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As a boat owner, you know that damage and subsequent repairs can be pretty costly. Sometimes the vessel can be hard to fully control when mooring, especially in difficult conditions. Your boat can come in contact with the dock, pilings, or even other boats and sustain damage or induce damage to other watercraft.
Boat fenders are an excellent solution to this problem. They serve as a barrier between your vessel and the surroundings, and prevent potential damage. Fenders are available in different sizes and types. We have selected fantastic bumpers for you to choose from and created a buying guide with important features to help you find the best boat fender for your vessel.
OUR TOP PICK
Extreme Max 3006.7204 BoatTector Boat Fenders
- What Makes This Boat Bumper Stand Out
- Protect boats in all conditions
- You can inflate or deflate it to the desired pressure
- Two high-quality fender lines included
- Double-eyelet fenders with reinforced molded line holes
- UV stabilized and chemically resistant fenders
- Assortment of color choices to compliment any boat
Best Use: Boats, Power Sports
Size Options: 6.5″ x 22″, 4.5″ x 16″, 8.5″ x 27″
Boat Size Range: 20 and 25 feet
EDITORS CHOICE
Extreme Max 3006.7231 BoatTector Contour Boat Fender
- What Makes This Boat Bumper Stand Out
- Wraparound design protects the gunwale and hull
- Stows efficiently in a small space, excellent for trailering
- Package includes two 3/8
- Closed cell form bumpers won’t collapse or deflate
- Tear and UV resistant cover with corrosion resistant grommets
Best Use: Trailering Boats, Small Boats and PWCs
Size: 24 x 6. 5 x 2. 5 inches
BEST VALUE
Polyform G Series Boat Fender
- What Makes This Boat Bumper Stand Out
- Designed for protect recreational and trailered boats
- Best value recreational boat fender
- Comes inflated to the proper pressure and retains air well
- Excellent quality inflatable vinyl fender made in the USA
- Molded ribs and soft vinyl to protect the gelcoat
- Wide assortment of boat fenders sizes and color schemes
Best Use: Recreational Boats, Trailered Boats
Size Options: G1 (3.5 x 12.8”) to G6 (11 x 30”)
Boat Size Range: 10-40ft
Polyform A Series Buoy Boat Fender
- What Makes This Boat Bumper Stand Out
- Versatile, can be used as mooring buoy or round boat fenders
- Made as a single piece and rope holds are reinforced
- Available in a large range of sizes and colors
- Enhanced protection in unprotected moorings and for rafting
- Available in a nice range of sizes and colors
Best Use: Boat, Rafting, Marker Buoy, Unprotected Moorings
Size Options: A0 to A7
Boat Size Range: 10 – 70ft+
MSC Vinyl Ribbed Marine Boat Fenders
- What Makes This Boat Bumper Stand Out
- Pack of four fenders with lines and inflation pump included
- Sturdy yet flexible bumpers for maximum protection
- Seamless design and molded ribs reduce hull rub
- Excellent marine-grade vinyl build quality
- Double molded rope holds for rough usage
Best Use: Boating
Size Options: 4.5”x16”, 5.5”x20”, 6.5”x23” and 8.5”x27”
- What Makes This Boat Bumper Stand Out
- No inflation required and no air valves to maintain
- Lifetime guarantee against common problems
- Soft bumpers with ribbed side
- Tough and UV resistant polymeric material
- Thick-wall reinforced eye ends
Best Use: Boats
Size Options: 4, 5, 6 and 8 inches Fender Diameter
Taylor Made Products Big B Inflatable Vinyl Center Hole Boat Fender
- What Makes This Boat Bumper Stand Out
- Lifetime guarantee against splitting or bursting
- End to end rope passage for horizontal mounting
- Rubber football needle valve for easy inflation
- UV inhibitors to resist fading and discoloration
- Gelcoat friendly and durable marine-grade construction
- Four fender size options for a full range of boat sizes
- Fender color options match modern gelcoat colors
Best Use: Fishing boats, Sailboats
Size Options: 6″ x 15″, 8″ x 20″, 10″ x 26″, 12″ x34″, 12″ x 34″
Boat Size Range: 20 to 60 Feet
Taylor Made Products Low Freeboard Boat Fender
- What Makes This Boat Bumper Stand Out
- Offers superior protection for low-riding boats
- Optimal shape for protecting the gunwales and rub rail
- Air valve air pressure fender adjuster
- Durable marine grade vinyl construction
- Four metallic color options – red, white, black and camouflage
Best Use: Low Riding Boats, Bass boats
Size Options: 5 x 14 and 7 x 23 inches
Hull Hugr HH-P1B PWC Boat Fender
- What Makes This Boat Bumper Stand Out
- Special fender for personal water crafts
- Protects jet skis when docking with bigger boats
- Thick protective padding with hinges in the center
- Easy to mount, dismount and store
Best Use: PWCs, Jet Skis, Wave Runners
Dimensions: 4 x 5 x 2.25 inches
Shoreline Marine Inflatable Boat Fender
- What Makes This Boat Bumper Stand Out
- UV inhibitors enable it to hold up well in the sun
- Durable and well-designed fender at a great price
- Comes inflated right out of the box
- Tough vinyl fending with reinforced eyelets
- Suitable for both saltwater and freshwater use
- Floats if it happens to fall in the water
Best Use: Boats, Pontoons
Sizes: 4.5 x 16 to 8.5 x 26 inches
How To Choose A Boat Fender – Buying Guide
Type
There are several different designs of fenders for boats, and each is great for a certain purpose. Most common one is the cylindrical fenders, which has been featured in our boat fender reviews quite a lot. It’s shaped as a cylinder, with rope holes on both ends and can be hang vertically or positioned horizontally. Vertical fender types work best when mooring against flat structures, like docks.
