Storing your car for the winter or all year can be a pain if you don’t have a garage to put it in. Most drivers have the leave their cars outside in the cold or in the blistering heat. Fortunately, there are alternatives to having a garage if you don’t have one. Here are five of them.

1. A Car Cover

The easiest and cheapest way to protect your car from the elements is to buy a car cover. Make sure you buy one that’s breathable so that moisture doesn’t get trapped underneath. If you want to go with an affordable one that costs less than $100, we recommend checking out your local auto parts store.

But if you want one that’s custom fit to your car and made of high-quality, breathable materials, we recommend checking out Car Covers. Be prepared to spend closer to $200, but it’s well worth it.

2. A portable garage

If you want most of the benefits of having a garage outside, then a portable garage can do the trick. You’ll need a large enough parking spot to accommodate it, as well as some weights or sandbags to anchor it if you can use pegs. Also, you’ll need a power supply and dehumidifier to keep moisture out of the garage.

3. A Carcoon

For car lovers that would rather stick their car in a bubble, the Carcoon is a great option.  The inflatable Carcoon is effectively a “bubble within a bubble.” According to Hagarty, “The inflatable Carcoon uses two layers of waterproof, alloy-coated material, separated by an air gap to envelop your car in air, which flows around it to prevent any condensation forming.”

The UV-protective coating protects the car from sun damage, which is a great benefit of its dual-layer protection. The smallest version costs around $600, and the largest size can cost upwards of $900.

4. A Carport

A carport is a more permanent fixture that will need to be bolted into the ground. You can either have one professionally installed or do it yourself. A good hammer and some tools can do the trick. As far as cost, you can expect a carport to cost around $2,000 to $5,000, depending on the brand and type of structure you choose.

5. A car canopy

This product is less of a structure to substitute an actual garage and more of a portable solution. The car canopy is a small tent that sticks onto your car’s roof with a large suction cup and uses straps to tie it down. Think of it as a portable umbrella that covers your car’s roof during sunny days and inclement weather.

The best garage alternatives

Having a garage to store your car all year is a great way to protect it. Unfortunately, not every car owner has a garage to use. Fortunately, these five affordable alternatives could easily substitute the lack of a protective structure, provided you have room to use them.