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Car owners who live in areas with harsh winters know just how much damage poor weather conditions can cause to your vehicle. Extreme temperatures can even stress your windshields to the point of cracking the glass. In addition to expensive — and even dangerous — damage, cold weather can also cost you a lot of time in the morning as you struggle to scrape thick layers of frost off your glass. Plus, trying to find quicker ways to remove frost can also damage your windshield more than the weather itself. Floor Matts Car
This is exactly why using a windshield snow cover can save lots of time and money in the long run. Despite being relatively low-tech, a fabric accessory can physically protect your vehicle from frost and other tough weather conditions. You may not want to take a couple of minutes to attach a cover after parking your car for the night, but then you likely won't need to scrape ice off your glass in the morning — or, even worse, take your car to a body shop to replace a cracked windshield.
With so many snow covers on the market to choose from, you may not know how to narrow down your options. One good metric to go by is user ratings given by customers who have firsthand experience with a product. Here are five of the highest-rated snow covers that can protect your car's windshield from harsh winter conditions, backed by additional reviews from reputable publications like Popular Mechanics and Road & Track.
The EcoNour Windshield Cover for Ice and Snow is the number one best-selling windshield snow cover on Amazon, and out of nearly 8,000 ratings it has an average user review score of 4.5 out of 5. On EcoNour's own website, it has a 4.83 score out of nearly 500 reviews. One reason it might be so highly rated is that, between its two sizes, the product can fit a wide range of windshield sizes. Popular Science names this feature as one of the cover's biggest benefits — especially if you have an oddly-shaped windshield — along with its durable 600D polyester design. The publication criticizes the fact that it's not made from sustainable materials, however.
EcoNour's cover will protect your windshield not just from snow and cold weather, but also from sun, rain, bird droppings, and leaves that can get under your hood and clog your wipers. The accessory also comes with mirror elastics and anti-theft door panels. Unfortunately, the EcoNour Windshield Cover for Ice and Snow is on the higher end of the price range for most windshield covers and has a list price of $45.99 on Amazon. However, you can currently find it for around $32.
With an average score of 4.5 out of five stars from nearly 4,600 user reviews, the FrostGuard Plus is one of the highest-rated snow covers on Amazon. Made by Urban Transit — which also manufactures solar windshield covers, steering wheel covers, and other automotive accessories — the XL size of the FrostGuard Plus measures 16 x 9 x 2.25 inches and has pockets for each side mirror. It's constructed with durable polyester and PVC lining that makes the cover both stick-resistant and fully waterproof, and an included quick-dry storage pouch will let you quickly put the cover away without getting the interior of your car wet.
Included side poles will also help hold the cover in place in windy conditions. While Popular Mechanics named the FrostGuard Plus its best budget windshield snow cover of 2022, the publication did note a flaw in its design that could allow for heavy wind to flip the bottom of the cover upwards. This may potentially expose your windshield glass at the worst possible time — during a winter storm. For what it's worth, the cover itself comes with a one-year warranty. You can purchase the FrostGuard Plus on Amazon for $30.
Durability is one of the most important qualities to look for in a windshield cover, and according to Popular Science, the OxGord Windshield Snow Cover is the most durable cover of them all. In its review of the product, the publication notes that OxGord's accessory is made of "a thick Oxford cloth with a durable inner lining that provides protection in all weather," including not just snow, frost, and water, but also debris and harmful UV light. It shouldn't be a surprise then — out of over 9,500 user reviews on Amazon — the OxGord Windshield Snow Cover is one of the highest-rated, with a score of 4.5 out of five.
It's also fairly easy to install and doesn't use suction cups, magnets, or other mechanisms that could scratch your vehicle. Plus, it uses anti-theft side flaps that close inside car doors which also help secure the cover from stronger winds. OxGord's snow cover also has a universal fit that can cover many different-sized windshields — it's 75 inches long and 42.25 inches tall. One drawback to the product is that, unlike some other windshield covers, it doesn't cover side mirrors. If you can live with that, you can find the OxGord Windshield Snow Cover on Amazon for $30.
Out of over 1,400 user ratings, the Gintenco Magnetic Windshield Snow Cover has an average score of 4.4, making it one of the higher-rated snow covers on Amazon. It comes in two different sizes and should be able to fit most sedans, trucks, SUVs, vans, and jeeps. The cover is constructed from aluminum foil film, cotton, and other fabrics that allow it to help preserve the interior temperature of a vehicle while still being relatively lightweight (it weighs less than 1.5 pounds). The cover uses rare-earth magnets, as well as mirror straps and side flaps, to stay secure to a vehicle — even in windier weather.
It should be noted that Gintenco's product isn't as heavy-duty as some of the other highest-rated snow covers. Popular Science warns that "frost can sneak under" the fabric and onto your windshield if it's not pulled tight enough when installed. However, the publication also names the Gintenco Magnetic Windshield Snow Cover as its best budget pick for windshield snow covers of 2023, and its low price may outweigh its thinner design. You can currently find it on Amazon for just $14.44, and usually no higher than $21. It doesn't come with any storage bag, however, which may be why it's a little cheaper than covers that do.
Named by the automotive news and review publication Road & Track as one of last winter's seven best windshield snow covers on the market, the AstroAI Windshield Cover for Ice and Snow also happens to be one of the higher-rated snow covers on Amazon. It has a healthy score of 4.3 out of 5 from nearly 2,500 user reviews, as well as a 4.6 out of 5 on AstroAI's product page. Part of the overall customer satisfaction with AstroAI's cover likely comes from its easy installation. Four included elastic straps help secure the cover firmly to the windshield by attaching to the wheels of your vehicle and can have their length adjusted to conform to the size of your car. The cover itself is 100 percent waterproof and has a non-woven cotton lining to prevent scratching your exterior.
Foldable Sunshade Other perks to AstroAI's cover included anti-theft buckles, a storage bag that comes with the product, and side mirror covers. The side mirror covers have a yellow reflective strip to make them visible to other vehicles driving by, which is especially useful in poor weather conditions. AstroAI sells its windshield cover directly from its own website for $29.99, while Amazon has it listed for $45.99, which may be frustrating if you prefer to use the retailer. However, Amazon currently has it on sale for $31.99.