Best Solar Pool Cover

Why this page sits in the leaves section

A solar cover is sold as a heater, and it does raise water temperature. It also floats on the surface and stops everything that falls out of a tree from reaching the water, which is why it belongs alongside the leaf nets and winter covers rather than in a heating guide.

Every listing here states debris prevention as a benefit. Sun2Solar puts it plainly: the cover stops leaves and debris entering the pool, which reduces maintenance. If your pool is under trees in summer, that is worth as much as the degrees.

How we compared them

1. Mil thickness. The only specification that reliably differs between covers, and the one that decides lifespan.
2. What the listing actually publishes about performance - degrees of warming, percentage of evaporation prevented - rather than what the category claims generally.
3. Sizing and shape. Whether the maker sells the shape you need, and whether the cover is meant to be trimmed.
4. Handling. A cover you cannot move alone is a cover that stays on, and a pool nobody swims in.

We have not measured temperature gain in a pool, and neither has anyone selling these. The figures below are the makers' own and they are remarkably consistent, which tells you they describe the same bubble film rather than a tested difference.

What each cover states

Two things stand out. Sun2Solar is the only maker here that publishes a temperature figure at all, and it publishes the same figure for 12 mil as for 16 - which is the honest position, because thickness buys durability rather than heat.

What mil thickness actually buys

A mil is a thousandth of an inch. The bubble film is the same material at every gauge; the thicker versions simply have more of it, which matters because of how covers die.

They fail at the folds. A cover is dragged on and off, rolled onto a reel, and left in full sun and pool chemicals all season. The creases go first, then the bubbles delaminate, and the cover starts shedding blue confetti into the skimmer. A thicker film takes longer to get there.

• 8 mil. The cheapest way to find out whether you will use a cover at all. Light, easy to handle alone, and the first to tear.
• 12 mil. The default. Heavy enough to survive being dragged, light enough that one person can still manage a mid-size pool.
• 16 mil. For a cover that lives on a reel and comes off daily for months. Roughly twice the price of 8 mil and noticeably heavier to move by hand.

If the cover is going on and off by hand rather than on a reel, be honest about the weight before buying the thickest one. A 16 mil 20 x 40 cover is a two-person job every time.

Sizing: buy big and cut

Solar covers are sold to nominal pool sizes with extra material at the edge, and they are meant to be trimmed. In The Swim states its cover can be cut with scissors to fit around ladders, steps and contours; Sun2Solar states extra overlap for the same reason; VEVOR states it can be cut to any shape.

That makes sizing forgiving in one direction only. A cover slightly too big is trimmed in ten minutes. A cover too small is a cover you return.

The reel question

A solar cover on a pool over about 400 sq ft is not something you fold neatly on the deck. Rolled onto a reel it comes off in under a minute; folded by hand it takes two people and gets dragged across concrete, which is what kills covers early.

Budget for the reel at the same time as the cover, or accept that the cover will stay on. The reels that fit each pool type are compared on best pool cover reel.

What a cover does to your chemistry

Two things change under a solar cover, and both are worth knowing before the first hot week.

• Chlorine lasts longer. The cover blocks some UV, which is what destroys unstabilized chlorine fastest - the same mechanism explained on cyanuric acid.
• Water warms, and warm water grows algae faster. A pool held several degrees warmer needs its sanitizer watched more closely, not less.
• Evaporation drops sharply, which means less top-up water and less dilution of everything you have added. Stated at up to 95% by three of the makers here.

The practical result is a pool that holds chemistry better and grows algae quicker. Test at the same interval you always did rather than assuming the cover does the work.

The picks

Top pick - The sensible middle gauge

Sun2Solar Blue Solar Cover, 12 Mil, 16 x 32 ft

12 mil is the gauge most pools should buy: heavy enough to survive a season on a reel, light enough to handle.

