<p>Scrap tyre pad isolators, fabricated from discarded car tyres, offer a sustainable and economical alternative for seismic isolation due to their inherent energy dissipation and load-carrying capacity. However, limited clarity exists regarding the comparative behaviour of bonded and unbonded configurations, particularly when applied to masonry structures. This study presents an experimental and numerical investigation on properties of unbonded and bonded scrap tyre pad isolators developed from radial car tyres of size 175/65/R14. Finite element models are employed to evaluate the influence of key parameters, including aspect ratio, loading direction, vertical pressure, layer thickness, and embedded steel strands on the structural response. The present study measures and compares the impact of these parameters on the properties of unbonded and bonded isolators made from identical tyre pads. Based on the parametric study, it is observed that the aspect ratio and vertical pressure are the predominant parameters that govern the structural properties of both unbonded and bonded isolators. The compression behaviour of both the isolators is found to be comparable whereas shear properties indicate superior performance of unbonded isolators. The percentage reduction in horizontal stiffness is 80.24% and 73.64% when aspect ratio reduced from 3.9 to 1.12 for unbonded and bonded isolators respectively. Horizontal stiffness increased by about 37%–67% for unbonded isolators and 34%–48% for bonded isolators as the vertical pressure increased from 1&#xa0;MPa to 8&#xa0;MPa. Subsequently, the seismic performance of a representative masonry building equipped with unbonded and bonded isolator is assessed. The results indicate that both unbonded and bonded isolators exhibit enhanced flexibility and improved seismic performance.</p>