Should I Cover My Grill? Our Advice and Reasons Why

So you’ve bought a new grill, and now the question of “should I cover my grill?” is going through your mind.

After all, spending an extra 50 to 100 or more bucks on a grill cover might not sound like the most exciting thing.  Especially after you probably just spent a decent amount of money on the grill itself.

In this article, we’ll clearly answer the question for those asking should I cover my grill?  By the end, you should have a better picture of why grill covers are important, whether they’re worth the investment, and what you should be looking out for when you choose one.

Reasons You Should Cover Your Grill

When it comes to covering your grill, there are a few reasons why it’s a good idea – here’s a quick list of the top reasons that make covering your grill beneficial.

A grill cover protects your grill from the weather elements.  Keeping rain and snow off of your grill is key to long term care, and it will also ensure that your grill doesn’t develop rust on any of its parts.  Especially if you live in an area where it snows, a grill cover comes in super handy.  You can simply just remove your grill cover and get to grilling when it’s time to cook instead of having to clean snow off of your grill.

You also get protection from elements in nature with a grill cover.  If you setup is near trees or other plants, a cover will protect your grill from tree sap, pollen, dust, dirt, and water spots from contaminating your grill.  The last thing you want is for any of those substances to get into your food!  There’s also the element of critters and pets – a grill cover will protect your grill from getting messed with, nested in, or defecated on by birds and animals.

If your grill is placed next to a lawn, a grill cover will also protect your grill from lawn chemicals, fertilizers, and other substances that might be corrosive to your cooker.

In general, grill covers just flat out extend the life of your grill.  For all of the reasons listed out above, using a grill cover is a major component of properly caring for your grill.  Using a cover combined with routine cleaning of your grill can increase the life of your grill for years, and potentially even decades.

Helpful Information About Grill Covers

Here are a few key things to keep in mind when you’re looking for a grill cover to buy, along with tips for how to best protect your grill.

Which Grill Cover Material Is Best?

Generally speaking, you should avoid easy to tear materials or any felt lined or flannel lined covers.  These materials generally won’t last a long time and will look ratty after a year or so of use.  You also run the risk of small critters tearing off pieces of your cover to use for building their nest.

The best grill cover materials are vinyl, polyester, oilcloth, and weather-proof nylon.  There are plenty of options available on the market in these types of materials, so finding one shouldn’t be an issue.

Should I Get a Custom Grill Cover or a Generic One?

There are really two routes you can go when you purchase a grill cover.  You can purchase a custom cover directly from the manufacturer of your grill, or you can buy a generic third party cover for your grill.

With a custom cover, you’ll typically pay a little bit more – but your cover is guaranteed to fit your grill snugly.  That’s because the manufacturer will have designed the cover specifically for the model of grill that you purchased.  For the most part, custom grill covers are made of the right materials and are truly high quality – especially if you buy a grill from a reputable manufacturer.

Generic grill covers on the other hand are designed by third parties and are meant to work for a wide variety of grill types.  The benefit of a third party grill cover is that you will probably get a much better price – which can be great if you happen to find a cover that fits your grill snugly.  Finding that snug fit might be challenging though, as many third party covers by design are meant to fit a lot of grills kind of well as opposed to fitting a few grills perfectly.

At the end of the day, it boils down to your preference.  Personally, I’ve always gone the custom grill cover route because I value the snug fit – I think it stays on better in the wind and just generally does a better job of protecting my grill.

You can check out our list of the best third party grill covers right here.

Beware of Humidity

If you live in a humid climate, a grill cover can actually work against you if you aren’t careful.  Basically, you need to let your grill breathe – about once a month to be safe – if you live in a humid area and don’t use your grill for extended periods of time.  Humidity and moisture can build up on your grill and get trapped under the cover, and actually lead to rust and damage if you never take the cover off and let it breathe.

Of course, this isn’t an issue at all if you regularly use your grill.  Your grill will naturally get to breathe every time you take the cover off and cook a tasty meal.

Should I Cover My Gas Grill?

Yes, you should cover your gas grill.  Frankly, no matter which type of grill you have, all of the above reasons apply.

Final Thoughts

I hope this article has helped to clear up the air about grill covers, and why it’s so important to cover your grill.  Even though an extra purchase to go along with your cooker can seem burdensome, investing in a proper grill cover will pay dividends with years of extra life added to your grill.