Canvas vs. Vinyl Tarps – Which one you should prefer?

Canvas tarps are the easiest ones to work with and vinyl tarps have captured market as its lightweight, flexibility and durability has made vinyl an automatic choice for many people. A comparison between vinyl tarp vs canvas tarp is needed as vinyl is not the cheapest material available in the market like other vinyl products such as vinyl gloves, vinyl condoms etc., but it is very popular because of its advantages over other materials. The article helps you understand the difference between vinyl and canvas tarps, which one to prefer and why.

The Difference between Vinyl Tarps and Canvas Tarps

Vinyl

Bivouac Outdoor Equipment Limited (BOEL) carries a wide range of Tarpaulins – Vinyl & PVC, Poly / Cotton and Nylon Tarpaulins. Vinyl being a waterproof plastic material has many applications in the market while vinyl tarps have not seen strong sales due to high price. One vinyl tarp has a life of 5 years which is very little compared to other materials but vinyl has a lot of benefits that can compete with any other material. However it cannot be easily repaired so if you want vinyl for short term purposes, vinyl might not be the right pick for you…

Canvas

The primary purpose of using canvass tarps was for camping purposes, but now canvas products are available in different shapes and sizes including custom products. It is generally used as temporary shelter by outdoor enthusiasts, construction companies etc., Canvas is not as lightweight as vinyl so it can easily tear up if not handled properly. Canvas is thicker material, but vinyl is even stronger and the only drawback of vinyl tarps over other materials is that vinyl cannot be repaired almost 30% or 40% while compared to vinyl tarp after cutting vinyl tarp edges, sometimes you need to cut off whole vinyl tarp edge for your purpose…

Which One Should You Prefer?

Answering this question depends on factors like what are you using the tarp for? What is your budget? Are you looking for long-term tarp use or something temporary? Will the tarp be used in rough weather conditions often?

If you’re looking for a good performance shelter material with durability vinyl is the material you should prefer, but if you’re looking for vinyl gloves or vinyl condoms etc., vinyl may not be the best option…

If you think vinyl tarp does not suit your need or budget easily can be repaired and if it gets ripped vinyl is very hard to repair while a canvas product can get repaired at home using a sewing machine. Vinyl being a plastic material is lighter than canvas so vinyl tarps are easier to use and carry around. Canvas however comes with a number of advantages over vinyl such as thicker material, lightweight, waterproof properties and durability.

FAQs

Can vinyl tarp be repaired?

No, vinyl cannot be easily repaired.

What are the advantages of vinyl tarps over other materials?

Vinyl is lighter than canvas so vinyl tarp is easier to carry around compared to canvas tarp. Vinyl being lightweight means vinyl is an automatic choice for people looking for something temporary or who are outdoor enthusiasts etc., vinyl tarp can be used in all weather conditions but it cannot be easily repaired if gets ripped, vinyl comes with a number of benefits over other materials.

Vinyl vs Canvas – Which one you should prefer?

If you want good performance product for short term purposes then go with vinyl otherwise if your needs are long term and you have high budget then go for vinyl. If you’re looking for vinyl gloves or vinyl condoms etc., vinyl is not the best choice…

Can vinyl tarp be used as a temporary shelter?

Yes, vinyl can be used as a temporary shelter but it cannot be easily repaired and compared to other materials vinyl material life is very low so if you want vinyl for long term purposes then go with vinyl otherwise go for canvas tarps. Canvas comes with many benefits including waterproof properties, durability and lightweight whereas vinyl comes with only light weight and waterproof properties which makes vinyl an automatic pick if you’re looking something temporary or who are outdoor enthusiast etc., but if your needs are long term and budget is high go for canvas.

Conclusion

If you cannot afford vinyl tarps vinyl, vinyl might not be the best choice for you. However if vinyl can get used in bad weather or rough conditions easily while canvass is better at protecting against sunlight it also depends on your purpose of using tarpaulins! We hope this comparison between vinyl vs canvas have helped with your decision. Please note that BOEL offers one of the largest ranges of Tarpaulins in the world including Sunforger Canvas, DS Polyester Tarp, Vinyl & PVC silver back sliver coating available at affordable prices with custom-made products.