When we bought our Akorn almost 7 years ago we also got a cover. The Akorn is doing just fine with no issues. The original cover was stiff hard and not really water resistant in a big rain storm. Living in North Florida we get big hard rains. It rained all day yesterday and the weatherman said we got over 3". Then new cover protected our grill not a drop inside. I highly recommend getting a cover to protect and extend the life of your grill.