Investing in a car cover is a safe bet; car covers provide the very best protection short of keeping your car in the garage whenever you are not using it. Car covers are cost effective (they’re cheap), easy to use and provided you source the right material, you are guaranteed to protect your vehicle in pristine condition for as long as you own the vehicle (and use the car cover properly).

A key component of a car cover’s effectiveness is the material which is used to make it.

The car cover material must possess certain characteristics if it is to be effective in providing protection. Here, we’re going to highlight those qualities which are most important for protecting your vehicle:

Water Resistance

You are looking for a high degree of water resistance but NOT waterproofing! Waterproof materials will not allow the material to “breathe” which means any moisture trapped under the cover, or inside the vehicle, is going to stay there and this will lead to water accumulation, rust, mold and musty smells.

You need water resistant materials because though these allow moisture to pass across the barrier. This means that moisture is able to escape from under the cover preventing rust and mold accumulations, however water is not easily able to pass back from the outside of the cover to get at the underlying car. You get water protection and air circulation which maximizes protection.

UV Protection

The sun will damage the paintjob and the interior of your vehicle for exactly the same reason you get burned if you spend too much time in the sun. The car cover material needs to provide a good level of UV protection for your car and be unaffected itself by the effect of the sun’s harmful rays.

Robustness

Come the fall it is not only leaves which flutter to rest on your vehicle – tree branches, twigs, hail, bird droppings, the neighborhood cat perching on the warm hood and the neighborhood kids playing with a ball – all of these constitute a ready-made cornucopia of car dings and scratches waiting to happen (and it doesn’t need to be fall either).

The car cover material needs to be robust enough to withstand bumps, knocks and scratches but at the same time, it needs to be soft and gentle when it comes into contact with your vehicle.

Handling Convenience

How easy the car cover is to stow and deploy is also a factor – you don’t want to be hanging around with a heavy tarpaulin blowing like a sail in the wind when you are trying to fit it to your vehicle.

The car cover material should be lightweight and easily folded down into a manageable size for stowing in the trunk. It also should be capable of fitting the vehicle snugly, and many car covers are customized to fit a certain model or car size – ensure you source a car cover which fits well because this will make it easier to fit and stow as well as optimizing protection.

Author Bio: Jack Labens works for Empire Covers, a leading provider of car covers and accessories such as boat covers and motorcycle covers. Empire Covers can be found online at: EmpireCovers.com .

Category: Automotive
Keywords: car covers, boat covers, motorcycle covers, tonneau truck bed covers