Every November the phone starts ringing the afternoon a storm warning goes out for Brisbane. Usually it's someone who's had a car dented before and doesn't want to go through the insurance claim again. So, are hail covers worth it? For most people who park outside, yes, as long as you know what they can and can't do.
What a hail cover actually does
A proper hail cover is a fitted car cover with a layer of foam built in. Ours have 6mm of cushioned foam over the roof, bonnet, boot and windows, and down the sides. A hailstone hitting the cover has to push through that padding before it reaches the metal. Most of its energy goes into the foam instead of your roof.
A normal car cover doesn't do this. It's a thin sheet of fabric that keeps sun and bird droppings off. Hail goes straight through it.
Where they work well
- Small to medium hail. This is most of what south-east Queensland, NSW and Victoria get in a typical storm, and it's where a padded cover earns its money.
- Glass. Windscreens and sunroofs are expensive and slow to replace. Foam over the glass takes a lot of risk off the table.
- People with no undercover parking. Unit blocks, street parking, the work car park, caravan parks on a trip.
Where they don't
- Giant hail. When stones get to cricket-ball size, no 6mm cover is going to stop all the damage. It will reduce it, but nothing short of a garage or carport is hail-proof.
- If you're not home. A cover in the boot does nothing if the car is sitting in a car park and you're stuck in a meeting. It's a tool you have to use.
- As a permanent cover. They're built for storms. Leave one on for weeks and heat and moisture get trapped against the paint. PC Procovers says no longer than 6 weeks at a time.
The maths
Our covers run from roughly $200 to $250 depending on size. Comprehensive car insurance in Australia generally covers hail. But you'll usually pay an excess, often several hundred dollars, and a bad claim can push your premium up at renewal. Then there's being without the car while it sits in a repair queue after a big storm. A single storm that the cover gets you through usually pays for it.
Making it work for you
- Get the right size. Measure bumper to bumper and add 10cm. Our hail cover size guide has a chart for popular models.
- Practise once. On a calm day, fit it and take it off. The second time takes a couple of minutes.
- Watch the warnings. The BOM app's thunderstorm warnings give you time to get it on before the wind picks up.
- Don't fit it in the storm. If hail has started, stay inside. A dented car is cheaper than a trip to hospital.
- Dry it before you store it. Hang it over the clothesline or a fence the next day, then roll it up.
Our take
If you've got a garage, use it. If you don't, a padded hail cover is the cheapest real protection you can buy for a car that lives outside. That's why they're the best-selling thing in our shop every storm season.
See all hail cover sizes, or call us on (07) 3340 4392 and tell us what you drive.