The published figure

Listing states 12 mil, up to 15 degrees F of warming, up to 95% less evaporation, with extra overlap for trimming

The claims match the 16 mil cover - up to 15 degrees F warmer and up to 95% less evaporation - at a gauge that is materially easier to move.

Sun2Solar states the cover ships with extra overlap so it can be trimmed to the pool. Solar covers are cut to fit; buying the next size up and trimming is the normal way to handle a pool that is not exactly 16 x 32.

It states debris prevention as a secondary benefit, which on a pool under trees is worth as much as the heat.

What it does well

• 12 mil balances durability against weight
• Extra overlap included for trimming to shape
• Same stated heat and evaporation figures as the 16 mil

What it costs you

• Thinner than the 16 mil, so fewer seasons on a reel
• Still a two-person job on a pool this size without a reel
• Trimming is permanent, so measure before you cut

Skip it if your pool sits in full sun all day and the cover never comes off a reel. Then the 16 mil lasts longer.

$142.99 - View on Amazon

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Pick 2 - The thickest cover, on a big rectangle

Sun2Solar Blue Solar Cover, 16 Mil, 20 x 40 ft

The heaviest gauge here. On a cover that gets dragged on and off all season, mil thickness is the specification that decides how many seasons you get.

The published figure

Listing states 16 mil, up to 15 degrees F of warming and up to 95% less evaporation; rectangle, round and oval sizes

Sun2Solar states up to 15 degrees F of warming and up to 95% reduction in evaporation - the same two claims it makes across its range, with 16 mil resin behind them here instead of 8 or 12.

The listing states the material resists warping and fading under intense sun. A solar cover lives folded on a reel in full sun for months, and thin covers fail by tearing at the folds.

It also states the cover keeps dirt, leaves and debris out, which is the reason this page sits in the leaves section rather than in a heating one.

What it does well

• 16 mil, the thickest gauge on this page
• States up to 15 degrees F warming and up to 95% less evaporation
• Sold in rectangle, round and oval sizes

What it costs you

• Heaviest to pull on and off without a reel
• Costs roughly twice the thin 8 mil covers
• Third-party seller, so delivery times vary

Skip it if you take the cover off daily by hand. The weight that makes it last is the weight you lift.

Check price on Amazon

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Pick 3 - Buying from Amazon rather than a pool retailer

Blue Wave Rectangle Solar Pool Cover, 12 Mil, 16 x 32 ft

The same 12 mil gauge from a brand this site already uses for winter covers, shipped by Amazon. It states how the bubbles work and not much about how much they do.

The published figure

Listing states 12 mil with downward-facing thermal bubbles, for above-ground and inground pools

Blue Wave states thousands of downward-facing air-filled bubbles that capture solar heat and transfer it into the water, and that the cover retains heat overnight.

Unlike Sun2Solar's listings, it publishes no temperature gain or evaporation percentage. The mechanism is described; the outcome is not quantified.

It is stated to suit both above-ground and inground pools, which matters if you expect to change pools before you change covers.

What it does well

• 12 mil construction, stated lightweight to handle
• Sold and shipped by Amazon
• Stated for both above-ground and inground pools

What it costs you

• No temperature or evaporation figure published
• Rectangle only at this size, so odd shapes need trimming
• Bubble covers all degrade fastest at the folds

Skip it if you want the published numbers to compare. Sun2Solar prints them; this listing does not.

$144.49 - View on Amazon

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Pick 4 - 16 mil at a lower price

VEVOR Solar Pool Cover, 16 Mil, 32 x 16 ft

The heavy gauge without the pool-brand price. It states less about heat gain than Sun2Solar and more about the material.

The published figure

Listing states 16 mil PE, up to 95% evaporation prevention, cut-to-fit for any shape

VEVOR states 16 mil PE with tensile and tear resistance for sun exposure, and that the cover prevents up to 95% of evaporation.

On warming, the listing says only that it absorbs heat during the day and reduces heat loss at night, 'depending on environmental conditions' - a more careful claim than a fixed degree figure.

