Best Car Covers For 2023, Tested

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A car cover is necessary to protect your ride—but which one should you pay your hard-earned money for? Quick Splice Connectors

Best Car Covers For 2023, Tested - Car and Driver

We all know how dangerous Mother Nature can be for our vehicles: sap, bird droppings, ice, you name it. She's an expert at making your nice car look not so nice. One of the first lines of defense against these maladies is a good car cover—even if your ride takes shelter indoors.

If you need to protect your car inside and out for a long period of time, a car cover is a necessity. But which one should you buy? As with most things, there is an overwhelming number of options to choose from. We here at the Gear Team aim to help clear up the confusion.

A car cover is more than just a tarp; you can really get engulfed in the options. Let's break it down.

Indoor car covers provide protection from dust and mildew that can accumulate on stagnant vehicles. Typically, they aren't built to withstand high winds or subzero temps. Thus, these tend to be cheaper, especially on the low end, but you can really go crazy for the ultimate protection of your prized possessions.

At the low end, an affordable canvas or nylon indoor car cover is sort of like a windbreaker for your ride; it provides an initial line of defense and not much more. High-end indoor car covers (like the CarCapsule we tested here) protect a vehicle from everything—including critters. This style is more of an inflatable mini-garage that can filter incoming air. If your ride deserves the ultimate indoor protection, that's the kind of car cover you'll want to consider.

Outdoor car covers are built to be far more hardy than indoor covers. Typically, they strap underneath the vehicle, and that secures the cover, even in harsh winds. Outdoor covers are also built to protect your car from sunlight and rain. Cheap outdoor car covers are something to be wary of, however. Oftentimes, they're not much more than a rebranded indoor cover. If you're looking to cover your vehicle outdoors, you'll definitely want to invest in a good one.

Decide where your ride will be resting in its off time, and purchase a car cover that matches your needs.

Fitting the correct size car cover is extremely important. You don't want the cover too tight, risking scratches, or too loose, risking it breaking free in a gust of wind. Universal car covers fit pretty generously per specified size (sedan, SUV, truck), but you should measure the dimensions of your vehicle with a tape measure before purchasing a cover.

Your best bet is to get a model-specific car cover that's sized to fit your exact vehicle. This can be as easy as inputting your vehicle's model information online to get a correct fit. These can get pricey, but the ideal fit is a safer bet than with a universal cover.

Since car covers come in all different shapes and sizes, we opted for a more individual test rather than a head-to-head face-off. We obtained five distinct car covers and fit each onto a vehicle that matched the cover's sizing. We picked two vehicles to be our test subjects. First, we cleaned each thoroughly to remove exterior dust and contaminants—a step that should never be skipped before covering your car for an extended period of time. We then secured each cover and let our test subjects sit outdoors at the Gear Team Compound for a month through a stormy late summer. Once the contenders were assembled, we took notes on the following parameters for each cover:

Here are the results from our test of the Best Car Covers. (Note that prices listed may vary, depending on the size cover you need.)

We were pleasantly surprised with the EzyShade overall. It's a funky mix between a universal and model-specific car cover—make sure you use the sizing chart to get the right one for your vehicle. We got ours for an Acura TSX, and the fit was excellent.

The underside was soft, and three plastic clasps kept everything secure through a few storms. The outer layer is marketed as waterproof, and we observed no water penetration during the month-long test. We wish it felt a bit more durable, but the reflective color did a fantastic job of keeping the heat out. For an outdoor car cover that'll protect your ride against all but the worst elements, we like the EzyShade.

SealSkin is known for its model-specific car covers, so we got one for Car and Driver editor Dave Beard's 1990 Geo Tracker. Right away, we were impressed at the heavy-duty construction—nothing was going to cut through it easily. Underneath, a soft layer protects the paint, while the durable polypropylene outer layer keeps UV rays, rain, and other nasty things out. An elastic hem pairs with three clasping straps to keep everything secure. We did find that the dark color likes to absorb the heat, giving the vehicle underneath a light baking.

Other than that, we were impressed with this car cover. For a guaranteed fit and heavy-duty protection, this is a solid option.

For an affordable option to store your car outdoors, this is a wallet-friendly choice. We installed it on the Acura easily, and the straps underneath kept it in place. While it survived the entire month, we did find hints of dust and moisture underneath the cover once we removed it.

Overall, it's not bad—but the quality is reflected in the price. We wouldn't say it's waterproof, but it did do a decent job of protecting against the elements. If you simply need something that'll stay on your vehicle outdoors to protect against most hazards, this one fits the bill.

If you have the desire to totally protect your vehicle indoors, buying a fully encapsulating car cover is the way to go. This 18-foot ShowCase from CarCapsule is framed by thick PVC with a large zipper door on the back and two zipper doors on the sides. It's then inflated with an (included) air pump, which can self-regulate the pressure if left plugged in. In our test, the ShowCase inflated in an impressive two minutes and 15 seconds. A washable charcoal filter covers an air circulation fan, ensuring your vehicle is only exposed to clean, fresh air.

