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Best Tarp: 14 Tested Through a Year of Sun, Wind, and Rain
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Fourteen tarps, from an $8 Harbor Freight Light Duty sheet to a $50 CAMPMAC
Super HD, were strapped over round hay bales in July and left there for a year.
Every bale was lined up so one face of its tarp took direct southern sun while
the other took the prevailing wind, which separates ultraviolet damage from
mechanical wear. Two of each brand were bought: one went outside, the other
stayed in the box as an unweathered reference. At the end of the year both sets
were measured for grommet pull-out strength, puncture resistance under a sharp
pick, the force needed to worsen an existing tear, ultraviolet light
transmission through the fabric, and whether water still ran off — and the hay
underneath was uncovered and inspected.
Sunlight, not wind, decides which tarps survive, and the advertised mil rating
predicts very little about that. The $18 Harbor Freight Extreme Duty claims 12
mil and had the toughest brand-new material of the group at 590 g of puncture
resistance, yet a year of sun cut that to 75 g and left it leaking. The $13
Rugged Rhino, claiming 5 mil and weighing barely half as much, came through the
same year watertight and still blocking ultraviolet light completely.
$50, the most expensive tarp in the test, claiming waterproof, UV resistant, dust resistant, tear resistant, all-weather and wear-proof construction; made in China and by far the heaviest at 6,710 g. First overall. Its grommets hold 326.4 lb, a third more than anything else here, it read 0 microwatts per square centimeter of UV new and after a year, and it was still fully waterproof at the end. A year of sun appears to have hardened it: puncture resistance went from 580 g new to 705 g weathered, the highest figure recorded, and a weathered rip needs 29.8 lb to spread. The hay under it looked as good as the day it was covered.
$22 for a claimed 12 mil multi-purpose black tarp with metal grommets every 20 in; made in China and 2,008 g. Second overall. It blocked ultraviolet light completely both new and after a year, stayed fully waterproof, and was the second most tear-resistant weathered tarp at 28.8 lb. New material punctures at 360 g and the sun-exposed area still took 275 g, third best in the group, and it shared the best possible subjective UV rating of 1. The grommets are its weak point at 89.9 lb.
$24 for a claimed 14 mil tarp with brass grommets, reinforced edges and UV resistance; made in China and 2,190 g. Third overall. Its grommets are the second strongest here at 249.8 lb, it takes 74.9 lb to worsen a tear in new material, and it punctures at 535 g new and 355 g after a year of sun — second best in both weathered measurements. It was still waterproof at the end, and the hay showed no water damage. UV transmission crept only from 0 to 1 microwatt per square centimeter, though the laminate on the sun side rubbed away easily and a rip there spreads at 7.8 lb.
$8 and the cheapest tarp here, claiming 4 mil thickness, rust-resistant grommets and rot and tear resistance, at roughly 9 by 11 ft; made in China and 1,048 g on the scale. Its grommets pull out at 63.9 lb and new material punctures at 210 g. A year strapped to a hay bale left the wind-facing side largely intact, but the sun side cracked and flaked away: UV transmission rose from 1 to 3 microwatts per square centimeter, puncture resistance in the weathered area fell to 65 g, an existing rip spread at 7.3 lb, and water reached the hay in several places.
$9 for a claimed 7 mil tarp with rust-resistant aluminum grommets roughly every 3 ft; made in Vietnam and, at 878 g, one of the lightest here. It has the strongest eyelets of the budget group at 81.2 lb, but the material behind them is thin, puncturing at 160 g when new. The vinyl coating was cracking on the sun side within four months. After a year that area passed 17 microwatts per square centimeter of UV, punctured at 30 g, extended a tear at only 2.2 lb, and leaked heavily.
$12, advertised at 10 by 12 ft and 5 mil with claims of UV protection and strong waterproofing; made in China and very light at 754 g. It has the weakest grommets in the test at 43.9 lb and the lowest new-tarp puncture resistance at 145 g. Less than six months of sun opened a large hole and shredded the wind-facing side. After a year the weathered material punctured at 20 g, passed 12 microwatts per square centimeter of UV, tore onward at 3.8 lb, and let a great deal of water through.
