6 Best Row Cover Clips for Wind Protection
Secure your row covers in high winds with clips trusted by generations. We list the 6 best, farmer-approved options for maximum crop protection.
There’s nothing quite like the sound of a 40-mile-per-hour wind gust ripping your freshly installed row cover to shreds in the middle of the night. You spend hours carefully protecting your young crops, only to have one good storm undo it all. The secret to avoiding that heartbreak isn’t a better row cover; it’s better clips.
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Choosing Clips: Hoop Size and Fabric Weight
The right clip is a direct match for your specific setup. Before you buy anything, you need to know two things: the outside diameter of your hoops and the weight of your fabric. A clip designed for 1/2-inch EMT conduit will be useless on 1-inch PVC pipe, and one that holds lightweight insect netting might not stand a chance against a heavy, waterlogged frost blanket.
Don’t guess on your hoop size. Take a cheap pair of calipers or even an adjustable wrench out to the garden and measure the actual outside diameter. PVC pipe sizes, for instance, refer to the inside diameter, which is a classic rookie mistake that leads to buying a pile of useless plastic.
The fabric matters just as much. A lightweight summer cover like Agribon AG-15 needs a clip with a gentle but firm grip. A heavy winter cover (AG-50 or heavier) or a thick piece of greenhouse plastic needs a clamp with serious biting power. Using a heavy-duty clamp on delicate fabric is a surefire way to cause rips and tears right where the wind stress is highest.
Bootstrap Farmer Snap Clamps: A Reliable Classic
These are the workhorses you see in countless market gardens for a reason. Bootstrap Farmer makes their snap clamps from UV-stabilized plastic, which means they won’t get brittle and shatter after one or two seasons in the sun. This is a bigger deal than it sounds; cheap, non-stabilized clips become a frustrating source of waste.
Their design is simple and effective. The C-shaped clamps have smooth, rounded edges that are less likely to snag or tear your row cover fabric. They provide a consistent, even pressure along their entire length, which is exactly what you want for most three-season applications. They are the go-to choice for standard low tunnels and moderate weather conditions.
Hardware Store Spring Clamps for Peak Wind Gusts
Secure your projects with this 12-pack of durable 3.5-inch spring clamps. Featuring high-strength springs and rotating, removable splints, these clamps provide a strong, adjustable hold for various tasks.
When a serious storm is on the forecast, sometimes the standard plastic clips just won’t cut it. This is where a trip to the local hardware store pays off. The heavy-duty plastic or metal spring clamps—the kind you’d use for a woodworking project—offer unparalleled gripping power. Their strong springs can lock a heavy, wet frost blanket onto a metal hoop like nothing else.
However, this strength comes with significant tradeoffs. The jaws of these clamps can easily puncture or tear row cover fabric, especially lighter-weight materials. To mitigate this, you can fold the fabric over on itself a few times where you plan to clamp, creating a reinforced hem. This spreads the pressure and gives the clamp more material to bite into.
These clamps are best used as reinforcements, not as your primary system. Use them on the windward side of a tunnel or to anchor the corners and ends where the wind tries to get its first grip. They are heavier, more expensive per unit, and can rust if you get the cheap metal ones, but having a dozen on hand can be the difference between a secure tunnel and a disaster.
Agfabric Garden Fabric Clamps: Easy on Hands
Not all clamps require a death grip to get them on the hoop. Agfabric makes a line of clamps that are noticeably easier to open and apply, which is a huge benefit when you’re securing a 100-foot row. If you have arthritis, reduced hand strength, or are just tired of fighting with stiff plastic, these are a fantastic option.
The easier action often means slightly less holding power than their stiffer counterparts. They are perfect for lightweight insect netting or for use in more sheltered locations where you don’t expect gale-force winds. Their real advantage is for tasks that require frequent access, like opening up a tunnel every morning to vent heat or for harvesting.
Think of them as the right tool for a specific job. You wouldn’t use a sledgehammer to hang a picture frame. Likewise, you don’t always need the strongest possible clamp, especially when ease of use can save you time and frustration day after day.
Grower’s Solution Snap-On Clamps: Secure Grip
Grower’s Solution offers another excellent professional-grade option that focuses on a secure, no-slip grip. These clamps often feel a bit more rigid than other brands, and their precise sizing ensures a very tight fit on the intended pipe. This rigidity is key to their holding power, as it prevents the clamp from flexing or twisting under load.
This tight fit is a double-edged sword. It’s fantastic for holding on in the wind, but it can make them a real bear to get off, especially in cold weather when the plastic is less pliable. They are ideal for more permanent or semi-permanent installations where you set the cover and leave it for weeks or months at a time. For a winter-long low tunnel, this is exactly the kind of security you want.
Large Binder Clips: The Frugal Farmer’s Secret
Never underestimate the power of the office supply aisle. Large, 2-inch wide metal binder clips are an incredibly effective—and cheap—solution for securing row covers. They are especially useful for gathering and clamping the loose fabric at the very ends of a low tunnel, creating a tidy, wind-resistant closure.
Their main advantage is cost and availability. You can buy a box of them for the price of a few specialty clamps. They provide a very strong point-of-contact grip, which is great for holding a folded-over edge or pinning a cover to a wooden baseboard.
Of course, they aren’t perfect. The metal will rust over time, potentially staining your fabric. The metal arms can be annoying to deal with and can snag on things. Most importantly, their pressure is concentrated in a small area, increasing the risk of tearing if used on a taut section of fabric in high winds. Use them for ends, edges, and temporary fixes, not as your primary hoop clamp.
Sun-Blocker Locking C-Clips for High Tunnels
When you move up from low tunnels to larger high tunnels or caterpillar tunnels, the forces involved increase dramatically. A 50-foot-long sheet of 6-mil greenhouse plastic becomes a massive sail in the wind. Standard snap clamps are simply not up to this task; you need something that locks.
Sun-Blocker clips, and others like them, often feature a two-piece design or a "lock" that snaps into place, preventing the clip from being forced open by wind. They are designed to hold heavy materials like shade cloth and greenhouse plastic onto larger-diameter pipes (often 1-inch or greater).
While they are overkill for a backyard low tunnel, understanding their purpose is important. They demonstrate the principle of matching the tool to the scale of the job. For anyone with a larger structure, investing in locking clips for the purlins and baseboards is non-negotiable for protecting a much more expensive investment.
Clip Spacing and Technique for Maximum Hold
The best clips in the world will fail if you don’t use them correctly. Spacing is everything. In a calm, protected area, you might get away with placing a clip every four to five feet. But in an open, windy field, you need to shorten that distance to every two feet, especially on the side facing the prevailing wind.
Technique matters just as much as spacing. When attaching the fabric, always start on one side and work your way down the entire length of the tunnel before starting the other side. This ensures the fabric is smooth and taut. For extra grip, especially with thinner fabrics, fold the edge of the material over once to create a double layer before snapping the clip on. This simple fold dramatically increases the holding power and reduces the chance of the fabric pulling out from under the clip.
Finally, pay special attention to the ends of the tunnel. This is where the wind gets its first foothold. Don’t just rely on clips here. Gather the excess fabric, twist it into a "ponytail," and tie it securely to a heavy stake or T-post driven firmly into the ground a few feet beyond the end of the tunnel. A well-anchored end is the foundation of a windproof system.
Ultimately, a good clipping system is often a mix-and-match affair, using heavy-duty clamps for the ends and windward side, and easier-to-use snaps for the leeward side where you need daily access. Don’t be afraid to experiment to find the combination of clips and techniques that works best for your specific site and weather. A little preparation now saves a world of panic and repair later.
