While you might not be able to prevent punctures entirely, having the right tools for the job can make the process far less painful. Armed with one of the best puncture repair kits helps to speed up the process; when it’s pouring down with rain or the temperatures have dropped to single digits, then time is of the essence. If you’re a little rusty, then our guide on how to fix a puncture should help.
It should figure that the more you ride, the more punctures you get. It’s not always the case, however. By equipping your bike with a set of quality tyres, you’re reducing the odds. We’ve got guides to the best road bike tyres, best winter tyres and best puncture-proof tyres to help you find the best tyre for you.
Similarly, you can help guard against punctures by switching to tubeless tyres. Here, the tubeless sealant should repair many little punctures before you even notice them, and even larger holes can be encouraged to seal with the best tubeless tyre repair tools.
So, grab one of the best tyre levers and get repairing those tubes.
Rema's Tip Top puncture repair kit is a classic cycling staple for good reason - it does exactly what it says on the tin. The slim green box is small enough to carry in a pocket and contains 6 patches, glue and sandpaper for permanent repairs.
With 6 glueless patches and some sandpaper included, Park Tool's Super Patch kit covers the basics. The patches are a little bit thin, though, which can allow them to wrinkle up and not seal properly.
The Smart Puncture Repair Kit fits into a slim sleeve rather than a box, so is very compact indeed. The glueless patches are a bit on the small side, so larger holes or snakebites might be an issue. The kit does include a tyre boot though for fixing damaged tires.
Even now, long after my original testing, the Slime Skab is holding strong, which is rare for a glueless solution and is excellent news for those who don't want the hassle of dealing with sticky rubber solutions.
What sells the Rescue Box is the box itself. The neat container has a small waterproof seal and space for a chainlink, so even when the patches, which work fine, run out, you can replenish them and use it again.
Probably better suited to home repairs due to its size and preparation requirements, the Velox Tubeless Repair Kit includes 4 patches for fixing tubeless tires. The patches are glued to the inside of the tire in the same way that inner tube repairs work.
The pre-glued tire patch in the Lezyne Smart Puncture Repair Kit is supplied in an individual sachet, ready to be opened and stuck straight onto the tire. It's a good size, so should be able to fix most roadside holes.
Billed as being for emergency use, we found that the Park Tool TB-2 worked very well, so long as the tyre was well prepared. The 3 one-size patches are a bit large for road tires so will probably need cutting down before use.
The Rema Tip Top TT04 puncture repair kit is a classic with its little green box, and is a feature of many a bike shed. Inside, you get the usual rubber solution plus sandpaper combo to prep your tire, and we had no problems using the kit to patch up holes.
Rather than an assortment of different shapes, there are six round patches - certainly the most useful shape. The Rema kit is a bit more expensive than LifeLine's but you get more useful patches and the box is a little more compact.
Best glueless solution
(Image credit: Paul Grele)
2. Park Tool Super Patch Kit
Best glueless puncture repair kit
Our expert review:
Specifications
Number of patches: 6
Glueless: Yes
Extras: Sandpaper
Reasons to buy
+
Very compact
+
Stick well at moderate pressures
Reasons to avoid
-
A bit pricey
-
Prone to wrinkle
The Park Tool Super Patch kit is really compact and comes in a neat plastic box, so it's easy to stash away. There are six patches included, along with a sandpaper square to pre-roughen your tire.
If you get it right, a patch should see you home, although we found that it may not hold at higher pressures. It's also quite easy to get a wrinkle in the thin patches, leaving an instant conduit for the air in the tube to escape to the outside world. They're quite expensive per fix, although with luck you may not have to use many.
Best compact option
(Image credit: Paul Grele)
3. Lezyne Smart Puncture Repair Kit
Best compact option
Our expert review:
Specifications
Number of patches: 6
Glueless: Yes
Extras: Scuffer, tire boot
Reasons to buy
+
Super-compact
+
Scuffer is more durable than sandpaper
+
Includes a tire boot
Reasons to avoid
-
Quite small patches
Even more diminutive than the Park Tool kit, the Lezyne Smart puncture repair kit packs six glueless patches into a thin, wallet-like plastic sleeve, making it super-easy to carry with you.
Like the Park Tool patches, the Lezyne ones are quite thin and you need to take care not to get a wrinkle, which is even more important here as the Lezyne patches are smaller. That also makes it vital to make sure that you've hit the hole centrally so that there's as much patch as possible on all sides, but as long as this was achieved we had no problems in patching the tube.
Rather than sandpaper, the kit comes with a metal scuffer that should prove more durable and less likely to lose its abrasive qualities. There's even a tire boot included in case your outer tire suffers significant damage.
