Why Buy a Grill Cover?
That grill you use all the time, you paid a lot of money for it. Grill covers and BBQ tool sets are the two most important accessories for your home barbecue
You clean it, you host parties on it, so why shouldn’t it also be properly protected from the elements?
Table could not be displayed.It’s all well and good if your grill is functional, but it should be able to retain its aesthetic appeal for a long time as well.
With the right cover, your grill can shine and look gorgeous for years before it starts to lose that sheen.
Which brings us to the best grill covers—forcefields against UV rays, hail, rain, and the wind shoving the hard handles of your plastic trash barrels into your grill and scratching the paint.
They’re essential, especially if you seriously enjoy the aesthetic qualities of your grill (and who doesn’t?) in your outdoor cooking space.
Take a gander at these best grill cover reviews to associate yourself with the best that the market has to offer.
Best Grill Cover
VicTsing Waterproof Grill Cover
VicTsing easily made the king of heavy-duty grill covers.
There’s not even a true comparison in my book, because it works for nearly every grill out there.
Even if it’s a bit bigger than your current grill, that’s just more coverage.
Made out of durable, rugged 600D polyester, this has a natural waterproofing based on the manufacturing methods.
You don’t have to hit it with a waterproof spray every three months, it’s just built that tough.
In 600D, the D refers to denier, a system of manufacturing fabrics that defines how tightly the threads are woven.
It also defines how thick the fabrics are, to begin with.
The higher the denier rating, the more rugged and stuff a fabric is, and the more protective it is.
That also does something fantastic; it blocks light.
While that doesn’t sound like a big deal, since it’s just a grill cover, it prevents the harmful damage that UV rays can have on your grill.
Picture your grill getting direct ultraviolet rays on the exterior for six to eight hours a day.
That’s going to eat away at the paint, and while it’s not going to burn a hole through a solid aluminum lid, it doesn’t make your grill worthy of showing off.
Everything about this fabric is tear-proof, meaning whether it’s an accidental tip-over or you pull a bit too hard when it’s stuck on a corner, you won’t rip it.
When it comes to cleaning this cover, it’s going to be a bit tough. High denier fabrics always tend to be.
Use a soft plastic bristle brush for the interior, but try to use a vacuum cleaner attachment for the outside.
It sounds crazy, but it gets the dirt and debris out of the fabric better than anything else.
| Size: | 58” |
| Material: | 600D polyester |
| Best For: | Brinkmann, Char-Broil, Holland and Jenn Air |
Unicook Heavy Duty Waterproof Grill Cover
Chances are if something is waterproof, it’s better than whatever non-waterproof version exists.
Unicook basically made a universal cover that’s wildly water-resistant.
It’s not going to protect your grill against a torrential downpour like a hurricane, but then again, what will?
It does a good job of warding off the light to medium levels of rainfall for extended periods of time, all without soaking through.
But perhaps the most enjoyable part of this cover is the series of straps along the bottom.
They allow you to fasten this to just about anything, so even if this 54” grill cover is a bit big for your small circular charcoal grill, you can still fasten it to it.
There’s obviously a range where this is going to be too big even with the straps, but it’s still durable and holds everything together.
There’s one weather condition that’s pretty rough on this cover, though.
If you live in a place with high wind, where it feels like when it rains, it rains sideways, you’ll have to place your grill cover strategically.
It has ventilation on both sides to allow moisture out, but extreme conditions get actually allow moisture in instead.
So how do you know if this universal cover is going to fit your grill?
If you can measure your grill from the top of the lid down to the top of the wheels, and it’s 54” or less, then you’re good to go.
This cover is designed to leave the wheels exposed so you can move it if need be.
Last but not leave, we’re back to UV protection.
This does an excellent job of keeping your grill shiny and new, so kudos to Unicook for that.
It’s basically become a staple in most grill cover designs since UV light became a publicly known health hazard and that it’s the culprit of “sun bleaching.”
| Size: | 54” |
| Material: | Fabric, vinyl |
| Best For: | Weber, Char-Broil, Nexgrill, Brinkmann |
Weber 7130 Genesis II Cover
You went for that pricey yet ultimately fantastic Weber grill, but we both know that they never include covers with those things.
We both also know that UV rays are going to do a number on the paint, but Weber’s got you covered with their Genesis II cover.
There’s a specialized coating on the exterior of the grill cover to block ultraviolet rays, but as it’s a coating, you might have to refinish this once every year or so to upkeep that benefit.
This fits a wide range of Weber’s grills in the Genesis family, including Genesis II, Genesis 300 (series), and the Genesis II LX 300 (series).
I’ll tell you right now that Weber charges a pretty penny for this grill, but based on what you get and the fact that they’ve branded it, the protection for your Genesis grill is definitely worth it.
The velcro straps allow you to make loops along the bottom of the undercarriage rack, so you can actually affix this to your grill without it blowing away at the first sign of a 15 MPH wind.
Even in high wind conditions, this stays strong and continues to protect your grill.
While it’s wide enough to protect your side trays and/or burners, depending on which model you got, it’s a pain to align it.
When you pull your cover over this burner, it kind of hikes up on the other side.
It’s a tight fit, which is good for protection, but it makes it a hassle to actually wrap your grill.
The material isn’t listed as tear-resistant, so do be careful while wrapping your grill.
It’s rugged, just not 600D polyester. Either way, you’ve got a three-year warranty, so be sure to put this Weber grill cover through its paces.
| Size: | 58” |
| Material: | Polyester fabric |
| Best For: | Weber Genesis series 300 and Genesis II grills, as well as Genesis II LX 300 |
Char Broil Performance Grill Cover
I’m going to preface this by saying Char Broil may have made the most durable grill cover of all time, but only for their brands of grills.
They made this 18mm thick, or about ¾ an inch, which is considerably thick for a grill cover.
It’s designed with a 500D polyester fabric on the inside, and a PVC coating on the exterior to ensure it’s waterproof.
They don’t say the material is ripstop or that it’s particularly heavy, but after using it myself, I can tell you that you’d really have to try to puncture or tear this.
It’s built tough for sure.
The thickness of the cover attributes to its UV-blocking capabilities, which Char Broil are extremely confident in.
They’re so confident that you’re guaranteed absolutely zero fades for two years, otherwise they’ll replace it through their comprehensive warranty program.
That’s having confidence in your product.
It’s a big cover, measuring 62” from the top down.
That’s because it’s designed to fit a 3-4 burner Char Broil model with side burners.
One thing I love about this cover is that it’s available in so many different sizes.
You can go from a 2 burner model, up to a kettle and smoker, or 5+ burner model.
We know Char Broil has a ton of grill series and lineups, so having the ability to choose a series-specific cover is pretty cool.
One last thing that I forgot to mention: it’s sealed.
The seams are totally sealed in so that you don’t have to worry about moisture seeping in, even if you’ve owned it for a long time.
As something that’s 100% waterproof, this is a really big deal and shows attention to detail.
| Size: | 62” |
| Material: | Polyester fabric |
| Best For: | Char Broil grills (2 burners to 5 burners + kettles) |
AmazonBasics Charcoal Kettle Grill Cover
Amazon tries to make every type of product out there, but in its most basic, high-quality form.
While this is at the bottom of the list, it’s still one of the five best grills covers ever made.
We’ve gone over dozens of different covers, and this gives you the most bang for your buck, provided it can fit your grill.
If you own a kettle-style charcoal grill, then you’re in luck.
This is about as universal as it gets, provided that you have detachable shelves (if your unit comes with shelves in the first place).
As one of the best-rated grills covers out there, it’s fairly heavy, since it’s made out of a highly durable polyester blend.
While this isn’t going to cover the wheels or the stand, it is going to cover the kettle itself, which means protecting it from harmful UV rays that would strip the paint.
While there’s not a zero-fade guarantee, it does have a one-year warranty to protect against manufacturing errors.
It’s not a perfect cover; it fits grills up to 26.5” in diameter, and that’s not technically universal.
But one thing that this does have is an elastic ring in the opening so that it hugs your grill once it comes around the bottom of the kettle.
It’s the equivalent of having straps to keep it secure, but a little bit easier than straps.
Slip it on and you’re done, just be sure that if you live in a snowy place, you follow some of our tips below to preserve it in the cold.
| Size: | 26.5” |
| Material: | Polyester fabric |
| Best For: | Small charcoal kettle-style grills |
Grill Cover Buying Guide and FAQ
Do I Need a Grill Cover?
Do you want your grill to still look as good as the day you bought it?
There may be soot lining the inside, but it can still look shiny and new on the outside.
Grill covers protect the aesthetic appeal from UV rays and environmental damage, but they also protect your grills from bird droppings, scratches, and keep it away from prying eyes at the same time.
