XPE Heat Insulation vs. Reflectix bubble insulation

[Matthew Roberts]

The Cosy.

I'm trying to get my pot cosy to fit inside my storage cup.

In looking around online, I came accross XPE Heat Insulation.

I'm scouring the Internet trying to get more information on the XPE Heat Insulation used as a cosy. I am coming up short.

Can anyone out there help paint the difference between the XPE and Reflectix insulators.

Thank you very much for your help.

[Richard Nisley]

Matthew,

For a cozy application, the same thickness of XPE will provide 21.8% more warmth retention than Reflectix. XPE is a sandwich of PET, foil, PE, and XP (cross linked polyethylene foam). Reflectix is a 5/16" sandwich of foil/bubble/bubble/foil. Both of these insulations are designed to be used with air gaps facing the foil on the hot side. A conventional cozy application doesn't provide the required air gap. This is the reason that this application, for 5/16" Reflectix, is only R 1.1 and for 5/16" XPE is only R 1.41.

[Denis Hazlewood]

Which ever one you use, why don't you just keep the cozy on the pot? That way you won't have to fold the cozy. I've been packing my cozy on the pot for quite a while and it doesn't seem to hurt the cozy at all.

Just my 2 cents.

[Denis Hazlewood]

Where did you get the XPE?

[Matthew Roberts]

Thank you very much Richard.

WOW! That was fantastic help. Very very specific. Exactly what I was looking for.

Hmmm, I'm starting to wonder what your day job is…and you moonlight/weekender as an Ultralight backpacker.

You seem to know A LOT about foam. Care to spill the beans on how you came to know all of this :)

…

So from what I read in your post, it appears that the XPE is the better of the two options. Please correct me if I misunderstood you.

I am also wondering where a good supplier of XPE might be.

[Author]

Posts