The concept of a car cover is pretty simple; the execution is anything but. In other words, not all car covers are created equal. That means, if you buy the wrong one for your needs or skimp out on quality, you can actually do more harm than good.
So, before you go throwing your money at the first cover you see, it’s wise to develop a strategy. From assessing your parking situation to understanding your local climate, there are several key factors to weigh in order to make an informed decision. Let’s break down the essential elements you need to consider before selecting the perfect car cover for your vehicle.
Understanding Your Needs
With so many options available, choosing the right car cover requires consideration. Start by identifying your specific requirements and preferences.
For example, do you park your vehicle indoors or outside? Do you need full coverage or just a little extra protection for the cab or a convertible top? And what’s the deal with your local climate? Are you facing heavy rains or unrelenting sunshine?
Indoor vs Outdoor Use
First, let’s consider one of the most fundamental factors – whether you primarily need the car cover for indoor or outdoor storage. Indoor covers tend to focus more on dust protection and preventing scratches, as opposed to outdoor covers which need to withstand harsher stressors like UV exposure, rain, snow, and other weather elements.
However, if you’re thinking you’ll “cover” more bases by using the sturdiest outdoor cover on an indoor ride, it’s not the best choice.
Outdoor covers are designed to endure outdoor elements. When used indoors, their rugged construction and lack of breathability can actually trap moisture underneath, leading to condensation and potential mold or mildew growth on the vehicle’s surface.
An indoor cover should be lightweight and breathable, preferably with a soft underside that’s easy to maneuver and won’t leaves scratches or swirls on your paint job.
Custom vs Universal
Another important thing to consider when shopping for a car cover is whether you want to invest in a custom- or universal-fit option.
Custom-fit covers are tailored to the specific dimensions and contours of your vehicle. Designed to provide a precise fit with complete coverage, they wrap snugly around every curve and are therefore less likely to flap or billow in the wind. This helps prevent abrasion and ensures that the cover remains securely in place, even during inclement weather.
Universal-fit car covers, by comparison, are designed to fit a wide range of vehicles within a certain size range. They are convenient, versatile, and generally less expensive. However, they also offer less optimal coverage than custom options and are more prone to shifting, which can lead to friction against the vehicle’s surface.
Full vs Partial Coverage
Depending on your parking environment and specific protection needs, you may not actually need full bumper-to-bumper vehicle coverage.
For example, if you’re just looking for something to protect your convertible when the top is down or to add a layer of privacy to your truck cab to help keep prying eyes out, then a partial car cover might be right for you.
Water vs Sun
If your parking situation happens to be outside, then you’ll need to assess the prevailing weather conditions in your area to determine exactly what kind of protection your precious ride needs. Rainfall, sun exposure, and harsh winter conditions are definitely important factors to consider, but so are other environmental elements like tree sap, pollen, and every car owner’s springtime woe: bird poop.
Additionally, consider how long your vehicle will be enduring these conditions. Is it just one season? Or will your ride be out of commission for a while?
Regardless of the exact circumstances of your parking setup, one thing to remember is that a quality car cover should be breathable – and yes, this includes outdoor covers.
A breathable fabric ensures that any heat, moisture, or condensation that gets trapped under the cover has a way of escaping. That’s why you should look for covers that are water-resistant rather than waterproof. Otherwise, you risk creating a greenhouse effect under the cover, which can lead to oxidation, rust, and corrosion.
Picking Your Material
Once you have a deeper understanding of your vehicle’s specific car cover needs, it’s time to choose a material. Thankfully, the research you did on parking factors will make it easier to narrow down your choices.
The materials used to construct car covers are about as varied as those in your personal closet.
Polyester, polypropylene, nylon, imitation satin, microfiber, cotton, fleece – manufacturers use all kinds of blends to help them balance protection with budget and value. Look for companies that design their own multi-layer fabrics to offer different levels of protection and performance.
Spend some time getting to know these different fabric options offered by your brand of choice, and pay attention to the details. Features like mirror and antenna pockets, non-scratch grommets, durable seams, and elastic hems can really contribute to a cover’s protection and ease of installation; a quality manufacturer will go out of their way to highlight them.
