When two insulation materials are placed side by side, the first question is usually thermal conductivity. On public product pages, that question often cannot be answered directly. For vacuum insulation panels (VIP), Hangzhou Qiyao New Material Co., Ltd. publishes a specific statement: VIP "thermal conductivity is lower than 0.003 W/m·K" for the vacuum core. For aerogel felt, the same product pages use the phrase "low thermal conductivity" and do not publish a numeric W/m·K value. That difference is not a small formatting detail. It changes what can be compared, what must be requested, and how price should be read. This article looks at the published data only. It covers the conduction question, the panel-versus-felt format question, the price signals, and a set of evidence-based checks. It also links to the VIP panel line, the aerogel line, and a related article on how to verify an insulation supplier.
The conduction question
The VIP figure is unusually specific for a public catalog page. The statement is tied to the vacuum core: "thermal conductivity is lower than 0.003 W/m·K." That is a numerical claim. It gives a unit, W/m·K, and a threshold. It also contains two limits that matter. First, it is a "lower than" statement, not a single measured value. Second, it applies to the vacuum core, not necessarily to a finished panel with edges and joints. The product line includes a "Small Thermal Bridge Effect Insulation VIP Insulation Panel," which signals that thermal bridge details are part of the product design discussion. A finished VIP assembly is not only a core. Edges, penetrations, and connections can affect how the assembly performs. The public page does not publish a single W/m·K number for every finished panel configuration.
The aerogel page takes a different approach. It says "low thermal conductivity" but does not publish a numeric value. That is not a criticism of the material. It is a statement about the published data. Without a number, there is no published W/m·K figure to place on the same axis as the VIP figure. You cannot calculate a difference, rank the two materials, or estimate a required thickness from the public page alone. You can only note that the VIP page publishes a numeric threshold for a vacuum core and the aerogel page does not publish a numeric threshold.
Even if both pages did publish numbers, a fair W/m·K comparison would require matched measurement conditions. The public pages do not establish that those conditions are the same. The VIP statement is attached to a vacuum core. The aerogel statement is attached to a felt or blanket. Those are different physical formats. A panel core, a finished panel, and a felt or blanket are not identical test articles. For that reason, the responsible reading of the public pages is not "VIP is better than aerogel" or "aerogel is better than VIP." The responsible reading is that the two pages publish different levels of detail, and the VIP page publishes a numeric value for one specific part of the product.
This matters for procurement. If a project requires a W/m·K target, you need data for the exact product form, thickness, and temperature. If the aerogel page does not publish a number, you cannot substitute a general "low thermal conductivity" phrase for a project specification. If the VIP page publishes a vacuum-core number, you cannot assume the same number applies to a finished panel with edge details. The next section looks at the formats themselves, because format often decides fit before conductivity does.
Format and fit
VIP and aerogel are not competing versions of the same shape. The VIP products are panels. Real product names include "Small Thermal Bridge Effect Insulation VIP Insulation Panel" and "Custom Insulation Fumed Silica Vacuum Insulation Panel." The word "panel" describes a flat format. The word "custom" in the second name indicates that configuration can be adjusted. The product line also includes a product name that addresses thermal bridge effects, which is relevant when panels meet frames, edges, or penetrations. In a building wall, a panel format can be incorporated into a flat assembly where thickness is constrained. In a cold-chain box or similar enclosure, a panel format can be used where the insulation must hold a defined shape. The VIP panel line is the relevant starting point when the assembly calls for a panel.
Aerogel appears in felt, blanket, and pad formats. Real product names include "Low Thermal Conductivity Aerogel Blanket Aerogel Thermal Insulation Felt," "Aerogel Insulation Pad for Battery Cell Insulation," and "Aluminum Faced 3mm 6mm 10mm Silica Aerogel Insulation Blanket." These names describe felt, blanket, and pad formats. A felt or blanket can be supplied for pipelines and other curved or irregular surfaces. An aerogel pad is named for battery cell insulation, which is a different fit problem from a wall panel. An aluminum-faced blanket with 3 mm, 6 mm, and 10 mm options shows that thickness is part of the product naming. Some aerogel products also note "thickness available in customized options." The aerogel line is the relevant starting point when the assembly needs a felt, blanket, or pad.
The fit question is not only about flat versus felt. It is also about how the insulation handles edges, joints, and installation. A VIP panel is a discrete unit. Its performance depends partly on how those units are joined and how thermal bridges are managed. The "Small Thermal Bridge Effect Insulation VIP Insulation Panel" name shows that this is a recognized product consideration. A felt or blanket is installed over an area. Its performance depends partly on how it is cut, wrapped, and secured. The aerogel pad for battery cell insulation is a product name that points to a specific interface, where thickness and shape may be more important than a generic W/m·K figure.
