{"id":3483,"date":"2019-10-31T16:28:43","date_gmt":"2019-10-31T16:28:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/?p=3483"},"modified":"2024-02-08T07:44:47","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T13:44:47","slug":"best-pontoon-boat-covers-reviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/best-pontoon-boat-covers-reviews\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Best Pontoon Boat Covers: Comparisons & Reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best pontoon boat cover is, then we recommend the EmpireCovers Aqua Armor Pontoon Boat Cover 260<\/a> as the best all-around.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What steps would you take right now to protect your new pontoon boat from damage?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each day, pontoon boats are exposed to the outdoor elements and vulnerable to environmental stress from humidity and temperature changes. You can buy a brand new shiny pontoon boat one day, and less than a week later that boat can become dirty, stained, chipped, contracted, and look as if it were several years old rather than a brand new vessel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, there is a way to help protect your pontoon boats as much as possible while they are not in use, and that is to place a pontoon boat cover around them to shield it against extreme weather conditions. A boat cover will be incredibly useful when you’re letting your boat float over the water or rest on your trailer while you\u2019re not using it, and it becomes even more important when storing your boat into the shed for winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In a Hurry? Here’s Our Top 3 Picks\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\nTable could not be displayed.\n\n\n\n
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Buying Guide: Pontoon Boat Covers<\/h2>\n\n\n
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In this guide, we will cover the top five very best pontoon boat covers on the market today and the pros and cons of each to give you the fairest assessment possible. But first, we\u2019re going to cover exactly what your pontoon boat cover will need to accomplish (as no two boat covers are truly created equally) and then we\u2019ll discuss the top features that your cover will need to have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does Your Pontoon Boat Cover Need To Do<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are several things that your pontoon boat cover will need to accomplish. Easily the first and most important is to protect your boat from the elements. Sure, you may have spent the extra money to purchase a pontoon boat that is supposedly rust, corrosion, and water\/moisture resistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonetheless, you can never be too careful, especially when your boat is always being exposed to water, changing temperatures, debris, and so on. Changing temperatures in particular can actually cause your boat to contract and expand, causing cracks and compromising the structural integrity of the vessel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granted, there are other ways you can help to mitigate the risk of this such as by using a gel coating, but this can only work so far. A cover will give your boat another layer of protection in addition to the coating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, if your boat is continuously exposed to the UV rays of the sun, the color of the boat is going to slowly fade away over time. This is yet another reason why a cover is so important: to keep your boat looking shiny, nice, and sharp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In essence, the first thing that your cover must accomplish is to protect your boat from every kind of outdoor element you can imagine, whether it be moisture, temperature changes, the sun\u2019s ultraviolet rays, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next reason to have a boat cover is to keep unwanted guests at bay. By \u2018unwanted guests,\u2019 this doesn\u2019t just refer to thieves or people who commit vandalism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also refers to animals such as cats, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, snakes, and so on. Especially during the winter, these kinds of creatures may be drawn to the boat while it\u2019s stored away and call it their home, but they can do things to it that can really damage the appearance and integrity of the boat (ripping apart the seats, leaving excrement behind, etc.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Theft and vandalism will not be outright prevented by a pontoon cover, but it is a deterrent. Let\u2019s put it this way: imagine a scenario where a thief finds two pontoon boats, one with a cover and one without. Which one will be easier to take? The answer should be obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that we have covered the top reasons you need to have a pontoon boat cover in the first place, we will next outline and discuss the top features that the best pontoon boat cover for you needs to have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy A Cover For Your Boat\u2019s Design<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This may sound obvious enough, but too many novice pontoon boat owners believe that virtually any kind of cover will fit over their boat so long as the dimensions of the cover are large enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, you need to buy a cover that is designed specifically for your boat\u2019s shape and design, or otherwise that the manufacturer expressly claims will fit over your make and model of boat. You also need to confirm that your pontoon boat itself has attachment points<\/a> on all sides for adding the cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose Durable Materials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can easily find boat covers offered across a wide variety of different price points, and one of the biggest reasons for those price differences is because of the quality and durability of materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The materials of your boat