Best indoor car covers
If you have a hobby car that spends most of its time in the garage, then covering it helps keep dust, cobwebs and other unwanted things at bay. But which indoor car cover is the best?
Garages can be dusty environments, leading to cobwebs, dirt and deposits landing on your car, even if you’re doing the right thing by keeping it out of the elements.
That’s where an indoor car cover comes in. If you own a hobby car or a classic model, then you’ll certainly want to keep it clean and free of contaminants, both to protect the precious paintwork and also to keep it clean and ready for action on those special days when you get to use it.
We’ve brought together a selection of covers suitable for cars that are kept inside, including indoor-specific items and multi-purpose products, which can be handy if you’re planning a weekend away and have to leave your car outside at the mercy of the elements overnight.
All of the covers we tested here are universal items, which we tried out on a 2003 MG TF, typical of the type of car a buyer may use them for. You can also buy tailored-to-fit car covers for specific makes and models, which are generally more expensive and are often made to order.
How we tested
We ordered nine covers from a selection of suppliers in a generic small-car size, which was recommended for the dimensions of our MG. We then looked at how easy they were to fit on the car, and then pack away after use and store. Bonus points were awarded if they could be stashed away easily in the MG’s boot.
Used - available now
2019 Ford
C-Max
16,535 milesAutomaticDiesel1.5L
Cash £13,197
2019 Ford
Kuga
83,563 milesManualPetrol1.5L
Cash £9,297
2021 Mercedes
A-Class
45,000 milesManualPetrol1.3L
Cash £15,197
2021 Ford
Focus
38,789 milesManualPetrol1.0L
Cash £13,197Other major considerations were the quality and softness of the material used, in order to protect the car’s paintwork and glass, plus we made a judgement on their durability. Finally we factored in the price, and also how smart the covers looked on the car. Prices quoted are those for a small cover to suit a car such as our TF, so bear in mind that products for larger models might be slightly more expensive.
Carbon Collective Super Stretch Cotton Car Cover
- Price: around £69.99
- Material: Cotton/polyester
- Rating: 5 stars
- Contact: carboncollective.com
Carbon Collective knows all about keeping cars clean, because the firm’s main business is detailing products. Its Super Stretch Cotton Car Cover is perfect for the job – especially because it’s currently available with a 30 per cent discount, at £69.99 instead of £99.99.
The bright turquoise cover comes in a soft bag. The inner lining is fleecy and of all the products tested, it felt the softest and lightest. It’s definitely an indoor-only cover, but was very easy to put on the car and a doddle to remove and put back in its bag, which took up the second-least amount of space of all the products we reviewed.
Richbrook Super Soft Indoor Car Cover
- Price: around £129.99
- Material: Cotton/Lycra
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Contact: richbrook.co.uk
Richbrook has twice finished as runner-up in our indoor car cover tests – and it’s happened again this time around. The Super Soft Indoor Car Cover is excellent; it’s lightweight and easy to fit, yet with a good-quality feel to the cotton and Lycra fabric, which at 220gsm is also quite thick, offering extra protection should something drop off a garage shelf and onto the car, for example. Elasticated corners mean it stays in place, but there’s enough free movement to make it easy to fit, and it was the smallest of the covers here when returned (easily) to its storage bag.
Cover Zone Kalahari Car Cover
- Price: around £185.49
- Material: Polar fleece
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Contact: cover-zone.com
The Kalahari is almost as good as an indoor car cover gets, with a durable outer layer and a thick polar fleece lining that will really care for your paint. It looks smart, too, finished in black with a choice of coloured pinstripes that show the outline of your vehicle. We also like the mirror pockets, which are rare on a universal cover. The Kalahari is quite heavy compared with some rivals, so takes a little longer to fit, but it’s easily stored and returned to its bag. The only real downside is the asking price.
Car Cover Shop Ultrasoft Stretch Car Cover
- Price: around £129.99
- Material: Satin/Lycra weave
- Rating: 4 stars
- Contact: carcovershop.co.uk
This lightweight, stretchy cover from Car Cover Shop was a strong contender here. It’s very much like the recommended Richbrook in both its appearance and its weight, while it’s made from a similar 220gsm weave. It fitted our MG well, but we found the elasticated ends were quite tight, meaning it could be a bit fiddly to put on the car as a one-person job. That said, the Car Cover Shop cover looked extremely neat once it was in place and the quality feels superb overall. It was easy to return to its bag, too.
Cover Zone Autostretch Car Cover
- Price: around £78.58
- Material: Polyester/Lycra
- Rating: 4 stars
- Contact: cover-zone.com
At less than half the price of Cover Zone’s flagship Kalahari cover, the Autostretch is a good budget alternative that still feels like a decent-quality product. While it lacks the protective fleece lining of the more expensive competitor, it’s still soft and kind to paint surfaces, while the Autostretch was also very easy to both fit and pack away after use. It looks good on the car, and the elasticated ends have a large range of movement, which means the cover is quite easy to put on the car on your own.
Simply Brands Super Soft Indoor Car Cover
- Price: around £66.99
- Material: Cotton/polyester weave
- Rating: 4 stars
- Contact: simply-brands.com
Thanks to the thick material it’s made of, the Simply Brands Super Soft Indoor Car Cover feels durable, yet it also has a fleecy finish to the inner lining to prevent it from scratching the car’s paintwork. The product comes in a heavy-duty storage bag, which makes it a good choice if you only use the cover occasionally and want to store it in your garage. It wasn’t as easy to fit as some rivals, though, and tended to snag on bumpers and door mirrors. Finally, it was a bit of a faff to pack away.
Cover Zone Sahara Car Cover
- Price: around £57.72
- Material: Polypropolene
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Contact: cover-zone.com
Cover Zone says that its Sahara cover is more suited to long-term storage, and it certainly feels quite heavy and durable. It doesn’t seem as well made as the brand’s other covers though, and the outer surface is quite coarse, so we’d recommend caution when fitting it.
However, it feels secure once in place, and the generously sized storage bag makes the Sahara easy to pack away. At less than £60, it’s also well priced, making it a good option if you are looking for an indoor-only cover on a budget.
Silverline All-Purpose Car Cover
- Price: around £26.99
- Material: Double-layer composite
- Rating: 3 stars
- Contact: screwfix.com
The Silverline cover is available for delivery or click and collect from Screwfix, so is easy to get hold of and you certainly can’t fault it for value for money. It’s the cheapest of the covers here, and its soft inner lining means it’s not likely to damage your paintwork.
Silverline says the outer layer is water and UV-resistant, so the product is okay for occasional outdoor use, too. But the cover feels cheaply made and the plastic storage bag is very compact, making it very difficult to pack away after use.
Halfords All-Seasons Car Cover
- Price: around £53.99
- Material: Double-layer composite
- Rating: 3 stars
- Contact: halfords.com
Halfords’ All-Seasons Cover is designed for indoor and outdoor use, so has retaining straps underneath it to stop it from blowing away, although these are fiddly to fit. It feels quite durable, but it was hard to get it to fit neatly, and tricky to pack it back into its bag. It’s also pricier than the similar Silverline cover.
Verdict
- Carbon Collective Super Stretch
- Richbrook Super Soft Car Cover
- Coverzone Kalahari Car Cover
The Carbon Collective cover offers a good-quality feel and is very easy to fit, remove and store. It’s also great value. We love the Richbrook, too, because it feels well made and is also easy to fit, remove and store. The Cover Zone is recommended if price isn’t a primary concern, but the top two do a brilliant job for less outlay.
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