Best car covers 2023
A good car cover can protect your pride and joy from the elements all year round, but the gap between the best and the worst couldn't be wider...
Buying a car cover can be a difficult business. There’s a huge number out there claiming to be breathable, all-weather covers that are kind to your car, yet they vary drastically in price and material finish. So can they really all be equal? Well, no.
There are some recommendable cheaper options, but ultimately this is a product test of two halves, with the budget options competing amongst themselves, and pricier covers proving that it’s worth the investment if you want a cover that will keep your car protected for many years.
We tested our car covers over a number of weeks through autumn winds and showers, judging them for how dry and damp-free our old 2001 BMW 3 Series test car remained under their protection, as well as how well each allowed air to circulate and how securely they fitted.
The products or services referenced in this story have been reviewed independently by our experts. When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. However, this will never influence our opinion or ratings.
Top 8: car covers
1. BEST BUY – Concours Auto Galactic
Fitted? Semi-fitted
This top-end product from Concours Auto is well worth the cash. It feels extremely high in quality and fitted our car very well, draping the car nicely while still leaving enough room for air to circulate easily. Throughout our test, most rain or dew beaded and rolled off the material, leaving the car’s bodywork feeling dry to the touch beneath the cover, even when water did pool on the cover for longer periods. Securing straps are provided that clip onto the cover and secure it beneath the car’s bodywork but, notably, they can be completely removed so that the straps don’t get blown around if left loose.
What Car? says 5 stars
2. RECOMMENDED – Halfords car cover
Fitted? No
The Halfords cover is our pick of the budget car covers, and by a big margin. Despite being rather affordable, the material feels durable enough to stand up to poor weather and stronger winds, and it provided good protection from heavy rain and cold, dewy morning throughout our test. It fitted our car fairly well, has three sewn-in straps to keep it secure, and the soft, fleecy lining promises to be kind to your paintwork.
What Car? says 4 stars
3. Concours Auto Eclipse
Fitted? Semi-fitted
Yes, it’s another cover from Concours Auto, but this is a cheaper, four-layer polypropylene cover that still feels dense and durable, with double-stitched seams, two removable straps and a third set of heavy-duty eyelets for an additional strap or locking kit. It fitted our test car well and has plenty of material to offer protection, including for the car’s sills – good to know if it’s going to be sitting for long periods.
What Car? says 4 stars
4. Moltex car cover
Fitted? No
This is a five-layer cover with a soft-touch lining that promises to be very kind to your car’s paintwork. It’s well made, with double-stitched seams, strong elastication, removable straps and a reinforced eyelet for an additional strap or locking kit. The Concours Auto Eclipse is very similar in material and design, yet a fair bit cheaper, but that’s the only reason that the Concours beat the Moltex here. This is a really effective and durable cover that looks smart, fared well in some strong winds, and kept our car dry and free of condensation or moisture.
What Car? says 4 stars
5. Kayme 6 Layers Car Cover
Fitted? No
The Kayme was the best of a crop of underwhelming Amazon-sourced budget car covers. The seams and material are of a reasonable quality, while there are two sewn-in straps, reflective strips and a zip that allows for access to the passenger door without taking the cover off. The latter is useful, but not recommendable for paintwork that you’re very precious about. The Kayme is adequate as a temporary cover or for a less precious car that you just want to keep free of outside grime, but we’re not sure we’d use it for long-term storage.
What Car? says 3 stars
6. Maypole 9861 car cover
Fitted? No
The Maypole car cover is advertised as protecting your car from all of the elements. Predictably, that’s a misleading claim and, actually, the material will let the damp through. The fit of the cover is reasonable, but it’s a broad sweep since you’ll be buying the same size of cover for an old BMW as you would for a much longer Mercedes SL. Given that it doesn’t really protect your car outside, this should really be marketed as an indoor dust cover.
What Car? says 2 stars
7. MP Essential car cover
Fitted? No
The MP Essential is a very basic cover, as you’d expect from the impressively low price. The seams don’t feel bad for quality, but the shape is very basic and didn’t fit our car at all well. It is advertised as water resistant rather than waterproof, but it shouldn’t be labelled as an all-season cover, given that its own instructions recommend that you “put a blanket or sheet under the cover to absorb condensation”. It’ll function okay as a light cover for a car that’s kept in a damp-free garage, but won’t protect much from the outside elements.
What Car? says 2 stars
8. Suparee car cover
Fitted? No
The Suparee would be an unforgivably poor-quality cover even if it were the cheapest here. Ours arrived with seams already coming undone and thin security straps that were barely held on by very substandard stitching.The material itself feels flimsy and prone to tearing, despite claims that it’s made up of six layers, and when it was wet for any length of time it stuck to the car’s paintwork, which then got damp and clammy. It has reflecting strips, a carry bag and a zip for access to the car, but there isn’t the same breadth of sizes available as with rivals here, and the quality is much poorer. You and your car are better off without it.
What Car? says 1 star
The products or services referenced in this story have been reviewed independently by our experts. When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. However, this will never influence our opinion or ratings.
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