Outdoor & Waterproof Car Covers: Making The Best Car Cover Choice
Location, location, location…
Outdoor car covers are designed with location in mind.
What if you live in Arizona and choose a waterproof car cover?
Well, my first thought is you may be missing out on essential UV protection.
Conversely, selecting a car cover that’s not breathable when you live in the Pacific Northwest may cause moisture to become trapped.
It happens between the cover and your car.
This guide will familiarize you with popular outdoor car cover materials. Then, you’ll make the best decision based on your location.
WeatherShield
WeatherShield is a light-weight car cover fabric that uses a patented encapsulation process.
Interestingly, it was originally invented for high-performance sportswear.
The special encapsulation process surrounds durable polyester fabric with a breathable barrier. It resists water and sunlight.
Guy, this fabric is a proven performer.
It delivers impressive all-weather protection without being bulky. It’s also easy to use and store.
A bit more info:
- Protective polymers are inside the fabric to shed water, dust, bird droppings, tree sap and industrial pollutants.
- The naturally UV-resistant material is further enhanced with UV inhibitors that slow-down naturally-occurring degradation from sun exposure.
- The fabric immediately sheds water as soon as it hits the car cover, keeping your vehicle dry. It has an absorption factor of only 2%, compared with up to 40% for standard woven and non-woven fabrics. When it gets wet, simply give it a shake and it’s dry.
- The fabric is breathable and allows any heat or condensation that builds up under the cover to easily escape.
- The WeatherShield fabric’s weave and patented encapsulation process prevents dust from filtering through the fabric.
- The silky smooth inside finish provides superior paint protection.
- The fabric is super durable and not affected by heat or cold.
- WeatherShield car covers can be washed and dried at home.
- A WeatherShield car cover is 1/4 to 1/2 the volume of typical multi-layer, non-woven fabrics.
WeatherShield HD
All of the qualities of the standard WeatherShield, plus intense environmental protection are what the WeatherShield HD (Heavy-Duty) car cover is all about.
This fabric was developed for intense sun. You’ll get environmental protection during long-term storage.
A WeatherShield HD car cover delivers exceptional UV resistance, repels water, blocks dust, tree sap, bird droppings and salt air.
Best of all, it’s still breathable to allow moisture and heat to escape.
The secret to a WeatherShield HD car cover is its fabric woven (by Glen Raven Mills for Covercraft).
They use a solution-dyed, UV-resistant polyester thread. It’s 40% heavier than the regular WeatherShield.
The heavier fabric is treated using the same patented encapsulation process. This creates a water-resistant capability.
The finished fabric has an amazing capability to block moisture and dirt, while still maintaining the breath-ability.
Noah
Covercraft’s Noah car cover has fabric that offers the best wet weather protection available.
It stops water from penetrating. Yet, it “breathes” to allow trapped moisture to escape.
The unique construction process is what gives a Noah car cover its all-weather protection capability.
The Noah fabric has exceptional water resistance, dust resistance, UV resistance and breathability to expel moisture and heat beneath the cover.
Made in the USA, by Kimberly-Clark, it weighs a mere 4.45 ounces per square yard.
Translation:
It’s easy to handle and store.
Some features include:
- Protective Outer Layers – The inner core of the Noah car cover fabric is polypropylene for strength, with a polyethylene wrap for softness. The silver-gray color was selected because of its heat-resistant properties. The fabric is also treated with UV inhibitors, making it safe for extended outdoor use.
- Micro-Porous Middle Layer – The center “barrier layer” is a proprietary stretch-film developed exclusively for Kimberly-Clark. The stretch film is subjected to a chemical process that creates microscopic holes smaller than droplets of water or dust, yet large enough to allow vapors and heat to escape.
- Soft, Paint-Pampering Inner Layer – A woven fabric made from polyethylene and nylon resulting in a high strength-to-weight ratio with a super soft touch.
Sunbrella
This exclusive car cover delivers superior protection and years of faithful service in intense sun areas.
It effectively stops slow fade damage caused by the sun’s UV rays. It’s awesome.
The Sunbrella cover has fabric uses acrylic fibers. These are naturally UV-resistant.
Sunbrella is the recognized leader in long-wearing marine fabrics for bimini tops, sail covers and deck enclosures.
Due to its ability to provide UV protection with a rich, woven finish, Sunbrella fabrics are also the number one choice for commercial awnings.
For car covers, a special finishing process is used to create the softness needed for proper vehicle care.
Some features include:
- Long Lasting Strength – The Sunbrella car cover’s acrylic fibers suffer minimal loss of strength from exposure to heat, moisture and UV light.
- Fade-resistant – Colors are a result of pigments which are actually built into the fibers (solution dyed), instead of just dying the finished fabric.
- Water-resistant – Treated for moisture resistance.
- Rot and Mildew Resistant – Acrylic fibers resist mildew growth that occurs in moist environments.
- Color Selection – The Sunbrella car cover is available in Pacific Blue, Sky Blue, Cadet Gray, Jet Black and Toast.
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