Malarkey Highlander vs. Vista: Which Shingle Is the Better Value?

If you’re considering Malarkey shingles for your roof, you may find yourself choosing between two options that look pretty similar on paper: Highlander and Vista.

Both are architectural shingles. Both use Malarkey’s NEX rubberized asphalt technology. Vista offers higher impact resistance, greater tear strength, and a thicker construction at a higher price, but are those upgrades worth paying for?

At Happy Roofing, we’ve helped hundreds of homeowners throughout the greater Naperville area compare roofing materials and decide which options make sense for their homes and budgets. We install Malarkey products, so we have experience with the brand, but that doesn’t mean the more expensive shingle is automatically the better choice for every homeowner.

In this article, we’ll explain:

• The key differences between Malarkey Highlander and Vista shingles
• What you get for the additional cost of upgrading to Vista
• Which shingle may offer the better value based on what matters to you

By the end, you’ll understand the differences between Malarkey Highlander and Vista shingles, and whether Vista’s added durability is worth the additional cost for your roof.

Table of Contents

• What’s the Difference Between Malarkey Highlander and Vista Shingles?

• Are Malarkey Vista Shingles More Durable Than Highlander?
• How Do Malarkey Highlander and Vista Shingle Warranties Compare?
• Is Malarkey Vista Worth Paying More for Than Highlander?
• How Do You Decide Which Shingle Is Right For You?

What’s the Difference Between Malarkey Highlander and Vista Shingles?

Highlander is Malarkey’s more economical architectural shingle, while Vista is a step up in impact resistance, tear strength, thickness, and warranty coverage.

Here’s how Malarkey’s Highlander and Vista shingles currently compare:

The two share some of the same underlying technology and warranty features. Vista is essentially an upgraded architectural option for homeowners who want additional durability, particularly against impact damage.

How Does the Construction of Highlander and Vista Compare?

Both Highlander and Vista are made with Malarkey’s NEX polymer-modified, or rubberized, asphalt, but Vista uses a thicker construction that gives it an additional durability advantage. Malarkey states that its NEX technology combines asphalt with synthetic and upcycled rubber and plastic polymers to improve qualities such as all-weather resilience, impact resistance, and granule (the small, protective particles that cover the surface of asphalt shingles) adhesion.

The diagram below shows the construction of a Malarkey Legacy shingle, not Highlander or Vista. However, all three use Malarkey’s NEX rubberized asphalt technology, so this diagram provides a helpful visual of how that material is incorporated into a typical Malarkey architectural shingle:

Are Malarkey Vista Shingles More Durable Than Highlander?

Vista has stronger impact durability specifications, with a Class 4 impact rating, as well as improved tear strength and a thicker construction when compared to the Highlander.

To understand what those differences actually mean for your roof, let’s take a closer look at each one.

Impact Resistance

Malarkey Highlander carries a Class 3 impact rating, while Vista carries a Class 4 rating, the highest classification under UL 2218, a standard used to test how well roofing materials withstand impact.

For a homeowner in the greater Naperville area, impact durability is worth paying attention to because hail is a real issue that we face every year. While even a Class 4 impact rating doesn’t make a shingle hail-proof, it significantly reduces the likelihood of damage during hailstorms and other extreme weather events.

Vista shingles met a higher level of impact resistance under standardized laboratory testing, meeting qualifications for a Class 4 rating, but not every homeowner needs the absolute best impact-rated shingles. While we do see hailstorms and severe weather in Northern Illinois, a Class 3 shingle like Highlander still provides meaningful impact resistance and may be more than enough for homeowners who don’t feel the added protection justifies the additional cost.

Tear Strength

Malarkey reports Highlander as having up to 10% greater tear strength than the industry standard, compared with up to 25% greater for Vista. Malarkey bases that comparison on ASTM D3462, an industry specification used to evaluate whether asphalt shingles meet minimum performance requirements, including tear strength.

For homeowners, greater tear strength adds another layer of durability. Your shingles are exposed to wind, temperature changes, installation stresses, and other forces throughout their life, so a shingle that’s harder to tear is generally better equipped to hold together under stress.

