The Edit — Home & Garden
Draft Stoppers and Weatherstripping That Seal a Door
6 ways to stop the cold coming in around a door: a weighted stopper, 2 door sweeps, a kerf seal, a replacement door bottom and an adhesive strip. Which gap each one fills, and which suits a renter.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick.Research-led, nothing handled. We may earn from links; it never changes a pick. How we choose
The 6 fixes here are ranked by how Amazon shoppers rate them, then matched to the gap each one seals from what its maker states, as How we choose describes. Nothing here was handled or tested.
Best for An outside door, and mice
Watch for Screws to the door
Best for An inside door, no tools
Watch for 32 in long
Best for The door frame
Watch for Needs a kerf groove
Best for A worn door bottom
Watch for Door comes off its hinges
Best for A quick fix
Watch for Length not listed
Best for Large gaps, no groove
Watch for Adhesive on paint
Find the gap first: under the door or down the 3 sides of the frame
A draft under the door and a draft around the frame need different fixes, and buying the wrong one is the common mistake. Hold a hand at the threshold, then along the hinge side, the latch side and the top on a cold, windy day. Daylight under the door calls for a sweep, a stopper or a new door bottom. A cold stripe down the frame calls for a seal in the groove, or an adhesive strip where there is no groove. Measure the door’s width too: the sweeps and door bottom here are 36 inches, and the weighted stopper 32.
| Fix | Seals | Fitting | Renter-friendly |
|---|---|---|---|
| fowong stopper | Under an inside door | None | Yes |
| Xcluder sweep | Under an outside door | Screws | Ask first |
| Vellure sweep | Under the door | Fits to the door face | Ask first |
| M-D door bottom | Under an outside door | Slides into the kerf | Ask the landlord |
| Ravinte kerf seal | Around the frame | Presses into the groove | Yes, it pulls out |
| VITAM AMO strip | Around the frame or a window | Adhesive | Test the paint first |
Xcluder’s aluminum sweep seals an outside door and stops mice
The Xcluder Low-Profile Door Sweep is aluminum, 36 inches long, sold as a pair, and listed as rodent proof. A sweep screws to the inside face of the door so its seal brushes the threshold as the door closes. A 36-inch length matches a standard US exterior door, and the second sweep covers a back or garage door.
Xcluder Low-Profile Door Sweep, Aluminum, 36 in, 2-Pack
A low-profile aluminum door sweep in a 36-inch length, sold as a pair, that Xcluder lists as rodent proof.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Door sweep |
|---|---|
| Length | 36 in |
| Build | Aluminum, 2-pack |
An aluminum sweep for an outside door, where mice come in with the cold.
Buy it if
- An exterior door where mice are part of the problem
Don't buy it if
- Screws to the door: not for a renter who cannot drill
The fowong stopper fixes an inside door without a screwdriver
The fowong 32 Inch stopper is a weighted fabric tube that lies along the bottom of the door. It needs no fitting, leaves no marks and also damps noise from the hall. At 32 inches it suits a bedroom or office door, but it falls short of a 36-inch front door.
fowong 32 Inch Weighted Door Draft Stopper
A 32-inch weighted fabric stopper that lies along the bottom of a door and also damps noise, in an oatmeal cover.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Weighted stopper |
|---|---|
| Length | 32 in |
| Fitting | None: lies on the floor |
A weighted stopper for a bedroom or office door, with nothing to fit.
Buy it if
- A bedroom or office door, with no tools and no marks
Don't buy it if
- 32 in: short for a standard 36-inch front door
Ravinte’s kerf seal replaces the flattened foam in the frame
The Ravinte Q-Shaped Kerf seal is 26 feet of foam with a barbed spine that presses into the kerf, the narrow groove cut into most exterior door frames. Most exterior doors are sealed this way from new, and the foam flattens over years. Pull the old seal out, push the new one in, and 26 feet covers the 2 sides and top of a standard door.
Ravinte Q-Shaped Kerf Foam Weather Stripping, 26 ft
A 26-foot Q-shaped foam seal that presses into the kerf, the groove cut into most exterior door frames.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Kerf seal |
|---|---|
| Length | 26 ft |
| Profile | Q-shaped foam |
A foam seal that presses into the frame’s groove, for a cold stripe down the door edge.
Buy it if
- Replacing a flattened seal around an exterior door
Don't buy it if
- Needs a kerf groove in the frame
The M-D door bottom renews the seal under a steel or fiberglass door
The M-D Building Products 67967 is a 36-inch vinyl door bottom with vinyl fins, sold as a pair. It slides into the kerf on the underside of the door, the way the original did. That means taking the door off its hinges, which is a 2-person job on a heavy exterior door, but the seal sits where a sweep cannot be seen.
M-D Building Products 67967 Kerf Replacement Door Bottom, 36 in, 2-Pack
A 36-inch vinyl door bottom with vinyl fins that slots into the kerf on the underside of an exterior door, sold as a pair.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Kerf door bottom |
|---|---|
| Length | 36 in |
| Build | Vinyl with fins, brown |
A replacement door bottom, for an exterior door whose own has worn through.
Buy it if
- A worn original door bottom on a steel or fiberglass door
Don't buy it if
- The door has to come off its hinges to fit it
Vellure’s sweep is the fast fix for a visible gap
The Vellure Door Draft Stopper is sold as a sweep and weatherstrip for the bottom of a door, and Vellure says it installs quickly and easily. Its listing title gives no length or material, so measure the door and check both on the listing before you buy. It suits a gap you can see light through, inside or out.
Vellure Door Draft Stopper and Sweep for the Bottom of a Door
A door sweep for the bottom of a door that Vellure says installs quickly and easily, sold as draft stopper and weatherstripping in one.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Door sweep |
|---|---|
| Fitting | Fits to the door face |
| Use | Inside or outside doors |
A quick sweep for the bottom of a door, inside or out.
Buy it if
- A fast fix for a gap you can see daylight through
Don't buy it if
- Length and material are not in the listing title
VITAM AMO’s adhesive strip fills large gaps where there is no groove
The VITAM AMO strip is 18 feet of self-adhesive seal that its maker rates for gaps from 5/16 inch to 15/32 inch, cut to length with scissors. It suits an older wood frame with no kerf groove, and window sashes. Clean the frame first, and test a short piece somewhere hidden, because adhesive can lift paint when it comes off in spring.
VITAM AMO Self-Adhesive Weather Stripping, 18 ft
An 18-foot self-adhesive seal strip for doors and windows that VITAM AMO rates for gaps from 5/16 inch to 15/32 inch, cut to size.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Adhesive strip |
|---|---|
| Length | 18 ft |
| Gap | 5/16 to 15/32 in |
An adhesive strip for frames without a groove, and for windows.
Buy it if
- A frame with no kerf groove, or a window sash
Don't buy it if
- Adhesive can lift paint when it comes off
Seal the door before you buy more heat
A sealed door keeps the warm air a heater makes, and the 2 work together. The space heaters guide covers which heater suits which room, and the frozen pipes guide covers the cold spots under the sink and in the basement. For an outage, the power stations guide covers backup power.
Prices, savings and deal badges are Amazon's own, read from Amazon within the last hour. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Best sweep for an outside door
Xcluder Low-Profile Door Sweep, Aluminum, 36 in, 2-Pack