Best bike covers: Keep your pride and joy protected from the elements
The best bike covers keep your bike protected from the elements when you need to store them outside, or protect your house when you bring the bikes in
The best bike covers might seem like a superfluous addition to your list of bike accessories, but a good one can be looked at as an investment in the longevity and protection of your bike.
None of the best bike storage solutions involves leaving your bike outside in the rain, but for some, it's an inevitable reality. Not all of us are blessed with a garage, or even dedicated outdoor storage shed. While some of us are fortunate enough to be able to keep our bikes in the house, some of us need to store them outside.
Unfortunately, this comes with an increase in how quickly your bike will wear, but that's where the best bike covers come in. A good quality, full-coverage bike cover can keep the elements at bay and help your bike stay healthier for longer, reducing maintenance costs down the line.
Some covers are designed to be a permanent feature, others for protection at the office on rainy days where no sheltered bike parking is available. Some are better suited to keeping your investment protected while it’s on a bike rack, and a small minority are even made to help you bring a filthy bike indoors, either into a car or a house, without necessarily having to wash it.
Remember though, a cover won’t keep your bike from getting filthy if you ride it, and won't stop it from rusting either, so take a look at our guide on how to clean your bike to make sure yours keeps running smoothly.
The options we’ve tested below cover a spread from lightweight commuter protection to at-home storm coverage, plus a couple of indoor options. They’ve been assessed for ease of use, durability, fit and waterproofness, so whichever scenario you’re looking for coverage for, you should find a solution here.
If you're still unsure as to what to look for by the end we've put together a handy guide to help you make the right choice, too.
Best bike covers: Quick list
The Topeak Bike Cover is lightweight and packs away small for carrying. It's a little tight over a road bike though.
The Bike Parka packs away small and the velcro straps allow you to fix it to your bike frame easily.
For at-home protection, the Storm Skin is robust, capacious and should prove durable.
The Oxford Aquatex bike cover is low priced, but does what it needs to to protect your bike.
The Velosock is for indoor use and helps keep bike grease and dirt off your floor.
The best bike covers available today
You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.
We've checked this guide in April 2024, when all the bike covers listed below were still available to purchase.
Best overall
1. Topeak Bike Cover
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Topeak bike cover, available in three options depending on the type of bike you have, is certainly a neat and compact solution when packed away, and out of the bunch it’s definitely the most commuter-friendly. The integrated zippered pouch would easily fit into a backpack without much issue, helping you remain prepared for unexpected rain protection.
It took 1 minute 49 seconds for me to fit this bike cover onto my test bike, which isn't as fast as the similarly pitched Oxford Aquatex, and while it lacks any tensioning besides an elasticated base, the fit was snug enough to avoid any ponding of water during a soaking test. That being said, it was certainly the snuggest fit, even on a 56cm Specialized Allez, and it wouldn’t accommodate my longer wheelbase Fairlight Secan gravel bike, so if you’re running a 58cm frame or larger, I’d suggest this might be too small to reasonably use.
The shape is well thought through to accommodate handlebars, and thanks to the snugness it provided the best fit of the bunch, and the 190T Nylon was plenty waterproof enough to dissuade any water from penetrating. The lack of access holes for a lock does mean the cover will also have to accommodate whatever you’re locking the bike to though, and given it’s already a snug fit this may be problematic.
Re-packing the cover took 1:44, which was on the longer side. Naturally, it didn’t pack away as neatly as it came out, and would need folding to achieve this. I cannot imagine a beleaguered commuter opting to fold a bike cover in high winds, so opted for a haphazard-stuff as a better real-world test - I do worry, too, for the long term service life of the zip, which does strain while packing it away.
Best for commuters
2. Bike Parka
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Another commuter facing option, the Bike Parka bike cover is constructed from ripstop tarpaulin fabric, with taped seams. I tested the Stash model, which didn’t feature lock access flaps, but Bike Parka also offers an Urban model that does, as well as larger models to accommodate mountain and even cargo bikes.
The compact size was commuter-friendly, especially considering the stuff sack comes with velcro loops to attach to the frame. While it wasn’t as neat and compact as the Topeak or Oxford offerings, the material itself felt more sturdy, and so for regular commuting rather than occasional use, this might be something that tips the balance for you.
The cinch strap on the spine, as with the Storm Skin, is necessary to avoid ponding, but the material itself is more than waterproof enough to keep the elements at bay. The slightly tacky nature of tarp material made covering a slower affair than most at 1:56, but restuffing was a middle-of-the-road 1:33, though it was rather difficult. Again, as with the Topeak and Oxford offerings, folding would likely make it easier, but in the real world, this isn't going to happen.
