AES Industries Water Heater Blanket Jacket Insulation Non Fiberglass Fits 40 50 60 and 80 Gallon Tank R8

Why it's worth it

The AES Industries jacket is rated R8.9 and fits tanks from 40 to 80 gallons, with no fiberglass to handle. It ships with tape and a cutting knife, and owners consistently describe the install as an easy hour in normal clothes.

This is the one to buy if your tank is bigger than 60 gallons. Most blankets quietly top out there, which leaves owners of 80-gallon units picking between products that don't fit and rolls they have to cut themselves. AES covers 40, 50, 60 and 80 from one SKU, and it works on both gas and electric. If you manage a couple of rentals, buying one part number for every tank is worth something on its own.

The material is the real draw. There's no fiberglass in it, so you can install this in a T-shirt without gloves or a mask. Owners who've wrestled a fiberglass blanket in a crawl space before are the ones who rave loudest about this. The kit is unusually complete too: tape and a cutting knife come in the box, and people who aren't handy describe finishing in under an hour without stress.

From our review of 6 water heater insulation blankets, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +This is the one to buy if your tank is bigger than 60 gallons
• +The material is the real draw
• +AES builds the jacket to hold a space between the insulation and the tank wall rather than pressing flat against the steel
• +Owner feedback on this listing skews strongly positive, and the recurring themes are fit and completeness rather than raw…

What to know

• –R8.9 is below the Frost King's R10, and it costs more
• –It's thinner than the pictures suggest