We compared four popular shop-bought draught excluders for doors that you can buy at stores such as Wickes and Screwfix with two homemade versions we'd seen recommended online: a simple towel and old tights filled with newspaper.
In our laboratory we designed a setup using a hairdryer (to simulate a stiff breeze) and feathers to measure just how much of wind each draught excluder was letting through.
Watch our video above to see which came out best or read on for the full results.
See also:Best draught excluders for front doors from our tests
Towels
Pros
Of course, the cheaper it is to actually get the materials to draught-proof your house, the better, so we were pleasantly surprised to find just placing a towel over the gap worked as well as, if not better, than the best draught excluders we tested that you can buy from the shops.
If you have an old towel, this solution is quick and free. Plus, it blocked out even the strongest draughts in our test.
We realise it isn't the prettiest or neatest solution, so if you want something a little more elegant plugging that gap under your front door, take a look at our next few recommendations below.
Brush door excluders
Typical price You can buy the one we tested at or at the retailers listed belowPros
This excluder lets a tiny amount of air through. This makes it a good solution for internal doors as well, as it doesn't completely stop air circulation which could lead to moisture build-up.
You'll need to get one with brushes long enough to cover the gap - typically the longer you need the more this draught excluder costs.
They attach to the door by various methods (self-adhesive tape through to screws) which means you don't need to worry about replacing it back over the gap each time you open the door (like our towel recommendation).
This is a more disceet and neater solution than using a towel. However, be prepared to do some DIY to cut the brush strips and holder to size. A good pair of scissors and junior hacksaw respectively will do the trick.
Rubber door excluders
Typical price You can buy the one we tested at or at the retailers listed belowPros
It cut out strong breezes easily in our test. However, rubber draught excluders are less flexible than a towel or brushes, so you'll likely find one trickier to fit over an irregularly-shaped gap. This is why we recommend the brush door excluder type above this as a shop-bought option.
Like brush seals, you'll need to measure the gap to make sure you get an excluder long enough to cover it.
They're also sized typically for larger garage doors, so some cutting to size will be needed if you want one for your average front door. We recommend a junior hacksaw for the holder, and a good pair of scissors should get through the rubber.
Fabric door excluder
Typical priceWhere to buy the one we testedPros
If looks matter, then a fabric draught excluder may be more appealing to you than the draught excluders we found did a better job. There's a much larger choice of colours and shapes to match your decor, and they're usually bulky enough to cover any gap.
Fabric door excluders didn't perform as well in our tests though. They let some light and strong breezes through, though did reduce them decently compared to no draught excluder at all.
Like the towel, you'll need someone at home to move this type of draught excluder back over the gap when the door's been open and closed, or get one that can be attached to the door.
Fabric door excluder with polyester-sand blend filling
Typical priceYou can buy the one we tested atPros
Scored just as well for reducing draughts as fabric excluders that don't have sand in them.
The extra weight from the sand means it's less likely to be knocked out of place accidentally, though it's heavier to budge out of the way when you actually want to open the door.
Like all fabric excluders, there's a wide choice of patterns and colours available.
Tights with newspaper filling
Pros
We tried this out after seeing it in lauded online as being a good DIY draught excluder. But after putting it to the test, we couldn't disagree more.
It performed worse than all the other types we tried, only being slightly better than having no draught excluder at all.
It's free - if you have a pair of tights and a newspaper lying around - but given a towel, another free method, worked much better, it really isn't worth your time making this draught excluder.
How we tested draught excluders
We're not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/this-best-draught-excluder-for-your-front-door-wont-cost-you-a-penny-aSL4J6x7HEpf