Measure before you shop. On almost every pellet grill the widest point runs from the hopper’s outer edge to the end of the side shelf, and that number plus an inch or two is the cover size you need. If your grill maker sells a cover for your exact model, buy it: Traeger’s Pro 575 cover is $89.99 in October 2026, and the fit around the hopper is what you’re paying for. With no factory option, the Pit Boss universal at $34.99 or the Classic Accessories Veranda at $50.95 are the two to look at.
This is one of the gear guides, and it’s the least exciting of them, which is why so many grills sit uncovered. Under that hopper are a circuit board, an auger motor and a fan. Water in the hopper swells the pellets and jams the auger, and water on the controller can mean a replacement part. A cover costs less than either repair.
How these covers were chosen
Fit came first, then fabric weight, then warranty, then price. Every price was checked on the maker’s site or a major retailer in October 2026. We haven’t run a season-long weather test with several covers side by side on one deck, and this page doesn’t claim one. The picks come from manufacturer specs and from what owners report after two, three and four winters, which is the only test that tells you much about a cover.
Cheap no-name covers from Amazon were left off on purpose. The common complaint is that they hold up for a summer, split at the hopper corner by spring, and need replacing every year.
How to measure a pellet grill for a cover
- Width: measure across the widest point, usually the outside of the hopper to the end of the far shelf. Fold-down shelves count if you leave them up.
- Depth: measure front to back at the deepest point, often the lid handle to the back of the chimney.
- Height: measure from the ground to the top of the chimney cap.
- Add one to two inches to each number and buy the cover that clears all three.
Too tight and the hopper corner tears early. Too loose and the cover sails in the wind and rubs itself thin.
| Cover |
Fits |
Fabric |
Price (Oct 2026) |
| Traeger Pro 575/22 |
Pro 575, Pro 22 |
Heavy-duty all-weather (denier not published) |
about $90 |
| Pit Boss Pro Series 820/850 |
PB820PS1, PB850PS2 (57 x 33 x 53 in) |
600D polyester, PVC lining |
about $55 |
| Pit Boss Universal Large |
46 to 55 in wide |
300D PVC |
about $35 |
| Classic Accessories Veranda |
up to 46 x 26 x 43 in |
Gardelle polyester, laminated |
about $51 |
| Traeger Woodridge |
Woodridge (base) |
Heavy-duty all-weather |
about $110 |
What to look for in a pellet grill cover
Fabric weight
Cover fabric is rated in denier, and a higher number means a thicker weave. Pit Boss’s model-specific covers are 600D polyester with PVC backing; its universal cover is 300D. Classic Accessories uses its own Gardelle polyester with a laminated underside, and Traeger calls its fabric heavy-duty all-weather without giving a number. Owners report 600D covers lasting three to four winters and 300D covers about two.
Water resistant beats waterproof
Almost every cover is water resistant: rain runs off, but a puddle left on top seeps through in about a day. That’s deliberate. A fully waterproof cover traps condensation underneath, and a grill with a damp hopper and a rusting fire pot is in worse shape than one that got rained on. Push standing water off the top after a storm and a water-resistant cover does its job.
Wind
Drawstrings or buckles at the hem plus a snug fit keep a cover on. The Pit Boss model covers use locking drawstrings, while Traeger’s rely on their shaped fit. On an exposed deck with a universal cover, a bungee cord around the cart legs does the rest.
Warranty
Classic Accessories backs the Veranda for three years. Grill makers don’t offer anything close on their covers, so for a grill with no factory cover that warranty is a fair tie-breaker.
Why the hopper corner wears through first
Every cover, factory or universal, wears first at the top corners of the hopper. The hopper lid is a sharp-edged box bolted to the side of a round barrel, and it rubs against the fabric whenever the wind moves the cover. Owners of both Pit Boss and Traeger covers report seams splitting there after two to four years.
Pit tip: Put a strip of duct tape on the inside of the cover where it meets the hopper corners on day one. It costs pennies and slows the wear at the spot that fails first.
Heat is the other cover killer. A chimney cap that’s still hot will melt a hole through polyester or PVC in minutes, so give the grill 30 to 45 minutes after shutdown before the cover goes on. On most grills the chimney is the last part to cool.
Who can skip a cover
If the grill lives under a roof, a porch or a carport, it probably doesn’t need one, and a cover on a grill that never sees rain mostly traps moisture. The exceptions are coastal yards, where salt air corrodes the controller, and dusty ones, where grit gets into the fan.
In snow country, an open-deck grill should be covered and have its hopper emptied for the winter. A cover won’t stop four months of humidity from swelling the pellets left inside.
Portable grills like the Traeger Ranger and Pit Boss 150 need their own small covers. The Ranger’s is $69.99 in October 2026, and a full-size cover on a portable only flaps around.
Pellet grill cover questions
Can I use a gas grill cover on a pellet grill?
If it’s big enough it will keep most rain off, but it won’t follow the hopper’s shape, so water pools on the hopper lid and runs into the pellets the next time you open it. A pellet-shaped universal cover like the Pit Boss large at $34.99 costs about the same and fits properly.
How long should I wait to cover a pellet grill after cooking?
Until the chimney cap is cool to the touch, which on most grills takes 30 to 45 minutes after the shutdown cycle ends. A hot cap melts polyester and PVC, and the damage usually shows up as a hole right where rain will find it.
How long does a pellet grill cover last?
Owners report about two winters from a 300D universal and three to four from a 600D factory cover. Taping the hopper corners, keeping the cover off a hot grill and brushing snow off rather than letting it sit all stretch that.
Will a cover keep my pellets from going bad?
It helps, but humidity gets under any cover. If the grill will sit more than a week between cooks in a wet season, empty the hopper into a sealed bucket. The pellet guide covers storage, and the cleaning routine includes the end-of-season shutdown.
If you’re adding a cover to a new Traeger, check the Traeger Pro review or the Woodridge review for the model details, then match the cover to the exact name on the grill’s label.