Best for at-home protection
3. Storm Skin
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Storm Skin is the most bulky bike cover we tested. So much so that I don’t realistically see this as a viable option for a commuter.
While its size may be a drawback for those out and about, it does mean it’s much more accommodating of being placed over bike racks, and so represents a better system for more permanent, at-home protection. Two large slits allow access to locks both at the front and rear, should you wish to be doubly secure, which might be wise as the tropical styling certainly makes this the most aesthetic option too.
The heavy plasticised canvas is rated to 6000mm hydrostatic head, and taped seams throughout keep the water out. Only when spraying a hose directly at the lock openings did I notice any ingress.
An elasticated base, plus eyelets for further bungees help keep the slightly formless shape in check, as does a central elasticated cinch along the spine of the cover - without tightening this, I found ponding of water does occur. Handy arrows point to the front too, which helped when unfurling, but it still took me 2:42 to adequately cover my test bike, the longest time of all. On the flip side, I stowed it away in a minute on the nose, made easy by a roomy stuff sack.
Given the size and the large slits on both sides, I can see this having a use for coverage in transit, but Storm Skin is at pains to point out that it hasn’t been tested for such an application, so do so at your own risk.
Best budget bike cover
4. Oxford Aquatex
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Oxford Aquatex represents the most ‘no frills’ bike cover in this list. No cinch pulls, no lock loops, just a simply elasticated lower with a belly strap. It wasn’t as tight as the Topeak, though it fulfils much the same function as a lightweight and easily portable bike cover. If you’re looking for something like this and have a larger bike this would be the one to go for, especially if the price of the Topeak isn't for you.
The lack of cinches and larger size did make it a little more flappy, combined with a material that, although waterproof enough to repel even the staunchest battering from the garden hose, felt more flimsy than the similar material used by Topeak. It is however a cheaper offering, and so less durable materials shouldn’t be a surprise.
A 1m 39s covering was relatively easy, but the elasticated base isn't the tightest, adding to the flappy feeling. Stowing the cover away took 1m 33s, though was a little frustrating as the zip on the pouch kept creeping open. As with the Topeak, I worry for the longevity of the zip too.
Best for indoor use
5. Velosock
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Velosock occupies a slightly different role than the other options in this list, that being to protect the inside of your house from the muck on your bike, rather than protecting your bike from the elements. The material is super stretchy, and so can accommodate a wide variety of shapes, though it's a little more involved to install given it goes on from the bottom rather than the top so as to protect flooring - take it from me, black chain grease is very hard to get out of a cream carpet.
If you're not fussy you can get a plain option, but there are pages of design options and the facility to create a completely custom design if that's your thing, and while it doesn't come cheap you could at least try and blend it in with the wallpaper.
How to choose the best bike cover for you
Do I need a bike cover?
Bike covers are primarily designed to keep water off your bike, which over time can lead to corrosion. We all ride in the rain, and your bike won't dissolve if it gets wet, but if you are regularly storing your bike outside, either at work or at home, then a bike cover might be a good idea to protect your bike and stop the wear from accelerating.
Which type of bike cover is best?
This very much depends on your use case. If you only need to store the bikes outside at home, and don't need to bring a cover with you out and about then a large, sturdy option like the Storm Skin will likely be the best bet.
If on the other hand you're commuting and need something lightweight and easily packable then options like the Topeak will be a better bet.
Finally, if you're in need of indoor protection then something like the Velosock will probably be the one to go for, as it can do away with any need for waterproofing.
What should I look for in a bike cover?
All the covers on test here that were designed for outdoor use are sufficiently waterproof to withstand heavy rain. Some are more sturdy, but that won't necessarily keep your bike more dry. The materials will be more durable though, if product longevity is important to you.
For commuters the ability to access a lock is definitely of use; you'll sacrifice absolute waterproofness thanks to having holes in the cover, but they all have flaps and in reality the trade off is worth it.
More expensive options will have some level of adjustable fit, allowing you to tighten the cover around your bike. Without this the material can flap, and even create ponds that will sit until disturbed. While not fatal, this will certainly test the seams of any bike cover over time.
How did we test the best bike covers?
As close to a real-world simulation as was possible was used. Each cover was unfurled without looking at the instructions (it's a bike cover, it shouldn't need instructions) and placed over a size 56cm Specialized Allez. The covering was timed, and then as the British weather wasn't playing ball (it was sunny for a change!), the covers were sprayed for a prolonged period with a hose, particularly at any weak points like seams or lock holes.
The bike covers were then stuffed away into their respective covers, again timed, to give an indication of the ease at which they can be used. While not totally scientific it was certainly enough to differentiate those which were easily stowed from those which were a struggle.
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Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.
