The Best Indoor Car Covers for Your Garage
Cars were made to be driven in a variety of elements, but are oddly vulnerable between uses, even when they’re parked indoors. Dust, dirt, and airborne contaminants settle onto painted and polished surfaces, quickly dulling finishes and inducing corrosion. As a result, any car you’re planning to store for a long period should be protected with an indoor car cover in order to preserve its condition, value, and appearance.
But not just any cover will do. Using a cover that’s designed for outdoor use is a common mistake, as the materials used in an outdoor cover may not have the breathability needed to keep mold and mildew from developing on your stored car. Outdoor covers are often bulkier than indoor covers, too, which can present a challenge if space is tight. It’s much easier to squeeze past a car that wears a sleek, snug, well-fitting cover than it is to struggle past a car covered under a heavy blanket.
So: match the cover to your car, and to your particular circumstances. Planning to use your cover every time you park in your garage or just when you know you’ll be keeping your car stored away for months at a time? There are many high-quality solutions out there, and we’ve gathered the best indoor car covers for your consideration.
Table of contents
- 1. Budge Indoor Stretch Car Cover
- Promoted Product: Gold Shield 5L Indoor Car Covers at CarCover.com
- 2. WinPower Indoor Car Cover Velvet Stretch
- 3. IN THE GARAGE Ultimate Car Shield
- 4. CarCapsule Inflatable Car Cover
- 5. Slanguage Indoor Sports Car Cover
- 6. EmpireCovers Luxury Indoor Car Cover
- 7. Titan Lightweight Car Cover
- 8. Car Dress Sedan Cover
- Recent Updates:
1. Budge Indoor Stretch Car Cover
The Budge Indoor Stretch Car Cover is lined with a soft stretchable fleece that is non-abrasive and friendly to paint, while the outside repels dust and dirt, forming a protective barrier against the rest of your garage. An elasticized hem keeps the cover in place.
The Budge cover is lightweight and thin, silky to the touch and ideal for long-term storage. Available in a choice of three colors (red, grey, and black), and in seven sizes to fit everything from the smallest roadster to the biggest wagon.
Pros | Lightweight, dual surfaces protect paint and keep dust away, storage bag included |
Cons | Does not offer any protection against moisture |
Promoted Product: Gold Shield 5L Indoor Car Covers at CarCover.com
2. WinPower Indoor Car Cover Velvet Stretch
The WinPower Indoor Car Cover is made of a high-elastic polyester cloth that stretches between 15 to 21 percent to accommodate the bulges and curves in your car’s shape without adding extra bulk or blousing. If people are going to be squeezing past your car, the last thing you want is a baggy cover that constantly snags passersby, dragging across your car’s painted surfaces in the process.
Not only is the WinPower stretchy and clingy, it also comes with a fully elasticized sewn-in hem and two security hooks, so it grabs on tight to your car and won’t let go. The fabric keeps dust and dirt off of your car while it is in storage, so your ride will look as good after storage as it did on the day you parked it.
Pros | Secure, sleek installation, stretchy fabric makes for a tailored fit |
Cons | Won’t protect against bumps, doesn’t offer any moisture protection |
3. IN THE GARAGE Ultimate Car Shield
If you have invested a lot of money in a collector car and money is no issue, you should consider the IN THE GARAGE Ultimate Car Shield, an inflatable car cover that is like a storage display box for your car. With a convenient drive-in/drive-out feature, the Ultimate Car Shield is easy to set up and easy to use.
The trick to the Ultimate Car Shield is constant air movement. It uses a filtered fan to keep air circulating within the capsule to create a stable environment with minimal condensation and temperature fluctuation. Air changes at least five times per hour using the 800-watt air pump. Strong PVC pillars to create a frame around your car, inset with clear PVC panels. The result: you can see your car in storage, but since nothing is actually touching the paint or chrome, there’s no danger of scratching or denting your vehicle.
Pros | No-touch design, car remains visible while in storage, easy drive-in/drive-out convenience |
Cons | Expensive, takes up garage space (even when not in use), requires a constant power source |
4. CarCapsule Inflatable Car Cover
If you’re a fan of snow globes, you’re going to love the CarCapsule Inflatable Car Cover. It’s basically a giant snow globe for your car—minus the snow.
