Painters Tape Test. The Best Tape for Painters. 

John Cena is a heck of a painter

Thank you guys for all your hard work. I have used your tips and tricks painting my house and it has made my painting look way more professional.

There’s an obvious expense associated with using Frog tape; it’s the best. We all use more cost efficient brands at times, however, if it needs to be as perfect as us mere mortals can produce it’s without question the way to go. Thanks for the vids!

Green frog tape or yellow frog tape is what I trust to avoid bleeding around edges. Naturally it depends on the surface where I'm working. Edging corners on accent walls or along cabinets? I use the yellow. Around wall fixtures or less delicate surfaces, I use green. Yes, they're expensive, but they really work. For baseboards, I use regular 3M masking tape (2"). It stays in place the best and is relatively inexpensive. The only time I ever use the blue painter's tape is when I am draping plastic from a ceiling. Other than that, I don't much care for it. Yes, it's made to not leave residue on whatever it's stuck to, but I rarely have tape on stuff more than two days, and very few tapes are going to leave residue after only two days unless they are in direct sunlight and getting hot. Blue tape is sold to homeowners who leave the tape on walls and ceilings and trim for weeks while they bang out small projects. Sure, there won't be any residue - even after weeks of being stuck to a surface, but the bleeding will be atrocious.

been very pleased with frog tape. worth the money for jobs that need it.

Thanks mate, the others videos about this are total rubbish. Don’t know why I ever looked anywhere else. You’re the greatest.

I just started using Frog tape, but also blue platinum works great!

I have orange peel texture at my home, although I prefer smooth walls. I tried cheap blue tape, a couple of different 3M tapes and then green frog tape. I personally found frog tape to be far superior to any other.

thank you for this video. im getting ready to fix a etsy project my wife bought. this helped me decide frog tape was the best for the project.

Yet no one else took the time to do the test. And that is what it is...a simple test to help the novice & pro alike.... Good job & effort to enlighten people watching. Hooah!

With your experience, product tests are really informative. And you should have had your own Vanna White there pulling off the tape to 'reveal' the winners.

Just paint the protected color over the paint first, then, when it's dry, paint the new color you are blocking with the tape. Instant laser sharp lines every time. If you do not have the paint (say you are changing wall, but want to keep trim) just use the appropriate (satin, matte, gloss) mod podge. For Frog Tape to work correctly, just read the instructions.

Dollar store cheap duct tape works well too. Its got cheap adhesive that comes off easy and paint never sticks to the silver side so you can let the paint dry on it, and itll just flake off the tape and stay on the painted surface. i rip the rolls down the middle so I can have two sharp edges and only stick about half inch of tape on any surface, curling the torn side up

I hate green, I hate frogs, but Frog tape makes me look like a pro. The lines are perfect.

Awesome video Chris! The best I've ever seen and one I've been waiting for- a comparison across a larger sample of different tapes. Excellent job. Rock on!!

We generally run a lightly dampened rag over our frog tape first to activate the sealer. Paint does not always do the trick.

For the most perfect line, use caulk with your tape!!! Put the tape down, caulk the side u want painted, peel off and away from line. This works well when u have orange peel. I love your channel. I wish we could work together. I am in Houston.

Been a huge Frogtape fan, use it all the time.

Nice vid, thanks for making it! I’ll have to try out frog tape. I would have liked to see the results up close though so we can see what you’re seeing.

We use white tape outside where it doesn't really matter that much or to hold stuff together (plastic, paper etc) because they are cheap. Blue tape where you want to make sure you won't pull existing paint off. Downside of blue tape is that it doesn't stick very well. Orange tape is the general go to that we use most of the time. It sticks well and does a pretty decent job as a jack of all trade. Green (frog) tape on sensitive projects where a straight line really matters. It won't pull existing paint off. The downside of frog tape is that it is ridiculously expensive. Those are the four types of tapes we use 99% of the time. We also use masonry tape (usually dark red) which is a kind of duct tape on steroids. As you may have guessed it, we use this on masonry projects where the regular variety of tapes will not stick to the surfaces like concrete, brick, morter, etc...

Do a video on how you prep an interior to spray the ceilings. You talked about this in your what to paint first live vid. You mentioned spraying the ceilings first if you guys would be staring up at them all day. Then you said you’d paint the walls. I wanted to see how you prep the house for overspray and fallout. Thanks!!

THANK YOU !!! (Lol I just saw you on the aqua coat vid like an hour ago, exited RU-vid, went to Amazon, got overwhelmed and searched painter's tape reviews and here you are again !! 😂)

chris...............great video thanks for taking the time to do this test.........keep up the great work...........thanks!!

We love green frog tape. Hard to beat! Terry Specified Coatings, Inc

Hey and hello to the painting world!!! I don't rarely share this quick and easy tip and don't know if it hasn't already been mentioned but it you wet the edges of the frog tape with a sponge it will properly seal it ..... Try it, works perfectly!