$13 for a rip-resistant woven fabric tarp made in Vietnam, and the lightest in the test at 702 g. Brand new it is better than its price suggests, puncturing at 255 g — more than several tarps costing twice as much — with grommets holding 47.6 lb. It did not survive the year: the wind-facing side was shredded completely, the sun side was badly damaged, a rip in the weathered area spread at 0.1 lb, and the material passed 16 microwatts per square centimeter of UV. It held moisture against the hay rather than shedding it.
Sold as a two-pack for $26, or about $13 a tarp, claiming 8 mil thickness, waterproofing, and rip, tear and UV resistance; made in China and 1,094 g. Grommets hold 52.9 lb and new material punctures at 195 g. It handled a year of wind without trouble while the sun side cracked and broke down: UV transmission went from 1 to 5 microwatts per square centimeter, weathered puncture resistance fell to 150 g, a rip needed 13.2 lb to spread, and the exposed area leaked — though the hay beneath came out in better shape than under any cheaper tarp.
Sold as a two-pack for $26, or about $13 a tarp, claiming 5 mil thickness and extreme protection in all weather; made in China and 1,196 g. It holds 99.9 lb at the grommet, roughly double any other budget tarp, and it blocked ultraviolet light completely both when new and after a year, at 0 microwatts per square centimeter. It was the first tarp in the group still fully waterproof after a year of sun, punctured at 195 g in the weathered area, resisted tear propagation at 16.1 lb, and left the hay with no visible water damage. Subjectively it earned a UV resistance rating of 1.5, behind only the three tarps that scored a perfect 1.
$16 for a claimed 5 mil tarp with a true 8 by 8 weave, described as waterproof, mildew proof and washable; made in Vietnam and 796 g. Grommets hold 67.8 lb and new material punctures at 250 g. It is the one tarp that passes noticeable ultraviolet light straight out of the package, at 22 microwatts per square centimeter, and a year outdoors took that to 34 — the highest reading in the test. The sun side disintegrated, a rip spread at 2.2 lb, weathered puncture resistance dropped to 65 g, and the hay underneath was in poor condition.
$18, claiming 12 mil thickness, 14 by 14 tightly woven strands per square inch, and superior tensile strength and tear resistance; made in China and heavy at 2,130 g. New, it lives up to the claims: the highest puncture resistance in the test at 590 g, grommets holding 193.9 lb, 70.6 lb to worsen a tear in unweathered material, and complete UV blocking. Sunlight undid most of that. After a year the coating passed 17 microwatts per square centimeter, the weathered area punctured at just 75 g, and it leaked — the cheaper Harbor Freight Light Duty protected the hay better in places.
$20 for a claimed 10 mil, double-laminated all-weather tarp with grommets every 18 in; made in China and 1,956 g. Its eyelets are the second strongest in the test at 199.8 lb, and on new material it takes 90.6 lb to worsen a tear, the best figure of any tarp here. It read 0 microwatts per square centimeter of UV both new and after a year outdoors, and it was still holding water at the end, leaving the hay almost as fresh as the day it was covered. The coating survived; the woven mesh beneath it did not, and a rip in the weathered area spreads at 1.1 lb.
$23 for a camping-oriented tarp in durable ripstop fabric with reinforced corners and edges; made in China and, at 1,038 g, far lighter than anything else near its price. It blocked UV completely when new and after a year, and the intact fabric was still holding water at the end, protecting the hay as well as the CAMPMAC HD did. New material punctures at 235 g and weathered material at 185 g, and a weathered rip spreads at 10.8 lb — strong numbers for the weight. The eyelets are the catch, giving up at 60 lb.
$45 for a waterproof, breathable, cloth-like material unlike anything else in the test; made in China and 4,192 g. It came through the year faded but structurally sound, with no cracking on either face, and it shared the best possible subjective UV resistance rating of 1. The porous weave is the problem: it passes light when new and 14 microwatts per square centimeter after a year, and it did not hold back water, so the hay under it took significant damage. Grommets hold 142 lb, new material punctures at 200 g and weathered material at 105 g.
Price
Street price per tarp at the time of testing.
