With a few household items, some time and patience you can build your very own car bumper guard. The idea to build a bumper guard came to me one Sunday as I cleaned out my garage. I had scraps of carpet all over the place and that got me thinking. Why not use the remnant carpet pieces to build my very own front and rear bumper guards. So I proceeded to cut and measure carpet. I decided that my bumper guard would extend 40” inches wide and 12” inches tall. After cutting out the bumper guard shape I punched out two holes along the top and retrofitted an elastic bungee cord. With my bumper guard all complete I proceeded to attach it inside my trunk. Bumper guard project complete!!!

I decided to purchase a bumper protector after my car bumper was damaged while parked on the street. I had seen bumper guards on other vehicles but decided to wait it out. One day I walk back to my car only to find that the vehicle behind mine was touching my bumper. In fact I could clearly see the license screw head embedded into my painted surface. There was really nothing I could do, short of kicking in the other guy’s car door. After this experience I realized that other people do not care about my vehicle like I do. Despite trying my best to park away from other people and being extra cautious, my car ultimately got bumped. Why do some people find it difficult to understand that I love my car and want to keep it looking new. Am I the only one out there that feels this way? In light of the events, I decided to purchase a bumper protector for both the front and rear bumpers.

I have been living in Brooklyn since starting my job in downtown Brooklyn Heights. I quickly learned that parking on the streets of Brooklyn was no easy task. Not only were parking spaces difficult to come by, but it’s equally challenging to pull into a space only 12” larger than my vehicle size. I have perfected the art of pulling into a parking space without touching the vehicles fore or aft, thanks to ultra sound parking sensors. Nonetheless, the only problem is when other vehicles pull in or out from behind my vehicle they tend to bump and graze the bumpers painted surface. I have since bought a new BumpShox bumper guard for the front bumper and a rear bumper guard for the back of my vehicle. After months of parking on the street with the BumpShox, I can say that the product protects as good as it looks. I no longer worry when parking on the street, so I can concentrate on my job.

Another category of bumper protectors are temporary flip in and flip out bumper guards. These highly stylized bumper protection products are popular among new car owners because they provide temporary bumper protection when needed. You simply flip out the bumper protector when you park and flip it back inside the trunk before driving. It can’t get any simpler than that. Since these bumper guards are comprised of a rubber material they provide an ideal barrier to parking impacts, absorbing most impacts.

Peel and stick car bumper guards are the most common car bumper protectors, often found in car washes and auto part stores. Most stick on bumper guards are designed for the corners of a bumper, so they offer only limited car bumper protection. Corner bumper guards have seen a surge in sales because they are the affordable, easy to install and require zero maintenance. The only area where these bumper guards fail is aesthetics. Corner bumper guards are thick and ugly, often resembling “tank threads.” In addition, color selection for these bumper guards are limited to either black, beige or white, so chances are they will not match your car paint. While these car bumper guards have found widespread use among taxis, trucks and service vehicles most car owners are hesitant to use such products. Nonetheless, corner bumper protectors do provide some measure of protection, so if you are not after style this may be a cost effective option for you.

Clear urethane bumper guards are designed and manufactured by companies such as 3M and Avery Dennison. These films were developed to protect aircraft, boats and vehicles from the elements, as well as debris. The advantage of this type of bumper protector is that it’s clear, so the color always matches. They also come in a variety of thicknesses ranging from 8mm to 14mm, with the thickest urethanes offering the most protection. Nonetheless, the thicker plastics could not wrap around most car bumpers. In addition, these bumper protection films are expensive, they can turn hazy or discolor and do not wear well under extreme parking conditions. Clear bumper protection films were designed to protect vehicle panels and bumpers from road debris and were never intended for parking protection. If you are mainly concerned about aesthetics this may be the bumper guard for you, otherwise there are better bumper guards to choose from.

Before today, I have never seen nor heard of front bumper protection for cars. Nevertheless, my front bumper was recently damaged by an SUV with a hitch, so I decided to look for a front bumper guard. Unfortunately, all I could find were steel bumper guards for SUVs. I actually found an all steel bumper guard with spikes that was designed for an Audi A4…scary thought ehhh. While there were many rear bumper guards to choose from, I could not find a suitable bumper guard for the front of my car. I finally came across a replacement license plate bumper guard called BumpShox. This front bumper guard was almost to good to be true, it looked amazing on the 911 Porsche, as shown on the website bumpshox.com. The BumpShox front bumper guard is comprised of a flexible v-tech foam that’s designed to absorb parking impacts. What a great concept!!! I was pleasantly surprised when I received the bumper guard, it was excellent quality, simple to install, provides way more protection than any license plate frame, and compliments my Audi like a glove.

Bumper protection is anything that can protect your car bumper from an incoming impact. One common type of car bumper protection is called a bumper guard. Car bumper guards are becoming an increasingly popular accessory for parked vehicles. The shortage of parking spaces means that vehicles are parked close together, which makes entering and exiting a parking space more challenging. As a result bumper to bumper contact is common during parking maneuvers and not surprising the number of reported damage to car bumpers is on the rise. Common complaints are screw marks and deep scratches to the painted bumper surface. To the rescue are various bumper protection products that specialize in minimizing bumper to bumper damage in parking related situations. Some bumper guards block incoming impacts, while others are better at absorbing impacts. Regardless of how you protect your bumper it’s better to use a bumper guard than nothing at all.

I think a front and rear bumper protection are equally important. However, the rear bumper of a car is usually unprotected and most susceptible to bumper damage. Without a rear bumper protector the plastic bumpers can easily tear when a sharp license plate screw makes contact during parking maneuvers. The front bumper of a car is slightly better protected, especially vehicles equipped with a plastic license plate front bracket. Front car bumper protection like the new BumpShox was designed as a replacement license frame that doubles as a bumper guard.

Parking on the streets of Brooklyn can be hazardous to your car bumpers. Growing up in Brooklyn has taught me to be a defensive parker. I am always cautious not to park to close to the guy in front or back, making sure there is plenty of space to easily enter and exit a parking space. Unfortunately, I realize that I can’t protect my car 24 hours a day, hence car bumper protection to the rescue. Although I have never been a big fan of bumper protectors I do see the value of having one in the trunk just in case I need it. After a few close call situations with my car I realize that bumper protection is a necessary option when you park on the streets.