealant in its liquid form, and no dried latex to be seen.

I should note that Stans also manufacture Schwalbe Doc Blue sealant, and I suspect it’s a near-identical formula based on the Fiets.nl lab data below.

Performance Report: Stans OriginalScore
Sealing Speed4 / 5
Sealing Size3.5 / 5
Longevity5 / 5
Road & Gravel Tire Puncture Sealing3 / 5
Value For Money ($3.46 per 100ml)5 / 5
Average Score4.1 / 5
Today’s Best Price$33 on Amazon (946ml)
Lab Test Data

How much air pressure is lost with Stans Original?
3mm Puncture: 2.3 psi @ 22 psi – 4th of 11 (AMB)
3mm Puncture: 4.2 psi @ 25 psi – 5th of 8 (Bicycling)
3mm Puncture: 0.3 psi @ 20 psi – 1st of 5 (Singletracks)
4mm Puncture: 11.2 psi @ 25 psi – 5th of 8 (Bicycling)
5mm Puncture: 2.0 psi @ 40 psi – 8th of 18 (Off-Road.cc)
6mm Puncture: 8.2 psi @ 22 psi – 5th of 11 (AMB)

The Stans Original puncture repair performance is great for any smaller cuts to your MTB or gravel tires. With minimal air loss, you can simply continue your ride without needing to get your pump out.

For bigger cuts in the 4-6mm size range, it doesn’t perform as well, and you likely will need to use a plug. The Stans Dart plug is a cool product that creates a chemical reaction with the sealant for a super strong repair.

Stans Original falls flat when it comes to sealing tires at high road bike pressures. In the Fiets.nl test it only just sealed the road bike tire, but lost 77 out of 87 psi in the process. When the tire was inflated back up, this repair couldn’t hold high pressure.

Best Deals For Stans Original

5. Stans Race Day Sealant

Best Tubeless Sealant For Race Situations

Stans Race Day uses twice as much particulate as Stans Original, which allows it to seal big holes with the least air loss. It’s one of the very few that can top Orange Seal Regular in the MTB puncture tests, and it’s proven to be very effective with high-pressure road tires too.

The downside to Stans Race Day is that the high amount of particulate can clog your valve. As a result, it must be installed directly into the tire over the bead.

This sealant also dries out quicker than most. Some people report zero liquid in just 4-6 weeks in hot conditions, which puts this sealant in the high-maintenance sealant category (yep, it’s race day use).

That said, Race Day and Original can be mixed, so perhaps a 50/50 or 70/30 combination of the two would provide a better balance between high performance and longevity.

Performance Report: Stans Race DayScore
Sealing Speed5 / 5
Sealing Size4.5 / 5
Longevity3 / 5
Road & Gravel Tire Puncture Sealing4.5 / 5
Value For Money ($4.38 per 100ml)3.5 / 5
Average Score4.1 / 5
Today’s Best Price$41 on Amazon (946 ml)
Lab Test Data

How much air pressure is lost with Stans Race Day?
1mm Puncture: 0.2 psi @ 29 psi – 1st of 11 (Fiets)
2mm Puncture: 0.4 psi @ 29 psi – 1st of 11 (Fiets)
3mm Puncture: 2.3 psi @ 25 psi – 4th of 8 (Bicycling)
4mm Puncture: 3.0 psi @ 25 psi – 1st of 8 (Bicycling)

5mm Puncture: 1.2 psi @ 40 psi – 7th of 18 (Off-Road.cc)
1.5mm Puncture: 5.5 psi @ 87 psi – 6th of 11 (Fiets)

If you’re happy to trade some longevity for additional performance, Stans Race Day is among the best at MTB tire pressures.

It came in first place in multiple MTB tire puncture tests, losing just 0.2 to 0.4 psi in the small cut tests. When it came to Bicycling’s 4mm puncture test, it lost only 3.0 psi, which is a clear step up in performance compared to Stans Original (11.2 psi in the same test).