Fourteen tarps from $8 to $50, priced per tarp. The Cartman and the Rugged Rhino are sold as two-packs for $26, which works out to about $13 each.
Grommet Strength (lbs)
Peak pull force before the eyelet tore out of a brand-new tarp — higher is better.
The CAMPMAC Super HD ran away with this one at 326.4 lbs, with the Patiobay second at 249.8 and the King-A-Ma-Jigs Pro third at 199.8. Grommet strength tracks weight far more closely than it tracks price or durability: the 1,038 g Amazon Basics gives up at 60 lbs while the 2,190 g Patiobay takes four times as much, and the CAMPMAC HD — one of the toughest tarps over the year — is a mid-pack 89.9 lbs. If a tarp is going to be tied down hard, this is the number to read.
Full results table
Rank
Product
Result
1
CAMPMAC Super HD
326.40
2
Patiobay
249.80
3
King-A-Ma-Jigs Pro
199.80
4
Harbor Freight Extreme Duty
193.90
5
Zuperia
142
6
Rugged Rhino
99.90
7
CAMPMAC HD
89.90
8
Foremost Dry Top
81.20
9
Grizzly Tarps
67.80
10
Harbor Freight Light Duty
63.90
11
Amazon Basics
60
12
Cartman
52.90
13
Foremost Cut Size
47.60
14
VEVOR
43.90
Tear Propagation Resistance After One Year (lbs)
Force needed to extend an existing rip in the sun-exposed section — higher is better.
The CAMPMAC Super HD came out on top at 29.8 lbs, the CAMPMAC HD second at 28.8 and the Rugged Rhino third at 16.1 — a 300-fold spread from top to bottom. On unweathered material the order is completely different, with the King-A-Ma-Jigs Pro leading at 90.6 lbs, the Patiobay at 74.9 and the Harbor Freight Extreme Duty at 70.6; after a year of sun those same three read 1.1, 7.8 and 10.4. What a tarp resists on day one says almost nothing about what it resists once the coating has broken down.
Full results table
Rank
Product
Result
1
CAMPMAC Super HD
29.80
2
CAMPMAC HD
28.80
3
Rugged Rhino
16.10
4
Cartman
13.20
5
Amazon Basics
10.80
6
Harbor Freight Extreme Duty
10.40
7
Patiobay
7.80
8
Harbor Freight Light Duty
7.30
9
Zuperia
6.30
10
VEVOR
3.80
11
Foremost Dry Top
2.20
12
Grizzly Tarps
2.20
13
King-A-Ma-Jigs Pro
1.10
14
Foremost Cut Size
0.10
Puncture Resistance, New Tarps (g)
Force on a sharp pick before it broke through unweathered material — higher is better.
Straight out of the package the Harbor Freight Extreme Duty is the toughest material here at 590 g, with the CAMPMAC Super HD 10 g behind at 580 and the Patiobay third at 535. Below those three the field is tightly bunched between 145 and 360 g, and the $13 Foremost Cut Size at 255 g beats the $23 Amazon Basics and the $20 King-A-Ma-Jigs Pro. This is the measurement most likely to mislead a buyer, because the ranking barely resembles the one taken after a year outdoors.
Full results table
Rank
Product
Result
1
Harbor Freight Extreme Duty
590
2
CAMPMAC Super HD
580
3
Patiobay
535
4
CAMPMAC HD
360
5
Rugged Rhino
270
6
Foremost Cut Size
255
7
Grizzly Tarps
250
8
King-A-Ma-Jigs Pro
245
9
Amazon Basics
235
10
Harbor Freight Light Duty
210
11
Zuperia
200
12
Cartman
195
13
Foremost Dry Top
160
14
VEVOR
145
Puncture Resistance After One Year (g)
The same pick test run on the sun-exposed section after a year outdoors — higher is better.
The CAMPMAC Super HD finished first at 705 g — higher than the 580 g it managed brand new, the only tarp to get harder rather than softer — with the Patiobay second at 355 and the CAMPMAC HD third at 275. The reversal at the top is the story of the test: the Harbor Freight Extreme Duty led the new-tarp chart at 590 g and lands at 75 g here, an 87% loss, while the $13 Rugged Rhino gave up only 28% of its strength to finish fourth at 195 g.
