Hard Top Insulation

NKlekas

TJ Enthusiast
Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2019
Messages
154
Location
Elko, NV
I recently installed the "Hot Headliners" sound dampening/Insulation kit for my LJ. I had the "Boom Mat" insulation on my last jeep which I really liked. HotHeadliners comes with more for the sound and insulation and I wanted to give them a try. I thought I'd share some pics and info on it.
With the Hot Headliner kits, there are 3 things you can add to your hard top for the dampening/insulation: ceiling mats, side mats, and "sound assassin strips". I went with all 3 because 1. I have no self-control and 2. My Jeep is my DD, I drive it a ton on highways/interstates and I get all 4 seasons where I live. In the pictures below you can see the sound assassin strips, the top mats over the sound assassin strips, and the side panels as well. I like this product a lot and there are defiantly more pros than cons. Overall it has done what it's intended and I don't want to make it sound like I hate this product. I'll start with some Cons because no product is 100% perfect and I don't have many.

Cons:
- All three things together are expensive. Even if you just get the top ceiling mat, I think it's a little pricey. Add all three or even two of them together and you talking close to or over $500. I definitely notice a difference but not a $500+ difference.
- Sound dampening, (This complaint is really only at higher speeds)... is not as good as I anticipated. I know, it's a Jeep. Pretty much everything is made to come off including the top and doors. No matter what you do, they are going to be noisy. However, I thought it would be slightly more noticeable. I just took my Jeep on a round trip of 13 hours and 400+ miles to Washington. I had a lot of time to assess the product and I didn't see as much of a difference as I anticipated.

Pros:
- Insulation. Unlike the sound dampening, the insulation, especially with the side panels, works wonders. Even though it got into the 80's and 90's outside, I had to turn off my AC frequently because It got too cold in the jeep and would stay tolerable for a decent amount of time before I had to turn it back on again all while going 70 MPH.
- I love how the panels make the inside of my Jeep look. The soft, smooth carpet really makes the interior of my jeep more enjoyable.
- Sound dampening at lower speeds and/or around town. When I DD my jeep it's much quieter on the inside. It sounds slightly more modern and well...not "Jeep-like" lol. The first time my wife rode in my jeep we had just pulled out of the driveway and she goes "Wow, it's nice in here"

To keep this post short ill stop there. Overall I really like this product and am glad I went with it. I think with all three items together it's the best out there. The Boom Mat system I had on my last Jeep was only for the ceiling. I believe that's all they offer for Hard Top products...If I was just going with ceiling-only insulation I would save money and get the "Boom Mat" system because it is cheaper and a quality product as well. Take this as you will but I hope it helps anyone who is thinking of insulation for their Jeep. I think, in the future, ill add floor sound dampening as well. I've heard that is great for sound dampening but I don't have any experience with it.

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Thanks for sharing. Been looking at the Boom Mat headliner. Not so much for noise reduction, but for some relief from the radiant heat when its 108 :D
 
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I painted the top of my hardtop with white RV roof coating, and it helped a LOT. Far more than I expected. But I too have been considering HotHeads or similar just to get things better yet. How do you think the HotHead compares to Boom Mat (which I'm unfamiliar with) as far as heat mitigation goes. I don't care about noise.
 
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I painted the top of my hardtop with white RV roof coating, and it helped a LOT. Far more than I expected. But I too have been considering HotHeads or similar just to get things better yet. How do you think the HotHead compares to Boom Mat (which I'm unfamiliar with) as far as heat mitigation goes. I don't care about noise.
For heat reduction, I would say HotHeadliners. Not that Boom Mat doesn't work, it was fine but I really like HotHeadliners. As I mentioned in my post, I think those side panels offering more mitigation are what makes the difference for me. I'm extremely happy with how cool my jeep gets even when the AC is on low. It's more than enough for Nevada summers.
 
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Thanks for sharing. Been looking at the Boom Mat headliner. Not so much for noise reduction, but for some relief from the radiant heat when its 108 :D

I liked my Boom Mat as well. The one summer I had it it was great as well.