When the air gets cooler and the days get shorter, you know it’s time to close up shop, and winterize your pool — swim season has come to an end. There are many factors that go into properly winterizing your swimming pool, but the first thing to think about is your winter pool cover. With so many styles, sizes, and price tags, how do you pick the right one?
That’s why we’re here! We will discuss the different types of winter pool covers and how to pick the best one for you and your pool. Let’s get to it.
What Type Cover Should You Buy?
When deciding what style of winter pool cover to purchase, consider the following factors:
- What kind of climate do you live in? Will your pool experience snow? If so, how much?
- Will children, animals, or other people be around your pool while it is covered?
The answers to those questions will determine which cover — mesh, solid, or safety — is best for you. Let’s go over the features of each cover.
Mesh Winter Pool Covers
As their name suggests, mesh winter pool covers are not solid, opaque covers. The tiny openings in the mesh material allow sunshine, rainwater, snow, and fine debris to pass through into the pool. Larger pieces of debris can’t pass through the mesh netting and get trapped on top of the cover. The benefit of the mesh material is that water and debris don’t accumulate on the top and weigh the cover down, which can cause it to break. The disadvantage of this type of cover is that it permits debris buildup and algae growth in your pool, which will require extra work and chemicals to clear up come pool opening season.
Additionally, mesh covers do not retain much, if any, pool water heat. So if you’re worried about your pool freezing during winter, this is not the best cover for you.
Solid Winter Pool Covers
Made of tightly woven, laminated material, solid winter pool covers protect your pool water from sunlight, contamination, and chemical fluctuations. Like mesh covers, there are beneficial aspects to solid winter pool covers, and inconvenient aspects to them too. Because of their impenetrable design, solid covers keep rain, snow, and debris out of your pool water — keeping it clean and contaminant free. But that rain, snow, and debris has to go somewhere, and it usually ends up sitting on top of your solid cover and weighing it down unless disposed of. Solid winter pool cover maintenance includes regularly pumping the cover to remove debris and excess water.
Safety Pool Covers 
Safety pool covers get their name from the superior safety and pool coverage they provide. Unlike their other cover counterparts that fit flush to the edge of your pool, safety covers extend onto and are securely anchored to the deck. This feature prevents animals and people from falling into the pool. Safety cover straps have a break strength of over 4,000 pounds and support the weight of people, pets, and even heavy tree branches or patio furniture. Solid safety pool covers will keep out sunlight and contaminants more effectively than mesh safety covers, which require more work to maintain clear water in spring time.
What Size Cover Should You Buy?
Once you decide what style of cover you want, measure your pool to determine the size you need. Measure from the inside edge to the inside edge of your pool to find the diameter. Our winter pool covers feature a bit of overlap to ensure full coverage of your pool, even after the water level is lowered for winter.
PRO TIP: We list our winter pool covers by pool size, not by cover size. When looking for a cover to purchase, have your pool dimensions ready, so you buy the right size!
What Grade of Pool Cover to Buy?
Don’t worry, we’re not talking about school grades! In The Swim offers comprehensive quality grading on our winter pool covers — Good, Better, and Best. We have a cover for every pool, and most importantly, every budget, whether you want a cheap, temporary cover or a more costly, but long lasting option.
Good:
1. Economy winter covers with an 8-year limited warranty.
Better:
2. Pro-Strength Polar winter covers with a 10-year limited warranty.
3. Pro-Strength Polar Plus winter covers with a 12-year limited warranty.
4. Pro-Strength Super Polar Plus winter covers with a 16-year limited warranty.
Best:
5. Polar Protector winter covers with a 20-year limited warranty.
Purchasing a winter pool cover can be a big, costly decision. But when in doubt, or if you’re in a bind, buy the best quality cover you can afford. Protect your pool with a quality pool cover and cover accessories, to keep out dirt and algae, and you’ll enjoy easier winters and faster spring openings, with less mess and less stress!
I have a 14×28 inground with a 4×8 center step. Do i have to get a 14×28 cover with the added 4×8 for the step or can i just get a straight 14×32 without the step section in it
If you are talking about a safety cover, you would want the 14×28 w/ CES cover, definitely.
I have a kidney shaped pool 36 x 18 length and widest side. What size winter cover do I need ?
hi Monica, I would buy the 20×40 rectangle cover, and just fold under the excess material.
Hi there,
Hope you’re well. I have a rectangular pool 32 x 18, and with a center-step. My pool cover was very old (previous owners bought it) and had holes in it. I’m looking for a new one but can’t seem to find one that is sized for a 32×18, instead, I keep seeing the 36×18. Is the 36 = 32 + 4 (i.e the side-step), or should I be looking for a custom cover? Thanks!
Hello, the normal sizes are 16×32 or 18×36 you are correct. The center end step does not account in the measurement, a 16×32 + CES does actually measure 16×36, with step included, but they are not listed that way. You are looking at a custom cover, but because the cover is rectangular, it won’t be as costly as a ‘curvy’ cover of the same size. You will also want to try to match the existing anchor placement, to avoid drilling many new holes, although it is likely that a few may need to be redrilled. the manuf will try to make it fit existing anchors, but they always caution that some may need to be re-drilled. So, use A-B measurements, and measure the pool and step, and also measure to a point for each existing anchor. In other words, set your A and B points along the side of the pool, then measure to points around the pool edge, (about 25-30 pts), then measure to each existing anchor, first from point A, and then from point B. Then you can send that into our custom team, and other vendors to get several price quotes, and then order. Takes about 3 weeks to deliver a custom safety cover.
Hi! My pool size is 18×39 including center steps. What winter cover size do I need? Thank you
Hi, if you are using a solid pool cover, with water bags, go for the 20’x40′ cover, and fold under the excess material. If you are going to install a safety cover, go for the 18×36, with center end step.
Hi, I have an 18′ round pool and a newly built wood corner deck. The wood planks are 1/4″ away from pool. Only after-the-fact we realized that we wanted to install a winter cover. Of course, we do not want to remove our wood deck. Can a cover still be inatalled?
Tks,
MM
Hi Maria, Aboveground pool covers are cinched tight with a cable – so having the deck in the way will present problems, unless the deck is all the way around the pool, then one would use water bags, like an inground pool. But in this case, I would open up the 1/4″ gap to about 1/2″, just enough so that you can get the cover thru, or between the deck and the pool. (you may be able to slip it thru with the 1/4″ of space you have now). Then run the cable around like normal.
i have a 16 x 36 pool with a center step. I do not remove diving board and have standard concrete surrounding. What size cover do you recommend? THank you!
Hi Toby, you can get a good price on a safety cover with such a standard size pool $750 – $950. That’s my best recommendation. But if a safety cover is not in the cards now, you can use the floating solid cover. Use a 20’x40′ cover, to cover the steps too, just fold the extra side material under the cover. Priced from $110 – $220.