The 7 Best Bumper Guards

For street parkers, the Bumper Bully Gold Edition hangs a ribbed rubber pad over the rear bumper to soak up the taps of tight parallel parking. Steel cable runs inside its trunk straps, so nobody can slice it off in a second, and red reflectors help other drivers spot it after dark. A cutout leaves room for a bumper-mounted plate. It has to come off before you drive, and grit under the straps can mark the paint.

Parking Armor 3.6 swaps rubber for a thick foam core under a weatherproof coating, so it cushions a bumper backing into yours. Soft pads behind the steel-cored straps keep them off the paint, and a silver reflective stripe runs across the front. This is the narrowest of three widths; the wider two come from the maker's own store. It's bulky to stow, and the maker says it won't suit cars with a center exhaust or a rear engine.

If you like a tough look, the BumperBadger HD Edition has a deep, tread-like ribbed face that takes a tap and hides everyday scuffs. Triple-stitched straps hook into the trunk, and stiff bars along the top keep it lying flat instead of flapping in the wind. It's wide enough for most sedans and small SUVs. The straps have no steel inside, so it's easier to steal, and dirt trapped behind it can leave fine marks on the paint.

For a first guard that costs little, the FH Group Bumper Butler does the basic job: a molded rubber pad with red reflectors and adjustable hooked straps that clip inside the trunk. It's slimmer and lighter than most strap-on guards, so it tucks into a small trunk without a fight. FH Group warns never to drive with it attached. The narrow pad leaves the corners bare, and no warranty is offered.

Corners take a lot of parking hits, and the T-Rex Bumper Protector is a long, soft foam band that wraps around them rather than guarding only the middle. Hook-and-loop straps hold it to the trunk carpet with no tools, and it rolls up when you leave. The Truth About Cars found its plastic buckles flimsy. The foam is thin, so it softens a nudge, not a hard bump, and the straps can rub paint if you drive with it on.

The WeatherTech BumperTopper stays on while you drive. It's a thin, hard plastic cap molded for one vehicle and stuck to the top of the rear bumper, right where boxes, bikes and pet claws scrape the paint. WeatherTech makes it in the U.S. and backs it with a limited lifetime warranty. The one linked here fits a Mazda CX-5, so order the version made for your car. It guards against loading scuffs, not other cars backing into you.

Anyone who slides suitcases, coolers or a dog over the back of an SUV can drape the Flintronic Rear Bumper Protector across the bumper first. It's a padded cloth mat that clips into the cargo area with metal hooks and folds flat afterward, and it can double as a trunk liner. Scrapes during loading are its job. It does little against another car's bumper, and the brand has only a short track record.