Great video thanks, I recently have returned to painting and find a lot of your methods are the same I use to use. And I have picked up some new tricks. I haven't used the Frog tape yet but just picked some up. Thanks again I appreciate your videos

I appreciate most the explainenation of the various tapes. The down side I see of this test, or fault, is how quick you were to pull tape. It should've been a little closer to real world as far as leaving the tape on. No one I know, masks off. presses that much the entire masked area, then paints straight away and pulls tape straight after that. Real world is more like... You go in mask off everything. Could take a day depending the job. Leave it, come back and paint it. Leaving it till the paint job is done.. which could take the day. next day, or whenever you come back. Pull tape and masking. Especially for the diy user. Lastly.. I huge factor is a clean pull. 3M tapes are notorious for grabbing the surface especially after 24hrs. And when pulled, either tear into little tiny pieces and/or leave glue on the surface. The 3M 2098 most commonly found at hardware stores and sold in Pro Packs. Personally, I don't paint houses. I paint single or 2 part paints. It's impossible to pull tape directly after a coat. let alone wild one want to when laying 5-10 coats. Pulling tape is a freaking nightmare. Even 3M's low tack tape states it's only low tack for so much time. In this video, especially that second run. That tape was on for what.. 3 minutes maybe. You could hear the difference in the grab they had. You'd be pulling surface paint or leaving a ton of glue and that first layer of blue paper with some of those. 3M again, as you mentioned, swells.. but it also separated from the glue. leaving the glue and a thin layer of paper behind. At $10 bucks a roll, the 3M 2098 "safe release" blue tape is anything but. I have a project now that it was used on. Just enclosing a small diy paint booth for testing. 24 hr's later. Pulling it off left tons of glue and blue behind. And that's on a pvc pipe surface.. now I have to go back and clean all that crap off. Thanks for the test though. And your explanation of the various kinds.. A couple I curious about having never tried them. Bleed through is something no one wants in any paint industry. No matter the paint water or solvent based, single or two part, spray, roll or brush on bleed through tis the enemy.

What is the best tape I can put on my walls to paint the trim that wont pull the paint off the wall

Just wanted to say thanks bud learned a lot from your videos

So much for my 3M 2094 blue .. looks like Frog tape from now on. Excellent video! 👍👍😎

Excellente Bro.! ...you are a truly professional..!!

I'm sorry for the thumbs down, but this isn't a good example of how we use tape as professional painters. How about taping a whole wall's-worth of baseboard and trim--in that case gravity is trying to pull the paint behind the edge of the tape. And more importantly, if you're caulking your tape anyway, I want my tape to stay where I put it until I'm ready to paint, and the green Frog tape falls off just like the blue 3m stuff. In my experience, only the yellow Frog tape really sucks down and stays put--delicate surface or not, it actually works! Also, how about a closeup so that we can decide for ourselves?

Fantastic Video Nicely Done ✅

1st time watching your video and became a subscriber. Appreciate you providing great value for us. Thank you.

I use the 2020 allot.... but never seen the tesa tape I'm here in tampa fl. Sometimes I use the 3m edge lock but the 2020 is cheap and reliable ... love your videos I tend to always learn something

Good test, however I think the most common uses of masking tape would be to tape off previously painted baseboards or natural wood trim. Very important to know which types of tape will adhere the best to semi-gloss paint or polyurethane. Also interested in best tape for glass. Perhaps a bit of subjective analysis such as best value or easiest to find could be helpful to some folks. Haven't heard of at least half the samples in the video. Overall appreciate the recommendations though :)

I just used your frog tape and clear caulk to make a straight line WHOOPIE!!!! IT WORKED;-)

Good demo, with one big omission. I’m very interested in the exact names of the 2nd and 3rd place winners. Most everyone knows Frog Tape and it’s the most expensive. But your second place winner seems to be good enough at a fraction of the cost. I might go with the second place winner to save a little money. However, in your results explanation I only heard a jumble of numbers and could not possibly identify the 2nd and 3rd place winners. So how could I buy them if I wanted to try them out?

Nice work.

Ever used the Maskin Master? Amazing tool!

Great intro Chris flex on em!

That was fun! Thanks for sharing!

What most people (including painters), like Chris explained for different purposes. They have different applications and that's why they have different colors, textures and thicknesses. This test is not about the best tape overall, is just the best tape for that application. Example, I would use the cheapest tape for masking furniture and having the tape contact the plastic and not finished surfaces. 3M makes different types of tape with different colors for the same reason.

Great experiment! Frog tape ftw

I don't take your tests as equivalent to Consumer Reports' tests, or any lab tests for that matter. But that's the point! These tests are useful for painters to see how different tapes work on a job site, not controlled lab conditions! Use the information here that is generously provided as practical advice people!

And the winner ding ding ding ding 2020 !lol

I just painted the trim on my shop exterior using 3m blue with no print on it and am completely dissatisfied with its performance. Thanks for the Frog recommendation

very well done test!

Great test thank you!

Great experiment ..