cover is what will determine how long it lasts for and how well it resists the elements. That being said, you also need to be strategic in choose your boat cover materials depending upon the environment in which you live. For example, if you live in a climate that is unusually damp or humid, then you\u2019re going to want your cover to be very breathable, or else it\u2019s going to accumulate moisture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, if you\u2019re going to be storing your boat outdoors primarily rather than indoors (such as in a shed or garage), then you\u2019re going to want your cover to be thicker in order to better resist the elements as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As far as determining the specific durability of your boat cover, you are going to need to pay attention to the denier level. The denier level refers to how thick the fibers are in the cover. The higher the denier level, the stronger the fibers are. A lower denier level means that the cover will be more flexible but also not a durable. As a golden rule of thumb, your pontoon cover should have a denier level of 500D to 600D at the minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For specific material covers, the most popular options are synthetic polyester or cotton canvas (or otherwise a mix of the two). Between the two, synthetic polyester covers will usually have an additional layer of acrylic to them, which can make them more water resistant than cotton canvas usually is. However, a cotton and polyester blend will also be much more affordable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Move Up In Size<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once you find a cover that is just large enough to fit over your boat, do yourself a favor and get a cover that\u2019s one size or so larger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why? Simple: you want to get maximum coverage over your pontoon boat, right? Buying a cover that is slightly too big will ensure that the entire boat is completely covered. A cover that is slightly too large will be vastly preferable to one that is slightly too small. You\u2019ll want to play things on the safe side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All that being said, just be careful that you don\u2019t get a cover that is too large, or else it can sag and will not snugly fit over your boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steer Clear of Bright Colors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a very good reason why you will want to avoid brightly colored boat covers such as red, yellow, or orange: they can literally ruin the color of your boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason why is because the bright colors can bleed into your boats upholstery, which beyond ruining the aesthetic value of your boat will also decrease its value. Stick with colors such as white or black.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make Sure The Cover Is Waterproof<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Do not get a boat cover that is merely water resistant because that will not be good enough. Instead, you need to get a boat cover that is fully waterproof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A water resistant cover means that it will only resist water for so long, and eventually water and moisture will seep through the cover and damage your boat. If anything, buying a water resistant cover means you would additionally need to place a tarp over the boat, so why even get the water resistant cover in the first place?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though true waterproof boat covers will cost more money, they are definitely worth the extra monetary investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make Sure The Cover Is Mold Resistant<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not only do you want your cover to be waterproof, you also want it to be mold resistant. By the very way of how they are stored, pontoon boats are vulnerable to mildew and mold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why you will want to buy a fabric that has been treated to resist mildew and mold adequately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Reviews: Best Pontoon Boat Covers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re going to invest the money into getting a pontoon boat, you would be incredibly wise to invest the money into a pontoon boat cover to go with it as well. Doing so will not only make your pontoon boat look prettier, it will help protect its overall structural integrity as well. Here are 5 great options!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EmpireCovers Aqua Armor Pontoon Boat Cover 260<\/h3>\n\n\n

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The first cover we will take a look at, the EmpireCovers Aqua Armor Pontoon Boat Cover 260, has virtually all of the important qualities that we just went over above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This cover is built out of a 1200D polyester material; since the minimum denier level you will want is 500D to 600D like we talked about above, this is more than sufficient. Furthermore, this cover is truly 100% waterproof and not just water resistant like cheaper boat covers are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of that, the EmpireCovers is also fully mold and mildew resistant, and can also block out the harmful UV rays of the sun and can also resist snow. A heavy duty shock cord ensure that you will have a nice, snug fit over your boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cover is definitely very heavy, and while this means that it will do a great job of resisting the elements, it also means that transporting it around can be rather difficult. But the biggest negative to the EmpireCovers is undoubtedly the fact that the actual straps used to secure the cover to your boat are not the highest quality on the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, the EmpireCovers is an excellent heavy duty pontoon boat cover<\/a> as a whole, and should not be overlooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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