Additionally, Stans Race Day lost 1.2 psi in the gravel tire test and was able to seal a road bike tire quite effectively. It undoubtedly deserves its slot in this shortlist.

Best Deals For Stans Race Day Sealant

Summary

According to the data, these are some of the best tubeless sealant products available.

When we inspect the puncture test data, the best tubeless sealant rises to the top! I’m certain you’ll be happy with any of the sealants I’ve recommended.

Orange Seal Regular stands out as the best for MTB. It closes small holes with minimal air loss and impressively seals the 5 and 6 mm holes with just a few psi missing. The only slight area of weakness is that it doesn’t last quite as long as other sealants, but we’ve found more than half is still left a few months in.

Peaty’s Holeshot Biofibre is a top performer at the gravel and road bike tire pressures. It lost the least amount of air pressure in all mid-to-high pressure puncture tests I could find. That said, Peaty’s seems to lose more air than most sealants in mountain bike tires (perhaps because it’s so thick) so I’d recommend picking another sealant for low-pressure tires. Another benefit of Peaty’s is that it’s one of the longest-lasting sealants you can buy.

Squirt SEAL has the lowest cost per 100 ml, it seals big holes, and all data suggest it can repair small-to-medium punctures quickly with the least air loss. I like that the BeadBlock particles are separate as it means you can add them when you install your tire, and later just top up liquid through the air valve. The only downside to SEAL is that it seems to lose more air than other sealants in the big cut tests (5 to 6mm), and the liquid latex seems to evaporate quicker than some.

Stans Original and Stans Race Day are right up there too. Original strikes a great balance between longevity, performance, and the ability to install through a valve. If you’re willing to trade some longevity for performance, Race Day seals some of the biggest holes with the least air loss. There is a reason why Stans sealants have been the most popular for two decades now.

Lab Test Data

MTB Tire Puncture Test @ 22 psi (AMBMag.com.au)

The AMB Mag puncture test is perhaps my favourite here, as it provides the most useful information to the everyday cyclist who isn’t regularly changing their sealant.

AMB Mag tested 11 different sealants on 11 different wheels – all using the same tire. A big difference between this test and others is that they rode with the wheels for 36 days before testing the puncture repair performance, which factors in sealant longevity (most tests are conducted with fresh sealant). There were no punctures in the test period.

For the puncture test itself, each tire was pumped to 22 psi (1.5 bar) and then stabbed with a sharp 3mm tool near the transition edge blocks. The wheels were then ridden on a mix of surfaces with a timer on. AMB Mag measured how long it took before the puncture was sealed, and the final pressure was recorded too.

After inflating the tire back up to 22 psi, the second test was a 6mm cut on the opposite side of the wheel (180 degrees from the last puncture). The wheels were once again ridden and the puncture seal time recorded.

You can read the AMB test HERE.

3mm Cut Pressure Lost6mm Cut Pressure Lost
Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex1.4 psi (2nd)7.1 psi (4th)
Effetto Mariposa Vegelatex14.3 psi (9th)18.5 psi (10th)
Joe’s No Flats Elite2.8 psi (5th)3.8 psi (2nd)
Maxima Tubeless13 psi (10th)All (11th)
Muc-Off No Puncture15.6 psi (11th)9.8 psi (6th)
Orange Seal Regular2.1 psi (3rd)3.2 psi (1st)
Pirelli Smartseal Scorpian7.4 psi (8th)16.1 psi (9th)
Ride Mechanic Hoop Goop4.5 psi (6th)4.7 psi (3rd)
Silca Ultimate7.2 psi (7th)9.8 psi (6th)
Squirt Sealant (Beadblock)1.2 psi (1st)10.9 psi (8th)
Stans Original2.3 psi (4th)8.2 psi (5th)
MTB Tire Puncture Test @ 25 psi (Bicycling.com)

The Bicycling test is the most scientific of the lot as they used a special test rig to accurately measure air pressure loss.