We use only blue frog tape. Use to use the 20/20. Switched for quality over quantity

Would frog tape be better than between floor molding and bottom of wall

Press it with a putty knife or a 5 in 1 to get more uniform adhesion

Not sure what frog tape your use but for me it's leaving a mess behind and I have to do everything over again

Superbly helpful video! Thank you! Frog tape wins. Now, which frog tape: green or yellow? Most people seem to go for the yellow one. Do you agree with this?

What about peeling the tape after the paint dries? To test for peeling and cracking and chipping? I hate it when that happens.

Great video, thanks!

I have a question that doesn’t Pertain to this video but I would like some input on it if that’s ok.My question is I have orange peel walls with antique white paint on them pro Marr 700 is what I’m using then use the orange peel in a can from Sherman Williams to fix my patched areas and then I use spray kiltz in a can over that and then finish coat but I noticed when I look down the walls I can see all of my patched areas how can I make this blend in better?

I just use electrical tape or duct tape just a bit sticky but helps the paint stick better to the walls..

Great job Guys

Almost everything we use is IPG PG5. Works great but a little spendy.

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBING , GREAT VIDEO, THANK YOU

Hi having the right masking tape for a good paint job is always key! On another matter the right tools for the job! Do you think if you had a masking tape dispenser you could wear on either hip that it would help to make masking jobs easier and faster?

It's not so much about bleed throughs, especially if you're caulking you tape. For me, it's about which one stays on the baseboard without falling off.

Is frog tape also the best for stopping stain from bleeding through to a white melamine cabinet interior?

Like the product test videos.

Why no frog tape delicate surface tape in the demonstration. Do you not like that one?

Maybe you should be doing some work out videos too!! Ha. Great video, btw. Have you done the same for paint?

clear, and nice

Is there any white painters tape??

Can you tell me if I can leave painters tape on the wall for over a year without damaging paint at removal? I saw a wallpaper application method I want to try where you put paintera tape on the wall and then doublesided tape on top of the painters tape and then apply the wall paper.

Damn fine job.

Notice the long regular masking tape right across the center ..😂

Just subscribed today and I am enjoying the videos so far. Very informative, I've done alot of painting in my line of work. However, I think you should hire me to be your videographer 😉 so we can get some movement and close up shots of what you're doing❤️

Bleed through with stain is such a headache for us. I'm curious to know if this would be a good reflection on how they would perform with stain as well? If anyone has a suggestion for wood siding stain jobs I would love to hear them

Who else clicked on this cause they thought John Cena made a painters tape video 😂😂😂

Hi Chris, I watch your channel all the time as I am just starting to pain the inside of my house. Would you say frog tape is the best? I have used it and on 2 occasions I painted the trim on a Tuesday and taped the trim on a Wednesday to pain the walls and it actually peeled off the trim pain in a few spots.. What can I do to prevent this?

They commonly use painters tape types for auto body, I want the most water resistant tape, clean release?

Giod video. Next test should be how long you can leave tape on a wall, window and door before it sticks and shreds.

Froggy tape for the win!!!

Kip sharp tape to test!

If your a pro I do jobs and if I spray a house it takes an hour or better to get to the pealing of the tape and plastic

How long can I leave the yellow frog tape on the wall before it peels the wall paint?

Which tape leaves least sticky residue after a few weeks' indoor use.

I am looking for some tape for a canvas for painting. I was watching one of the videos on different types of tape for painters. But I was curious if anyone in the comments or the channel would know. So my question is: Is there a tape that I could use on it that won't rip the canvas?

What's the best tape to use on trim and baseboards???. I want a tape that won't peel the paint once removed

I've bn very successful with contractors grade Scotch masking tape.

It's important to look at the date on the tape! The newer the tape the better if u use older tape it won't do as well! Just like buying a gallon of milk get the freshest stuff

The paint was $100 a gallon, so the customer was VERY fussy about a dark grey to brilliant white edge on matt emulsion!

Maybe blind test the tape Cover where you have the names of the tape And then reveal after they choose which one is best Only you know which tape, take them off Then the person who chooses, doesn’t know which line is from what tape

Brilliant test - thanks. I only started using Frog a few weeks ago - as the client was willing to pay the extra!!!

What does 3M “20 20” stand for? What does this mean?

Hi Bro, i want to mention please try , Brand: Husky Tape Item: 1270 Paper Tape 14 day blue, UV Resistant, 100 degree, low residue, high temperature. Have you tried? Let me know what ?

3M 2020 stick as hell, once pressed on it, it will not coming back. So to stick on another tape it work but on a painted surface it weld on it and now you'll be in big trouble

Hi, long time viewer, on the tapes, do you suggest the one layer of tape or can you tape a second layer for guarantee no paint seeks through it .. thanks in advanced.. subscriber..

Do u ever use the 2020 tape over freshly painted surfaces? I was worried that it might damage the freshly painted surface

There is only one tape worth using IPG and one caulk Big Stretch both more expensive but worth it to be a professional painter

All I have is regular scotch tape

Why not include ScotchBlue in your test?

Hello bro you got video how to paint metallic wall