'Vulcanizing' patches (separate cement-and-patch patch kits), in my experience, are as good as a new tube when properly (tube scuffed, cement left to dry before applying patch) applied.
Also in my experience, 'glueless' patches are crap. They might work for a while but I wouldn't trust them for any bike I needed to be reliable. Others have had better experience with them, but I have tried multiple brands on different occasions and was never satisfied - the extra one step and ~3 minutes to apply a traditional patch is worth the effort a million times out of a million.
I also carry a known good (new or patched) tube as a spare when I ride, as well as a patch kit. While patching is an almost 100% reliable fix, it's no fun on the side of a busy highway or in the pouring rain.