Last Updated on December 29, 2025 by Stewart
A grab adhesive a great way to secure items in and around the house, without the need for a hammer or drill. There are a lot of different grab adhesives on the market, all of which have different properties.
They can be applied using a sealant gun, or some of them also come in a handy, squeezable tube as well. They come in various price points as well, and as such, I have tested numerous brands to see how they perform and if their performance justifies their investment.
I have been using grab adhesives for the last 6 years after an unfortunate accident with a ceiling light rose left me in a position whereby, I had to find a way to stick it back up to the ceiling. Since then, I’ve used other grab adhesives under different conditions and felt it was important to take the most popular ones on the market for a test to see which one’s really do perform the best.
An important thing to note is that during the testing, there was no deviation from the manufacturer’s guidelines (I did not want to impact the results by not following the instructions fully).
All materials were fully cleaned to ensure that the bond made between both surfaces had the best possible chance of a long-term adhesion.
A 5mm bead was also used for all grab adhesives.
The testing included sticking skirting boards to plasterboard as this is the most common application for these adhesives. I also made a mock up ceiling and carried out a test of my original use for a grab adhesive and attached a ceiling rose to the fake ceiling before adding a lightweight light shade and a light bulb to it.
The testing also involved attaching a metal row of coat pegs to the wall to test their long-term strength. On each metal row, 15kg was even spaced out across them to simulate long term weight on the adhesive.
I also used it to attach metal handles to cupboard doors in the kitchen. This was to assess how well they perform in an environment where there is a lot of changes in humidity and temperature.
For the Gorilla and Evo Stick adhesives, I used these on brickwork outside to repair patio slabs to see how they perform outside in the elements as well as using them to attach bricks together. I also used it to secure plastics to a wooden fence to see how they would last being bound together.
Due to all of them containing strong adhesive, I would recommend the use of protective gloves to prevent any unintentional bonding to your skin.
No More Nails Original Heavy Duty
No More Nails from Unibond has been a staple of grab adhesives for many years and for good reason; it’s a household name and also economical. For the purposes of testing it, I bought it in October 2024 for £3.24 and the price hasn’t fluctuated much since then. I like that this comes in the cartridge form (to be used with a silicone gun) as well as a squeezable tube.
I’ve tried both variants and they were very easy to use, with me being able to get the right amount of adhesive onto the required surfaces. It bonds very quickly, and it says that you have 5 minutes to manoeuvre the item you want to stick to the surface before it’s impossible to move. When testing this, I did hold the items in place for 5 minutes to ensure that this was bonded as well as possible.
For the skirting boards, I applied two long beads to board and pushed it firm against the plaster for the allotted time. After 10 minutes, I tried to pry the board away and could not do so. After 9 months, the board is still in place and holding strong.
Likewise, for the coat pegs, these were stuck strongly to the wall. After 9 months of this, there has been no sag on the rack from the wall. This is to be expected since No More Nails has always been touted as a strong adhesive.
For the ceiling rose, it was No More Nails I originally used when the problem mentioned above came up 6 years ago. As expected, it carried out the task with ease and I couldn’t see any flex after attaching a light bulb and shade to it.
When it came to the metal handle on the cupboard door, only a small amount of No More Nails was needed for it to stick perfectly. At the 9 month mark, the handle is still staying on strong in the kitchen, highlighting that it is a versatile product.
It should be noted that this is not waterproof and therefore is for indoor use only. If you need a low price, indoor grab adhesive then this is an excellent choice. I really like that you do not need a silicone gun for this and can instead easily squeeze it out of a tube.
I also found it easily to clean up if you did it on time after any overspill came out from the bonded surfaces. Damp paper towel is enough to mop up any excess.
If you need an easy to apply indoor grab adhesive that doesn’t need a silicone gun, then No More Nails is a great, cost effective option.
- UniBond No More Nails Interior Large Tube 234g
Last update on 2026-10-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- No nails glue - This solvent-free mount glue is ideal for heavy-duty adhesion for DIY and repair jobs and eliminates the need for mounting with nails or screws.
Last update on 2026-10-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Gorilla Heavy Duty Grab Adhesive
Gorilla have a wide range of products in their lineup, and as such, I was very interested in seeing how well their Heavy Duty Grab Adhesive performs. It comes in both squeeze tube and cartridge form. In this case, I only tried it using the squeeze tube, but it is the same product in the cartridge so will perform the same.
