A Kamado Joe is built to live outdoors, but that doesn't mean I want mine sitting exposed to rain, snow, pollen, dirt and everything else Mother Nature can throw at it. I use the Kamado Joe Heavy-Duty Grill Cover on my Classic Joe II, and after living with it, I think a properly fitted cover is one of the more practical accessories you can buy for a grill that stays outside.
The key word is properly. A good grill cover has to do more than keep rain off the ceramic. It needs to fit securely, protect the metal hardware and shelves, and avoid creating a damp environment around the grill. The factory Kamado Joe cover gets most of those things right. It fits my Classic Joe II very well, has covered ventilation openings, stays secure in wind, and has kept my grill protected and clean.
There are two qualifications to my recommendation. My grill sits under a covered patio, so I cannot personally tell you how the fabric will look after years of direct sun. That matters because current owner reviews include a meaningful number of complaints about fading and premature fabric or piping wear. I also use a SmokeWare chimney cap, and its shape creates a minor fit problem when I remove the cover. Neither issue changes my recommendation, but both are worth understanding before you buy.
Kamado Joe Classic Joe Cover
Summary
Bottom line: I recommend the Kamado Joe Heavy-Duty Grill Cover for a Classic Joe II. The factory fit, full-length protection and covered ventilation make it a better solution than improvising with a tarp. My main reservation is long-term sun exposure: mine has held up well under a patio roof, but reports from owners whose covers live in full sun make me less confident about fade resistance and long-term exterior durability.
Jump to:
- Why Should You Cover a Kamado Joe?
- Why I Wouldn't Use a Plastic Tarp
- Is the Kamado Joe Cover Waterproof?
- Fit on the Classic Joe II
- How Durable Is the Kamado Joe Cover?
- One Problem if You Use a SmokeWare Chimney Cap
- Is the Kamado Joe Cover Easy to Put On and Remove?
- Is the Kamado Joe Cover Worth the Money?
- Kamado Joe Grill Cover Pros and Cons
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Verdict: Is the Kamado Joe Classic Cover Worth It?
- Where to Buy
- More Kamado Joe Resources
Why Should You Cover a Kamado Joe?
The ceramic body of a Kamado Joe is designed for outdoor use, so a cover is not required to keep the grill from immediately being damaged by a rainstorm. The reason I use one is that a Kamado Joe is much more than a ceramic shell. The bands, hinge, fasteners, cart, shelves, handle and top vent all spend their lives outdoors too.
Kamado Joe itself recommends covering the grill as part of cold-weather protection, and the current Heavy-Duty Grill Cover is marketed as protection against water, wind and snow. A cover also keeps pollen, dust, leaves and bird droppings off the grill, which is a benefit you notice every time you go outside to cook.
A Cover Helps Protect the Grill in Freezing Weather
If you live where temperatures fall below freezing, keeping rain, sleet and snow off the grill becomes even more useful. Moisture can collect around the dome, gasket and top vent and then freeze. I would much rather prevent that buildup than discover ice around the grill when I am ready to cook. Kamado Joe's own cold-weather guidance emphasizes using a cover to protect the grill from ice and snow.
It Protects More Than the Ceramic
The ceramic is the part everyone notices, but much of the hardware surrounding it is metal or another material that benefits from being shielded from constant weather exposure. A full-length cover protects the dome, bands, hinge, handle, side shelves and cart instead of only covering the top opening.
It Keeps the Grill Clean
This is less dramatic than weather protection, but it may be the benefit you appreciate most often. An uncovered Kamado Joe collects pollen, dust, leaves and whatever else is blowing around the backyard. I would rather periodically wipe down a grill cover than clean all of that off the grill every time I want to use it.
Why I Wouldn't Use a Plastic Tarp
A tarp can keep direct rain off a grill, but I do not think it is a good substitute for a fitted grill cover. The problem is that keeping water out is only part of the job. If you wrap the grill tightly in non-breathable plastic, moisture that is already underneath the tarp has fewer ways to escape. That can lead to mold.