Both Highlander and Vista meet ASTM D3462. Vista simply exceeds the tear-strength benchmark by a greater amount, giving it an advantage if additional durability or peace of mind during the occasional high-wind storm is something you’re willing to pay for.

Material Thickness

Vista is also approximately 10% thicker than Highlander, giving the shingle more material and a heavier overall construction.

That additional thickness contributes to Vista’s more robust construction and complements the higher impact and tear-strength ratings we discussed above. Although both options share foundational construction, there’s more material making up the Vista shingles, which can help it stand up to the physical stresses a roof experiences over time.

Thicker material doesn’t automatically mean a roof will last longer. Malarkey does not claim that Vista will last a specific number of years longer than Highlander because of that additional thickness. It’s better to view thickness as one part of Vista’s overall durability package rather than a reason on its own to choose it over the Highlander.

How Do Malarkey Highlander and Vista Shingle Warranties Compare?

Both shingles carry a limited lifetime standard shingle warranty, but Vista has a longer standard non-prorated period. The non-prorated period is the portion of the warranty when Malarkey provides its fullest coverage for qualifying manufacturing defects, before the amount of coverage begins to decrease as the roof ages.

Malarkey currently lists:

• Highlander: 10-year standard non-prorated period
• Vista: 15-year standard non-prorated period

So while both carry limited lifetime coverage for manufacturing defects, Vista provides five additional years in the standard non-prorated portion of that warranty.

Malarkey also offers additional warranty coverage beyond the standard shingle warranty.

• Highlander carries a 15-year algae warranty
• Vista carries a 25-year algae warranty.

Both shingles also offer the same wind coverage, with a 110 mph standard wind warranty and enhanced coverage up to 130 mph when Malarkey’s installation requirements are met.

Is Malarkey Vista Worth Paying More for Than Highlander?

Vista can be worth the additional cost if impact resistance and additional durability are priorities, while Highlander may offer better value if you’re primarily looking for an economical way into Malarkey’s rubberized asphalt shingle lineup.

Based on pricing we’ve previously seen, Vista typically costs about $13-20 more per square than Highlander. On a typical 25-square roof, that works out to roughly $325-500 more in shingle material.

For that additional cost, Vista gives you:

• A Class 4 rather than Class 3 impact rating
• Greater tear strength
• A thicker shingle
• Five additional years of standard non-prorated warranty coverage
• A longer-lasting algae warranty

For some homeowners, particularly those concerned about hail exposure, that may be an easy upgrade to justify. For others, Highlander already provides the features they care about without paying for additional performance they may not see the need for.

Who Is Malarkey Highlander a Better Fit For?

Highlander may be the better value for homeowners who want Malarkey’s rubberized asphalt technology while keeping material costs lower.

You still get NEX rubberized asphalt construction, a Class 3 impact rating, which is higher than the class rating commonly associated with standard architectural shingles, a limited lifetime standard shingle warranty, and the same published wind-warranty speeds as Vista.

Highlander may make more sense if:

• You want Malarkey’s NEX technology without moving into the next price tier
• You’re comfortable with Class 3 rather than Class 4 impact resistance
• The additional five years of non-prorated warranty coverage aren’t important enough to justify the upgrade

Who Is Malarkey Vista a Better Fit For?

Vista may offer better value for homeowners willing to spend more for greater tested impact resistance, tear strength, thickness, and longer non-prorated warranty coverage.

The Class 4 impact rating will probably be the biggest differentiator for many Illinois homeowners, as it can offer additional peace of mind during storm season.

Vista may make more sense if:

• You want a Class 4 impact-rated shingle
• You value durability or peace of mind the most when it comes to a roof replacement
• You want a stronger non-prorated period included in the standard warranty

How Do You Decide Which Shingle Is Right For You?

The right choice comes down to whether Vista’s additional durability is worth the added cost for your home, budget, and priorities.

You don’t necessarily need the shingle with the highest specifications to get a roof you’ll feel confident in. Highlander already offers many of the features homeowners choose Malarkey for, while Vista gives you additional protection if those upgrades are important to you.

If you’re considering either shingle, you can schedule a no-commitment roof consultation with our team. We’ll inspect your roof, answer your questions, and give you pricing for your options so you have the information you need to make the right decision for your home, whether you choose to work with us or not.