For pipelines, a blanket or felt format is a practical shape. For building walls, a VIP panel can be used where a flat insulation layer is needed. For battery cell pads, the pad format is named for the application. These are not abstract preferences. They are fit constraints. If the format does not match the assembly, the published conductivity figure does not solve the installation problem. If the format does match, you still need to check the exact thickness and configuration. That is where price signals become relevant.
Price signals
The public starting prices are "from $3.11/pc" for VIP panels and "from $12.35/pc" for aerogel felt. Those two numbers are easy to place next to each other, but they are not a like-for-like comparison. The unit is "pc" for both, yet a piece of VIP panel and a piece of aerogel felt can differ in area, thickness, facing, and function. The public pages do not normalize those variables. A "from" price is an entry point, not a project quote. It may refer to a small or standard configuration within a broad product line. The VIP line includes custom vacuum insulation panels. The aerogel line includes products with "thickness available in customized options." Both factors mean the lowest listed price is not a complete cost model.
The product counts also suggest range. On the Made-in-China store, VIP panels account for 333 products and aerogel felt for 140 products. Reflective foil insulation accounts for 161 products, and cold chain boxes/bags for 291 products. A starting price sits somewhere within those ranges. It does not tell you which thickness, facing, or size produced the price. It also does not tell you whether the piece is intended for a wall, a pipe, a battery cell pad, or another assembly.
For a budget comparison, the useful move is to normalize. Ask for price per square meter at a stated thickness, or price per unit for the exact cut size you need. For VIP, ask how the price changes with panel dimensions and edge treatment. For aerogel, ask how the price changes with thickness, facing, and size. If the product is an aluminum-faced 3 mm, 6 mm, or 10 mm silica aerogel blanket, the thickness is already in the name, but the price per piece still depends on the piece size. If the product is a custom fumed silica vacuum insulation panel, the price depends on the custom configuration. Only after normalization can the two starting prices be read as signals rather than conclusions.
The price difference also reflects different product forms. A VIP panel is a vacuum-contained panel. An aerogel felt or blanket is a different product form. They may use different materials and different production routes. The public pages do not publish cost breakdowns, so the price gap cannot be assigned to one factor. It is enough to say that the units and configurations differ, and the "from" prices should be treated as separate entry points.
How to decide
The decision should rest on published evidence and project requirements, not on a single number taken out of context. Three checks can help.
First, verify the exact scope of any published thermal value. For VIP, confirm that the "thermal conductivity is lower than 0.003 W/m·K" statement applies to the vacuum core, and ask what data exists for the finished panel and its edge details. For aerogel, note that the public page says "low thermal conductivity" and does not publish a numeric value. If a numeric value is required, ask for it for the exact felt, blanket, or pad configuration. Do not fill the gap with an assumed number. The VIP panel line and aerogel line are the places to start, but the product page alone may not answer a project-specific W/m·K question.
Second, match the format to the assembly. If the job is a flat wall or a defined enclosure, review the panel options, including the "Small Thermal Bridge Effect Insulation VIP Insulation Panel" and the "Custom Insulation Fumed Silica Vacuum Insulation Panel." If the job is a pipeline, a curved surface, or a battery cell interface, review the felt, blanket, and pad options, including the "Low Thermal Conductivity Aerogel Blanket Aerogel Thermal Insulation Felt," the "Aerogel Insulation Pad for Battery Cell Insulation," and the "Aluminum Faced 3mm 6mm 10mm Silica Aerogel Insulation Blanket." Check whether thickness is fixed or "available in customized options." The format that fits the assembly is the format that can be specified and installed.
Third, normalize price and verify the supplier. Compare cost per area, thickness, and function rather than per piece. Request samples where available. Check OEM/ODM availability if the project needs a custom configuration. For supplier-level evidence, use the same-cluster article on how to verify an insulation supplier. Hangzhou Qiyao New Material Co., Ltd. was established in 2017 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. Its Made-in-China store is listed as a Diamond Member Since 2023, with 1622 products on sale, OEM/ODM available, and samples available. Those are public profile facts, not a substitute for project-specific data. They are part of the evidence set when you compare suppliers.
Closing
The published data does not support a simple VIP-versus-aerogel conductivity ranking. The VIP page publishes a numeric statement for the vacuum core: "thermal conductivity is lower than 0.003 W/m·K." The aerogel page publishes "low thermal conductivity" without a numeric value. The formats differ, the price units differ, and the configurations differ. The practical path is to match format to assembly, request exact thermal data for the intended configuration, and normalize price before comparing. Use the VIP panel line and aerogel line to identify the product family, then verify the supplier with the same-cluster guide on how to verify an insulation supplier. That is what the published data actually tells you: where the evidence is specific, and where it is not.