Of course, you’re only going to be able to protect it with the best grill cover material and design.
If scratches and environmental damage are to occur, all that impact and damage needs to be absorbed by the cover.
If those aren’t enough reasons to convince you, then this might be bees.
Yes, for some reason, bees and hornets love to nest in grills.
If you don’t use your grill for a couple of weeks, there could be a colony growing inside if it’s just left open.
A closed grill with the air vents open is a prime location for them to nest, but if it’s covered, then it’s not even on their radar.
It’s very unlikely that they’re going to go underneath the cover.
How do You Measure a Grill for a Cover?
Get a tape measure, and get outside to your grill.
If you’re reading this on your phone, just bring it with you and we’ll do this together in about two minutes, tops.
To get the measurements of a kettle grill, you need to run your tape measure from one side to the other, in a straight line, right at the top.
This is your diameter, which many people often get confused with the circumference (the total length of the circle).
You will also need to measure your height, so from the top of the lid right down to the ground, measure that.
Keep in mind that many covers are not going to drag down to the ground.
To get the measurements of a gas grill, you should actually start with your height.
From the top of the lid right down to the ground, get that number and write it down.
Now you have to measure the width, and if you have multiple shelves (one on each side), then you have to account for those as well.
You can remove the shelves when you store your grill and put them on the bottom rack if you want, which will allow you to get a smaller grill, but it’s very inconvenient.
With the width of your grill, including the side shelves, you’re almost done.
Now measure the depth or the distance from the front (where you stand) to the back.
You should now have measurements that look like H x W x D. That’s how you buy your appropriate grill cover.
Covers for pellet grills and smokers are usually brand-specific.
Since not many people use smokers, and pellet grills are still fairly new to the public-at-large, the brand will often try to upsell you on a cover that they’ve made for their specific grill.
Are Grill Covers Waterproof?
Not all of them.
Grill covers are usually made with polyester, so they can still be manipulated even when they’re made thick, but polyester on its own isn’t enough to keep the rain out.
High denier polyester?
Yes, that can basically make it waterproof.
A high denier rating means that the threads are thick and woven tightly together, which can repel rain
The best gas grill covers have a level of natural waterproofing from that denier rating, but they will also have a waterproof coating applied to the remaining fabric.
This coating doesn’t have to be a chemical spray like people often use to waterproof their shoes—it can be another layer of a separate material.
You have the polyester on the bottom and in the center of the cover, but the outside of the cover may have a PVC lining, which will repel water. PVC is a form of plastic.
The most important detail to pay attention to when it comes to waterproof covers is the seam.
You can have a solid PVC coating equivalent to the highest IPX rating, but if the seams are not sealed, then it’s all for naught.
High quality sealed seams are best described, visually, as a thin line between two sections of the same material where you cannot see any stitching or space.
It looks like the line just naturally goes through the material.
Should You Cover Your Grill in Winter?
Whether you’re using a small grill cover or an oversized tarp, you absolutely need to cover it in winter.
It’s not just about protecting it from snow landing on it or forgetting where you put it beneath a snowbank, it’s about protecting it from rust.
When the snow melts, it can rust the hell out of your grill like nothing else.
Even if you’re using your grill through the winter months, it’s still going to be a problem.
Unfortunately, since most grill covers are just designed to go down to the wheels and not provide cover for underneath them, the hardware on those rolling wheels are prone to rusting even if the rest of the grill is protected.
At this point, you should cover it to protect it from dings and scratches, and find a shed or a spot in the back of your garage to store it for a while.
If you want to use it during the winter, you absolutely can, but you should be proactive and wheel it out when you want it and put it back when you’re done.
However, if you want to keep it out during the winter anyway because you use it all the time, there’s something you can do.
Put an umbrella over it.
I’m not kidding; position it underneath your picnic table, or just buy a separate umbrella and stand, and put it over it.
When it snows, you’re left with this dry ring around your grill and no rusty surprises when you lift the cover off.
Just be sure to shovel around it so that if it snows more, it doesn’t collapse and get around your wheels anyway.
Keep it Safe, Keep the Flavor Alive
If you keep your grill safe, it’ll continue to shine in the sun, and prevent moisture from building up in the ash bins or underneath the lid.
It’s not just about protecting the aesthetics; it’s about ensuring that you don’t mess with the functionality of your grill by leaving it out in the rain.
Responsible grill owners who use it more than twice per year should absolutely cover their grill.
Last update on 2022-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
