AS HEATING bills skyrocket, we've started looking for simple, affordable and effective alternatives to protect our homes against the cold, like draught excluders.
We've picked some of the best draught excluders around to help keep the heat in and the cold out without the extra-pricey heating bills. They can seal off your front door, internal door, garage door and windows, and even bring a little bit of joy inside your home should you go for a more stylish option.
Whether you're looking for practical air-sealing solutions to blend in seamlessly with your decor, or you're after something that's more of a fun focal point, we've got your needs covered.
Check out our roundup of the best draught excluders below.
Best draught excludes at a glance
- Best for front doors: Izabela Peters Luxurious Draught Excluder
- Best for Windows: 6m White P Profile Draught Seal
- Best for French doors: Stormguard Bottom of The Door Brush Strip Draught Excluder
- Best draft excluder tape: Draught Excluder Tape for Door Window
- Best Overall: Dora Designs Black Sheep of the Family Draught Excluder
Stormguard Door Brush Strip Draught Excluder
- Stormguard Bottom of The Door Brush Strip Draught Excluder, £9.99 from Amazon – buy here
Stormguard's metal door brush draught excluder seals gaps of up to 25mm, can be cut to size and comes complete with fixings and pre-drilled holes.
At under £10, it's a super cheap and effective way to deal with draughts and has been praised by reviewers for being 'easy to fit' and making' a huge difference' to inefficient doors.
It comes in a gold or aluminium finish, and there's also a smaller version for gaps of up to 15mm. Just measure the space under your door, and you're good to go.
Holding an impressive 4.5-star, this 'simple to fit – effective to use' draught excluder is bound to keep out the winter breezes.
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Material: aluminium, dimensions: 37.2 x 1.97 x 0.31 cm, machine washable: no
Izabela Peters Luxurious Draught Excluder
- Izabela Peters Luxurious Draught Excluder, £24.99 from Amazon – buy here
If you're looking for a movable internal door draught excluder to enhance and match your home décor, Izabela Peters has a beautiful range of door draught excluder designs.
We've picked out this chic grey 'home' slogan style, but there are also plenty of patterns to choose from to stop the cold air in style, including tartan, florals and stripes.
Made from a heavyweight polyester wool fabric, this luxurious door draught excluder is machine washable and also has a loop on the top which allows it to be hung up in a cupboard when not in use.
It's got plenty of five-star reviews, with one buyer saying it made 'a huge improvement' to stopping the draught coming in.
Material: fabric, dimensions: 80 x 20 cm, machine washable: yes
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Dunelm Barkweave Charcoal Draught Excluder
- Barkweave Charcoal Draught Excluder, £12 from Dunelm Trading – buy here
If you don't want to make a statement with your draught excluder but would prefer something that will blend in seamlessly with your décor, this simple style by Dunelm is the one.
Made from a woven fabric, this grey draught excluder is perfect for both light and dark interiors and is filled with polyester that holds it firmly in place.
Place it by the front door, garden door, or windows for a subtle and chic way to seal draughts.
With a 4.1-star overall rating, we're sure that this simplistic draught excluder 'does the job perfectly' just like this one review claims.
Material: woven polyester, dimensions: height 21cm x width 88cm, machine washable: no
Diall White Self-adhesive Draught seal
- 6m White P Profile Draught Seal, £4.79 from B&Q – buy here
Old windows or poorly installed frames can cost a fortune to replace, but all is not lost, as using window draught seals is an easy and affordable way to stop the cold winter air from coming in.
B&Qs rubber window seal fills gaps from 3mm up to 5mm, helping to reduce heat loss. It's self-adhesive and can also be used on doors to stop hot air from disappearing, even when the door is shut.
While it's most definitely on the cheaper side, that doesn't make it any less effective. If maintaining a 4.3-star rating doesn't convince you, one customer praises the 'low price but high quality' of the product, and another calls it a 'fantastic draught excluder'.
