Last updated: December 14, 2021 at 14:48 pm
When looking at car soundproofing, there are two main products which should be looked at. These are silent coat and dynamat. Both of these brands have a great reputation, and are both tremendously popular in their own right.
In this article:
We’ll look at the features of both Silent Coat and Dynamat, what makes them different, and concluding which one is the better choice when soundproofing your car.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Silent Coat
Silent Coat is a UK based brand, focused on delivering high quality soundproof materials at a decent price. They offer soundproofing and insulation products to suit all types of cars… from classic to 4×4’s.
Silent Coat’s products fall into four main categories; deadening, absorption, isolator and buffler. Products within each of these categories are used for different purposes depending on your needs.
Deadening – Main Range
Deadening products are their main and most popular products which are mainly mats. These are used to deaden sound from the cars floor to pain points like wheel arches and transmission tunnels.
Options for their deadening products are their classic Silent Coat mat, (plus a black version), Silent Coat Extra which is double the standard thickness and Silent Coat Multilayer which is their most premium deadening solution.
Absorption
Silent Coat Absorber is a sheet (rather than a mat) and is made from a memory foam material. This is to offer flexibility and adequate sound absorption for doors and roofs. These are particularly good at tackling echo noises.
Isolator
The Silent Coat Isolator range consists of “closed structure foam” are more of an add on product, to be used alongside their main range of deadening solutions. This will create a two layer effect and provide suitable soundproofing for major noise areas like the car floor and doors.
Buffler
Finally, these products are designed for one thing, and that’s to reduce noise from the bonnet and engine. These come with a self adhesive backing to stick directly on, and it recommended to work along side deadening mats (like isolator).
Dynamat
Dynamat offer a whole range of products from home to commercial premises, but for the purpose of this article we’ll focus on their solutions for cars.
Dynamat’s main products are Dynamat (Xtreme and Superlite), DynaDeck, DynaPad and Hoodliner.
Dynamat Xtreme – Main Range
Xtreme is the bread and butter of the Dynamat range. It’s thin butyl rubber which is applied directly to the metal of the car to reduce noise and vibrations. It comes with a sticky backing, so easily attaches without the need for glue or another adhesive.
Xtreme is commonly used for car upgrades and custom builds due to it’s durability, soundproof qualities and vibration reduction.
Dynamat Superlite
The Superlite version of Dynamat is essentially the same as Xtreme, but 30% thinner and lighter. Due to being thinner, Superlite isn’t as effective as Xtreme, but perfect if you need your car to carry less weight. Moreover, it comes with a sticky backing and can be cut easily to fit.
DynaDeck
DynaDeck is installed on car floors and made with vinyl rubber. Once installed on flooring DynaDeck offers a soundproof, water-resistant and wear resistant solution perfect for trucks or car that’ll see a lot of wear. It’s advised to use DynaDeck over Xtreme to be as effective as possible, although not required.
DynaPad
DynaPad is the most extreme solution for soundproofing and is built to reduce heat from an exhaust and low frequency noise. DynaPad is best suited to large trucks where noise can be a problem.
It’s made from foam and vinyl rubber and is installed under an existing carpet to provide the most extreme protection from heat and noise.
Hoodliner
This is similar to Silent Coat’s Buffler which is designed for bonnets and engine compartments to reduce not only sound, but heat as well. Hoodliner is especially effective on diesel cars/trucks where engine noise can be a real problem. We’ve also wrote a full article on how to reduce diesel engine noise.
Price Is the Main Difference
One main difference between the two is brand recognition. Dynamat is more well-known and is seen as the more “premium” solution. Because of this, Dynamat is quite a bit more expensive than Silent Coat generally.
Dynamat flourishes with custom rides, “hot rods” and older antique cars, whereas Silent Coat is aimed more at the general public looking to install soundproofing themselves at home. This is more often than not reflected in the price, with Silent Coat generally being about 1/3 the price of Dynamat.
Silent Coat and Dynamat for Soundproofing
In terms of which is better for soundproofing, there’s not too much difference between them. Both offer very similar products, but the marketing of Dynamat being more premium is reflected in the cost.
It can be argued that Dynamat is best suited to stiffen panels (like car doors) to reduce vibrations from sound systems for example, and Silent Coat is best for general soundproofing from road noise.
Silent Coat vs Dynamat: Which Is Better?
Overall, both Silent Coat and Dynamat are great options when looking at soundproofing your car. If we had to choose one, it would be Silent Coat.
Dynamat is more expensive, which we don’t think is warranted when looking at soundproof effectiveness. For general purposes, Silent Coat shines whereas Dynamat is more suited to custom or classic cars. Readily available in the UK, Silent Coat is a great, relatively cheap solution when looking to soundproof your car.