The Kamado Joe cover I use has covered ventilation openings with grommets. They allow some air movement underneath the cover while overlapping fabric helps keep rain from entering through the openings. That is the design I want on a kamado cover: weather protection without sealing the grill inside a plastic bag.
I also wait until the grill is completely cool and reasonably dry before covering it. A ventilated cover helps manage moisture, but it is still better not to trap unnecessary heat or moisture underneath it in the first place.
Is the Kamado Joe Cover Waterproof?
In my experience, yes. I have not had a problem with the cover allowing rain through to the grill. Kamado Joe currently describes the Heavy-Duty Grill Cover as waterproof, windproof and snowproof and says it is made from heavy-duty industrial-strength fabric with UV-resistant technology intended to limit fading and sun damage.
The current Classic Joe-size cover is also a full-length design. Kamado Joe lists it as compatible with the Classic Joe series, along with several other 18-inch round grills. For this review, however, I am judging it specifically on my Classic Joe II.
Fit on the Classic Joe II
Fit is one of the strongest reasons to buy the factory cover instead of a generic one. On my Classic Joe II, the cover reaches down over the grill and cart without leaving a lot of loose fabric blowing around. At the same time, it is not so tight around a stock grill that putting it on becomes difficult.
The cover also has an adjustable securing strap and buckle near the bottom. That matters if your grill sits in an exposed location. A cover that fits well but can become a sail in strong wind is not much protection.
I rate fit 5 out of 5. It looks like it was made for the grill because it was.
How Durable Is the Kamado Joe Cover?
My cover has held up well. The material feels substantial, the seams have not given me trouble, and mine has not noticeably faded. But there is an important limitation to that experience: my Classic Joe II sits under a covered patio. The cover does not spend every day baking in direct Texas sun.
That distinction matters more after looking at current owner feedback. The cover still has strong overall ratings at major retailers, and many owners praise its fit and weather protection. But there are also repeated recent complaints about black fabric fading to gray, red piping losing color, seams separating and material deteriorating after prolonged outdoor exposure. Kamado Joe says the cover uses UV-resistant technology to limit fading, but UV-resistant does not mean fade-proof.
Because I cannot reproduce full-sun exposure with my own setup, I would not use my unfaded cover as proof that those complaints are unfounded. My experience supports the construction, fit and weather protection. The broader owner feedback makes me more cautious about long-term durability in full sun. For that reason, I rate durability 4 out of 5 rather than 5 out of 5.
One Problem if You Use a SmokeWare Chimney Cap
There is one problem with the Kamado Joe cover that probably will not affect most owners, but it affects me. I replaced the factory Kontrol Tower on my Classic Joe II with a SmokeWare chimney cap. The SmokeWare is shaped differently enough that its upper section fits snugly inside the chimney portion of the Kamado Joe cover.
The cover still fits, but I have to be careful when removing it. If I simply grab the cover and pull straight upward, the fabric can catch the upper half of the SmokeWare cap and lift it off with the cover. If I don't notice, the stainless steel cap can fall out and hit the ground.
That could be an expensive mistake for something that is easy to avoid. I make sure the cover clears the SmokeWare cap as I remove it instead of yanking the cover straight up. I consider this a minor inconvenience rather than a reason not to buy the cover, but SmokeWare owners should know about it.
Is the Kamado Joe Cover Easy to Put On and Remove?
With the factory Kontrol Tower installed, yes. The custom fit makes the process straightforward, and the cover is not so bulky that using it becomes a chore every time you cook. The securing buckle is easy to reach when you need it.
I rate ease of use 4.5 out of 5 only because of the snug fit around my SmokeWare chimney cap. That is a consequence of modifying the grill rather than a fit problem with a stock Classic Joe II.
Is the Kamado Joe Cover Worth the Money?
This is where the decision is less clear-cut. The Kamado Joe cover carries a premium over many generic covers. The Kamado Joe cover carries a premium over many generic covers, and there are cheaper covers available that will protect a Classic Joe II.
