A portable garage can help you keep your car safe, clean, and secure when you don’t have a proper garage to park it in. This article will give you a detailed overview of the 5 best portable garages in the market.
Introduction: Do you constantly drive around to different places? Do you need to find a safe and secure shelter for your car when you have it parked under the open skies? Would you like to find a portable shelter for your car? If so, you’re in dire need of a portable garage.
A portable garage is a lightweight semi-enclosed structure that can easily be set up and taken down within minutes. It can also be folded up and carried in a vehicle. As such, whenever you have to park your car under the open skies, you can simply set up your portable garage over it.
In the past couple of years, portable garages have become extremely popular. There is a wide range of portable garages for you to choose from. All of them serve different functionalities, some are good, and some are weak.
In order to help you make an informed decision, we’ve compiled this list of the 5 best portable garages on the market. To compile this list, we personally vetted dozens of the best reviewed portable garages, analyzed their features, and arrived at this conclusion.
So read on to find out about the 5 best portable garages of 2018.
Best Portable Garages 2020 — Our Top Picks
| Best Magnetic Screen Doors | Check Price |
|---|---|
| ShelterLogic Garage-in-a-Box |  |
| Quictent Car Party Wedding Tent | |
| Peaktop Portable Carport Garage | |
| Abba Patio Outdoor Carport Canopy | |
| Caravan Canopy Mega Domain | |
1. ShelterLogic Garage-In-A-Box
The ShelterLogic Garage-in-a-Box is a fully enclosed garage that’s affordable, durable, and made of top-shelf materials. That’s why it’s widely considered to be one of the best portable garages in the market.
The Garage-in-a-Box comes in two different size dimensions — one which is 12 x 16 feet, and another which is 12 x 20 feet. They’re both wide enough to accommodate RVs, ATVs, motorbikes, and SUVs. As such, regardless of what you drive, you can park it in this portable garage.
This carport has also been designed keeping different weather conditions in mind. It’s made of a 100% waterproof triple-layer ripstop fabric and uses a UV-treated polyethylene cover, both of which contribute to making it wind, water, and sun resistant. A ratchet cover tightening mechanism is employed to ensure that the tarp remains neat and stretched out at all times. No matter how heavy the downpour, you can rest assured that it won’t sag at the top. A slide-across rail is also provided to manually tighten the covers further, should the need arise.
The steel frames are pretty strong at 1-3/8 inches, providing ideal stability. And they are covered with a coating of Dupont powder, which helps prevent the poles from corroding or rusting over time. Additionally, ShelterLogic also uses steel stabilizers to further ground the frames. There are 6 ribs spaced out across 4 feet from each other, and this contributes to an enhanced support system for the garage.
- The tarp is extremely weather resistant.
- A lot of measures — such as the ratchet cover tensioning mechanism — are taken to ensure the tarp and cover remain firmly in place.
- The steel frames are durable and covered with Dupont powder to prevent corrosion.
- Assembly of the garage is complicated and the instructions are not very clear.
- While it’s a great option as a make-shift garage for events, it’s not highly portable.
Rating
4.5 stars
The perfect portable garage for big events and for homes that don’t have a built-in garage. It’s durable, strong, and weather resistant. But it can’t easily be taken down and reassembled.
2. Quictent 20’X10′ Carport Car Canopy Party Wedding Tent
This Quictent Car Party Wedding Tent is the best Canopy-style portable garage in the market. It’s extremely reasonable and effective, and it can be assembled and dismantled within a few minutes. Even though it’s not covered from the sides, it provides a lot of overhead protection for cars and equipment.
It measures 10 x 20 feet in width and length and has a ceiling height of 8.7 feet at its peak. As such, you can use the space to store cars or other garage items as well.
The Polyethylene Fabric cover is extremely thick. It’s reinforced PE material that’s waterproof, can prevent UV rays from getting through, and it doesn’t tear either. It’s long-lasting and you can be assured that it will resist the natural elements for years to come.
The structure is held up with the help of a series of thick net poles and heavy-duty powder coated frames. This helps hold up the entire structure of the canopy garage. The use of the powder coating ensures that the frame is abrasion-resistant as well.
This portable garage also comes with a great set of warranties in place. You get a lifetime free replacement warranty for connectors, elastic ropes, pegs, etc. You have a 1-year free warranty for the tarp and poles, and a Lifetime Free Replacement warranty for the natural-loss poles.
- Extremely easy to assemble and take down.
- Assembly is a single man job.
- Spacious.
- Reasonable.
- No side walls so can’t protect the car from really strong windy rains.
Rating
4.5 stars
The ideal canopy-style garage for long-term durable use if you want a garage that you can easily carry around and assemble on your own.
