Best Pool Covers
There is no single best pool cover, because a cover does one of three different jobs and the right pick depends entirely on which job you need. If you want the cover that keeps children and pets out and still handles winter, buy a mesh safety cover like a Loop-Loc; it is the only kind of cover rated to hold weight, anchored to the deck, and it drains rain and snowmelt straight through so you never touch a pump. If you just want to close the pool cheaply for winter, buy a solid winter cover held down by water tubes and a leaf net. If your goal is warmer water and less evaporation in season, you want a solar cover, which is a completely different product covered in depth in our best solar pool covers guide. The mistake people make is buying one cover and expecting it to do all three jobs, so start by naming your goal, then match the cover to it. Here are the picks by job, sorted so you can jump to the one that fits your pool and your reason for covering it.
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Loop-Loc Mesh Safety Cover
Who it is for: In-ground pools where keeping kids, pets, and leaves out all winter matters more than saving money.
- +It is a genuine safety cover built to ASTM F1346, anchored into the deck with brass anchors and springs so it is walk-on rated and a child or pet cannot slip under it, which a plain winter tarp cannot claim.
- +The mesh lets rain and snowmelt drain straight through into the pool, so there is no puddle on top, no cover pump to run, and nothing to bail out after a storm.
- +It is custom-measured to your exact pool shape, so it fits tight with no gaps, and the panels shed leaves; the heavier super-dense mesh blocks most sunlight to slow algae underneath.
Watch out: It is the most expensive cover here and needs anchors set into the deck, which is a bigger install than a tarp. Because fine debris and a little light still pass through the mesh, the water underneath will not be crystal clear in spring, so you still balance and shock when you open. A solid cover keeps the water cleaner but needs a pump.
Robelle Mega Solid Winter Cover
Who it is for: In-ground owners who want the cleanest possible water in spring and do not mind running a cover pump.
- +A solid cover blocks all sunlight and debris, so no leaves, dirt, or algae-feeding light reaches the water, and the pool opens noticeably cleaner than it does under mesh.
- +The heavier Mega-grade material resists tearing and UV better than a thin economy tarp, so it survives more than one or two seasons if you store it dry.
- +It is held down by water tubes around the deck (not the cover itself sitting in the water), which is the standard, reliable way to close an in-ground pool without a permanent anchor system.
Watch out: A solid cover collects every drop of rain and snowmelt on top, so you must run a pool cover pump to keep the water off or the cover sinks under the weight. Add a leaf net over the top in fall so you can lift the leaves off in one pull instead of pumping sludge. Use water tubes, not solid water bags, because bags freeze, burst, and slide off.
Blue Wave Gold Above-Ground Winter Cover
Who it is for: Above-ground pools that need a durable seasonal cover that will not shred in the first windstorm.
- +It is sized for above-ground pools and attaches with a cable and winch (tightened cinch) around the top rail plus cover clips, which is the correct way to hold a cover on an above-ground pool.
- +The Gold-tier material is a heavier weave with a longer warranty than the bronze economy covers, so it takes UV and wind for several seasons instead of one.
- +The dark underside blocks sunlight to discourage algae, and the overhang gives you enough material to cinch down tight so wind cannot get under it and balloon the cover.
Watch out: Buy the size that matches your pool diameter plus the recommended overlap; too small will not cinch and too large flaps in the wind. An air pillow placed under the center before you cover keeps rain and snow draining to the edges and protects the walls from ice expansion. Cheap covers fail at the grommets, so check that the edge is reinforced.
Sun2Solar Blue Solar Cover
Who it is for: Anyone whose goal is warmer water and less evaporation during the season, not winter closing.
- +A solar cover is a bubble blanket that floats directly on the water and traps the sun's heat, typically adding several degrees and slowing overnight heat loss, so it is a heating and water-saving tool, not a winter or safety cover.
- +The thicker 12-mil and 16-mil versions last longer and insulate better than a thin 8-mil sheet, so they are worth the small step up in price.
- +It cuts evaporation dramatically, which also means less water and fewer chemicals lost to the air, so you top off and dose less often.
Watch out: A solar cover is not a safety cover and offers no protection; never let anyone walk on it. It also is not a winter cover, so pull it before you close. For the full breakdown of sizes, colors, and reels, see our dedicated best solar pool covers guide.
What actually matters when buying
What job do you actually need the cover to do?. This is the whole decision. A safety cover keeps people and pets out and is rated to hold weight; a winter cover (solid or mesh) closes the pool cleanly for the off-season; a solar cover warms the water and cuts evaporation in season. These are three different products, and no single cover does all three well. A solar cover will not hold a child's weight, and a safety cover does nothing to warm your water. Name your goal first, then buy the cover built for that goal, and if you have both winter and heating needs, plan on owning two covers.
Mesh or solid: which winter cover is right?. For winter closing the choice is mesh versus solid. A mesh cover lets water drain through, so there is no pump and no puddle, but a little sunlight and fine dirt pass through, so the water opens a bit dirtier and can grow some algae. A solid cover blocks everything, so the water stays cleaner, but it holds all the rain and snowmelt on top and forces you to run a cover pump and usually add a leaf net. Mesh is the low-effort choice; solid gives you the cleanest spring water in exchange for pump duty. Both beat leaving the pool open all winter.