They used the same wheel and tire model, installed the manufacturer’s recommended amount of sealant, and inflated it to 25 psi. To consistently replicate punctures, they connected the wheel to a drill and had the wheel spun at 10 mph (16 kph) for each test.

They then punctured each tire with a 3mm and then a 4mm nail, which was ripped from its hole at 10mph. The wheel was spun for 30 seconds with the air pressure monitored via the Quarq TyreWiz app. The result you see is the air pressure loss after this time.

If the puncture hadn’t sealed after 30 seconds, they simply stopped the tire in the rig and let the sealant pool to stop the airflow.

You can see the Bicycling test HERE.

3mm Cut Pressure Loss4mm Cut Pressure Loss
Black Ox0.7 psi (3rd)10.3 psi (4th)
E-Thirteen Tire Plasma4.2 psi (5th)7.5 psi (3rd)
Hex Sealant4.9 psi (8th)18.1 psi (8th)
Muc-Off0 psi (1st)13.8 psi (6th)
Orange Seal Endurance4.5 psi (7th)16.5 psi (7th)
Orange Seal Regular0.3 psi (2nd)3.9 psi (2nd)
Stans Race Day2.3 psi (4th)3 psi (1st)
Stans Original4.2 psi (5th)11.2 psi (5th)
MTB Tire Puncture Test @ 20 psi (Singletracks.com)

Jeff at Singletracks went about his MTB tubeless sealant test in a slightly different way.

Jeff used a Vittoria Syerra tire mounted to a wheel with 4 oz / 120 ml of sealant. He inflated the tire to 20 psi, then poked a 3mm hole in the tire using a pick tool. Upon removing the pick, he spun the hole to the bottom and jiggled the tire a couple of times until the puncture began to seal.

Jeff then cycled for roughly one minute on a test track loop that included a three-foot jump, a short rock garden, multiple sharp corners, a large log roll, and finally a climb back to the top.

He measured the pressure in the tire using a digital gauge immediately after the test loop as well as after 10 minutes with the hole at the bottom. After the test, Jeff measured how much sealant was left inside the tire.

You can see the Singletracks test HERE.

3mm Cut Pressure LossPressure Loss @ 10 MinsSealant Lost
Finishline Fiberlink0.4 psi (1st)0.5 psi (2nd)1 oz (2nd)
Muc-Off0.6 psi (3rd)0.6 psi (3rd)3.5 oz (4th)
Orange Seal Regular0.8 psi (4th)1.5 psi (5th)1 oz (2nd)
Slime All Tire0.8 psi (4th)1.3 psi (4th)
Stans Original0.4 psi (1st)0.4 psi (1st)0.5 oz (1st)
MTB Tire Puncture Test @ 29 psi (Fiets.nl)

Fiets used a Maxxis Ikon mountain bike tire with the quantity of sealant recommended by the sealant manufacturer. They then inflated the tire to 2 bar / 29 psi and drilled precise holes in it.

Fiets acknowledges that drilling puts a perfectly round hole in the tire, which is usually not the case when you get a puncture (the tire tends to sever apart, leaving a few strands for the sealant to coagulate around). But this technique is acceptable as all sealants must close the same-sized holes.

They started with a 1 mm drill bit and gradually increased the hole diameters until the sealant could no longer close them. After each drilled hole they measured the lost pressure and reset the tire to 2 bar (29 psi).

You can see the Fiets test HERE.

