Installing sound deadening materials in your car, such as acoustic mats, is a great way to reduce noise pollution in the cabin, while also providing thermal insulation too. However, there are loads of different products on the market, so which do you choose?
Three main contenders are Hushmat, Noico, and Dynamat (links to Amazon), but which one’s better? Overall, Dynamat is the best option from the 3 because it provides the best sound deadening for price, along with being the most effective material to use. While installation might not be the easiest, Dynamat is definitely the best.
Although I’ve rated Dynamat as the best product, Noico and Hushmat do both still have their uses. In order to know which product is going to be best for your needs, it’s worth knowing the full review of each. Read on to find out more.
Hushmat Review
Hushmat is known for its entry-level price bracket, and is easily the cheapest of the 3 options. What’s more, it comes with its own installation kit, which makes the job really easy. However, it’s quite a thin product, and so can’t provide as good sound deadening as the others.
Brief Description
- Eliminates road noise and vibration
- Engineered to fit OEM specifications and is approved
- Wraps easily around tight areas
- Eliminates road noise and vibration
- Offers superior adhesion to most surfaces including oily metal
Effectiveness
Hushmat claims that their product can reduce cabin noise by up to 50%, and thermal insulation by up to 70%. However, when compared to the other 2 products, Hushmat definitely isn’t the best sound deadener.
Hushmat is made from butyl rubber, which is an excellent heat insulator. Again, on this front, the product doesn’t perform quite as well as Dynamat, but this is because it’s thinner.
However, Hushmat is still an effective product. Its thinness makes it more applicable to smaller cars and tighter spaces, and it still does a pretty good job.
Installation
This is probably the best feature of Hushmat. Not only does it come with an installation kit, which makes things really simple, but the product is easily pliable, and so can be fitted into almost any gap with little problem.
Similarly, Hushmat has a self-adhesive backing, so all you need to do is peel it off and stick it down. However, the adhesive isn’t as long lasting as Dynamat, so you might find some peeling issues further down the line.
Usage
Hushmat can only be used in automotive and acoustic situations, whereas Dynamat is usable in so many more. However, because Hushmat is thinner, I find it’s much easier to install in a vehicle, but this does mean you’ll need to deal with the slightly lower noise reduction capabilities. That said, Hushmat is still a solid choice if you’re needing to do your car up.
For a detailed review and installation guide, read my exclusive Hushmat article.
Dynamat Review
Dynamat is another butyl-based sound deadening mat, and is known as one of the industry leaders. It’s thicker than Hushmat, and also applicable in a wider range of situations. It’s by far the standout of the 3.
Brief Description
Effectiveness
Dynamat is a thicker product than Hushmat, meaning it’ll automatically do a better job of blocking out sound and insulating heat. The manufacturers claim it can reduce noise by up to 10 decibels, which is quite a lot.
The product is also really good at insulating heat, and works up to temperatures of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. You can by different packs for your car, including floor, ceiling, hood, and body. Providing you’re willing to do the whole car, this will massively improve noise levels.
Installation
Dynamat, like Hushmat, has a self-adhesive backing, which should make things really easy. However, while it’s not the most complicated job in the world, it’s much harder than installing Hushmat. The main reason is because the material is thicker.
Dynamat’s installation kit includes a small roller, which you have to use to bond the mat with the surface. The biggest issue is trying to fit this roller into the small gaps, which is really important to ensure the mat is doing its job properly.
That said, Dynamat has much stickier adhesive, meaning it’ll last much longer than Hushmat. While installation might be more difficult, it’s worth it for the superior product.
Usage
Dynamat can be used in quite a few different situations, although it’s still best for sound deadening in a vehicle. Dynamat can also be used for vibration cancelling (for things like the dishwasher), improving overall audio quality in your vehicle, and soundproofing a home theater system. This makes it a much more versatile product than the other two.
Noico Review
Noico is different from the other 2 in that it’s asphalt based, rather than butyl based. Aside from any differences in performance, this has an obvious downside in hot weather because asphalt gives off a really unpleasant odor when warm. Just imagine that in your car’s cabin!
Brief Description
- The cost effective 80 mil automotive butyl and foil sound deadening! You are not just buying an excellent quality product but also saving more than 20% comparing to competitors as we
Effectiveness
Noico is still a pretty good sound deadener for vehicles. It’s the thickest of the 3 products, although its performance isn’t directly comparable because it’s made from a slightly different material. That said, it does just a good a job as Dynamat when it comes to noise cancellation.
However, the thing that’ll put most people off, particularly those in hot places, is the lack of thermal insulation. While this might not be the first thing you care about when starting this kind of project, the side effect of this is that the mats can start to melt if they get too warm.
Installation
Much like Dynamat and Hushmat, Noico has self-adhesive backing, but its this adhesive that’s actually made from asphalt. Therefore hot temperatures mean potential unsticking.
However, the actual installation process it pretty easy. You just have to peel off the back, stick it on, and press it down with a roller. This roller doesn’t come included with the product though, so you’ll have to spend more money on that. Luckily Noico works out about $2 per square foot, so you should have some change left over.
Usage
Much like Dynamat, Noico claims to be usable in a wide range of situations, aside from sound deadening in cars. It claims it can help reduce vibration and be used in a range of other soundproofing roles (such as in home theaters). However, due to the presence of asphalt, this isn’t a product I’d take into my home, just for the smell if nothing else.
Hushmat vs. Dynamat vs. Noico
When it comes down to it, Dynamat is the overall winner. While it might not be the thickest product, it’s the most versatile because it’s thin enough to be useful in a vehicle, but can also be used for other applications.
Effectiveness
If we reduce it down to sheer sound deadening properties, Noico actually wins this one. This is only because the product is so much thicker than the other 2, and so by default will cancel more noise. However, it’s let down by the asphalt-based adhesive, which makes it useless in hot places.
Even so, Dynamat is a close second, and comes out on top because it’s odor free. This is definitely something you shouldn’t overlook when taking on this kind of project in your car. After all, you’re probably going to be sat in it a while and you don’t want to be smelling asphalt the whole time.
Winner: Dynamat
Installation
Hushmat clearly comes out on top on this one because its thinness makes it much easier to install. What’s more, it’s the only one to come with an installation kit, which seems like an important thing to get. So for Dynamat and Noico you’ll have to spend a bit more money to get the installation equipment.
Winner: Hushmat
Price
Noico wins on this one, and Dynamat is the clear loser. However, Dynamat is worth the extra money because it’s a much better overall product. It’s thin enough to be easily installed in a car, but thick enough to make a noticeable improvement to soundproofing.
Hushmat is more of a middle price bracket, but it’s still really not expensive. If you’re on a budget, make this your choice.
Winner: Noico
Conclusion
Overall, Dynamat is the winner because it’s effective and, while it might not be the easiest to use, is a good all-rounder. However, as I mentioned above, Hushmat is a good choice if you’re on a budget because it does almost the same job but at a lower price point.
I’d recommend only choosing Noico if you’re confident it won’t melt in the heat. However, as you can see, each is useful in different situations, so use this information to see which would be right for you.
Read my sound deadener comparison articles which are listed below: