It drives me crazy when I see pontoon boats uncovered, especially considering how much the owner would have spent in buying the boat in the first place. It just makes no sense!
If you’re like me, I want everything covered on my boat, and that includes the console and electronics. I admit though, I will occasionally leave my pontoon at the marina uncovered for an evening if I know I am going to be using my boat the next day.
But one thing I will never do, even when not covering the entire boat, is leaving the console open to the elements – and possibly prying eyes and hands.
Covering the pontoon boat console is the bare minimum I do at all times. It helps to prevent cracking and fading from the sun’s UV rays, and can stop mildew appearing too.
I’ve gone through a couple of pontoon cover consoles in my time and have a good feel for what’s best and what’s not.
My criteria choosing one includes a cover that fits snugly over the console, is waterproof, UV proof, and can be secured easily, and removed quickly.
Don’t waste money on something cheap, and by cheap, I mean something that costs under $20. You can pick up some great console covers for between $25 and $40, and you can see some of those below.
Here is a list of the best pontoon boat console covers that you can currently buy online all of which I have used or seen in action.
#1: Leader Accessories Waterproof Center Console Cover
It might look basic in design, with no real frills, but that’s fine. It works and works well which is the most important point. And this is the exact pontoon console cover I am using right now.
Made from 100% marine grade polyester, it protects against the sun, water, mildew, and wind. It’s simple to put on too, as it uses a drawstring closure to help pull it tight around the console.
If you have garden furniture covers at home that use a drawstring, then you are already going to be very familiar at how easy things like are to put on. You simply pull it over the top of the console, pull it down fit to tight, and then pull and fasten the strings at the bottom and tie up.
This one comes in small, medium, and large sizes so you should be able to fit a snug fit your pontoon’s console. You can see the different prices depending on what size you want by taking a look at the Leader Accessories cover on Amazon.
Mine folds up easily and can be thrown underneath a seat when not in use and comes with a 2-year warranty as well. I’ve not had to activate that warranty at all and am now well into my third year of ownership with this particular console cover, with no complaints from me.
Durable and breathable, it keeps my Bennington console very dry and shaded, is sturdy, works great in high winds, and I also use one to cover the captain’s seat as well.
#2: Classic Accessories Stellex Pontoon Console Cover
This is the pontoon console cover I used to own, and still recommend it.
Why don’t I have it anymore?
To cut a long story short, I took it off the center console and didn’t pack it away properly. I moved out onto the lake, there was a massive gust of wind, and it was gone, barrelling over the water into the distance.
So, there’s a valuable lesson right there; when not in use, put your pontoon boat console cover somewhere safe and off the open deck!
This one is made by Classic Accessories, who are a very well-renowned name in boating, in fact, I own one of their inflatable pontoon boats for fishing.
From memory of using this one, I never had any water pooling on top of the cover, and it was just as good as the Leader Accessories cover in terms of UV protection and being watertight. And just like the previous recommendation, it’s made from a very tough and water resistant (and repellent) polyester.
The securing mechanism was a little different though as it used elastic and a cord lock in drawstring which meant I could actually pull and fasten it a lot more securely around the shape of my pontoon console.
You can read some of the online reviews for this pontoon console cover on Amazon. Go take a look at the Classic Accessories cover reviews to see for yourself, as it gets consistently high scores.
Before I had this pontoon boat console cover, I was using a tarpaulin with bungee cords which just looked ugly. Until this one blew away across the lake never to be seen again, I had zero complaints with it, and I don’t think you will either. It’s a great product.
It’s a nicer design than the Leader Accessories one and comes in a good-looking blue color. I honestly can’t separate the two products, other than on the colors. If you want to add a splash of color rather than going for something neutral, then this would be your best choice.
It does have a longer warranty though, with a massive 4 years. That could be the difference for you when deciding what to buy today.
#3: MSC Boat Center Console Cover
My last recommendation isn’t something I have used but do have experience of as one of my best pontooning buddies has this exact console cover on his Avalon.
With a 2-year warranty, it again comes in multiple sizes so measure up your pontoon’s console before you buy.
What I like about it, and in truth I might have bought this if I had seen it myself before buying my existing cover, is the added durability.
That comes from the double stitching on the marine grade polyester, but also the double PU coating it’s treated with. You would expect that to give it more resistance to water, so for me this looks like a great choice.
To see the latest prices, have a look at the MSC cover on Amazon where you can also read the reviews too.
If there’s one thing that lets it down slightly, it’s the lack of elastic in the drawstring. Because of that you can’t always get a really tight fit around the center console bottom on the deck floor. Instead you have to pull and tie up the drawstring manually, and very, very tight.
That’s fine when covering up your pontoon console but makes taking it off take a little bit longer than you might like. Once I am in my boat I just want to get going and have seen my buddy sometimes have to spend 2 minutes taking this off before we can set off fishing. That’s a little annoying when you’re in a rush.
On a positive note though, it is very lightweight whilst still offering the level of protection you would expect from a console cover.
It can be folded or rolled up very neatly, and even comes with a bag, so you can pack it away then put it under your boat seats or in a storage area with no real concerns over space being taken up on the deck.
Conclusion
If you’ve spent thousands on a pontoon boat, then what’s a few dollars in making sure that the console is covered and protected against water, sun, and wind?
Nothing really.
These center console covers are especially designed to fit on most pontoon boats and should eliminate any previous problem you had with using something that didn’t fit properly, or even using something else such as a tarpaulin.
Buy one of these today and you can make sure you have adequate protection for your console, electronics, and controls.
It just makes sense.