1mm Cut Pressure Loss (PSI)2mm Cut Pressure Loss (PSI)3mm Cut Pressure Loss (PSI)4mm Cut Pressure Loss (PSI)5mm Cut Pressure Loss (PSI)
Bontrager TLR1.0 (14th)7.1 (12th)
Continental Revo0.4 (6th)1.6 (8th)18.3 (4th)
Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex0.7 (10th)2.2 (10th)25.7 (8th)
Finishline0.6 (7th)7.8 (13th)15.7 (3rd)
Joe’s No Flats Elite0.6 (7th)0.9 (2nd)
Joe’s No Flats Super0.9 (13th)1.6 (8th)
Peaty’s Sealant0.7 (10th)10.9 (14th)18.9 (5th)21.8 (2nd)
Schwalbe Doc Blue0.3 (3rd)0.9 (2nd)
SKS Seal Your Tyre0.3 (3rd)0.9 (2nd)
Squirt Seal0.2 (1st)1.2 (7th)2.8 (1st)9.6 (1st)14.2 (1st)
Stans Original0.3 (3rd)0.9 (2nd)
Stans Race Day0.2 (1st)0.4 (1st)21.3 (6th)
Vittoria Pitstop TNT0.6 (7th)1.0 (6th)3.6 (2nd)
Zeroflats Antipunctures0.7 (10th)4.2 (11th)22.6 (7th)
Maxxis Ikon MTB tyre inflated to 29 psi.
MTB Tire Puncture Test @ 26.8 psi (Velo Vert)

Velo Vert used a Hutchinson Toro 2.1″ mountain bike tyre with the quantity of sealant recommended by the sealant manufacturer. They then inflated the tyre to 1.85 bar / 26.8 psi, took the measurement using a TireWiz, and spun the wheel for two minutes before the puncture test to ensure the sealant was well distributed inside the tyre.

They stabbed the tyre with a sharp 1.5mm object and pedalled the bike on a trainer for five minutes. They then measured the pressure loss. They repeated the process with a 3mm object and took a final pressure reading after three hours.

You can see the Velo Vert test HERE.

1.5mm Hole Pressure Loss (PSI)3mm Hole Pressure Loss (PSI)Pressure Loss After Three Hours (PSI)
Bikeworkx Seal Star0.0 (1st)1.3 (13th)2.1 (5th)
Continental0.0 (1st)0.5 (8th)3.3 (12th)
Easy Tubeless S160.7 (17th)6.9 (19th)8.7 (18th)
Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex0.0 (1st)0.4 (5th)1.7 (2nd)
Finishline0.0 (1st)0.0 (1st)2.7 (11th)
Hutchinson0.0 (1st)0.4 (5th)2.1 (5th)
Juice Labs1.4 (19th)7.2 (20th)19.0 (19th)
Michelin2.6 (20th)5.3 (18th)19.8 (20th)
Muc Off0.1 (12th)2.1 (16th)4.2 (15th)
Neatt0.0 (1st)0.0 (1st)1.3 (1st)
Orange Seal Regular0.0 (1st)0.1 (3rd)2.0 (3rd)
Ritchey0.0 (1st)0.1 (3rd)2.0 (3rd)
SB30.7 (17th)2.4 (17th)5.0 (17th)
Schwalbe Doc Blue0.0 (1st)0.7 (9th)2.3 (7th)
Slime0.1 (12th)1.7 (14th)3.9 (14th)
Squirt0.1 (12th)0.4 (5th)2.3 (7th)
Stans Original0.1 (12th)1.0 (12th)4.2 (15th)
VAR0.1 (12th)0.8 (10th)2.4 (10th)
Velox0.0 (1st)2.0 (15th)3.6 (13th)
Zefal Z0.0 (1st)0.8 (10th)2.3 (7th)

MTB Tire Puncture Test @ 29.0 psi (MTB Foligno)

MTB Foligno used a Maxxis Ardent 2.25″ mountain bike tire with 50ml of sealant installed (new sealant for each test). The tire was inflated to 2.0 bar / 29.0 psi, a puncture was made to the tire, and the pressure loss was recorded after the hole had been sealed.

These punctures were made using 1.3, 3.2mm and 5mm screwdrivers, as well as a 3 and 5mm drill bit. The 5mm drill bit could not be repaired by any sealant so I didn’t include this information in the table.

You can see the MTB Foligno test HERE.

