Sam Tremlett
People tend to scoff a bit at iron headcovers but, when you’ve splashed out a large chunk of your hard-earned cash, then you want to look after them and, for anyone carrying or using a trolley, there is a lot of clanking around with your irons.
Aaron Rai uses them on tour and his reasons are particularly valid and, if it’s good enough for a professional with multiple DP World Tour wins, and a win on the PGA Tour, then it’s good enough for you.
“I grew up in very much a working-class family, and golf has always been a very expensive game,” Rai said. “I started from the age of four and my dad used to pay for the equipment, pay for my memberships, my entry fees. And it wasn’t money that we really had, to be honest, but he’d always buy me the best clubs.
“When I was about seven or eight my dad bought me a set of Titleist 690 MBs, and they were like £800-1000, just for a set of clubs for a kid. I cherished them. When we used to go out and practice, he used to clean every single groove afterward with a pin and with baby oil. To protect the clubs, he thought it would be good to put iron covers on it. I’ve pretty much had iron covers on all of my sets ever since just to appreciate the value of what I have, and it all started with that first set.”
Let's get to the list...
Best Iron Headcovers
Number of covers: 11
How cool are these? These crocodile-patterned polyurethane leather offering really are something else from Craftsman Golf.
There are 11 pieces, so they’ve considered each of your wedges, and they’re suitable for both right and left-handed irons. There is a magnetic closure on both sides so they will stay in place as well as looking fantastic.
Number of covers: 8
Callaway is a brand renowned for high quality golf gear and here is yet another example. These headcovers will give your irons the protection they need and we like the fact you can get the blue version pictured, or the Deluxe version as well which comes in a red finish.
This set of 8 headcovers fits both left and right handed clubs to ensure protection.
Number of covers: 12
Another model from Craftsman Golf to make this list is this 12 piece set. Made from synthetic leather, the covers feel thick and you have a lot of confidence in their ability to protect your irons.
Admittedly we would prefer a magnetic closure rather than velcro but we do enjoy the several colors on offer, as well as the option to add personalization to the mix as well.
Number of covers: 10
These stylish polyurethane leather covers feature an elastic closure so they will stay in place but can easily be put on and off.
There is extra cover with the long neck design which is handy for when in transit and the logos are bold and, what is really cool, is that you can also get the loft of your wedges imprinted which is pretty unique.
Number of covers: 10
You have 10 individual headcovers here, going from 4-iron to lob wedge, and they’re made from neoprene which means they’re light and stretchy.
They also feature a velcro closure to score them to each club so there’s no chance of losing any.
Number of covers: 10
One for the more patriotic British golfer. This 10-piece set has a variety of colors alongside the Union Jack and is soft yet durable and there’s plenty of protection for your clubs here.
And, even if you’re carrying four wedges, they’ve got you (literally) covered.
How we test golf gear
At Golf Monthly we test golf gear with the same ethos in mind - testing products properly and extensively to see if they are actually worth buying, and then passing on our findings onto you, the reader. That way, we can produce extensive reviews that help you make an informed decision regarding possibly buying a certain model.
The Golf Monthly team are all regular golfers and with decades of experience, we look to understand new technology and design features on products. The best way of doing this is by simply using them regularly, especially when it comes to golf accessories.
The team tests the models out on course for a number of rounds, learning what it is like to truly live with the product over a number of weeks and number of rounds to truly understand the product.
How to choose iron headovers
What factors should you consider when thinking about buying iron covers? Let's take a look.
Number of covers
First things first you need to make sure you pick a brand or design that offers enough covers to protect all your irons in the bag. There is not much point in having 7 covers when you carry 9 irons is there? As such read the product specifications properly to see how many covers come with the set.
Strength
The whole point of iron covers is to protect your irons underneath so they need to be well made, and strong enough to deal with the movement in the golf bag. Additionally, they need to be strong enough to deal with every day use properly, especially in terms of getting taken off and put on irons regularly. Specifically, we would be aware of the fabrics or materials used here. We have seen the models that are from leather to be very good in terms of strength, whereas cheaper models tend to be made from thinner polyester,
Ease of use
Ultimately an iron cover needs to be easy to get on and off the iron because if not, this is adding unnecessary seconds and annoyance to your round, which is not needed especially when face with a tricky iron shot.
Design
Brands seem to make different iron cover designs out there so you don't need to go for the simple black leather finish. Instead you can get flags, symbols, or just about anything on your iron cover so it is just a case of picking one you like the look of.
Budget
Our final factor is budget. Given how expensive iron sets can be, it does make sense to invest properly in something that will protect them but given you have already spent hard earned money on clubs, bags, balls, apparel and so on, have a think about how much you are willing to spend on iron covers. Importantly, there are models at different price points.
FAQs
What do iron covers do?
Iron covers are there to protect the golf clubs from clanging into one another, and therefore damaging the metal heads. This is especially the true for clubs made from soft metals like blades or forged irons.
Do people put covers on their irons?
Yes there are some people who put covers on their irons as well as their woods and putter. One notable player to do so is professional Aaron Rai who does it to protect his clubs.
