IBHS shingle ratings can help compare hail-cannon damage, but they do not always align with Class 3 and Class 4 labels or with Roofing Insights’ ratings. Titan XT, Atlas Pinnacle Pristine, and Owens Corning Duration show why a hail-focused result and a broader product rating should not be treated as the same thing.
What the IBHS hail-cannon results measure
IBHS tested 24 shingles from retail stores. Its hail cannon testing measured dents, tears, and granule loss. The result is a focused look at how the tested shingles responded to hail impact.
No shingle on the list received an excellent rating. That drew attention because some Class 4 shingles performed poorly, while some Class 3 shingles performed better than Class 4 products.
IBHS is focused purely on hail impact. Its result is not an all-purpose quality grade for a shingle.
Why Class 3 and Class 4 labels may not match
Class 3 and Class 4 labels did not reliably predict a higher IBHS result on this list. That matters because homeowners may pay extra for those labels, and insurance companies pay attention to them.
Malarkey Vista is one example of why the date and method behind a rating matter. It was ranked 5.2 on this list after receiving an 8.7 in 2021. The difference raises questions, but it does not establish whether the product, the testing, or another variable changed.
The same list also showed basic products from Home Depot and Lowe's producing better results than some polymer-modified shingles. A label or product feature alone does not settle how a shingle performed in this hail-focused test.
Titan XT, Atlas Pinnacle Pristine, and Duration
Roofing Insights’ ratings and IBHS results measured different factors. Roofing Insights said its ratings considered the whole shingle, installation, value, and contractor experience, while IBHS focused on hail impact.
- TAMKO Titan XT: Roofing Insights rated Titan XT 9.4. IBHS placed it in the marginal category at 5.4.
- Atlas Pinnacle Pristine: Roofing Insights rated it 9.2. IBHS gave it 6.0.
- Owens Corning Duration: Roofing Insights rated it 9.3. IBHS gave it 8.0, the highest result on the IBHS board.
Duration was the closest of these three examples, but the scores still came from evaluations with different scopes. A high Roofing Insights rating does not necessarily predict a high IBHS hail result, and an IBHS hail result does not measure everything included in Roofing Insights’ rating.
Make this a like-for-like shingle comparison
Identify the exact shingle you are considering. Then compare its IBHS hail result with its Class 3 or Class 4 label, recognizing that each measures something different. Roofing Insights’ broader score adds still different factors: the whole shingle, installation, value, and contractor experience.
The useful question is not which single badge should decide the reroof. It is what each rating actually measured and whether hail impact, impact class, or the broader product evaluation matters most in your choice.
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Keep unproven bias claims separate from the results
Some people have questioned whether IBHS could be biased because it is insurance funded. No proof was presented for that claim. The test results can be examined without treating speculation about bias as fact.
Source: IBHS Shingle Ratings Make No Sense — Here's Why
FAQ
What do IBHS shingle ratings measure?
The IBHS results discussed here come from hail-cannon testing of 24 shingles from retail stores. The testing measured dents, tears, and granule loss, so it is focused on hail impact rather than every aspect of a shingle.
Why can a Class 3 shingle score higher than a Class 4 shingle?
On this IBHS list, Class 3 and Class 4 labels did not consistently match the hail-impact ranking. Some Class 4 shingles performed poorly, while some Class 3 shingles performed better. The impact class and the IBHS hail result are separate pieces of information.
How did TAMKO Titan XT compare in the two ratings?
Roofing Insights rated TAMKO Titan XT 9.4, while IBHS placed it in the marginal category with a 5.4 result. Roofing Insights’ rating considered the whole shingle, installation, value, and contractor experience; IBHS focused purely on hail impact.
Which shingle had the highest IBHS result discussed?
Owens Corning Duration received an 8.0, the highest result on the IBHS board discussed. Roofing Insights rated Duration 9.3, making its two results closer than those for Titan XT and Atlas Pinnacle Pristine, though the evaluations still measured different factors.
Do insurance companies pay attention to Class 3 and Class 4 shingles?
The transcript states that insurance companies pay attention to Class 3 and Class 4 ratings. That attention is one reason to compare an impact-class label with the specific shingle’s IBHS hail result rather than relying on the label alone.
