It might seem like picking the color of your next car cover is just a matter of selecting your favorite shade from the available choices for your vehicle, but it takes a lot more consideration than that to find the right one. Choosing the color of the cover for purely aesthetic reasons might work if all you need to do is protect it from dust in a controlled environment like a heated garage. If you’re counting on your car cover for protection from the elements, you need to consider how the material, color, and density of the material all work together to provide that protection. You also have to decide what kind of elemental protection is most important.
Benefits of Light Custom Dash Covers
Choosing a lighter shade means deflecting the heat away from your vehicle. Because of the way light and color work, white or light-colored materials reflect away more of the electromagnetic spectrum than dark materials. If you’ve ever dressed in all black on a sunny summer day, you’ve probably felt the effect of trapped light and heat. Your car will feel the same effect if you use a heavy dark cover in bright sunlight where it is warm out. In the summer heat, full sun exposure while covered in a thick black liner can elevate the temperature inside the vehicle above the softening point of plastic, leading to deformation. This is why investment in the best outdoor car cover for summer means looking for a reflective material. Reflective covers are even better than light colored ones because they are designed to reflect all the light possible away from the vehicle.
- UV Protection
- Cooler interior
- Available in sizes for most vehicles
Benefits of Darker Covers
Thick, dark protective covers for vehicles can provide a little extra creature comfort in cold weather. In cold or clammy winter conditions, the same effect that can make a vehicle dangerously hot in the summer can keep it comfortably pre-warmed in the winter. Even in summertime, darker covers do a good job of blotting out harmful UV rays, even better than light colored ones. That can preserve the color and finish of the dash and console, but it requires a trade-off between the light summer cover and a darker one for UV protection. For vehicles stored in indirect light, like under a carport, this choice could be ideal even in summer.
Consider an Upgrade
Reflective material tends to do a better job at both deflecting UV rays and keeping a vehicle cool than light fabric alone, but thickness also plays a role. A light or reflective cover that has a thick, darker liner can gain the advantages of both, and it makes finding a year-round outdoor choice a little easier. Of course, upgrading to a design that includes extra UV protection might involve a little extra investment. That’s why you need to do some digging and make sure you have the best truck covers and car protection accessories for your location, your vehicle, and the ways you use it. There’s no one fit that works for everybody, so dig into your options and find the one that fits.