The CarCapsule literally encapsulates your car in a see-through 10-mm double-polished PVC bubble with a welded seam and a base mat made from 18-mm PVC, a material impervious to oil, gas, and antifreeze, as well as being flame-, mildew-, and abrasion-resistant. Then it uses a small plug-in (110-volt) fan to blow in air and keep the capsule inflated. You drive your car onto the base mat, close the bubble with a braided nylon zipper, plug in the fan, and walk away for the winter. Your car is now protected from dirt, dust, and air-borne contaminants, and has a buffer from bumps and bruises.
The capsule also makes a good deterrent for rodents and other creatures who love to make a home in an unattended collector car. But the best part is that it allows you to enjoy looking at your vehicle while it is in storage without the need for uncovering it or disturbing it, like, well, an oversized snow globe for your car. Just don’t try to shake it.
Pros | Novel storage, looks great in your garage, protects against pests |
Cons | Some buyers report moisture issues, must be connected to power at all times |
5. Slanguage Indoor Sports Car Cover
Fashion icons have always trended toward black fabric, and for good reason: it looks good on everyone. Including cars. Made of a stretch polyester cloth, the Slanguage Indoor Sports Car Cover is sleek, black, and tailored, boasting strong elasticity and wrinkle resistance. It’s also highly flexible and stretches easily, forming a tight skin over your sports car.
An elastic hem helps to keep the cover in place once it has been stretched, and reinforced security hooks back up the elastic with a positive connection to the car. The soft fabric provides protection against dust, sand, and other air-borne dirt, and is so soft that it won’t damage or scratch delicate painted surfaces and chrome. However, it’s not waterproof, and is reportedly vulnerable to high heat, so exercise caution when using.
Pros | Stretches for a tailored fit on a variety of cars, lightweight, fashionable look |
Cons | Not waterproof, offers minimal protection against bumps and nudges, vulnerable to high heat, so care must be exercised with exhaust pipes |
6. EmpireCovers Luxury Indoor Car Cover
Car collectors rightly believe that their prized possessions deserve the very best, and EmpireCovers' Luxury Indoor Car Cover does its best to deliver just that. Made of a luxurious material, it feature a soft fleece interior and a silky satin-like exterior, and is available in four sizes—147 by 60 by 48 inches, 170 by 60 by 48 inches, 200 by 60 by 51 inches, and 264 by 70 by 53 inches—for a custom-look fit no matter what size car you are storing.
The fabric stretches to fit your car like a glove, conforming to curves and edges, and is designed to deliver protection against dust, air-borne pollutants, and other environmental hazards. The EmpireCovers Luxury Indoor Car Cover is available in a choice of three colors: silver, red, and black.
Pros | Soft, soft, soft feel, choice of colors and sizes, draw-string storage pouch included |
Cons | A little pricey |
7. Titan Lightweight Car Cover
The Titan Lightweight Car Cover has a secret weapon: a driver-side zippered door allows you to access your car’s interior without removing the car cover, which can be a tremendous convenience and a major time-saver. The Titan also offers a bit more security than most indoor car covers, as it includes a seven-foot locking cable which threads through the security loops along the bottom of the cover, securing it to the car.
It also comes with straps and snaps to keep the cover on the car, and scratch-resistant material lines the inside of the Titan, helping you avoid paint scratches and swirls. On top of all that, the Titan features dark blue greenhouse panels, giving it a distinctive look against the reflective silver-grey of the rest of the cover.
Pros | Zippered access to driver’s side door, attractive contrasting colors, locking cable included for security |
Cons | Zippered panel doesn’t lock, potentially compromising security |
8. Car Dress Sedan Cover
The well-dressed sedan needs a Car Dress Sedan Cover for indoor storage. Made of a three-ply dustproof fabric, the Car Dress is a universal-fit cover that is easy to install. It comes with a full elasticized hem and an under-car strap with a quick-release buckle.
Install the Car Dress on your ride correctly, and it will protect it from dust and particulate contaminants, which are constantly blowing around in even the cleanest garage. (It will also offer some protection against scratches and bumps.) The Car Dress comes with a convenient storage bag, plus two antenna patches, convenient for classic cars with fixed mast antennae.
Buyers praise the Car Dress for value, and say “the material is soft enough that it does not scratch your paint.”
Pros | Very affordable, easy to install, breathable, dust-proof and wind-proof |
Cons | Not a custom fit, only available in grey |
Recent Updates:
May 2, 2023: Added a new promoted product recommendation.
July 29, 2022: Removed Turtle temporary car cover; out of stock.
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Photo credit: rangizzz / Shutterstock.com
More by Jason Fogelson
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