Only a safety cover is rated to hold weight. A standard solid or mesh winter cover is not a safety device. It floats on the water or lies loose over it, and a child or pet that gets onto it can slip underneath and drown; several drownings a year happen exactly this way. A true safety cover is built to the ASTM F1346 standard, anchored into the deck with springs, and rated to support the weight of a person walking on it. If small children or pets are around the pool, that difference is the reason to spend the extra money. And no cover of any kind replaces a proper four-sided fence and supervision, which are still your first line of defense.
How the cover attaches decides how well it holds. Fit and anchoring matter as much as the material. An in-ground solid cover is held by water tubes laid around the deck, and you want tubes, not the old solid water bags, because bags freeze solid, split, and slide into the pool. An above-ground cover cinches to the top rail with a cable and a winch plus cover clips. A safety cover screws into brass anchors set in the deck. Buy the size made for your pool plus the recommended overlap, and on an above-ground pool add an air pillow under the center so rain and snow drain to the edges and the ice has room to expand without pushing on the walls.
Thickness, weave, and where the cheap covers fail. Covers are graded by material weight and warranty, and the cheapest ones fail fastest, usually tearing at the seams or pulling out at the grommets after one windy winter. Stepping up one grade (a heavier weave, a longer warranty) is almost always worth it because a cover you replace every season is not cheap in the long run. Store any cover clean and bone dry over the off-season, because mildew and trapped moisture rot the material faster than sunlight does. A cover is part of the same routine as the rest of your seasonal maintenance, so treat it like gear you want to keep, not a disposable tarp.
How we picked
This is a research-based guide. We compare pool covers on the factors that change the buy, the job the cover is built for (safety, winter closing, or heating), mesh versus solid drainage, weight rating and the ASTM F1346 safety standard, how the cover attaches, and material grade, weighed against a broad set of owner reviews across the established brands. We do not bench-test covers, and we take no payment for placement. Every product here is a real, currently sold model, and a commission never changes a pick. Follow the manufacturer's sizing and installation instructions, and remember that no cover replaces a fence and supervision.
Keep your water right, too
Gear handles the cleaning; chemistry is the other half. Useful next: best solar pool covers, best pool cover pumps, how to winterize a pool, how to open a pool.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best type of pool cover?
It depends on what you need the cover to do. For an in-ground pool where safety matters, a mesh safety cover like a Loop-Loc is the best type, because it is anchored, walk-on rated to ASTM F1346, and drains rain through so there is no pump. For closing a pool cheaply, a solid winter cover held by water tubes keeps the water cleanest but needs a cover pump, while a mesh winter cover is lower effort with no pump. For warming the water in season, a solar cover is the answer, which is a different product from a winter cover. Pick by your goal: safety, winter closing, or heat.
What are the downsides of using a pool cover?
The main downsides are cost, storage, and effort. A good safety or winter cover is a real expense, it needs somewhere clean and dry to store all season or it rots, and a solid cover forces you to run a cover pump and often add a leaf net to keep water and debris off. Mesh covers let a little light and fine dirt through, so the pool opens dirtier and you balance and shock when you open. And no cover except a rated safety cover holds weight, so a plain winter cover is a drowning hazard, not a safety barrier. For most owners the tradeoffs are worth it because a cover cuts spring cleanup, evaporation, and chemical loss.
What thickness pool cover is best?
For a solar cover, thickness is measured in mils, and 12-mil to 16-mil is the sweet spot: thicker than a flimsy 8-mil sheet so it lasts several seasons and insulates better, without paying for more than you need. For winter covers, thickness shows up as material weight and warranty grade, and stepping up from the cheapest economy grade to a mid or premium grade is worth it because the cheap covers tear at the seams and grommets after one windy winter. In both cases the mid-to-upper grade lasts long enough to cost less per season than replacing a thin cover every year.
Is a black or blue pool cover better?
For a solar cover, the color changes how it heats. A clear or light blue bubble cover lets more sunlight through to warm the water and is the most common heating choice, while a darker cover absorbs more heat at the surface and blocks more light, which warms a little differently and discourages algae. Blue is the standard all-around solar pick. For a winter cover, darker is better, because a dark or black underside blocks sunlight and starves algae during the closed months, which is why winter covers are dark and solar covers are usually blue.
Are winter pool covers worth it?
Yes, for almost every pool. A winter cover keeps leaves, dirt, and debris out over the off-season, which means far less cleanup and a much faster, cheaper opening in spring, and a dark cover blocks the sunlight algae needs so the water does not turn into a swamp. The alternative, leaving the pool open all winter, means a filthy pool, a possible algae bloom, and a long, expensive cleanup when you open the pool. The one caveat is that a standard winter cover is not a safety cover; if you want debris protection and child-and-pet safety in one, buy a rated safety cover instead of a plain winter tarp.