Material: Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, dimensions: (L)6m (W)9mm (T)5.5mm
Smart Garden Dog Sausage Draught Excluder
- Smart Garden Dog Sausage Draught Excluder £22.99 from Skylark Garden Centre – buy here
Okay, find us someone who doesn't love Dachshunds — we'll wait.
This super cute sausage dog draught excluder is available from Skylark Garden Centre, and at £22, it's something of a bargain, too.
This draught excluder might be cute, but it also does a mighty job of keeping out those nasty draughts with its quality filling.
We think that this draught excluder is the perfect addition to the little one's room, as its simple yet cute design is bound to go down a treat.
If you don't have younger children, maybe pick it up for yourself because, like we said before, who doesn't love a Dachsund?
dimensions: width 74cm, depth 23cm and height 11cm
Nicola Spring Door Draught Excluders Grey Herringbone Pattern With Hearts Pack of 2
- Nicola Spring Door Draught Excluders Grey Herringbone Pattern With Hearts Pack of 2, £14.99 from Amazon – buy here
These weighted fabric draught excluders from Amazon are high quality and super affordable, coming as a pack of two for only £16.99.
The textured herringbone stitching pattern adds a traditional, cosy cottage feel to any room, with the hearts adding a playful finish.
Each draught excluder is over 78cm in length, and we love that they come with two hooks stitched to them, making them ideal for hooking onto the screws on the base of your door.
Looking at the reviews left on this product, it's obvious the 4.6-star rating is well deserved. One shopper was left 'very impressed' with another saying how they 'love them' as we're sure you will too.
Plus, they come with a two-year warranty for ultimate peace of mind.
Material: cotton/polyester, dimensions: Width 78.5cm Depth: 7cm Height: 12cm
Best for on a budget: Plush Bear Draught Excluder – Charcoal
- Plush Bear Draught Excluder – Charcoal, £6.99 from The Range – buy here
You'd be forgiven for wanting to use this super soft draught excluder as a pillow, instead of popping it next to your door. Arguably, both ways will help you stay warmer during the winter months, but the latter will work much better.
This budget-friendly draught excluder option from The Range is only £6.99 but absolutely does not compromise on style or quality.
The super thick and fluffy accessory will create a homely feel in your lounge or bedroom while eliminating any cold air – it comes in charcoal to better suit any décor or taste.
Unfortunately, it's not suitable for washing or dry cleaning, but coming in charcoal means that any scuffs or marks won't shine through like it would on brighter colours.
Material: polyester, dimensions: 22cm x 90cm
Dora Designs Black Sheep of the Family Draught Excluder
- Dora Designs Black Sheep of the Family Draught Excluder, £75 from Hayes Garden World – buy here
This sheep family draught excluder, made out of faux fur and brocade, will be a fun, extra-special addition to the household.
It's 84cm long, so perfect for windowsill draughts or any draughty door in the home, and filled with sand to give it a sturdy weight.
It's a little pricey, at £75, but it's so unique and cute. Plus, if sheep aren't your thing, then Hayes offers a cow design for your next draught excluder, too, so anyone on the hunt for something animal themed and functional, we recommend this Dora Designs Black Sheep draught excluder that were sure the young ones will love.
Material: faux fur, dimensions: 84cm, machine washable: no
Best for Christmas: Mr Crimbo Novelty Plush Character Christmas Draught Excluder
- Mr Crimbo Christmas Character Draught Excluder, £9.99 from Mr Crimbo – buy here
This adorable and clever Christmas-themed design is a draught excluder you'll be eager to get out each winter, and the kids are sure to love it.
This 62cm-long snowman draught excluder, with its legs a-splay, would look fantastic at the bottom of your front or internal door, as it keeps in the warm Christmas cheer.
It's pretty weighty, so it's stable enough to keep upright so it won't fall over while you're not looking and let the draught in. The weight also means that it should work perfectly for one Christmas after another, so you won't have to replace them year in, and if you love this, there's a Santa Claus version too.
Material: polyester, dimensions: W62 x D11x H27cm
Simple in design: Draught Excluder Tape
- Draught Excluder Tape for Door Window, £3.99 from Amazon – buy here
Sometimes simple is what's best; maybe it's because your tastes are too niche, or perhaps you're just after a temporary solution for a little while.
