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How to fit a BBQ cover

Updated: 23 October 2026

A wet October evening in a UK garden is a bad time to find the cloth flapping, pooling on the hood, or stuck to a shelf that was still warm. How to fit a BBQ cover comes down to a sequence: the barbecue cold and dry, the cloth sitting square, and the hem closed before the wind gets underneath. The nine covers in our [grill case comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/grill-case) use a hem cord, hook-and-loop, or both, and none is sold with a vent, so the order of fitting matters more than a heavier fabric. We used UK fire-service guidance and the amazon.co.uk listings, with no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

A wet October evening in a UK garden is a bad time to find the cloth flapping, pooling on the hood, or stuck to a shelf that was still warm.

Our top picks

Yimomoyi Yimomoyi 117 cm cover

Best overall

Yimomoyi Yimomoyi 117 cm cover
9.2/10about £9.39
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AZOMKER AZOMKER 145 cm cover

Best value

AZOMKER AZOMKER 145 cm cover
8.8/10about £7.10
View offer
LEUOSO LEUOSO 145 cm cover

Alternative

LEUOSO LEUOSO 145 cm cover
8.8/10about £16.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Wait until it is cool and dry
  2. 2.Put it on square, then the sides, then the hem
  3. 3.Spare fabric, ponds and wind
  4. 4.Take it off to dry

Wait until it is cool and dry

The cover is a weather cloth, not a fire blanket. Camping Gas says never to cover a hot or warm barbecue, and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service says to shut the cylinder before the controls and to cool the barbecue before you move it. Only the AZOMKER and Yimomoyi listings print that cool-down. The other seven still need the same wait. Shut the gas off, then leave the hood and the shelves until they are cool to the bare hand. The cylinder and the hose are set out on the gas BBQ cover page, so this sequence stops at the shut-off. Hose the grill and let it dry before the cover goes on. If the cloth has melted onto a control or a hose, stop and have the gas path checked before you cook again.

Put it on square, then the sides, then the hem

Sit the shaped top on the hood so the seams fall at the corners, not across a shelf. Bring one side down, then the other, and gather the hem last. Press hook-and-loop only after the cloth is square, because an early tab locks a fold in place. Pull the cord evenly, without a pile of spare cloth on one corner. If the cord will not travel, leave it, because forcing it tears the hem and leaves a gap. BEEWAY reviews describe straps that stop short once the cloth is square, so the cover is too small or the tabs are too short. When the ends miss by a wide margin, send the cover back and measure again rather than live with a gap at the front.
Yimomoyi Yimomoyi 117 cm cover

Testsieger

Yimomoyi Yimomoyi 117 cm cover
9.2/10about £9.39
View offer

Spare fabric, ponds and wind

Too much cloth flaps, and the wind takes that flap. Spare fabric sails above the side shelves instead of hanging as a skirt. Tuck it down and cinch the hem. If it still billows, the centimetres were wrong, and the BBQ cover size guide is where you remeasure shelves and height. Rain collects between the hood handle and a side shelf. Tip it off on the next dry spell before you cinch the hem again. A tea towel under the sag is only a prop, and it keeps damp on the hood through a wet week. Extra cloth without a working hem, which BEEWAY owners reported, is worse in a gale than a cover that is only slightly roomy. A heavier phrase on the product title will not change that fit.

Take it off to dry

None of these nine covers is sold with a vent. Calor notes that even a waterproof cover traps moisture and that the grill needs airing, which matters more here because the cover Calor describes has a vent and these listings do not. On the next dry day, take the cloth off, open the hood, and air the firebox before it goes back. How a sealed cloth compares with a breathable one is set out on the waterproof or breathable BBQ cover page. Hose the mud off the cover and dry it before it goes back on. A wet cover left in a crate until spring grows mildew that later moves onto the steel.

Common questions

How soon after cooking can the cover go on?
Put the cover on only once the barbecue is cool and dry. No source we used gives a time in minutes, so wait while a shelf feels warm. Never use the cover to smother a flame or to hide a grill that is still giving off heat.
Which way round do the straps go?
Fdit and ASHATA mainly describe a hem rope, so a cover in this set may have no Velcro across the front. Those tabs tighten cloth where the listing includes them. They do not fix a hood put on back to front. A tab pressed too early locks a fold in, and the hem will not meet. A cover with no straps is still fitted top, then sides, then cord.
What if the drawstring will not pull?
Stop pulling. LEUOSO reviews on amazon.co.uk describe cords that arrived broken or sewn into the seam, and a trapped cord will not travel however hard you tug. A short tie at the front corners can hold a cord that still slides. It will not free one that is sewn shut, so send that cover back rather than leave an open skirt.
Should the cover touch the ground?
The hem should close so wind cannot get underneath, which often means the skirt reaches the trolley base or the ground. It should not sit in a puddle, because water at the hem wicks up the cloth. A cover that stops well short of the base is too small, and an extra strap will not add the missing length.
Can I leave the cover on all winter?
Not if you want the inside of the grill to stay dry. These covers have no vent, and Calor notes that even a waterproof cover traps moisture, so a sealed cloth can rust a barbecue that never leaked. On the next dry day, take the cover off and air the firebox.

Related pages

Best BBQ cover in this set

Grill case

BBQ cover size guide: tape the grill before you order

Gas BBQ cover for shelves, the lid and the cylinder

Waterproof or breathable BBQ cover after wet weather

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures for these ASINs in the display file. Retrieved 22 October 2026.

  1. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, BBQ safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Camping Gas, outdoor LPG guide (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Calor, Outback 3-burner cover with vent (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. amazon.co.uk Barbecue Covers best sellers (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. ASA CAP Code, section 3 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. BSI, BS EN 498:2012 LPG barbecues (retrieved 22 October 2026)