T-H Marine Inflatable Boat Fender 5.5 x 20 in Black

A boat fender is cheap insurance for an expensive hull, and this T-H Marine cylinder fender does exactly that job without any fuss. It's a black, inflatable fender measuring 5-1/2 inches in diameter and 20 inches long, built from premium marine-grade PVC that shrugs off sun, salt, and the daily grind of rubbing against a dock. Simple gear. But it's the kind of thing you're glad you bought the first time the wind pins you against a piling.

This size lands right in the sweet spot for small to mid-size boats. Think runabouts, center consoles, bass boats, and pontoons roughly in the 16 to 24 foot range. The 5-1/2 inch diameter gives you enough cushion to keep topsides off a fixed dock or another boat, and the 20 inch length spreads that contact over a wide area so you're not relying on a single point of pressure. On a bigger boat you'd step up in diameter, but for the average trailer boat or day cruiser, this is the everyday fender you'll reach for again and again.

You hang it however the situation calls for. Vertical off a cleat or a rail is the usual setup at a slip, with the fender riding down at the waterline where the dock actually makes contact. Horizontal works well when you're up against a low floating dock or a piling, and it's the go-to when you raft up alongside a buddy's boat. Rig it with a good fender line. A clove hitch or a round turn and two half hitches holds fine, and you can adjust on the fly as the wind and current shift you around.

The marine-grade PVC is the part that matters over the long haul. Cheap fenders go chalky and split after a season or two in the sun. This one is built to take UV, salt spray, and the constant scuff of a dock without cracking or losing its shape. It's inflatable, so it holds a firm, springy cushion of air rather than a dead-feeling foam, and you can top it off or soften it a touch depending on how much standoff you want.

One honest note on the color. Black fenders look sharp and they don't show grime the way white ones do, which is why a lot of anglers and pontoon owners like them. But a black cover can occasionally leave a scuff mark on bright white gelcoat if it's really ground in. If your topsides are pristine white and you're fussy about it, either give the hull an occasional wipe-down or slip a fender sock over these. For most working boats and darker hulls it's simply a non-issue you'll never think about.

Because it's inflatable, storage is easy in the off-season or when you're trailering. Let some air out and you can stow a few in a locker or a milk crate without them hogging the whole cockpit. When you're ready to splash, air it back up firm and it's good to go. A hand pump or a low-pressure electric pump does the job in seconds, and you don't need much, just enough that it feels solid when you press on it.

How many do you need? The old rule of thumb is one fender for every 10 feet of boat, with a minimum of three, so you've got the bow, midship, and stern covered on the side you're tying to. Most folks keep a couple extra aboard so they can double up on the windward side or drop one wherever the dock has an awkward high spot. At this price, it's easy to build out a full set.

Bottom line, it's an honest, no-drama fender from a company that's been making boat hardware for decades. Buy a few, rig them with decent line, and then forget about them until the day they save your rubrail. That's exactly what you want out of a fender.