Well, Amazon has you covered with its draught excluder tape that's simplistic in design yet effective in practicality and for as little as £3.99, it's an extreme bargain.
It's made of high-quality materials that are environmentally friendly to ensure it's sound and cold-resistant for that added help in the winter.
You get 6 meters of tape that you can cut to your desired size, so you can fit every door in the household with draught protection if you so desired.
Taking a look at what customers had to say about the 4.1-star rating, one calls it a 'good product for the price' with another stating that it 'does what its supposed to'. So if you're looking to get a draught excluder but don't need it to come in a fancy design, this is the product for you.
Material: foam, dimensions: L15 x W15 x H1cm
What is the best draught excluder?
When you've got small gaps in doorways and window frames, it's easy for cold air to make its way around and create pesky draughts in your home — and no amount of cranking the heating up seems to help. After all, you want to reduce – not increase – your energy bills.
Luckily, the best draught excluders are a cost-effective way of sealing off your rooms and stopping the cold air from travelling. Saving warm air inside means you'll need to use less heating and save money on energy bills.
So how does it work? Using draught excluders on doors and windows helps you trap warm air from escaping and prevents cold air from coming in, whether it's the outside or any rooms that you don't usually heat up.
An additional benefit of using tight draught excluders is that they can keep out mice and insects. Your home will be protected from any little things that can fly inside with the blowing wind.
For front doors and garage doors, fixed draught excluders with brushes are the most durable choice, while for living spaces and bedrooms, movable door draught excluders are perfect and can look really stylish, too.
Meanwhile, for windows, self-adhesive draught excluders can be a good solution: these stick to the inside of your frame and come in a range of lengths, thicknesses and colours to suit your requirements. Some popular colour choices are black, white, brown and grey.
For internal doors, you can even have the options of velvet-felt and animal-shaped door draught excluders.
How much are draught excluders?
Draught excluders come in a variety of prices but tend to be quite affordable — especially if you shop around.
We found that fabric or patterned draught excluders often start from around a tenner, and usually go up to around £30 – with exceptions for seasonal designs, or one-of-a-kind handmade, unique purchases.
If you're looking for the more utilitarian kind (for example, metal, rubber or brush draught excluders for your doors and windows), then these are usually around a fiver.
Where to buy draught excluders in the UK?
Shopping around for the best deal and the product that best fits you is always a smart idea, and we always recommend you do so.
Searching for draught excluders might seem like a bit of a tedious task, but if done right, you could definitely save on your energy bills. We're always trying to help out, so we've compiled a few places that you should look at if you want to go on your own hunt.
- Amazon
- Wayfair
- Etsy
- Not on the high street
- Screwfix
How to fit a draught excluder around a door
What items you need will depend on the type of draught excluder you use. Some common tools to fit a draught excluder are screws, screwdrivers, drills, pliers, hacksaws, pencils, and bradawl.
For example, to fit a draught excluder with a rubber strip, first, measure the door. Then cut the rubber strip and the carrier to size.
Place the draught excluder against the door so that the rubber strip blocks the draught gap. Mark the positions where to fit the screws, drill the holes and fix the draught excluder to the door with the screws.
To fit a draught excluder with a brush strip, you need to make sure the bristles firmly stroke the floor, which is the key to blocking the draughts.
Meanwhile, for fabric draught excluders, you can use adhesive strips to stick them to the doors.
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Can you paint over the draught excluder to match it with your door and home?
It depends on the material. You can't paint over the fabric ones for obvious reasons. For rubber draught seals, you might be able to paint them with pigment, but it's best to check the product carefully.
An easier way is to choose the draught excluders made in the colour that matches your door and home as closely as possible. You can always DIY it if you have time and feel creative.
Want to find more savings on your online shopping? Then head to Sun Vouchers where you can get discounts and voucher codes on hundreds of top retailers including B&Q, Boots, Iceland, Lookfantastic, Dunelm, adidas and more.
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