What you are paying for is a factory fit, full-length coverage, a securing strap and a cover designed around this style of grill. For me, that is worth paying more for, especially on a relatively expensive ceramic grill. I rate value 4 out of 5 because I think the product is worth buying, but I cannot argue that it is the only good way to protect a Classic Joe.
The durability reports are also part of the value equation. If your grill sits in full sun all day, I would weigh the recent fading and wear complaints more heavily than I do for my covered-patio installation.
Kamado Joe Grill Cover Pros and Cons
What I like:
- Excellent fit on my Classic Joe II
- Full-length protection for the grill and cart
- Waterproof performance in my use
- Covered ventilation openings allow airflow underneath the cover
- Adjustable strap and buckle help secure it in wind
- Keeps pollen, dirt and debris off the grill
- Easy to put on and remove with the factory Kontrol Tower
What I don't like:
- Costs more than many generic grill covers
- Snug around the top of my SmokeWare chimney cap
- Current owner reviews raise legitimate concerns about fading and premature wear in full sun
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend a cover if the grill is stored outdoors. It keeps rain, snow, pollen, dirt and debris off the grill and reduces direct weather exposure to the bands, hinge, cart, shelves and other components.
Kamado Joe describes the current Heavy-Duty Grill Cover as waterproof, windproof and snowproof. Mine has kept rain off my Classic Joe II without a problem.
Yes. Kamado Joe lists the Classic-size Heavy-Duty Grill Cover as compatible with the Classic Joe series, and it fits my Classic Joe II very well.
It fits my Classic Joe II with a SmokeWare chimney cap, but the chimney portion of the cover is snug around the upper section of the SmokeWare. I remove the cover carefully so it does not lift the top half of the cap off the grill.
Kamado Joe says the cover uses UV-resistant technology intended to limit fading and sun damage. My cover has not faded, but it lives under a patio roof. Current owner reviews include repeated complaints about fading and wear after extended outdoor exposure, so I would not assume it is fade-proof in full sun.
I wait until the grill is completely cool before installing the cover. That avoids exposing the cover to unnecessary heat and gives heat and moisture time to dissipate before the grill is covered.
Final Verdict: Is the Kamado Joe Classic Cover Worth It?
Yes. I recommend the Kamado Joe Heavy-Duty Grill Cover for a Classic Joe II because it fits correctly, keeps weather and debris off the grill, provides full-length coverage and has ventilation built into the design. Those are the things I care about most in a grill cover.
My 4.6 out of 5 rating reflects the difference between what I have personally experienced and what I found while researching the current product. Mine has performed very well under a covered patio. Owners who leave the cover in full sun have reported more fading and wear than I have seen, so I would not promise that the exterior will stay black and new-looking for years in every environment.
The SmokeWare chimney-cap issue is real but minor. If your Classic Joe II still has the factory Kontrol Tower, you will not have that particular problem. If you use a SmokeWare cap like I do, just take a little extra care when removing the cover.
For my grill, I would buy the Kamado Joe cover again. I would rather protect the grill with a fitted, ventilated cover than leave the entire cooker exposed or wrap it in a plastic tarp.
Where to Buy
These are paid affiliate links. As a customer, you do not pay any more or less because of an affiliated link. A small percentage of the sale will go to the person who generated the link. Thank you for supporting my website and channel.
- Kamado Joe Cover
- Kick Ash Basket & Kick Ash Can
- SMOKEWARE Chimney Cap for Kamado Joe
- FireBoard 2 Drive
- Napoleon 57013 Rotisserie Basket
- Kamado Joe Karbon Steel Griddle for Classic
- Kamado Joe Karbon Steel Griddle for Big Joe
- Kamado Joe Joetisserie
- Kamado Joe Karbon Steel Griddle
- Kamado Joe Classic
- Smithey Ironware 10" Cast-Iron Skillet
- Thermoworks Circle IR Laser
- Kamado Joe Fiberglass Gasket (for Big Joe)
More Kamado Joe Resources
If you found this review helpful, here are a few more resources that will help you get the most out of your Kamado Joe:
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