3. Peaktop 20’x10’ Heavy Duty Portable Carport Garage
The Peaktop Portable Carport Garage is one of the best fully-enclosed portable garages in the market. In addition to being fully enclosed, it also features inbuilt windows so it has a wide utility beyond car storage. It can also be used to host lunch parties out in the open.
This is an extremely reasonable portable garage that’s also made of heavy-duty materials and is easy to set up. It measures 20’ x 10’ x 9’ so it can accommodate a wide range of vehicles from RVs and SUVs to motorcycles and other garage items. The cover is made of waterproof polyethylene, has two removable sidewalls, and a series of transparent window panes.
Both ends of the garage are reinforced with double zipper doors, and the whole structure is held together with 38mm thick white powder-coated steel poles. The density of the poles can hold up the tent under most conditions, however, the manufacturer advises against using it during snowfall.
Unlike many of the other fully-enclosed portable garages that are hard to assemble, the Peaktop carport garage is extremely easy to assemble and the instructions provided are clear to follow.
- Easy to assemble and take down.
- It features clear window panes.
- The framework is rust and corrosion resistant.
- The sidewalls are removable.
- The doorways can be zipper locked.
- The biggest issue with this portable garage is that the side walls and covers start flapping when it gets too windy.
- Some users have also commented that a strong wind or heavy rainfall can break the poles.
Rating
3.5 stars
This fully-enclosed portable garage is extremely easy to assemble and it can even be used to host parties because of the windows and removable sidewalls. However, it’s not very durable and weather-resistant and can come down with snowfall or strong winds.
4. Abba Patio Outdoor Carport Canopy
The Abba Patio is a Canopy-style portable garage that’s available in two colors — Beige and White. It’s one of the most affordable and durable portable garages in the market that offers you enough space to host all forms of vehicles, including large SUVs and RVs.
It features 6 evenly spaced legs that provide strength and integrity to the structure. The framework is powder-coated to prevent corrosion or rusting, and the covers are waterproof and resistant to windy conditions.
This portable garage comes with an illustrated instruction manual that can be understood and followed by anyone at all. The assembly and dismantling of this garage only take a few minutes. As such, you can carry it around anywhere you want and set it up with ease.
The open design of this garage is also great for ventilation and makes for a great structure to host open-air events under.
- Affordable.
- Strong heavy-duty powder-coated framework.
- Foot pads are available to ground the poles.
- Simple assembly and easy-to-follow illustrated instructions.
- Waterproof and UV-resistant tough polyethylene fabric.
- The canopy’s color starts fading soon.
- Not suitable for the longterm hosting of cars.
Rating
4 stars
The ideal portable solution for people who need to dismantle and assemble garages often.
The Caravan Canopy Mega Domain is a canopy-style portable garage that’s extremely stable and affordable. It features 8 legs that provide optimal durability and support. The steel frame is made of 2-inch poles and features a compression lock to increase its strength, and footpads are used to ground the garage on soft ground. The canvas used for the cover is made from heat-sealed and waterproof polyethylene.
It’s one of the most structurally stable canopy portable garages. However, due to the open sides and lack of adequate cover, it can’t protect your car from dust or rain if it’s windy.
- Structurally sound.
- 8 legs for added support, along with footpads for stability on soft ground.
- Waterproof.
- The framework is powder-coated for preventing corrosion.
- Easy to assemble.
- Open on all sides.
Rating
4 stars
One of the most structurally strong canopy-style portable garages that can be used by individuals who require easy and quick assembly.
Portable Garages Buyer’s Guide
In this part of the article, we’ll give you a complete rundown of all the information you need on portable garages. We’ll give you an overview of all the benefits of keeping a portable garage, how to use and assemble them, and the factors to consider when buying them.
How to use a Portable Garage?
The following steps and tips need to be followed to use a portable garage:
- Portable garages can only be assembled on the level ground. If the ground isn’t level, you need to first add wooden planks or some other form of an even structure.
- Go through the instruction manual and set up the poles accordingly.
- You need to brace the poles on the ground so that they remain upright.
- Install the tarp on top of the poles and drive the car into it.
Why you need a Portable Garage
The following are some of the most important benefits of owning a portable garage:
- Protects the car from natural factors like falling leaves, bird spat, dust, condensation, etc. It also prevents dust from settling over the car, keeping it clean for a longer period of time. Furthermore, you can be assured that you won’t wake up to find that your windshield is caked with dirt.
- Rain, snowfall, hail, and other similar natural conditions can damage the car, scratch its veneer, etc. However, if the car is parked under the portable garage, you can rest assured it will be safe.
- Ultraviolet radiations can harm a car’s veneer. Furthermore, if a car is subjected to rapid temperature changes for a long time, it may develop structural damages.