1.3mm Hole Pressure Loss (PSI)3.2mm Hole Pressure Loss (PSI)5mm Hole Pressure Loss (PSI)3mm Drill Hole Pressure Loss (PSI)
BRN1.5 (8th)1.5 (1st)2.9 (4th)10.2 (5th)
Eleven0.0 (1st)4.4 (7th)14.5 (6th)Fail (6th)
Joe’s No Flats Super0.0 (1st)1.5 (1st)1.5 (1st)2.9 (2nd)
OKO Magic Milk0.0 (1st)1.5 (1st)1.5 (1st)2.9 (2nd)
OKO Magic Milk Hi-Fibre0.0 (1st)1.5 (1st)1.5 (1st)1.5 (1st)
Stans Regular0.0 (1st)1.5 (1st)2.9 (4th)7.3 (4th)
VAR0.0 (1st)7.3 (8th)Fail (8th)Fail (6th)
Veltec Fluid0.0 (1st)2.9 (6th)16.0 (7th)Fail (6th)
Vittoria Pit Stop1.5 (8th)7.3 (8th)Fail (8th)Fail (6th)
Gravel Tire Puncture Test @ 40 psi (Off-Road.cc)

Off-Road.cc conducted their puncture tests on a Halo GXC gravel tire measuring in at 47 mm. The tire sealant is added in the amount suggested by the manufacturer, and the tire is inflated to 40 psi. The wheel is spun sufficiently to ensure the sealant is distributed evenly throughout each tire.

The tire’s carcass is then punctured with a 5mm diameter nail, and the remaining air pressure is measured with a digital pressure gauge.

You can see the Off-Road.cc tests HERE.

Pressure Loss on a 5mm Puncture Test
Continental Revo5 psi (12th)
Finishline Fiberlink1 psi (5th)
Halo Fiber-Tech0.5 psi (3rd)
Hutchison Protect’air MaxFail (17th)
Joe’s No Flats5 psi (12th)
Joe’s No Flats Elite1.9 psi (8th)
Lifeline6 psi (15th)
Milkit5 psi (12th)
Muc-Off0.6 psi (4th)
Orange Seal Regular2.4 psi (9th)
Peaty’s Holeshot Biofibre0.1 psi (1st)
Pirelli Scorpion3 psi (11th)
Silca UltimateFail (17th)
Stans Race Day1.2 psi (7th)
Stans Original2 psi (9th)
Vittoria Universal0.2 psi (2nd)
Weldtite15 psi (16th)
WTB TCS1 psi (5th)
Road Bike Tire Puncture Test @ 87 psi (Fiets.nl)

Fiets used Mavic Yksion Pro UST road bike tire for this test. They inserted a nail with a 1.5 mm diameter, inflated the tire to 6 bar (87 psi), and removed the nail. They gave the wheel a good spin, waited for the puncture to seal, and later measured the pressure loss.

After the tires had repaired the 1.5 mm hole, they re-inflated them to 7 bar (101 psi), where only half of the sealants were able to withstand this pressure.

You can see the Fiets test HERE.

1.5mm Hole Pressure Loss (PSI)Inflation Test After Repair (101 PSI)
Bontrager TLR4.5 (5th)Pass
Continental Revo4.4 (4th)Pass
Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex63.5 (11th)Fail
Finishline Sealant 21.6 (7th)Fail
Joe’s No Flats Elite2.2 (2nd)Pass
Joe’s No Flats Super60.9 (10th)Fail
Peaty’s Sealant1.0 (1st)Pass
Schwalbe Doc Blue77.0 (12th)Fail
SKS Seal Your Tyre77.3 (14th)Fail
Squirt SEAL3.6 (3rd)Pass
Stans Original76.9 (13th)Fail
Stans Race Day5.5 (6th)Pass
Vittoria Pitstop TNT59.6 (9th)Fail
Zeroflats Antipunctures46.7 (8th)Fail
Maxxis Yksion Pro road tire inflated to 87 psi.

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