If you are looking for a soundproofing solution for your car, then you have reached the right place. Various companies are offering their own solution for dampening the noise from your vehicle. Due to the numerous choices available, people get confused, which brand is better suited for their needs. Here we will provide you detailed information on two of the best soundproofing brands available in the market. We will answer all the questions about the “Lizard Skin vs. Dynamat” debate, and thoroughly analyze which one is more suitable for you.
Check the prices of both on Amazon
Before we dive into a detailed comparison, you should keep in mind that both use different technologies to dampen the noise. Dynamat produces sound deadening mats while Lizard Skin sells soundproofing spray. It is not common knowledge that sprays are also effective for sound deadening. Due to this, many people are unaware of soundproofing brands like Lizard Skins.
For those who don’t know about insulating spray and how it works, it is simply a spray that you can use on different parts of your car using a spray gun. This gives a very even application of soundproofing on the materials and can be used even in those places where noise-dampening mats fail to reach. But this technology is quite new and not as thoroughly tested and many people still prefer the mats over them. So, it is not easy to find information on them and any data about their effectiveness is relatively unknown. From what I have learned Lizard Skin is capable of absorbing the noise but it falls short of achieving the results that some well-known soundproofing mats will give you.
Both brands have their pros and cons. There is no such thing as a perfect soundproofing material. Even though Dynamat is better at absorbing the noise, but it comes with many other issues. Here we will compare both of them based on different factors including price, performance, ease of installation, etc.
Table of Contents
Spray Insulation VS Soundproofing Mat – Salient Differences
Before comparing Lizard Skin and Dynamat, let’s take a look a look at the differences between soundproofing spray and noise dampening mat.
| Soundproofing Spray | Soundproof Mats | |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | Strip the entire interiors to avoid any damage from the spray. | You don’t need to worry about preparing your car for the installation process, you can even install mats in stages if that is more convenient for you. |
| Ease of Application | It is easier to apply spray without the need of any professional as there is no cutting is involved in the process. But it can get messy and you will need a spraying gun. | Due to various models of cars, the mats aren’t available in a universal fit, so a lot of cutting and scissor work will be involved. Some brands like Dynamat are much harder to install and you may end up hiring a professional for the work. |
| Finish | No seams or gaps. However, there is a risk of nuts and bolts getting jammed. | You can’t perfectly place the mats so expect some gaps. |
| Thickness | Thicker at 0.40” to 0.60”. | Less thick at 0.067”. |
| Effectiveness | Despite being thicker soundproof sprays usually are less effective when compared to the mats. | Soundproofing mats are better at reducing echoes and keeping the noise out. |
| Cost of material for an average car | Sprays are a cheaper solution and you would spend around $300 during this process. | If you plan on soundproofing the entire car than expect to spend around $350 to $600 depending on the brand |
Most of the mats are asphalt-based and they produce a pungent smell during summer and some start melting at high temperatures and produce toxic gases. But Dynamat doesn’t use asphalt in their mats so, you don’t have to worry about that in this case.
Lizard Skin Vs. Dynamat – Overview
From the table above, you might have noticed that mats are better at absorbing noise, and Dynamat is at the top when it comes to soundproofing mats. Hence Dynamat is going to outperform Lizard Skin. So, you should close the article and buy Dynamat right? Wrong, it is true that Dynamat is better suited for the task but there are other factors that you should take into account before making any final decision. If Dynamat had been flawless, other companies would have been out of business a long time ago. Other brands providing noise-reducing mats for vehicles and thriving is proof that the former is not a perfect solution.
Here we will discuss both the options comprehensively and find in which category one product have an advantage over the other. We will also see the pros and cons of both.
Lizard Skin Overview
Lizard Skin, even though a new company, is very reliable when it comes to soundproofing and their noise-insulating spray is very effective. You can apply the spray anywhere in the car to eliminate the sound from the road. When the material is applied to the vehicle with the help of a spray gun it adheres to the interior of your car and will be able to deaden most of the noise.
Lizard Skins advice to use it with ‘Ceramic Insulation’ and ‘Top Coat’ for better results. But the ‘Ceramic Insulation’ is used for thermal insulation while ‘Top Coat’ gives a glossy finish, both of which have nothing to do with soundproofing. Even without those two things, the end results are going to be the same unless you specifically want thermal insulation. So we are going to ignore this specific instruction and it just adds to the cost.
