IKO Cambridge Shingles Review (Pros & Cons)

Every year our Roofing Insights crew along with some trusted roofers from around the country gather to rate the best asphalt shingles. It can be hard to know what brand of shingles is right for you. But even after deciding on a brand, you’ll have to decide what specific product from that brand is best.

Today we’re helping you walk through that with the IKO Cambridge shingles and explaining how they performed on our test.

Does IKO Make Good Shingles?

A roofing company that we know and love here at Roofing Insights is Apple Roofing. Now to start, these guys are no joke. They’ve installed nearly 4,500 roofs, and they serve 26 states across their multiple branches.

At Apple, they swear by IKO shingles and have put them to the test not only on roofs but also through their own tests to ensure that they’re installing the best roofs on their customer’s homes.

In May of 2020, we sat down with them to talk about why they chose IKO and why they continue to install them today. If you don’t have time to watch the video and see their in-depth review, here are some of the main points on why they choose IKO shingles.

• They have a great manufacturer warranty
• There’s extra support from the manufacturer
• IKO gives responsive support that helps quickly move through a warranty process
• Always consistent product delivery and long-lasting shingles

You may have had a different experience with IKO, but the company that we know offers some of the best shingles paired with the best customer service on the market.

IKO Cambridge Review

We put these shingles to the test in our 2021 Roofing Shingle Guide: Ultimate Review by Roofers. This test that we did on several different brands included tests for:

• Packaging
• Weight
• Nailing zone
• Pull test
• True coverage
• Consistency
• Reputation trend
• Granule loss
• Feedback friendly

Here are the scores that the IKO Cambridge shingles got and why. Every test resulted in a score of between 1 (the worst possible) and 5 (the best possible).

Packaging: Scored 3

First up is the outward appearance and durability of the packaging. The IKO Cambridge shingles received a 3 for their packaging. While it wasn’t bad altogether, it wasn’t as good as some of the other shingles we compared it to. One of the big things that was wrong with the packaging of these shingles was the open ends. These open ends allowed water to move in and out of the packaging, but more often, it moved in and not out.

Weight: Scored 5

Shingle weight is important because it helps give an idea of how well the shingles will stay on the roof. If shingles are too light, then they can more easily blow off, become damaged, or just not be very durable at all. IKO Cambridge was among the leaders for shingle weight.

Nailing Zone: Scored 3

Nailing zones are one of the most important features to consider for installers. If the shingles are going to get nailed in the right place, then you’ll need to have good nailing zones displayed. The Cambridge shingle nailing zones weren’t terrible by any means, but they weren’t great. The nailing zone itself is slightly inconsistent and doesn’t offer the best visibility for your installer.

Pull Test: Scored 4

The old pull test. Some roofers love and trust the pull test, and others just can’t seem to agree on it. We had to include it in our test because it is a good way to judge the durability of the shingles. All of the shingles that we reviewed for our 2021 best of list ranked at least 4 or 5. The Cambridge shingles offer an impressive 4 on this test showing that they are very durable.

True Coverage: Scored 5

True coverage is all about the shingles that are made larger, true to size, and that offer the most coverage. The more coverage you get also equals more bang for your buck. If one shingle bundle covers more surface area than the next brand, that’s going to lead to you saving more money when you’re roofing. In this test, the Cambridge shingles did extremely well.

Consistency: Scored 5

Consistency in the roofing industry isn’t something that happens all that often. Sometimes a shingle bundle will have many more shingles than the next bundle. We’re not going to settle for that, so we’re rewarding IKO along with Malarkey and Pabco for getting their manufacturing right and offering a consistent amount of shingles in every bundle.

Reputation Trend: Scored 4

The reputation of a shingle can vary greatly depending on where you’re located and who you’re asking. We understand that some contractors like one brand more than the other. At Roofing Insights, we talk to contractors across the country about the brands they use and what they think of them. We took opinions from real contractors to form these ratings.

Granule Loss: Scored 4.5

When you’re installing shingles, they’re moving through the shipping process, or they’re getting carried up, and down your roof, one thing seems always to happen–granule loss. It can cause a lot of problems for shingle installers and roofing contractors. The shingles should keep the granules on them. These Cambridge shingles performed better than most of the others in our review and only lost very few granules.

Feedback Friendly: Scored 4

At Roofing Insights, we think feedback is one of the most important factors to consider when it comes to creating a great shingle. When roofers and the roofing community have feedback about their product or when bad shingles are delivered to a job site, it’s important that the manufacturer would work with you to ensure that what’s wrong gets made right and fixed.

In the end, the IKO Cambridge shingles received a whopping 4.17 out of 5. That’s a pretty great rating, and it’s one of the reasons we recommend these shingles to contractors around the country. If you’re looking for more info on roofing trends and products, be sure to check out our tools and reviews page. It’s full of useful info for roofers!