CarCapsule is admittedly high on the price scale, and the ShowCase is likely to be overkill for most of us seeking a car cover. But if you have a valuable vehicle and you want supreme protection for it, the CarCapsule ShowCase is a worthy investment.

That said, there are a multitude of more affordable styles and sizes of CarCapsules:

Note: The CarCapsule is intended to be an indoor car cover. We took this photo outside for the sake of capturing its full setup.

Ideal for locations like a dusty garage undergoing renovations or a dank pole barn, sometimes a cheap and easy granny cap is all you need to keep the dust and debris off your car. These plastic disposable covers come in a pack of five or a la carte, so you can double up or replace them easily. They're universal, so it's worth making sure you get the right size for your vehicle.

The 3mm plastic isn't thick by any means, but it's not like kitchen wrap. An elastic hem keeps everything snug around the vehicle, but there are no straps for additional security. The only purpose for this is to keep dust and grime off of your vehicle. If that sounds like what you need, it's not a bad option.

Note: For kicks, we put one on the Geo Tracker outside to see how long it would last. The following morning, after a storm, the car cover had vanished, stolen by the wind.

A lot of car covers are, admittedly, indistinguishable: Despite the sales jargon, most are simple canvas or nylon/poly covers with perhaps some sort of weather protection (or not) and maybe a soft interior lining (ditto). So we decided to test different types of car covers to gauge the performance and abilities of each.

Because the car covers in this test differed from one another, we mainly took notes on how the various types of car covers performed individually rather than against each other. For instance, with the CarCapsule, we checked inflation time, build quality, and noted the perks this kind of car cover provides. For the plastic disposable granny caps, we simply wanted to know if they would keep the vehicle relatively dry and dust-free.

In the case of the four traditional car covers, we installed them on vehicles of the correct size. Prior to installation, we cleaned each vehicle thoroughly to remove any dust or other grime that would interfere with our results. We then left each cover on for a month to see how well they held up to late-summer Michigan thunderstorms and protected each car against moisture, dust, and other contaminants.

Additionally, we noted the quality and features of each cover, like waterproofing and overall fit. Lastly, we also tested durability, to see how well each cover resisted tears and other damage.

Outside, there are a multitude of different things that can truly harm your vehicle. Sunlight, ice, moisture, dust, sap, and bird droppings are just a few.

Inside, a car cover can protect against dust, dings from adjacent vehicles in a garage, and, potentially, animals. A good car cover can keep most of these damaging conditions at bay, preserving the life and look of your prized possession.

Universal car cover sizes are typically quite forgiving. Simply purchase the corresponding size to your car (i.e. sedan, SUV, pickup). For model-specific car covers, you'll want to input the correct vehicle specs to ensure the right size arrives. If you still have doubts, a good old tape measure is all you need to calculate the right dimensions.

If stored improperly, occasional rocks and other debris can get caught on the inside of the car cover. When pulled over the vehicle, the cover can then leave scratches and other blemishes. To prevent this, make sure to store your car cover properly and away from the ground.

Additionally, make sure your car is clean before putting a car cover on. That pesky dirt can leave its mark in your car's clear coat surprisingly well.

Hearst Autos combines the talent, resources, and expertise of three of the largest, most influential automotive publications in the world. The Gear Team has tested a wide variety of automotive products, parts, accessories, and gear, such as garage flooring, catalytic converter anti-theft devices, and foam cannons. We get our hands on each and every product we test. Most are purchased; some are supplied by manufacturers.

Hearst Autos doesn't need to game algorithms for traffic or promote lousy products to earn a buck. Instead, we're more concerned with our legacy, our reputation, and the trust that our readers have in Autoweek, Car and Driver, and Road & Track to deliver honest opinions and expert evaluations.

Visit our Tested & Trusted page to see the very best in automotive gear. Read more about our product testing and evaluation process here.

Collin Morgan is an Associate Commerce Editor at Hearst Autos, where the former Rust Belt mechanic and gadget enthusiast presents the best gear for your automotive endeavors.

Gannon Burgett loves cameras, cars, and coffee: a perfect combination for his Hearst Autos work. His byline has appeared in USA Today, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Digital Trends, the Detroit Free Press, and more.

Katherine Keeler is an Assistant Testing Editor at Hearst Autos. By day she evaluates tools for your enjoyment; by night, she Frankenstein’s her ever changing fleet of rust-bucket-oddities back to repair. Her dream is to open a roadside attraction where the public can view, drive, and learn repairs at her emporium of curious cars.

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Auto Connector Collin Morgan is an Associate Commerce Editor at Hearst Autos, where the former Rust Belt mechanic and gadget enthusiast presents the best gear for your automotive endeavors.

Best Car Covers For 2023, Tested - Car and Driver