Given a number of recent posts illustrating the desires of Porsche owners to protect their cars, I thought that it was time to share my usage experiences with Doordefender Magnetic Car Door Protectors (Google search: Doordefender).

Doordefenders are most easily described as magnet-backed, rubber bumpers, covered primarily in an all-weather fabric, with felt material covering the magnet side. Two of these bumpers are linked by a plastic-covered metal cable, providing protection for one side of a vehicle. Each Doordefender includes a security tether to aid in theft prevention (I removed these as I am not concerned with theft in the areas where I park my car). Multiple colors are available.

As you can see in the first photograph, Doordefenders provide excellent coverage on the Porsche 911, extending just beyond the length of its doors. I find that twisting the metal cable that connects the two pieces, as illustrated in the second photograph, ensures that the cable keeps its distance from the paint and it also provides a clean look.

The padding of Doordefenders is robust, providing a high degree of protection from typical parking lot impacts. The magnets are powerful, requiring a bit of heft to remove mounted Doordefenders; however, placement is easy. The felt material that covers the magnet side seems to prevent abrasions effectively.

When I’m placing or removing Doordefenders, passersby will often stop to inquire. It seems that many are desirous of better vehicle door protection. From a distance, I’ve had the opportunity to observe those parking next to my Porsche when equipped with Doordefenders and, interestingly, they seem to be more attentive to careful entry and exit from their vehicles.

As I am very selective with where I park my Porsche, I do not have the need to use Doordefenders on a daily basis. Instead, I carry these in the luggage compartment and deploy them when I have no choice other than to park in areas that are not as Porsche-friendly as I would prefer.

As for storage, Doordefenders fit nicely across the bottom of the luggage compartment, as illustrated in the third photograph. If you use a SCHILD liner, as I do, be advised that a similar fit is not possible due to space restrictions. Users of SCHILD liners perhaps will best be served by first placing the Doordefenders across the bottom of the luggage compartment and then placing the liner on top.

I am impressed with the performance of Doordefenders and believe that the product represents a useful solution for cars that are not equipped with body side moldings. I hope this helps my fellow forum members who are looking for ways to better protect their Porsches.

 

what's funny is if you do an amazon search they come up and when you look at the recommendations "what others bought with this product", Paul Blart:Mall Cop is first on the list.!!!!

Down here in S Florida, it's a great idea except I think they would get stolen the first week, except at Publix

 

You'd definitely need to be selective with where you use them. In some parking areas, they'd be long gone by the time you return.

 

How do magnetic door protectors work on aluminum doors?

 

That's an interesting way to put it.

Seems like a cumbersome solution that can be solved by parking far away. I think I missed something-I didn't read the whole thing, sorry.

 

kinda get it, but no thanks!!!

 

Agreed---and that's almost always what I do. Using the Porsche as a daily driver, though, there are instances where parking my car at distance isn't possible. These come in handy in such cases.

 

Parking far away does not usually solve the problem. Have you ever been in a situation where you park far, far away and when you come back to your car, another beat-up truck/car is parked right next to you?

 

Strange enough, yes on the rare occasion. (You know, looking close at those things they look like "noodles" you take out on the boat). I've often thought it would be easy enough to make something like that, just slice a noodle down the center.............or.......... if a car cover had a internal tube around the door area you could inflate somehow.

On-a-side-note........I actually have those on the sides of my garage (sliced-in-half and stuck to the outer walls). Another thing that works nice and is MUCH smaller are those small roll-up "yoga" mats you see in Walmart. Just cut a 6"tall x 12"long section and glue to wall. (Face it, everyone slips once and a while and their door may touch)

BobR