Welcome to our annual Shingle Guide!
This year we are shaking things up a bit with a new rating system. We’re recommending eight products from four different companies within the asphalt shingle category and sharing testimonials from a handful of roofers so you can get a variety of perspectives in this single video.
First off, you may be asking yourself: did we get paid from these manufacturers to recommend their products?
The quick answer: NO.
We do have several brands within the roofing industry that sponsor our content, but they are mostly auxiliary to roof materials, businesses like Enhancify, JobNimbus, and SumoQuote that provide platforms and services to help roofers in other areas of the business.
In fact, this year’s Roofing Shingles Guide is sponsored by Estimate Experts.
If you are bogged down by the work of insurance claims and supplements, having a team of experts to help with the processing can ensure that you’re getting the best coverage for you and your clients on each claim. Estimate Experts offers an easy-to-use platform that provides quick and accurate nationwide claims for building and restoration projects of any size. Click here to learn more: estimate-experts.com
Of the few manufacturers that have sponsored our content, we are not under contract to recommend them or speak about them in a favorable way. In fact, we are committed to being critical of them and all companies in the industry!
Roofing Insights is a consumer advocate media company, and we are here to help roofers and homeowners navigate this industry with confidence. We are NOT here to sugar coat anything! If you’ve been watching our channel long enough, you know that is true. If you’re new here, well, welcome! Sit back and enjoy this content.
New rating system for roofing shingles
Are you familiar with the wine rating system? The scale ranges from 50-100; the more points the better. We’re using this same number range, and all the products we’re recommending in this video are at the top of the list with numbers ranging from 93-97.
Atlas Pinnacle Pristine – 94 points
Dmitry rated this one 94 points because so many installers in our network love working with this shingle. This product has some of the best packaging in the business with very clear installation instructions in both English and Spanish along with detailed requirements for ventilation. We love that they’re providing education and clear expectations to installers to make the product as easy to use as possible. But what we like most about Atlas Pinnacle Pristine shingles is that the shingles are slightly wider than average, and that extra width saves installers a couple bundles on every project. Gotta love less waste, and more efficiency.
IKO Dynasty – 94 points
At industry conferences we consistently hear roofers complimenting this product because of its impressive technology and hail rating. It has earned the Class 3 impact resistance rating which is given to shingles that do not crack after being hit by a steel ball measuring 1.75” in diameter and dropped from twenty feet. Clearly IKO Dynasty shingles are well-designed, the material itself is very consistent, and it’s also wide. Our only real complaint about this product is that the ends of the package are open and susceptible to water and wind if stored outside.
Owens Corning Duration – 93 points
This shingle is tried and true. Not much has changed with this product over the last several decades, but like the saying goes: if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. There are some subtle inconsistencies in the material but coupled with the SureNail Technology (exclusively available on this brand of shingles) it’s an exceptional product. For those of you unfamiliar, the SureNail Technology is a wide, highly visible engineered fabric strip in the nailing area that provides outstanding gripping power and ease of installation. Owens Corning Duration shingles are considered classic, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.
Malarkey Vista – 96 points
Malarkey Vista shingles are renowned for their hail resistance and have the highest Class 4 rating. While more expensive up front, impact resistant shingles save homeowners thousands on long-term maintenance and repairs while offering longer lifespan, lower insurance rates and greater resale value. The Malarkey brand also stands out for its environmental impact. Their products use upcycled rubber tires and plastic bags, and they pioneered a more sustainable production process that adds polymers to the asphalt, minimizing harmful oxidation processes that are used in standard shingle production. Tight granules, flexible, consistent and easy to work with – we definitely recommend the Malarkey Vista.
The next four products are all Class 4 asphalt shingles. If you live or work in a place that experiences hail regularly, then going with a Class 3 or 4 shingle is a good investment. Like we mentioned above in the Malarkey Vista description, this rating does cost more: 10-30% on average, depending on your market and manufacturer. But the extra upfront cost can save you money in the long run, and in most cases, you can negotiate a lower insurance premium if you install a Class 4 shingle.
Other Top Roofing Shingles
Owens Corning Duration flex – 94 points
IKO Nordic – 94 points
Atlas StormMaster – 94 points
Malarkey Legacy – 97 points
Watch the video for a more detailed look at each of these products, and as always, please comment with your thoughts below!
We love hearing feedback on roofing shingles and personal testimonies from roofers and homeowners.
Dmitry–where is the weight test this year? It seems that that is the most unbiased factor you could possibly consider, especially when it clearly shows that most manufacturers lie about the weight of their product.
Has the IKO cambridge line also improved as the dynasty has? The contractor I’m considering using uses Cambridge. Thank you for your advice
I just wanted to drop a quick comment to express how excited I am about this year’s Shingle Guide! The new rating system sounds fantastic and I really appreciate the effort your team has put into providing such a comprehensive overview of asphalt shingle options.
It’s also reassuring to know that the recommendations aren’t influenced by manufacturer payments. The transparency about sponsorships and the focus on auxiliary businesses like Enhancify, JobNimbus, and SumoQuote shows your commitment to unbiased information.
And speaking of sponsors, I’m intrigued by Estimate Experts. With the complexities of insurance claims and supplements, having a reliable resource like Estimate Experts seems like a game-changer. I’ll definitely be checking out their platform to learn more.
Thanks again for putting together this valuable guide. Can’t wait to see more from your team!
Hi Dmitry, you mentioned Malarkey Vista upgraded their impact resistance from Class 3 to Class 4. Is this just based on Malarkey’s rating or is this a standard rating that all roofing manufacturers adhere by? How does this compare to their top end shingles, the Legacy, which is thicker? Which one would you actually recommend if you had to put it on your own roof and lets just say that an inch to 1.25″ does hit your area once every few years but mostly it is up to 0.5″ hail storms once or twice every year.
Picking a good roofing shingle brand feels like an important thing to take note of. Investing in quality materials will be extremely crucial if we want to get a roof that will last for years without any kind of replacement. I’ll make sure that I find a roofing contractor in the area so they can help us out with picking the right brand and quality type to use.