But if you still want to purchase their ceramic thermal insulation, I will list some of its properties. 
Dynamat
When it comes to noise-reducing mats Dynamat outshines other brands and as we have learned that mats have an edge over sprays, you can expect a better overall performance. I have recommended it even in my other comparisons, whether it be Noice Vs Dynamat or Sounskins Vs Dynamat.
The major issue with Dynamat is the price. When compared with the competition it can cost up to 30-40% more. Due to this single reason, many people search for an alternative to it. Additionally, Dynamat excels at reducing echoes and this improves your music experience on the drive. This makes the price totally worth it.
Dynamat Xtreme is their main product for soundproofing cars. It can effectively dampen the sound by 9-12 dB. You can either purchase Dynamat Xtreme itself and cut it to fit your car or if you have a limited budget you can start with the door kit and from there move to the floor and other parts of the vehicle.
Their other product Dynapad is even more effective but it is quite thick and very cumbersome to cut. I will advise using it only on the floors.
Lizard Skin Vs. Dynamat – Which One Is Better?
Preparation
In the case of Dynamat, you don’t need much to prepare for, you can even apply Dynamat in steps e.g. start with the doors and after that move to the floor and so on. On the other hand for Lizard Skin, you will need to pull out all the interior to avoid spray ruining anything. So you can say in this scenario Dynamat is a better option.
Ease Of Installation
As both are totally different things, there is no similarity in the application process. If the spray gun is available it is going to be a very easy task to apply Lizard Skin. The company recommends 6 galleons but depending on your car size 4 would be enough. In case you don’t have access to spray gun the whole process will become messy and a lot more challenging. In the latter scenario, I would recommend hiring a professional for the job.
Due to the thickness of the material Dynamat is a bit cumbersome to cut for an inexperienced person. But if you have previous experience with any other DIY soundproofing project, with the help of tutorials you will be able to manage it yourself. The most important part is measuring the area, if you make any mistake there will be gaps and the end result won’t be up to the mark. If you are new to this, taking help from an experienced person is preferable. I would like to call it a draw but Lizard Skin has a slight advantage here.
Thickness Of The Material
The thickness of the material is very significant when it comes to soundproofing. If you look at Lizard Skin and Dynamat you will find out after two coats Lizard Skin will be thicker at 0.40″ to 0.60″. While Dynamat is only 0.067″ thick. If we decide based only on the numbers then Lizard Skin has a clear advantage over Dynamat. But due to the nature of materials, this lead doesn’t translate to the end result.
Effectiveness Of The Product
I have yet to find a product that is better than the Dynamat when it comes to dampening the noise. The only thing keeping other brands in the market is their price. This doesn’t mean other brands are worthless, many other products have a better price to performance ratio and in those cases, for example, Soundskins performs similar to the Dynamat but with a slightly lower price and ease of installation many people prefer it over the latter.
Lizard Skin does the job well but it lags behind its competition. This round goes to the Dynamat.
Cost Of The Products
Dynamat is a premium brand. The performance comes at a higher price tag. You should have a budget around $450-600 for the project, that without including any labor charges. By using Lizard Skin you will be spending $100-200 less.
If you have a low budget the Lizard Skin is a better choice for you.
Final Verdict
The Lizard Skin spray is an easy DIY project if you have spray gun otherwise it will turn very messy and nearly impractical for an inexperienced person. In that case, it is better to hire a professional and let them handle the task. Similarly, Dynamat can be very tricky to install and many people prefer a professional for the job.
While Dynamat outperforms Lizard Skin when it comes to raw performance but it ends up quite expensive with the labor costs and the material itself isn’t cheap either. Both have some positives and negatives at the end of the day it is totally upon you which method you choose. Despite your choice, the end result is going to be very similar as both are very capable noise deadening materials for cars.
I installed Dynamat 3 years ago in my car and haven’t faced any issue, that’s why I usually end up recommending it to others as well. If your budget allows, go with Dynamat and if you want information about other soundproofing mats than check out this comparison article between Hushmat and Dynamat or this comparison with FatMat.
If you wish to soundproof your room have a look at this article for some inexpensive noise-reducing drapes.