Best Pool Cover Reels
A pool cover reel (also called a solar cover reel or solar blanket roller) is the tube-and-crank stand that rolls your solar cover on and off in about a minute instead of wrestling a soggy 40-foot blanket by hand. For most in-ground pools the Sun2Solar Solar Reel System is the one we point to first: an adjustable aluminum reel that fits pools up to about 21 feet wide, comes with the strap kit, and rolls aside on casters. For above-ground pools the reel is a different shape, and the Feherguard Premium Above-Ground Reel glides along the top rail so it takes no deck space. There is no single best reel, because the choice is decided by two things: whether your pool is in-ground or above-ground, and how wide it is. Get those right and almost any sturdy aluminum reel works; get them wrong and the reel either does not fit or sits in the garage because it is too much of a fight to use. One honesty note up front, since the names overlap: this guide is about reels that roll up a thin solar blanket, not automatic safety-cover systems. A solar blanket is not a safety barrier, and a reel does not make it one. Here are the picks and what actually matters when you buy.
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Sun2Solar Solar Reel System
Who it is for: In-ground pools up to about 21 feet wide that want a sturdy, widely stocked crank reel to roll the solar blanket on and off without a fight.
- +A telescoping aluminum tube adjusts to fit most residential in-ground pools up to roughly 20 to 21 feet wide, so one reel covers a range of sizes instead of locking you to one.
- +Ships with the strap-and-clip kit that attaches the blanket to the tube, and the base rolls on casters so one person can crank it up and wheel it off to the side.
- +An anodized aluminum frame that resists rust in a wet, chlorinated environment, which is exactly where the cheap painted-steel reels corrode and seize first.
Watch out: A reel is sized by pool width, not length, so measure the span the tube has to cross and size up if you are between sizes. This is a manual crank with no motor, and it rolls up the solar blanket only, not a winter or safety cover.
VINGLI Pool Cover Reel Set
Who it is for: In-ground pools that want a working crank reel at the lowest price, in a fixed 14, 18, or 21 foot width.
- +One of the cheapest in-ground reels that still uses an aluminum tube and includes the straps and clips, sold in a few fixed widths so you simply buy the one that fits your pool.
- +A simple hand-crank design that is widely stocked at Lowe's, Target, and Amazon, so replacement straps, wheels, and tube sections are easy to find later.
- +Height-adjustable legs on the current sets raise the tube so it clears the pool coping.
Watch out: Fit and finish sit a notch below Sun2Solar or Feherguard, so check that the tube sections seat tightly and the wheels lock, and budget some patience for assembly. Buy the width that matches your pool; there is no telescoping range to fall back on.
Pool Boy Automatic Solar Reel
Who it is for: Large in-ground pools, or owners who cannot comfortably hand-crank, who want the blanket to roll on and off at the push of a button.
- +A battery or electric drive rolls a large solar blanket with no cranking, which genuinely matters on a 40-foot pool where a manual reel becomes a two-minute workout twice a day.
- +Sold in a battery version (Pool Boy III) and an electric version (Pool Boy I) through established pool retailers like In The Swim and Doheny's, so it is a real supported product, not a no-name import.
- +Handles the widest blankets, the size at which manual reels get heavy and awkward for one person to manage.
Watch out: It costs several times what a manual reel does, and the motor or battery is one more part that can fail poolside. On a small or mid-size pool a manual reel is lighter, cheaper, and rarely worth upgrading away from.
What actually matters when buying
In-ground or above-ground: which reel do I need?. This is the first decision, because the two reels are built differently and are not interchangeable. An in-ground reel is a freestanding stand: a tube on two end stands that roll on casters, which you park on the deck a few feet back from the edge. An above-ground reel either mounts to the pool's top rail and glides along it, or stands on a short frame beside the pool, because an above-ground pool has no deck to set a big stand on. Buy the type that matches your pool. An in-ground reel on an above-ground pool has nowhere to sit, and an above-ground reel will not span a large in-ground pool. If you have a very large or oddly shaped in-ground pool, measure carefully, because the widest residential reels top out around the low 20s of feet.
Size the reel to your pool's width, not its length. Reels are rated by the width of the pool, the span the tube has to roll across, not the length. A reel listed 'for pools up to 18 feet' means 18 feet of tube between the stands. Measure the widest part of your pool and buy a reel rated a foot or two wider so the blanket sits on the tube without binding at the ends. Telescoping reels (like the Sun2Solar) adjust within a range, which is forgiving; fixed-width reels (like the budget VINGLI sets) do not, so match the size exactly. The pool's length only decides how many turns of the crank it takes to roll the blanket up, not which reel fits. If you are not sure of your dimensions, our pool volume calculator walks you through measuring the pool, and the same width you enter there is the number the reel has to clear.
Manual crank or motorized?. A manual hand-crank reel is the right choice for most pools, because a solar blanket is light. Rolling one up is a 30-to-60-second job on a typical backyard pool, and a manual reel has nothing to charge, break, or get wet. Reach for a motorized reel only when the blanket is genuinely heavy to move: a large pool over about 30 to 40 feet, or an owner with limited mobility or grip strength. Motorized reels cost several times more and add a battery or motor that lives outdoors. Note that a reel, motorized or not, is built for a thin solar blanket, not a heavy winter or safety cover; a solid winter cover comes off into a cover pump and folds away, it does not roll onto a solar reel.
