We know that having a garage is a luxury that not all car enthusiasts have. For most people living in the city, even a parking space is a rare commodity, let alone a comfortable garage where you can carefully store your pride and joy and keep it safe from the elements. 

However, whether you have a garage or not, investing in a car cover is essential if you want to keep your car in pristine condition and protect its resale value. With an abundance of car cover choices on the market, choosing the right one for your vehicle can prove to be time-consuming, so the team at Storm Car Covers have put together this article to explain how to choose your perfect car cover. 

1.  Size

If you think that the one size fits all rule applies here, you are mistaken.The most important rule is to find a tailored car cover for your vehicle and not a generic cover that will cause countless issues when trying to keep it in place on your vehicle. The idea is to allow breathability through the cover yet still keep it firmly in position. 

At Storm, we design our covers by taking a pattern from the actual vehicle in question. This ensures the ideal fit with the cover not being too close to the ground (which could cause unwanted grit getting onto the cover and potentially onto your paintwork, causing costly damage).

If you're looking to protect your entire vehicle from the elements, don't go for a cover that goes right down to the ground, instead purchase separate wheel covers. Our ‘Voyager’ wheel covers offer superb protection. They are easy to fit and remove with an elasticated double stitched hem. The hem can be pulled tight around the back of your wheel, which will securely grip onto the wheel without straps or fasteners.

2. Indoor Or Outdoor Car Cover

Even if your car is safely stored inside, it is still exposed to dust, insects, direct sunlight through windows,kids and their toys. The most dedicated car enthusiasts use indoor car covers that are specially designed to protect theirvehicles from such elements. 

The main difference between outdoor and indoor car covers is in the material. Indoor car covers are usually not waterproof, they are much thinner and allow much betterbreathability and heat removal than outdoor covers. Even though some owners use just thin nylon covers, this isnot the best solution you can opt for. Nylon will keep the dust from your car but it will not be effective against the sunlight, and it is not a breathable material. If you are serious about protecting your paint, trim and bodywork while the car is in long term storage, always use a quality cover that is specifically designed for indoor use. 

Outdoor covers are more robust, thicker and designed to protect the car from weather,tree sap, bird lime (poop), UV radiation, and helps reduce the chances of damage from bumps and scrapes. Outdoor car covers are available in a range of styles and materials which each offer various protection levels from the elementsand nature depending on how long you plan on storing your car outside.

3. How Often Do You Use Your Car?

One of the most critical aspects when choosing the right car cover is the frequency of using the car itself. Some car covers have locking mechanisms, are pretty heavy and difficult to install compared to ones that you just put over your vehicle and use latches or plastic hooks to attach them to bumpers or wheel arches. If you use your car every day, you need something that is quickly removed and can be easily stored in your boot. Car covers with complicated installation processes should ideally only be used when storing your car for longer periods.

4. Materials 

Car covers are manufacturedfrom a variety of textiles depending on their intended use. For example, at Storm, we have bespoke indoor fleece covers as well as outdoor coverslike our Apollo range, that are treated with a Teflon® coating. Technology has progressed significantly from thosegreen canvas car covers your neighbour used to cover his old car with back in the day. 

The best modern car covers are made frommultiple layers of materials which are designed to provide the best possible protection but still allow the car to breathe underneathand therefore allow condensation to evaporate through the cover. The edges are sealed to prevent moisture from penetrating the cover itself. One of the most welcomed features of modern materials used is the elastic front and rear hems, which are crucial for a snug fit.

The Storm Car Cover Range

Storm Car Covers can offer a cover to fit every vehicle, whether you are looking for an indoor or outdoor cover offering waterproof, breathable, UV protection, or a bespoke tailor-made car cover.

Indoor

Kalahari: The ultimate indoor fleece dust cover to protect your car. Produced in our UK factory and made to order to your exact requirements and delivered in 2 to 3 weeks from purchase. Suitable for continual year-round use in any indoor storage garage and will not scratch, shrink or fluff.For those customers seeking the best indoor protection and a cover that fits like a glove.

Sahara: Sahara indoor dust covers are breathable, 100% ultraviolet resistant, protect from sunlight, dust, dirt and are designed for both short and long-term 'in garage' use. 

Outdoor

Apollo: Made to order outdoor car covers that utilise an advancedmilitary grade fabric that is ultra heavy duty and treated with a Teflon® coating. Provides the highest level of outdoor protection in any climate,this fully tailored stretch fit cover fits the vehicle perfectly and during heavy rainfall produces a halo effect from the water droplets just bouncing off of the Teflon® coated surface. When we get asked for our best outdoor car cover, this is it, the Apollo.

Stormforce: Our best sellingfour layer outdoor cover that can also be used indoors. Provides maximum vehicle protection for your car all year round with a breathable, waterproof fabric. 

Monsoon: The perfect choice for those looking for a long term outdoor storage solution throughout the Wintermonths. The waterproof material is designed for external use and protects from rain, snow, sunlight, dust, dirt, tree sap, birds and annoying little scratches.This is also the cover we recommend for our customers living in colder climates, like Norway and Sweden etc

Voyager: Can be used both indoors and outdoors with great breathability, water resistance and UV protection. A top choice for daily driven cars and medium-term storage where a fully waterproof cover isn't needed.This is also the cover we recommend for our customers living in hotter climates, like Spain and Greece etc.

Storm Car Covers are the perfect car accessory for the discerning enthusiast looking to protect their investment. Get your Storm Car Cover today:https://www.stormcarcovers.co.uk/ 

#Never knowingly undercovered