The Covercraft Difference
Another sign of quality? Innovation. Non-woven, multi-layer fabrics are traditionally the go-to for quality car covers. However, many of these fabrics became very hard to source during post-COVID supply chain snarls, meaning manufacturers had to adapt. Some, regrettably, cut corners but others chose to get creative.
One such company that got to work developing new multi-layer car cover fabrics was Covercraft.
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The brand’s new lineup of 5-layer car cover fabrics offers the best fit and protection, and comes in both indoor and outdoor options. For those vehicle owners needing superior outdoor protection at the best value price, check out Covercraft’s 3-layer design. It might not have the super softback that the 5-layer car covers have, but it’s great for daily drivers in moderate climates.
Check out some of Covercraft’s other great fabrics detailed below.
Indoor Covers
- 5-Layer Indoor. This newly-constructed fabric features 5-layers of protection to provide the best defense against dust particles while being smooth against your paint finish. Each custom car cover also features reinforced non-scratch grommets with a soft felt backing, durable overlapped double-stitched seams, and urethane elastic sewn into the front and rear hems for easy installation.
- Form-Fit® Indoor. Designed for cars that are not daily drivers, this is Covercraft’s most luxurious indoor cover. The outer shell features a polyester knit with spandex added to the yarns, to provide excellent stretch and shape memory, while the inside surface features an ultra-soft sheared cotton fleece that gently glides over your paint, chrome, and finish.
Outdoor Covers
- WeatherShield® HD. Developed primarily for intense sun environments and long-term storage, these custom car covers use heavier denier thread for maximum UV opacity. The heavy fibers aren’t as silky-smooth, but if you need maximum performance under harsh conditions – like a fabric that sheds water as soon as it makes contact – then this is the cover for you.
- WeatherShield® HP. These covers offer the best lightweight outdoor protection for all climate conditions including sun, rain, and dust. They’re also incredibly compact, packing into roughly 1/3 the volume of multi-layer fabric covers and making them ideal for vehicle owners short on storage space.
- Sunbrella®. If you park your vehicle outside in Arizona, New Mexico, California, or other areas near the sunbelt where UV rays are intense, then this is the custom car cover for you. Exceptionally strong and fade-resistant, this material has long been the recognized leader in long-wearing marine fabrics for bimini tops, sail covers, and deck enclosures.
- Carhartt Work Truck Cover. Match your car cover to your favorite rugged work gear. These car covers are designed with superior craftsmanship and materials to hold up to the abuse of daily use and just about anything nature throws at them.
- 5-Layer All-Climate. Featuring 5-layers of protection to provide superior defense against the elements while being smooth against your paint finish, this is Covercraft’s most popular all-weather car cover for vintage car enthusiasts and new car owners alike.
- Ultratect®. Made for durable outdoor protection with high-performance fabric at a moderate price you will love, this cover provides a high degree of water resistance and UV protection without breaking the budget.
- Reflectect®. Made from a silver urethane-coated polyester fabric with a UV-reflective silver-colored finish, these covers are ideal for sunny climates. The light-weight design allows for easy installation and compact trunk storage, while the quality fabric wards off sun damage, repels dust and dirt, and keeps your vehicle cool.
- 3-Layer Moderate Climate. If you’re looking for a great multi-layer car cover for your daily driver car when parking outdoors at the office, home, or store, then this is a great option for you. This car cover fabric features 3-layers of protection to provide much-needed defense against the elements and is even specially treated with extra UV resistance.
For a more detailed breakdown of each fabric, check out Covercraft’s helpful comparison chart.
Sponsored by Covercraft
Founded in Southern California in 1965, Covercraft has a long history of protecting the things that move you. The company’s product offerings extend far beyond car covers and seat covers – likely its two best known items – to include front end masks, dashboard covers, window sunscreens, marine and RV covers and accessories, and even patio furniture and outdoor kitchen covers.
To learn more about its impressive lineup and how you can protect your vehicle from toe to tail, head over to https://www.covercraft.com/.