Aluminum, stainless, or resin, and how the blanket attaches. The tube material decides how long the reel survives poolside. Anodized aluminum is the sweet spot for a residential reel: light, stiff, and corrosion-resistant without the price of stainless. Stainless steel is the most rust-resistant and the sturdiest for very wide spans, but it costs more and is heavier to move. Painted steel is the cheapest and the first to rust where a chlorinated splash chips the paint, so avoid it for anything you plan to keep. Resin end pieces and UV-stabilized plastic parts are fine and expected. Just as important is the attachment: the blanket connects to the tube with a strap-and-clip kit that should be included, and you trim the solar cover to fit and clip it on. Make sure the straps are there in the box, because buying them separately is an annoyance and a bare tube rolls nothing.
A solar cover reel is not an automatic safety cover. This matters enough to say plainly: a solar cover reel rolls up a thin solar blanket, and a solar blanket is not a safety barrier. It will not hold the weight of a child or a pet, and a child can slip under it and be trapped out of sight, which is more dangerous than open water. Never leave a solar cover on an unattended pool around young children. If you need a barrier when the pool is closed, that is a different product: an ASTM-rated safety cover that anchors to the deck and holds weight. The reel in this guide is a convenience tool that makes you actually use your solar blanket (and a blanket you use is what cuts evaporation and holds heat; see our best solar pool covers guide and the solar cover versus heater comparison). Keep the two jobs separate in your head and you will buy the right thing.
How we picked
This is a research-based guide, not a bench test. We compared pool cover reels on what actually decides whether one gets used: the right type for an in-ground versus above-ground pool, correct sizing to pool width (and telescoping versus fixed), tube material and corrosion resistance, whether the strap-and-clip attachment kit is included, ease of one-person operation, and the manual-versus-motorized tradeoff, read against a broad set of owner reviews across the established brands (Sun2Solar, Feherguard, VINGLI, Pool Boy, Swimline). We do not receive payment for placement, and a commission never changes a pick. A solar cover reel is a convenience tool for a solar blanket; it is not a safety device, and a solar blanket is never a substitute for a safety cover, a fence, or active supervision.
Keep your water right, too
Gear handles the cleaning; chemistry is the other half. Useful next: best solar pool covers, best pool covers, best pool cover pumps, pool heater vs solar cover, all buyer guides, all calculators.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a reel for a solar pool cover?
No, a reel is not required, but it is the difference between using your solar cover and ignoring it. A solar blanket for a 30-foot pool is a large, floppy, water-slick sheet that is awkward and slow to pull off and fold by hand, and a cover you dread handling is a cover that stays off. A reel lets one person crank the blanket on or off in under a minute, which is why most people who add a reel actually keep the cover on overnight and between swims, getting the evaporation and heat savings the blanket is for. On a small pool (say under 16 feet) you can manage by hand; on a mid-size or large pool a reel is the accessory that makes the cover worth owning.
What is the best pool reel for a solar cover?
For most in-ground pools, the Sun2Solar Solar Reel System is the best all-around choice: an anodized aluminum reel that telescopes to fit pools up to about 21 feet wide, ships with the strap kit, and rolls aside on casters. For above-ground pools, the Feherguard Premium Above-Ground Reel is the standout because it glides along the pool's top rail and needs no deck. If price is the deciding factor, the VINGLI Pool Cover Reel Set is a serviceable budget in-ground reel, and if you want hands-free operation on a large pool, the motorized Pool Boy reel rolls the blanket at the push of a button. The single most important factor in 'best' is fit: the right type for your pool and a width rated a foot or two over your pool's widest span.
How do you make a DIY solar pool cover reel?
A common DIY reel is a length of 4-inch PVC pipe run across the pool width as the tube, capped and set into two upright stands (often PVC or wood) with casters or simple feet, with the solar cover attached by straps or clips and the whole thing turned by a hand-crank or just by walking the tube. It can work on a small pool and saves money. Be honest about the limits: PVC flexes and can sag or snap across a wide span, a homemade crank has no brake so the blanket can unroll on its own, and it rarely moves as smoothly as a purpose-built aluminum reel. For a small above-ground or modest in-ground pool a DIY reel is a reasonable project; for anything over about 16 to 18 feet, an inexpensive aluminum reel like the VINGLI set is sturdier and usually not worth building around.
Can you leave a solar cover rolled up on the reel in the sun?
You can, but cover it, because direct sun is what wears a solar blanket out fastest. A solar cover rolled tightly on the reel and left in full sun for weeks will bake and start to break down (the bubbles cloud, the material gets brittle, and flakes begin shedding into the pool), which shortens a blanket that otherwise lasts several seasons. The fix is a reel cover, a UV-resistant sleeve that zips or straps over the rolled blanket, and most reel makers sell one to fit. If you do not have a reel cover, roll the blanket up in the shade when you can, or at least keep it out of the harshest afternoon sun. A little protection from UV roughly doubles the life you get out of the cover.
Do solar pool covers actually work?
Yes. A solar cover does two useful things: it cuts evaporation by around 90 to 95 percent, which is where most of a pool's heat and water loss goes, and it lets sunlight through to warm the water, typically adding a gain in the range of 5 to 10 degrees over a sunny stretch when the cover is left on. The catch is that it only works while it is on the water, which is the whole reason a reel matters: the cover has to be easy enough to put back that you actually do it overnight and between swims. A solar cover is also the cheapest way to hold heat from a pool heater so you are not paying to warm water that evaporates off overnight. For how a cover compares to active heating, see our pool heater versus solar cover comparison.