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If you’re looking for the absolute best car cover that protects from hail aside from parking under a covered permanent structure, the “Hail Protector” inflatable car cover is the option you need to choose. Continue reading to learn more about the “Hail Protector” and some other alternatives worth considering.
The same day I began work on this article a vicious storm swept through and dumped hail on my car while I was driving. In wasn’t able to get to a gas station with a large covered area before it stopped but I did find it very ironic given how rarely hail happens here. I was also very glad that the hail was small and I didn’t have any damage from it. Here in Charlotte North Carolina, hail happens a few times a year. Usually it’s only pea-sized hail or slightly larger. Occasionally we have had golf ball to softball sized hail although I haven’t seen anything larger than golf ball sized personally.
I also unfortunately don’t have a garage. I live in an old neighborhood where the trend when these homes were built was to not have a garage. This means that when I’m home and I hear hail starting to hit the roof of my house I run to the window to see how large it is. Without a garage, there really isn’t anything I can do but I still run to the window and cringe. At least I thought that was the case. There are some decent options on the market that can provide good to excellent protection from hail damage.
Hail Protector - Best Car Cover That Protects From Hail
I’ll cut to the chase on this article. There is really one one product on the market that can protect your car or truck from larger hail – golf ball sized and up – and it’s the inflatable “Hail Protector”. There are plenty of other options on the market that can help with smaller hail that is easier to manage and more practical but they aren’t going to be protection for every situation.
The problem with expecting a traditional car cover to be able to protect from larger hail is that the thickness of the cover as well as its weight becomes an issue. An inflatable car cover deals with the issue of weight by using air as a cushion. A traditional car cover will really only be able to protect your vehicle from smaller hail stones.
If you’re looking for protection that you can take with you so you have it when you need it and offers protection against even the largest of hail then this is your choice. The bonus with this option is that it’s actually very affordable when compared to the alternatives. I’d say this is the product to have for automotive enthusiasts that live in a heavy hail zone.
Ikuby All Weather Proof Retractable Car Port
Not exactly a cover but probably the second best option for protecting your vehicle from hail damage is the Ikuby Car Port It folds away for convenience but isn’t small enough to be kept in your car or truck to be used when you’re away from home.
The framework is made from steel and powder coated for durability. The steel framework is quite heavy which helps in high wind situations. The overall weight is approximately 200 pounds and it can be anchored to the ground with steel spikes if your installation location allows for that.
It’s more expensive than the Hail Protector car cover but it has received very favorable reviews from customers and should provide excellent protection.
Altindal Hail Blanket
The
Altindal Hail Blanket
is an impact-resistant blanket of sorts that you drape over the top of your car or truck. It includes straps to anchor it to the vehicle to prevent it from coming off in high winds. It’s fairly easy to maneuver onto your roof as it only ways 11 pounds or so in the sedan-sized version.It’s nice that it can be kept in your trunk so that you have it when you need it but it will take up a good bit of space. The bad part is that this product isn’t going to be capable of protecting against larger-sized hail. Golf ball size hail and above will likely still cause some damage. It’s possible that golf ball sized hail may not leave a dent but the larger the hail the more likely you’ll get some damage.
It also doesn’t provide the best protection to the sides of your vehicle although that’s not a large area of concern with hail. If you live in a heavy hail zone and your area is prone to receiving larger hail, this may not be the best option for you.
CoverKing Mosom Fitted Car Cover
CoverKing Mosom car covers are quality fitted car covers that are also designed to protect from light hail. If you’re looking for the best true car cover that offers some hail protection this is likely going to be your best choice.
CoverKing also doesn’t charge an astronomical amount for their car covers which makes them much more compelling. If you’re looking for serious hail protection you’ll want to refer back to the “Hail Protector” or Ikuby Car Port.
If your needs are less intense and you’re more interested in a more well-rounded solution that includes some reasonable hail resistance the Mosom line is an excellent choice.
Lanmodo Car Umbrella
To be honest, I’m listing the
Lanmodo Car Umbrella
here not as a recommendation but more as a warning. I don’t necessarily think this is a bad product, I just think that the marketing stating that it is good at protecting from hail is not terribly accurate.The Achilles heel of the
Lanmodo Car Umbrella
and the other car umbrellas on the market is that they don’t hold up well in high winds. While they may be able to repel hail, even larger hail, the problem is that hail is almost always accompanied by high winds.If you live in Phoenix Arizona or similar hot climates this could be a good product for you to protect your car from the blazing sun. But for those in Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, or Kansas where hail is a serious problem, I’d say this product should be a hard pass for protecting from hail.
Where Is Hail Most Common?
Source: Farmer’s Insurance
Hail can happen in every contiguous state but it’s most common in Hail Alley which is where Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming meet. If you live here you’re a prime candidate for picking up some hail protection for your car or truck. The western US doesn’t see as much hail as the rest of the country but still gets its fair share. Even those of us on the east coast get enough hail for it to be a serious problem every year.
When is hail season?
Hail season in the US varies from region to region.
The southeast is most prone to hail in the month of May.
The plains receive the most hail in June.
The northern plans receive more hail toward late summer.
In general hail season in the US begins in Spring and ends in Fall.
Winter is generally not ideal for producing hail.
All that said, hail actually can happen any time of year if the circumstances are just right.
What causes hail?
How hail develops is actually kind of crazy. Hail is formed in strong thunderstorms. Essentially, tiny droplets of rain freeze in the higher atmosphere toward the top of the storm. As they drop, strong winds in the storm blow the tiny frozen droplet back up to the higher atmosphere. In the process additional rain clings to the frozen droplet and when it reaches the higher atmosphere again where the temperature is colder the additional water freezes on the exterior of the frozen droplet. The process repeats like this until the weight of the hail is more than the strong winds of the storm can lift the hail back up into the colder upper atmosphere and the hail drops to earth.
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Conclusion
If you’re looking for good protection from large hail you’re not going to get it from something in the form of a traditional car cover. You can get decent protection from smaller to medium sized hail but larger hail is still going to cause dents and break glass. To properly protect your car or truck from the largest hail stones you’ll need to use an inflatable cover like the “Hail Protector” car cover This cover is convenient as it can be stowed easily in your trunk, effective enough to protect from even the largest and sharpest hail stones, and reasonably affordable.
All the other options fail to live up to the all of these characteristics. You may find that your needs dictate that one of these other options is more ideal for you. The best car cover that protects from hail is inflatable but others can get the job done if you don’t often deal with very large hail.
If you have any other suggestions that have been effective for you shoot me a message from the contact page. I’d love to hear your experience and share it with readers.