Full results table
Rank
Product
Result
1
CAMPMAC Super HD
705
2
Patiobay
355
3
CAMPMAC HD
275
4
Rugged Rhino
195
5
Amazon Basics
185
6
Cartman
150
7
Zuperia
105
8
King-A-Ma-Jigs Pro
90
9
Harbor Freight Extreme Duty
75
10
Harbor Freight Light Duty
65
11
Grizzly Tarps
65
12
Foremost Cut Size
50
13
Foremost Dry Top
30
14
VEVOR
20
UV Transmission After One Year Outdoors
Ultraviolet light measured through the sun-exposed section, in microwatts per square centimeter — lower is better.
Five tarps blocked ultraviolet light completely both when new and after a year of exposure: the Rugged Rhino, the King-A-Ma-Jigs Pro, the CAMPMAC HD, the Amazon Basics and the CAMPMAC Super HD. The Patiobay was effectively there too, drifting from 0 to 1. At the other end the Grizzly Tarps already passed 22 microwatts per square centimeter brand new and reached 34 after a year, and the Harbor Freight Extreme Duty went from a perfect 0 to 17 as its coating broke down — the largest collapse of the group.
Full results table
Rank
Product
Result
1
Rugged Rhino
0
2
King-A-Ma-Jigs Pro
0
3
CAMPMAC HD
0
4
Amazon Basics
0
5
CAMPMAC Super HD
0
6
Patiobay
1
7
Harbor Freight Light Duty
3
8
Cartman
5
9
VEVOR
12
10
Zuperia
14
11
Foremost Cut Size
16
12
Foremost Dry Top
17
13
Harbor Freight Extreme Duty
17
14
Grizzly Tarps
34
The Verdict
The CAMPMAC Super HD is the pick for best overall
across the test. At $50 it costs six times the cheapest tarp here and weighs
6,710 g, but nothing else came close: 326.4 lbs of grommet strength against
249.8 for the next best, 29.8 lbs to worsen a weathered tear, complete UV
blocking both new and after a year, and full waterproofing at the end of the
year. It is the only tarp that got tougher with age, its puncture resistance
climbing from 580 g new to 705 g after a season in the sun, and the hay
underneath came out as good as the day it was covered.
For value the Rugged Rhino is the one to buy. It sells in two-packs at $26,
about $13 a tarp, and it did everything the expensive tarps did for a quarter of
the money: 0 microwatts per square centimeter of ultraviolet transmission new
and after a year, still fully waterproof at twelve months, 195 g of weathered
puncture resistance, 16.1 lbs of tear resistance, and 99.9 lbs at the grommet —
double any other budget tarp. In the middle of the range the CAMPMAC HD at $22
finished second overall at 2.6 and the Patiobay at $24 third at 2.9; both
blocked all UV, both stayed waterproof, and the Patiobay adds 249.8 lbs of
grommet strength if the tie-downs matter more than the price.
The cautionary finding is that advertised thickness bought nothing. The Harbor
Freight Extreme Duty claims 12 mil and had the strongest new material in the
group at 590 g, yet a year of sun dropped it to 75 g, opened its coating to 17
microwatts per square centimeter, and left it leaking — beaten on hay protection
by the $8 Harbor Freight Light Duty. Only six of the fourteen were still
waterproof after a year: the Rugged Rhino, King-A-Ma-Jigs Pro, CAMPMAC HD,
Amazon Basics, Patiobay and CAMPMAC Super HD. The cheap woven tarps — the
Foremost Cut Size, the VEVOR, the Foremost Dry Top and the Grizzly Tarps — were
shredded or disintegrating well before the year was out, and the Grizzly Tarps
passes more ultraviolet light brand new than most of the group does after
twelve months outdoors. Two more things worth checking before buying: grommet
strength runs with weight rather than with durability, so a tarp that survives
the sun can still tear off its tie-downs, as the Amazon Basics does at 60 lbs;
and the Zuperia, at $45, holds up to sunlight beautifully but is porous enough
that water goes straight through it.