Hypalon vs PVC RIB?

To ensure maximum air tightness, high-quality inflatable tubes typically consist of 5 layers:

• One central internal layer: it’s a reinforcement cord – polyester cloth base, made of strong synthetic fabric.
• Two internal layers: coating of cloth base with airtight flexible material, which makes the fabric airtight and has high adhesion level to the cloth base.
• Two external layers: coating with airtight flexible material, which opposes the abrasion and increases UV resistance and air tightness.

The most popular material for reinforcement cord is POLYESTER cloth base with the density parameter 1100 DTEX for recreational, and 1680 DTEX for professional use. The choice of coating materials can vary, and it depends on your preferences. Currently, there are numerous names and trademarks for inflatable tube materials, but they can be categorized into two main groups: ELASTOMERS and PLASTOMERS.

Elastomers(Hypalon, Neopren) – the thermo-reactive materials, which never turn into plastic when heated – mainly these are all sorts of rubber. Hypalon has an excellent chemical resistance and stability against UV-rays, but it’s the most expensive one. Neopren is less stable and resistant compared to Hypalon, but still good and strong enough, which in combination with attractive prices, makes its use guaranteed. These materials are mainly used in combination: Neopren for inside internal layers, Hypalon for external layers. Such a combination is the most popular for recreational RIB boats, especially in regions with hot climates.

Plastomers(PVC, PU) – the thermo-plastic materials that can turn into liquid when heated. These materials are as much popular and find its main use in cooler climates. PVC(polyvinyl chloride) is the leader for recreational inflatable watercrafts in the medium-cool climate because of its very attractive price thus resulting in easier maintenance, repair or replacement. PU(polyurethane) has unbelievable abrasion resistance – an excellent material, but too expensive to be a leader.

So, when it comes to the inflatable tubes for boats, most of the time the choice is simple: HYPALON or PVC.