- If your car is parked in a garage — even a portable one — it will be a less likely subject of vandalism, theft, etc.
- If you can assure your insurance provider that your car will spend most of its time in a garage, you can receive a lower insurance premium, thus proving to be cost-effective in the long run.
- If the car is kept in a garage, it’s likely to remain warmer during cold days. As such, when you need to turn it on, it won’t get stuck because of a frozen engine. The warmth also ensures that the car’s fluids and oils are maintained in the ideal temperature range to prevent them from freezing over.
Types of Portable Garage
Portable Garages are available in three different types according to their enclosure and design — Canopy, Full Enclosure, and Cocoon.
Canopy
This is one of the most reasonable and popular forms of portable garages in the market. The poles support a single overhead canopy that protects the car from damages from falling branches, rain, etc. They are also the easiest to install and carry around.
However, a canopy cover isn’t very powerful and if the rain is extremely heavy, or if there’s a strong wind it could get blown away or be rendered inefficient. Furthermore, a canopy cover can’t protect your car from random acts of vandalism.
Full Enclosure
As the name suggests, these are the most versatile form of portable garages that can cover every side of the car — the sides, front, back, and top. It will provide complete cover and protection for your car, and you can even lock it so no one else may access it.
However, it’s not as portable as the Canopy cover and is used as a make-shift garage during parties, or it can be hoisted permanently in the yard.
Cocoon
a Cocoon-style portable garage isn’t really even much of a garage. It’s more like a large sleeve for the car. You can cover up the whole car with it to keep it clean. It’s cheap, doesn’t take up any space, and it keeps the car clean. However, it can’t protect your car from falling twigs or branches, and anyone can simply pull the covers off.
Factors to Consider when buying a Portable Garage
The following are some of the most important features and factors that you have to take into consideration when you’re buying a portable garage.
Design and Type of Cover
As explained above, there are three types of portable garages available — Canopy, Full Enclosure, and Cocoon. You should use the one which meets your needs best. If you need something highly-portable to keep your car clean, you can go for the Cocoon style. And if you need a complete garage to keep your car safe, you can use the Full Enclosure.
Whatever you choose the buy, it needs to be based on your personal structural needs.
Material of the Cover
You should ideally buy garages with powder-coated steel frames. If they aren’t powder coated, they won’t hold up under the strains of bad weather conditions. The coating will also prevent the frames from corroding and rusting over time.
The covering or the tarp should be made of polyurethane or polyethylene. These are the most durable and weather-resistant materials out there. Polyethylene can also prevent UV rays from getting through. The cheapest alternative is polyester, but it won’t be very durable.
Size
The size of your portable garage needs to meet your car’s size retirement. Ideally, you should get a garage that’s bigger than your car so no part of it is left uncovered. Even if you get a canopy-style garage, you’ll still need to ensure that the width of space between the legs should be wide enough for the car to fit through, with plenty of space left for the doors to open.
Portability
This factor leads straight from the previous one about size. While it’s important to make sure your car fits into the garage, you should also make sure the garage is portable and can be folded up and carried around in the trunk of your car.
Ease-of-Installation
You’ll have to set up the portable garage on your own. As such, you should make sure that the installation is quick and painless. The cocoon-style garage won’t need any installation. However, all other garages will need you to set up the poles, base, and the tarp. It’s advisable to look for one which can be easily installed and dismantled by a single person within a few short minutes.
Features
The primary function of a portable garage is to offer shelter to your cars and to be portable. However, some of the portable garages also offer additional utilities and use. For example, a portable garage with windows can be used as an outdoor dining space. And canopy-type garages can also be used as booths or stations during large events and gatherings. The possibilities are never-ending.
Conclusion
So now you know all about the best portable garages in the market. As we’ve already mentioned earlier, these garages can really help keep your car in ideal condition, enhance its lifespan, and negate the need for constant car washing.
In addition to giving you an overview of portable garages and their benefits, we’ve provided you with a list of the 5 best portable garages on the market right now. These garages have been selected by our team after thorough vetting and examination.
If you have any other questions regarding portable garages, feel free to mention them in the comments section.
Got my Peaktop Peaktop Carport Garage a week ago, and I must say it is terrible. The sides are shaking and making sound when it gets windy. Also the poles bent after 2-3 windy days. Terrible experience.
We are sorry that you have experienced all that. But we intend to inform you that we have already mentioned them in the cons list. We recommend our customers to read the article completely before buying. We suggest you return the item and buy a suitable garage for you. Thank you.
I have a Hyundai Sonata, does it fit any of these portable garages. A informative reply would be highly appreciated.
Yes, it would perfectly fit in all the above products. Read the article and consider buying what you think might suit the best. Thanks.