Friction Tape vs Cloth Tape: What's the Difference?

Friction tape and cloth tape look almost the same on the roll. Both are cloth with an adhesive. The difference is the outside face, and that changes how the tape feels in your hand and on the puck.

The short version

	Cloth tape	Friction tape
Inside face	Adhesive	Adhesive
Outside face	Dry woven cloth	Tacky
Feel on the handle	Smooth, slightly rough	Sticky
Glove wear	Lower	Higher
Common colour	Black, white, colours, prints	Usually black

What makers say about friction tape

• Renfrew Pro describes its Pro-Blade black friction tape as “adhesive on the inside and tack on the outside.” It says the tape is made for stick handles and blades, especially composite sticks, and that it improves handle grip while the tacky face helps with puck control.
• Howies calls its black friction tape tacky on both sides, for more control.
• North American Tapes, the maker of Comp-o-stik, says friction tape has adhesive on both sides of the cloth. It adds that this would wear out the palms of your gloves faster than regular hockey tape.
• Lowry lists a black friction tape 19 mm wide and 18 m long, narrower than its cloth tapes.

Where friction tape helps

• On the handle. If your top hand slips, tacky tape holds your glove. That is the same job grip tape does.
• On the blade. HockeyMonkey’s taping guide lists friction tape as an alternative to waxing cloth tape for puck control.

The trade-off: your gloves

The tack that holds your glove also pulls at it. North American Tapes warns about faster wear on glove palms. Players notice the opposite effect too:

• Dawson Mercer of the New Jersey Devils told NJD.tv in 2022 that he puts smooth electrical tape at the top of his stick so it does not tear his glove palms. Fifty-one games into that season, he was still wearing the pair he started with.
• Chicago forward MacKenzie Entwistle told Second City Hockey he uses a rubbery tape at the top that he compared to a tennis grip, so his glove does not stick and rip.

Neither choice is wrong. You are picking between grip and glove life.

How to choose

1. Start with cloth tape. It is the default for the blade and the knob.
2. Try friction or grip tape on the handle only if your top hand slips.
3. Check your gloves after a few weeks. If the palms are wearing through, switch the top of the stick back to cloth or to a smoother tape.
4. For the blade, compare a waxed cloth job with friction tape in practice before you use either in a game.

A note on electrical tape

Mercer’s electrical tape is his own choice, not a hockey product, and the Devils’ staff had to find a close match to keep him supplied. If you try something similar, use it only on the handle. And never use any tape to hold a cracked stick together. A cracked shaft or blade needs to be replaced, not taped.

For the full set of tape types, see hockey tape types and cloth vs grip vs clear vs sock tape.