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    Best Window Insulation Kits

    Covering your drafty windows with plastic can reduce your home's cooling and heating costs with minimal effort

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    grid of 3 images showing Frost King and Duck Brand weather insulation kits
    CR tested popular window insulation kits, all of which were easy to install and remove, even for a first-time user.
    Photos: Manufacturers

    Drafty windows can make your home uncomfortable and significantly affect your heating and cooling bills. You can save an average of 15 percent on these costs when you seal the gaps around your home that are letting air in or out, according to estimates from the Environmental Protection Agency.

    Window insulation kits allow you to seal off an entire window with a plastic film, not just the parts where there are gaps.

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    More on Energy Efficiency at Home

    The film in window insulation kits doesn’t attach directly to the glass of a window. As long as you shrink the film properly with a blow-dryer, visibility isn’t really affected, so you don’t have to give up your view for a more comfortable home. From my experience, installation takes just 15 to 20 minutes with the right tools, which you probably already own—scissors and a hair dryer.

    If you want to be able to open your windows occasionally, you might want to consider weather stripping and window sealing tapes, which are easier to install and to remove.

    We tested four insulation kits to determine which were more durable, scratch- and puncture-resistant, and easier to install. This was the first time I had ever used any of these kits, and I found the process simple enough that I’m considering one for my own apartment windows.

    How to Install and Remove a Window Insulation Kit


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    We investigate, research, and test so you can choose with confidence.


    Jodhaira Rodriguez

    Jodhaira Rodriguez is a senior multimedia content creator at Consumer Reports. Before joining CR, she tested and wrote about cleaning and organizing products and major appliances like washing machines and dishwashers at Good Housekeeping. In her free time, you’ll find her reading, listening to true crime podcasts, or working on her latest hobby of the month.