Best outdoor car covers 2024
What’s the best way to protect your car from the weather? With an outdoor car cover, of course
Given the price of cars nowadays (especially classic cars), it makes sense to protect their bodywork. If you don’t have a garage, or if it’s packed with other stuff, the best answer is to use an outdoor car cover.
Left outside, a car’s paint is vulnerable to the occasional bump and scuff, the effects of UV and airborne pollution, and attacks from general dirt, tree sap and bird droppings, so a high-quality cover will prove to be a worthwhile investment.
Before buying, get your car’s dimensions, because picking the right size is key to ensuring good protection and ease of fitting. So which has your car covered best? We tried eight to find out.
How we tested
We tested medium-sized covers on a Renault Clio, and used a steam-filled box and moisture trap to check breathability. This was a key factor, because a cover can trap moisture on the bodywork and this could damage the paint.
We sprayed each cover with a hose and left 500ml of water on one area for 10 minutes to check for leaks. Our drop test rated their ability to resist bumps.
We looked for good construction and ease of use, with tether straps high on our wish list. The prices quoted are the best we could find online.
Reviews
Here’s how our selection of outdoor car covers compare.
Halfords All Seasons Car Cover Medium
- Rating: 5 stars
- Price: Around £59
- Website: halfords.com
Eye-searingly finished in Flash Gordon silver, this isn’t a cover for the introvert car nut. It’s seriously weighty at 4.85kg, and was a bit clumsy to put on the car, but the upside is the great knock protection it offers. The weight also added to its stability, which was already good thanks to a really close fit. We liked the strong elastics and three tethers – the most here. Priced similarly to the Sealey, it adds an impressive two-year warranty to the mix to give it an edge.
Sealey 3-Layer All-Seasons Car Cover SCCM
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Price: Around £58
- Website: sealey.co.uk
The Sealey was a very good fit for our car, being plenty long enough to get the two elastics under front and rear bumpers. It came down well on the sides, where it could be held by the twin tethers. The waterproof three-layer breathable composite material did well in the tests, letting out moisture and repelling water. Weighing in at 2.6kg, it is thick enough to offer some good knock protection.
Richbrook SuperStorm Tailored Outdoor Car Cover
- Rating: 4 stars
- Price: Around £135
- Website: richbrook.co.uk
This is the cheaper of our tailored covers and it fitted perfectly, with neat mirror pockets (helping to locate the cover) and good coverage around the lower part of the car. Despite its relatively low weight (1.8kg), it did well in terms of knock protection and let no water through. As a bonus, it was easy to get into its textile bag. Practicality, ease of installation and high quality balance the price.
Maypole Breathable Full Cover MP9861
- Rating: 4 stars
- Price: Around £25
- Website: maypoleltd.com
At this price, it’s the cheapest on test. We didn’t expect much, but this heavy-duty, non-woven-polypropylene cover had a great spec. It was breathable, resisted our water tests and was good on knock protection. It stayed in place well, with strong elastic at both ends and twin tethers, and wasn’t a bad fit for our car. A good budget option.
Richbrook StormGuard Tailored 4-Layer Cover
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Price: Around £210
- Website: richbrook.co.uk
The ultimate in covers for our car, this four-layer Richbrook was the second heaviest we tried, at 3.65kg. It offered a snug fit, excellent knock protection, a soft lining, and it shrugged off the water easily. It had twin tethers and plastic protective catches. Easy to fit and easy to store.
Clarke PCC170 Medium Car Cover
- Rating: 3 stars
- Price: Around £36
- Website: machinemart.co.uk
An attractive cover, and heavy enough (2.46kg) to give good knock protection. We liked the padded lining, and it easily beat our water tests. It was a touch long, with some bunching at the front, although the elastic held it well. However, with no tethers, it could suffer in higher winds.
Streetwize Breathable Full Car Cover SWBCCL
- Rating: 3 stars
- Price: Around £29
- Website: streetwizeaccessories.com
A similar weight to the Maypole, at 1.86kg, it was easy enough to fit and sufficiently thick to resist typical knocks. With elasticated sections at either end, it came down reasonably on the sides. It stayed put in a breeze but we’d worry about strong winds, because it had no tethers.
Simply Water Resistant Car Cover - BCC2 Medium
- Rating: 1 star
- Price: Around £28
- Website: halfords.com
This was easily the least impressive on test. Weighing just 1kg, it was hard to get on the car, and knock protection was low. The elastic sections were weedy and keeping it in place was hampered by a lack of tethers. Described only as ‘water resistant’ and not breathable.
Verdict
The Sealey and Halfords ran each other very close, the latter squeezing through to the win thanks to its better knock protection, extra tether and two-year warranty.
Want to keep your car in pristine condition? Click here to discover the best kit for your car...