Best for longevity
(Image credit: Paul Grele)
4. Slime Skabs
A Long-lasting glueless puncture repair solution
Our expert review:
Specifications
Number of patches: 6
Glueless: Yes
Extras: Scuffer
Reasons to buy
+
Very tacky patches
+
Lasted well without wrinkling
Reasons to avoid
-
Name!
Slime Skabs come in a case slightly larger than some of the others, but measuring 52mm x 38mm x 12mm and weighing 10 grams they still slipped easily into our jersey pocket. The patches are really tacky to the touch and the metal scuffer will undoubtedly last the life of the pack too.
The patches measure 25mm in diameter and applied nicely. After testing it was still stuck firmly and hadn't moved or wrinkled. It felt like a pretty permanent repair. One of the best on test but it is still an unpleasant product name!
Best for weatherproofing
(Image credit: Paul Grele)
5. Topeak Rescue Box
Best for weatherproofing
Our expert review:
Specifications
Number of patches: 6
Glueless: Yes
Extras: Abrasive sheet, space for a chain link
Reasons to buy
+
Waterproof
+
Space for a chain link
+
Six colour options
The Topeak Rescue Box provides a compact, waterproof aluminium casing (in six colour options!) that helps keep your puncture repair goodies contamination-free. The shape of the box meant that it slipped easily into our pockets or saddlebags.
Open it up and there are six glueless patches and a small abrasive sheet. The box also has a divider that gives you space to keep a spare chain link and a couple of chain pins, so you can make running repairs to your chain too if you're carrying one of the best multitools with a chain tool attachment. At 18g it won't weigh you down excessively either.
Best for larger puncture repairs
(Image credit: Paul Grele)
6. Rehook Gooeys
Best for larger puncture repairs
Our expert review:
Specifications
Number of patches: 6
Glueless: Yes
Extras: Abrasive sheet
Reasons to buy
+
Small & lightweight pack
Reasons to avoid
-
Not as tacky as the name implies
The Rehook Gooeys patches came in a pack that was very similar in size and weight to the Park GP-2's and they were the largest square patches on test (just) measuring 26mmx26mm. This gives more glued area to contact with however, on a narrow 20-28mm width road inner tube, the patch overhung the tube edges. I needed to roll the patch around the tube to get it to stick on fully.
The patch held pressure throughout the test but on checking the inner tube afterwards the edges of the patch hadn't stayed glued. The central section (over the hole) had though, so it did get me home, but would've probably needed another repair to keep it reliable.
Best Tyre Repair Patches/Tyre Boots
Sometimes the body of the tyre gets a hole which needs fixing to get you home, and this is where a tire boot can help out. They are applied inside the tyre between the tire and inner tube (if used) and can stop that hole or slash from allowing other road debris into the tire causing further problems.
If you have any tubeless sealant inside the tyre carcass it must be thoroughly cleaned off first as the glue won't stick otherwise. I used a Clean Streak aerosol cleaner which worked well and all 3 patches stayed put during the test.
Best traditional glued tyre repair
(Image credit: Paul Grele)
7. Velox Tubeless Repair Kit
Best traditional glued tire repair
Our expert review:
Specifications
Number of patches: 4
Glueless: No
Extras: Scuffer and crayon
Reasons to buy
+
Patch applied nicely and stayed put
Reasons to avoid
-
Would like some chalk
The Velox Tubeless Repair Kit uses vulcanising glue and patches to repair the tire. You'll need to ensure that the tire is well prepared and clean before gluing but the patch went on easily and stayed in place for the ride. It worked well.
The pack is quite big so it's more of a stay-at-home repair set I'd say. I would've liked to have had some chalk in the kit as you'll need to dust the repair afterwards to stop the inner tube from sticking to the glue/patch.
Best pre-glued tyre boot
(Image credit: Paul Grele)
8. Lezyne Smart Patch Kit
Best pre-glued tyre boot
Our expert review:
Specifications
Number of patches: 1
Glueless: Yes
Extras: None
Reasons to buy
+
Included in the Lezyne Smart kit
+
Worked well
Reasons to avoid
-
Only one patch
The Lezyne Smart kit (inner tube repair mentioned above) also includes a tire repair patch. It was the only kit on test to do this. The patch measured c. 50mm x 30mm and it applied to the tire well. It was reassuringly sticky and stayed in place for the ride. As with the others on test you must ensure that the tire is prepared well and is clean for the best adhesion to occur.
As the Lezyne kit has both a tire boot and inner tube patches, both of which are the match for anything on test, it comes highly recommended.
