Do you need to ensure that your outdoor faucet doesn’t freeze once the cold weather hits your home? Faucet covers provide the most cost-efficient option available, making them a great choice for temporary residents or people on a strict budget. But which product is right for you?
In this PlumbingNav guide, we will cover:
What is the best outdoor faucet cover?
How do outdoor faucet covers actually work?
What are the different types of outdoor faucet insulation covers?
What do you look for in the best hose spigot covers?
Best faucet covers reviewed
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Product
Our Top Pick
Our Top Pick
ArtiGifts Pro Outdoor Faucet Cover Socks for Winter Freeze Protection, 5.9″ W x 7.7″ H, Black, Set of 2
Our top pick, and also an Amazon top pick, comes with two faucet cover socks made with PP insulated cotton and polyester waterproof fabric. The socks come with a patent clipping design to keep the sock in place, even in high winds. The string tie system makes installation and removal easy and flexible.
A faucet cover fits over your outdoor water faucet (also known as a hose bib or spigot) to protect it from freezing when you experience freezing temperature.
Alternative options include a freeze miser or a freeze proof outdoor faucet. However, these products require a bit more investment and DIY knowledge.
An outdoor faucet cover provides a simple and cost-effective solution.
The best outdoor faucet cover works to protect your existing faucets thanks to proper insulation and secure attachment.
Keep in mind that frozen pipes can occur all over the country, even in the South and Hawaii. All areas can experience a winter storm, even if it’s not especially common in the area.
Interested in insulating your water heater as well? Read our review of the best water heater blankets to keep your utility bills under control during cold weather.
How Do Outdoor Faucet Covers Actually Work?
An outdoor faucet cover works by protecting the faucet with insulating material that prevents the water supply inside the faucet from freezing.
Even if you find the shut off valve to your spigot and turn it off when cold weather comes, backflow may still allow water to enter the faucet.
If water inside the faucet freezes, it can prevent proper water flow or costly damage your water pipe, causing more plumbing problems.
The faucet cover slides over an outdoor spigot and attaches to the house or the ground.
The cover uses the material to capture air inside of the cover instead of letting it flow through and reach your exterior faucet.
Don’t think a burst pipe in your area is likely because you don’t regularly experience freezing weather? Just look at some of the damage caused by freezing pipes in Texas in 2021 in the video below:
What Are The Different Types Of Outdoor Faucet Insulation Covers?
All Season Faucet Covers
All-season faucet covers not only protect faucets from the cold and moisture but also UV rays and heat. You can leave all-season faucet covers on all year long.
Adjustable Faucet Covers
Adjustable faucet covers adjust to the size of your faucet with the help of a drawstring. You can tie the cover to fit your outdoor spigot’s exact size without worrying about measurements.
Fixed Faucet Covers
A fixed faucet cover has one large size that fits over most faucet covers. While it doesn’t adjust to the size of your outdoor faucet, you can secure it to the wall more securely than a drawstring, which may allow water inside if not tight.
What Do You Look For In The Best Outdoor Faucet Covers for Winter?
Secure Placement
Your faucet cover won’t do you any good if it flies away with the wind or gets stolen. Most products use a Velcro strap and/or a drawstring to keep the cover in place. Look for heavy-duty velcro if you opt for this type of cover.
Materials
The quality of your faucet cover depends largely on the materials used in the construction of its insulated cover.
Some of the most popular materials used for insulation include foam and cotton, with cotton insulation usually the preferred insulation material thanks to more environmentally friendly practices and greater effectiveness. With that being said, a foam faucet cover can provide more than adequate results.
In addition to the insulation, a faucet cover requires a waterproof material to prevent water from permeating through the material. It also needs to be strong enough to withstand wind damage.
For waterproof qualities, many manufacturers use vinyl or polyester when making faucet covers.
Double stitching the insulation to the outer material can provide additional strength.
Best Outdoor Faucet Covers Reviewed
Now let’s explore our favorite units so you can decide on the perfect choice for your situation.
Our top pick, and also an Amazon top pick, comes with two faucet cover socks made with PP insulated cotton and polyester waterproof fabric. The socks come with a patent clipping design to keep the sock in place, even in high winds. The string tie system makes installation and removal easy and flexible.
Protect your pipes from freezing temperatures, wind, and water with these three faucet covers that use 160D Oxford cloth with a water-resistant coating on the surface. Install these cost-effective socks using the drawstring. Velcro attaches to the house to keep the sock secure. Spot clean with a cloth as necessary.
If you already have a backflow preventer on your hose bib, this extra-large cover gives you the extra room you need. You simply place the cover over your outside water tap and attach it with windproof Velcro. The product protects your pipes using cotton insulation and industrial-grade 600D PVC waterproof polyester that’s reinforced with double stitching. Brass grommets on the bottom allow you to secure the cover to prevent theft.
210d oxford waterproof cloth surrounds collodion cotton to protect your outdoor faucet from the elements, including cold, rain, heat, and UV rays. Reflective strips help you locate the faucet quickly in an emergency. Quickly install using Velcro straps.
Pros
Protects against all elements, including heat and light
This foam cover uses ¾” foam insulation with a ⅝” polystyrene shell. To install, you will slip the rubber loop and lock the shell into place. It attaches to almost all siding materials. A deep design fits extra-long spouts. Only one cover in each package.
Pros
Reusable
Deep design
Secure attachment
Cons
Not adjustable
Can’t use with cedar shingles
Can possibly crack
Final Thoughts On The Best Outdoor Faucet Covers
Everyone knows to disconnect their garden hose before cold weather sets in. However, not everyone knows that a standard hose bib does not protect your pipe from freezing weather and might freeze.
If you develop a frozen pipe, you can experience a burst pipe that leads to water damage (and costly repairs).
A freeze proof faucet can solve the problem for you, but the cost may not be acceptable for all situations. This is why outdoor faucet covers can be a great alternative.
All of the products we reviewed get the job done, but you will need to pick the right size and consider your other preferences.
FAQs for Covering Outdoor Faucets in Winter and Protecting Hose Spigots
Do outdoor faucet covers work?
Yes! Outdoor faucet covers work well in lieu of a frost-free hose spigot. They work great for temporary residents, homeowners on a budget, and people in warm weather who don’t need covers all of the time.
What can I cover my outside faucet with?
Cover your outdoor faucet with an insulated cover specifically designed to protect outdoor spigots from intense freezing weather.
When to use outdoor faucet covers?
You should install your outdoor faucet cover well before you notice the weather getting cold. You can remove it after the final frost of the year or use an all-season cover that can also withstand the heat and UV rays.
Is it better to cover or drip outdoor faucets?
It’s ideal to drip outdoor faucets if possible. However, if you don’t have the money to install a product to promote and manage proper faucet drip, a faucet cover makes a good, inexpensive alternative option.
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About Plumbing Navigator
We write about "all things plumbing," helping you navigate common questions, repairs, and the best plumbing products on the market.
About Plumbing Navigator
We write about “all things plumbing,” helping you navigate common questions, repairs, and the best plumbing products on the market.
