Pontoon Boat Covers

Looking for Pontoon Boat Covers? Read our reviews and discover where to buy them for less.

Pontoon Boat Covers: Here’s What You Need

When you’re shopping for a pontoon boat, you’ll find that most of the boat companies will try to sell you a lot of accessories that you don’t really need. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and to fall into the trap of thinking that the more accessories you have, the better. But the fact is that you just don’t need most of these things, and if you do get them, you probably won’t use them very much.

That being said, pontoon boat covers are one accessory that you simply can’t go without. As great as boats are, most of us don’t use them more than a few times a year—perhaps a dozen times, if you live near the water. The rest of the time, the boat is just sitting around, exposed to the elements.

Of course, if you have enough garage space to store your pontoon boat indoors, then you may be one of the few people who can skip pontoon boat covers. But for the rest of us, it’s going to be necessary to store our boats outdoors, either at the dock in the water or perhaps in the backyard. Particularly if you live in a humid place or an area that gets a lot of precipitation, having your boat outside can cause it to age pretty quickly. That’s where pontoon boat covers come in handy.

The best kinds of pontoon boat covers are made of marine-grade polyester, which is a heavy-duty, rugged fabric that keeps the water out and blocks any atmospheric pollution from getting through to the boat. Many manufacturers include covers like this as a standard add-on for most of their boats. However, if you get your boat from a seller that doesn’t offer a cover, they’re easy enough to find. It’s just a matter finding one that is the right size for your boat. Also, make sure that your cover is water resistant, UV resistant, and breathable. This latter point is important because if you don’t allow air to circulate through the boat, there’s a chance that mold and mildew will grow, and cleaning can be a hassle.

If you get a high-quality pontoon boat cover, it should come with a corset design that lets you tighten several drawstrings running up and down the boat. This helps make sure that your boat is under a very secure cover when it’s in storage, but it’s also ideal for covering your boat during long, high-speed drives to the water.

As far as prices of pontoon boat covers go, there is a huge range. The highest quality covers for larger-sized boats can be upwards of $400-500, which is quite reasonable when you consider the benefits you get from them. On the cheaper end of the spectrum, you can find some more economical pontoon boat covers for under $200. But be warned: these cheaper covers will not protect your boat nearly as well, and this will cause your boat to deteriorate faster.