Abstract: Because of lightness, high efficiency and lower heat conductivity, SiO₂ aerogel and fiber composites SiO₂ aerogel insulation materials have attracted much attention and have broad application prospect in the fields of heat preservation and heat insulation. The insulation and mechanical properties of the materials are closely related to the micro-structure and composition. In this paper, the common characterization methods for the micro-structure, insulation and mechanical properties of the materials in the present stage was introduced, such as density, hydrophobic angle, crystal structure, micro-structure, specific surface and pore size distribution, heat conductivity coefficient, chemical composition and thermal stability, anti-pressure and anti-bending properties. Their advantages and disadvantages were analyzed and summarized, and the information indicated by the variation of characterization parameters was analyzed. There is close relationship between the characterization parameters obtained by different characterization methods, so they should be comprehensively analyzed.