I found that it was very easy to apply despite the lack of a nozzle. By taking my time to apply it, I was able to get a uniform finish. You have 5 minutes of working time to get the item into place, and after 60 seconds of pairing the item to the surface of choice and holding it, it should be bonded. However, I did hold it for 5 minutes to make sure that it was fully bonded. It will continue to cure over 24 hours.
What I really like about the Gorilla adhesive is that it is also waterproof and can be used outside. As part of the testing, I did stick some heavy plastic to wood. After letting it cure, I put this outside in the pouring rain and left it there for several days thereafter. This was in November at temperatures ranging from 1°C to 4°C. The bond has held up well and there is no evidence of weakness in it.
When using it on the patio slabs, this was also in November when the temperature was low and we suffered from torrential rain.
Fast forward to the summer months when the temperatures were peaking at 33°C and the bond is still holding well on a patio that has been walked over continuously since the slabs were fully cured.
I also used it on two monobloc bricks to see how well it bonds. After fully curing, both bricks are still stuck together. I did use a moderated amount of adhesive when doing this. Considering the weight of these, I have not noticed any sagging, or wear and tear on the adhesive.
This is ideal for items that are kept outside all year round. Added to this is that Gorilla have claimed that this will maintain the bond when temperatures are as low as -40°C and as high as 93°C. Whilst these temperatures won’t even be seen in the UK, it’s good to know that it can withstand extreme temperatures.
When using it on the other materials listed above, it performed well in all of these tasks.
Whilst it can be used on items outside, they do need to be clean and dry before applying the adhesive to it.
This is a more expensive item than the No More Nails, with it costing me £8.80 back in October 2024. However, the fact that you can use this outdoors is a great addition. The clean up can be trickier due to the quick curing time, but if you have plenty of damp towels at hand to mop up any excess, this shouldn’t be a problem for you.
- ULTRA HIGH STRENGTH: GORILLA Grab Adhesive grabs virtually anything instantly. Heavier objects may require support. The flexible, gap filling formula provides a long-lasting, heavy-duty bond. even easier to use - no cartridge gun needed.
Last update on 2026-10-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
EVO-STIK Sticks Like Sh*t Turbo Adhesive
Sticks Like Turbo delivers impressive adhesion strength which is indicated by its name. This is the strongest grab adhesive I had ever used. It comes in cartridge form only, so you will need a gun to apply it. However, application is extremely easy when applying the bead slowly.
As this is the turbo version, it does set extremely quickly, with it fully curing in 15 minutes. If you’d prefer more leeway in terms of curing time, I suggest that a different adhesive is used.
In addition to this, it forms an extremely strong bond. Due to this, it can make it very difficult to remove the item afterwards without causing damage, so this is something that you need to consider before using it.
It also covers a wide range of materials, including bricks, concrete, plastic, metal and wood. It can also be used to bond glass which is a bonus as well. One claim is that it can hold 25 bricks in a row and not loose its adhesion. Whilst I didn’t have 25 bricks to test this on, I did stick 3 household bricks together and let them cure. After this, I picked up the stack from the top brick and the middle and the bottom bricks had maintained their bond.
As for the indoor testing that the other two grab adhesives were put though, the Sticks Like Turbo has a flawless result as well.
It also lived up well to it’s outdoor credentials by being put through the test in the same conditions as the Gorilla Heavy Duty adhesive.
It is suitable for outdoor use, and can also be used on surfaces that are wet at the time of application. Having personally tested this, I can say that it does live up to this claim.
Since purchasing it at £7.99, the price has barely changed and this offers true value for money.
I would say though that if you do have any spillout between the bonded surfaces, you need to clean this up extremely quickly due to how fast it sets. Once it’s on, it’s on and you will damage the surface by trying to remove the residue afterwards.
If you’re needing an incredibly strong grab adhesive that dries in a short time frame, then this is the grab adhesive for you. I would recommend this for professionals and those that are confident in being able to get the perfect result from this. Bear in mind though that if you do not already have a silicone gun, you’ll need to invest in one of these to use it.
- High performance, fast setting grab adhesive that will hold up to 300kg/m² in just 15 minutes.
Last update on 2026-10-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.