Is there anything more irritating than coming back from running errands, or a long day at work, only to find your vehicle with a new car door ding? You’re definitely not alone in this struggle. Dents are one of the easiest ways to devalue your vehicle and ruin your paint job.

Research shows that when parking in a public space at least three times a week, you’ll receive 1 door dent every 3 months on average. Dent removal repairs cost a minimum of $150 up to $500 each to remove. That’s upwards of $600 a year to keep your vehicle dent-free!

Considering investing in door dent protection insurance? You actually won’t end up saving that much, as this can cost up to $600 a year.

If you commute to crowded parking lots more than three times a week, our expert advise is to invest in some serious car door protection. But do car door protectors REALLY work? This is the question posed to us by many, so we’re here to break down if this form of car door protection is right for you.

What is a Car Door Protector?

A car door protector is designed to protect the sides of your doors from other vehicles. It acts like a barrier to prevent adjacent car doors from hitting your door. These car door guards are meant to be applied AFTER you park. This way you’ll only have to apply these accessories while in the parking lot or garage. Most car door guards are magnetic, but some may be suction cup.

There are a number of other car door protection accessories that are often confused with car door guards.

• Door edge guards protect your vehicle from hitting other cars when you open your door. However, these cannot fully defend your vehicle against nicks, dents, and scratches.
• Wall bumper pads protect your vehicle from hitting the wall. These are ideal if you park next to the wall in the garage at home or in the parking garage. But again, these won’t protect your vehicle’s side skin.
• Bumper pads protect the front of your vehicle from hitting the wall or curb. These help protect your bumper, but again don’t defend the sides of your car.

Are door guards really the best form of car door protection?

There are as many skeptics out there as there are products that will actually get the job done. A number of new car door guards have rolled out over the past five years, and some claim to be more beneficial than others. The proof in their benefits come down to an exact science. With the right protection coverage, durability, and convenience (meaning you’ll actually use them), car door guards are your best bet to fight against door dings.

Protection coverage

The most important factor to consider is to make sure the protectors have optimal protection coverage. Many door dent protectors on the market are simply not long and wide enough to adequately protect even small sized vehicles.  Adding to this problem, adjoining parked cars have multiple door designs with protruding shapes, and many parking spaces are angled which result in more of a variety of exposed areas on your vehicle each time you park.

We recommend a car door protector 10” wide by 70” long for optimal, practical coverage for ALL vehicles.

Durability

It may be tempting to purchase the cheapest option of guards on Amazon, but likely this won’t be durable enough. You need to be looking for materials that are both impact resistance and provide a firm grip for your vehicle.

An impact resistance material needs to be strong enough to embrace a blunt force. Cheap plastic or rubber won’t hold up against impact. We recommend products made with EVA foam as it is the most shock absorbing. 

You’ll also want to make sure that your car door protector won’t fall off when you walk away. We recommend magnetic car door protection panels with rubber coating on the back, or ‘heavy-duty suction cup’ panels for non-metal cars (aluminum or carbon-fiber body).

Convenience

You’ll also want to make sure that you buy something you’ll actually use! This is why you’ll want to use a car door protector that you can quickly throw on in the parking lot, safely and securely. You’ll also want to consider products that are best for safer parking.

Patented Door Guards for All Vehicle Shapes and Sizes

The most reliable car door protectors are made by DentGoalie, patented magnetic and suction cup panels that contour to the shape of any vehicle. These will provide you optimal protection coverage and durability, and take less than a couple minutes to apply in the parking lot.

The reason that AAA, In the Know, Interesting Engineering among others recommend these products above all else is simply because they work. They provide the largest coverage area with the most durable material within their patented design.