Best for larger tyre repairs
(Image credit: Paul Grele)
9. Park Tool TB-2
Largest tyre repair patch
Our expert review:
Specifications
Number of patches: 3
Glueless: Yes
Extras: None
Reasons to buy
+
A great 'get you home' tire repair patch
Reasons to avoid
-
Quite large and may need to be cut down
The Park Tool TB-2 are quite large at 45mm x 75mm but I cut one down to roughly 45mm x 30mm to fit it into a 25c tire. It stuck well (after thoroughly preparing the tire) and it held well throughout the test.
It would certainly be a useful thing to carry with your spares while out riding and leave the other two at home. Park Tools say that the "TB-2 is designed for emergency use. A patched tire should be replaced as soon as possible", which is sensible advice.
How we test the best puncture repair kits
Testing the best puncture and tyre repair kits is a fairly simple task. We create a few holes of various sizes and assess how effectively each kit seals and retains air, which is similar to how we test the best tubeless sealants for road and gravel. Given the area a patch can cover, this will result in holes of around 1, 3, 5 and 10 mm. This protocol applies to all types of kits, including both glueless and glue-adhesive options.
While our primary assessment is primarily based on their performance in use, we also consider other attributes, including patch adhesion, inflation retention, durability, and ease of use. Of course, the overall value of each puncture repair kit.
The testing procedure involves several critical steps:
1. Preparation of Inner Tubes
2. Patch Application and Adhesion Test
3. Inflation Retention Test
4. Simulated Ride/Durability Test
In total, testing for each kit can take up to a week, involving regular pressure retention checks and monitoring for any signs of failure or low durability. Once the tubes have passed this stage, they will be fitted to a wheel for test riding.
This testing is carried out by the experienced and knowledgeable Cycling Weekly team. You can learn more about How We Test on our dedicated testing page.
How to choose the best puncture repair solution
Glue or glueless?
The main choice with the best puncture repair kits is whether to go for the traditional patches that need a separate tube of rubber solution or the newer glueless patches.
In our experience, patches which need to be glued on give a more durable repair than glueless patches. But for on-the-road repairs, it means more to take with you, while the rubber solution itself is emblazoned with Harmful notices in big letters. It probably won't hurt you much the amount most cyclists will be using it, but it's something to bear in mind.
The other consideration is that the solvent in rubber solution will dry up quickly. A sealed tube has more longevity, but once opened you may find that it's solid by the time you want to use it again. Even a sealed tube can dry out, particularly if you let it get hot.
Most glueless patches, on the other hand, have almost limitless longevity, so they'll be there for you when you do get that puncture. They're also a lot more compact than kits with glue, so they're much easier to carry around.
What shape patches work best?
Most patches are round, but glued kits often contain oval patches too. These tend to be of limited use - almost all punctures are point piercings of your tube, so a round patch will work just fine.
You shouldn't need a large patch either, provided you get a good seal, although glueless patches tend to be less airtight than glued ones, so some extra material around the point of piercing may be helpful. A larger patch will also help if you don't aim well and the actual hole is off-centre from the patch.
One case where a larger, oval patch might be better is a "snakebite" puncture, caused by the tire bottoming out on the wheel rim. You'll see two parallel cuts a few millimetres apart. Here, a slightly larger patch should work better and cover both holes with a single patch.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Frequently asked questions about puncture repair
Do I need to abrade the inner tube before fitting a patch?
Almost all repair kits contain either sandpaper or a metal scuffer to roughen the tube around the puncture before you try to stick a patch onto it. Use it, as it will remove any contaminants on the surface of the tube and the rough surface will adhere much better to the patch. Just don't abrade so hard that you make another hole in the tube.
Which type of puncture repair is best?
I would undoubtedly say a well-executed glued patch will offer the best durability, seal and longevity to a repair. I reason that the vulcanising solution or 'glue' is designed to react with the patch and the butyl to create a firm bond. However, as I mentioned, this very much relies on the preparation of the tube and how well this is executed.
Can I just use superglue if I run out of rubber solution?
As a temporary solution, many superglues are now designed to be used with rubber and silicone products, thereby preventing them from reacting and causing the products to break down. However, that is not the case for all, and I would certainly ensure that any repair is done with a proper vulcanising solution for optimal durability and air retention.
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Paul started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2015, covering cycling tech, new bikes and product testing. Since then, he’s reviewed hundreds of bikes and thousands of other pieces of cycling equipment for the magazine and the Cycling Weekly website.
He’s been cycling for a lot longer than that though and his travels by bike have taken him all around Europe and to California. He’s been riding gravel since before gravel bikes existed too, riding a cyclocross bike through the Chilterns and along the South Downs.
