The 10 Best Boat Fenders | Boating Buying Guides and Review

This review has been updated 17 times since it was first published in January of 2016. You probably paid a reasonable amount of money for your boat, so it makes sense to protect it with a set of high-quality fenders. We’ve found center hole and two-eye models, as well as some innovative options, that will help to prevent dents and dings to your hull and rub-rail when docked, rafting up, or on a trailer, so your paint job stays in tiptop shape season after season. When users buy our independently chosen editorial recommendations, we may earn commissions to help fund the review.

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Top 10 Boat Fenders

10. Mission Sentry

The Mission Sentry is just as suitable for affixing to a dock pole as to your watercraft. It is made from cross-linked closed-cell foam and has a contoured top that reduces the chance of it getting caught on things and pushed out of position.

9. MSC Vinyl Ribbed

The MSC Vinyl Ribbed come as a set of two, including lines, and have an efficient valve system that makes them easy to inflate with the included hand pump. While they aren’t the most durable of options, they are affordable and available in some interesting colors.

8. Leader Accessories Ribbed Twin Eyes Four-Pack

The Leader Accessories Ribbed Twin Eyes Four-Pack comes with everything you need to secure them in place and inflate them to your desired pressure, yet is available at an affordable price, making it a smart value buy for most boat owners.

7. Kwik Tek Hull Hugr 1CB

Once a Kwik Tek Hull Hugr 1CB is secured against your vessel, you can count on it staying there, even in heavy swells. Its lay-flat design means it won’t roll up or out of place, like traditional round models, making it ideal for areas with significant tidal changes.

6. Taylor Made Low Freeboard

The Taylor Made Low Freeboard has an interesting form specifically designed to protect the gunwales and rub rails on small vessels from being damaged by docks. Its shape also helps it to stay in place as it practically hooks onto a boat’s side and prevents it from rolling.

5. Extreme Max BoatTector Value Pack

The Extreme Max BoatTector Value Pack comes with two 22-inch vinyl units and rugged lines to secure them in place. For a smaller vessel that measures under 25 feet in length, this pair might be all you need to protect it from damage.

4. Polyform G Series

The Polyform G Series arrives ready to use right out of the box, so you don’t have to worry about trying to find the optimal inflation level. Its skin is made from an abrasion- and puncture-resistant material that makes it extremely durable.

3. Taylor Made Big B

The Taylor Made Big B is pricey, but it’s guaranteed for the life of your boat to not pop or split, so most will find it worth the money. It is available in four sizes to suit vessels from 20 to 60 feet, and can accommodate ropes of up to 3/4 of an inch.

2. Polyform HTM Series

As the name states, the Polyform HTM Series have Holes Though the Middle that many boaters find convenient. It allows them to easily be hung in either orientation without having to deal with two separate ropes, and there won’t be a whip left hanging when vertical.

1. Norestar Ribbed Four-Pack

The Norestar Ribbed Four-Pack comes with the lines you’ll need to secure these tough units to your dock, boat, or trailer. They have a non-abrasive finish that shouldn’t damage a gel coat, so your vessel will stay looking like new.

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