We live in the city. and like most city-dwellers, we do not have a garage. While we don't have to park it on the street, our car is exposed to the elements all year long. To keep weather damage to a minimum, we have always have it under an all-weather car cover when it's parked in the driveway. Having a cover for the car not only protects the exterior,, it also prevents UV-damage to the dash, seats, and the interior.
After thirteen years, we have gone through a total of three covers. The first one was an indoor cover. It did not fare well when asked to stand up the the ice and snow. We abandoned it after two seasons. The second and third covers were the all-weather silver covers from Porsche. The silvery material kept the car cool in the Summer and the snow off in the Winter. Also, we like them because they were form-fitting and did not blow off even when very windy. The first of the all-weather cover lasted about six years. It was used everyday, rain or shine. When it came time to replace it, we had no hesitation about purchasing another one.
However, our second OEM Porsche Boxster car cover did not last as long as we had anticipated. In fact, it only lasted a bit more than two years before it completely fell apart. We are talking rips everywhere from the thinning fabric. After patching it up a few times, a strong wind finally ripped it almost in half length-wise. After that, we decided to give up on it. We are not quite sure if Porsche changed materials or what, but it was kind of disappointing.
Being from the "fool us once, shame on you, fool us twice, shame on us" school of thought, we decided it was time to try one of those other car-cover vendors. After looking at a few and checking out the options, we decided on the all-weather one from CoverCraft.
The features of our CoverCraft cover are:
- High Performance Non-Woven Fabric
- Dual Protective Outer Layers
- Microporous Film Middle Layer
- Soft, Paint-Protecting Inner Layer
- Outdoor or Indoor Use
Four layers of non-woven fabrics feature microscopic pores that keep dirt and most water out while remaining fully breathable. The NOAH® barrier fabric stops water, but allows trapped water to escape. The idea is similar to that of Gore-Tex. Like the OEM cover, the CoverCraft also has grommets to enable the cover to be secured should it be necessary.
Unlike the OEM cover, there are no padded sections for areas such as the headlights and nose on the CoverCraft unit. The material is not shiny like the Porsche's. It is more felt-like to the touch, and much thicker than the Porsche Silver cover...thick enough to act as padding. We think this is a plus as the stitching of the felt pads on the OEM covers always gave way after a few years.
The front fit is perfect. The length is correct and the wrap hugs the bumper completely without being too tight. Like the OEM cover, the CoverCraft also has side-mirror pockets. Unlike the OEM cover, the heavier material of the Covercraft makes the cover easier to put on and take off because it stays put instead of sliding off the car.
The fit of the Covercraft cover is good in some spots, a bit tight in others. We think this may be due to the hardtop. Here one can see the tension on the cover at the mid-rear section across the bottom of the rear window. Unlike the front, the back of the cover also exposes a bit of the side panel. However, we are not as concerned with the back cover fit as we are with the tight fit along the rear window. We hope everything will relax and loosen with use. Overall, we would have preferred a slightly looser fit as the stress on the seams may shorten the cover's longevity.
We got the cover in early January. It didn't take long for the Covercraft cover to have a chance to show off its all-weather capabilities. A nice soaking rain swept throught Boston the day after we put it on the car. When we pulled the cover off, both the car and the underside of the cover were dry. Very encouraging!
Two more storms rolled through before we had a chance to post this article. Last weekend we had a forecast for rain. Instead, the temperature dropped and we got an inch of sloppy wet snow. On Tuesday, we got another six inches of light fluffy white stuff. The cover stood up to both without any problems.
We will do a follow-up on the CoverCraft cover after it has gone through a few years of New England winters and summers. If you are looking for a fitted cover for you car, check out what CoverCraft has to offer. We are happy we did. [Permalink] - Covercraft Boxster Cover
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