Alternatively, the line hole can be positioned in the center to allow the fender to be placed horizontally, which is excellent protection against pilings where vertically positioned fenders could easily move out of the way. The alignment of center hole fender can also be changed. Sometimes boat buoys (like Polyform A series) are used as round fenders. In general, center hole cylindrical fenders, round fenders and hybrids are better for large and heavy boats.
Some inflatable boat bumpers are hybrids between round and cylindrical type and there are also specially designed flat fenders. Their specialty fenders design allows you to mount them on a particular part of the boat (transom fenders for example), and in whichever position you like, or on certain vessels (PWCs or low freeboard boats).Â
Size
What size fenders boat you should buy depends on three things – boat weight, it’s length and finally, mooring conditions. Mooring your boat in calm or choppy water can be different experiences. If you’re wondering what size boat fenders do I need if conditions are harsher, you should buy larger fenders than the boat length and weight indicate.
A common rule most people follow when deciding what size fender for boat to choose is: for every 5ft of boat length you should have at least 1” in fender diameter for cylindrical fenders, or 2” for round ones. This is simply a guideline, and you can go a bit larger. If you buy a fender boating which is too small, it won’t be very effective. A boating fender way too big for your boat can be annoying to mount and to stow on-board.
Cleaning
Since they are outdoors and in contact with various dock surfaces, fenders can get pretty dirty. When you decide it’s time to clean, you should use water with regular soap (or a mild detergent).
Please avoid aggressive cleaning substances however tempted you are to use them for removing stains. They can damage the material and make the fender more likely to deflate or rupture. Since you probably own a boat cover, you should know there are also special fender covers available. Â
Storage
Your boat bumpers go with you when you head out to sea and the stowage strategy is also an important consideration. There are several places where you can put them depending on their size and size of your boat.
Some can be placed in a storage bin, or tucked away under the seat. You can also tie the fenders to inner railing. There are special fender racks available too. They can be differently sized, and can be permanent or foldable/inflatable racks to put away when not in use.
Accessories
Boats fenders come with different accessories which can make using them easier and more convenient. We already mentioned the cover and the storage racks. All products in our list are inflatable and often require a pump. Usually regular hand pumps can suffice, because the fenders often have simple valves. Some manufacturers will provide the pump.
Other products (like Polyform) have different valves, and require a special pump adapter. The height of your fender is pretty important. Height fender adjusters allow you to easily adjust the fender vertically. Some sailboat fenders will come with lines for hanging.Â
Color
What are fenders to look like isn’t very significant when it comes to practicality but it can still be very appealing visually. Most fenders boats come in many fantastic colors, so you can easily find a color scheme to compliment your boat.
FAQs
Q: How Do Boat Fenders Work?
A boat fender is going to serve as a cushion between your boat and the dock, pier or other boats. Its purpose is to absorb the shock created by the impact, and prevent it from transferring to the hull of your boat, or any other part of it.
Q: Why Do I Need Boat Fenders?
You should buy boat fenders because repairing damage to the boat can be pretty expensive, many times more compared to your investment in fenders. Also, you can damage someone else’s boat, and end up paying for other boat owners repair expenses.
Q: How Many Boat Fenders Do I Need?
General recommendation is that one fender goes per every 10ft of boat length, with a minimum of three fenders. However, many bumpers come in pairs and people use the two, placing them on the side at equal length from the middle. Again, this depends on size, weight and conditions. It’s not a bad idea to add a couple more, but they can take more space on-board.
Q: Where Should I Place My Boat Fenders?
If you follow the rule and put 3 fenders on the side, then the first should be located at maximum beam width. The other two should be placed at equal distances toward bow and stern. If your boat is very long, use the same principle to add more fenders to it. For a 40ft vessel, you would need 4 fenders mounted.
Lower the fender until it touches the water surface, then pull it up a couple of inches and tie in that position. This makes it harder to displace fenders. Line should be tied to the boat as close as possible to reduce swinging. You should tie your fenders to something firm and solid like deck cleat or stanchion base.
Globo Surf Overview
Boat fenders are fantastic gear that keeps your boat free from damage. As you’ve seen in our best boat fenders product reviews, there are different types for different boats and surroundings. We hope that you can now confidently pick out the best marine fender to serve you great for a long time. Have fun and be safe while sailing, and keep your boat protected when you return!