It states the cover can be cut to fit any pool shape, so an irregular pool is not ruled out.

What it does well

• 16 mil at mid-range money
• Stated up to 95% evaporation prevention
• Cut-to-fit for irregular shapes

What it costs you

• No stated temperature gain figure
• Heavy to handle without a reel
• Trimming a 16 mil cover neatly is harder than trimming an 8 mil one

Skip it if you want a published degree figure to compare. Sun2Solar states one; this does not.

$149.31 - View on Amazon

$165.90 · 10% off

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Pick 5 - A 24 ft round above-ground pool

Sun2Solar Blue Round Solar Cover, 12 Mil, 24 ft

The round-pool version of the 12 mil cover, in the size most above-ground pools actually are.

The published figure

Listing states 12 mil round cover, up to 15 degrees F of warming and up to 95% less evaporation

Same stated figures as the rectangle: up to 15 degrees F and up to 95% less evaporation, at 12 mil.

Round covers are sold oversized on purpose so the edge can be trimmed to the pool's exact diameter, and the listing states the extra overlap is there for that.

A 24 ft round pool is about 452 sq ft of surface. That is a lot of cover to walk around the pool - this is the size where a reel stops being a luxury.

What it does well

• Sized for the most common above-ground round pool
• Stated up to 15 degrees F warming
• Trimmable overlap included

What it costs you

• Awkward to handle on a round pool without a reel
• 12 mil is mid-range, not the heaviest available
• Third-party seller, so delivery varies

Skip it if your pool is 15 or 18 ft. Buy the matching size rather than trimming a 24 ft cover down.

$142.99 - View on Amazon

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Pick 6 - The cheapest way in

In The Swim Standard Blue Round Solar Cover, 8 Mil, 18 ft

The entry gauge. It does the same job as the thicker covers for a season or two, and then it does not.

The published figure

Listing states 8 mil polyethylene, cut-to-fit, for heat retention and evaporation control

In The Swim states 8 mil polyethylene, described as a balance of durability and ease of handling. It is the lightest cover here and the easiest to pull off single-handed.

The listing states it can be trimmed with scissors to fit around ladders, steps and unusual contours, which is how most above-ground covers end up fitting properly.

No temperature gain figure is published - only that it warms the water and retains heat overnight.

What it does well

• Lightest cover here to handle daily
• Cut-to-fit with scissors around steps and ladders
• Lowest price of the covers on this page

What it costs you

• 8 mil is the thinnest gauge and the shortest-lived
• No warming or evaporation figures published
• Thin covers tear at the fold lines first

Skip it if you want more than a couple of seasons out of it. Step up to 12 mil.

$65.99 - View on Amazon

$69.99 · 6% off

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Pick 7 - An Intex Easy Set or metal frame pool

Intex Solar Pool Cover for 16 ft Round Pools, 28014E

Made for the pool it is made for. If you own a 16 ft Intex, this removes the sizing problem entirely.

The published figure

Listing states a cover for 16 ft round Intex pools, stated to reduce evaporation by 95%

Intex states the cover is intended for its own 16 ft round Easy Set and metal frame pools, and that the air bubbles absorb and transfer sun heat into the water.

The listing states the cover reduces water evaporation by 95% and minimizes debris getting into the pool.

It is the cheapest cover on this page by a wide margin, and the reason is size and gauge rather than a different technology.

What it does well

• Sized to a specific Intex pool, so no trimming
• States 95% evaporation reduction
• Sold and shipped by Amazon

What it costs you

• No mil thickness published
• Only fits the 16 ft round pools it names
• Soft-sided pool covers take a beating from wind

Skip it if your pool is not a 16 ft Intex round. The fit is the entire point of it.

$44.45 - View on Amazon

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Making a cover last

1. Put it on bubble-side down. The bubbles float the cover and trap air against the water; upside down it sits wrong and heats less.
2. Keep it off hot concrete. A cover left folded on a sunny deck bakes faster than one on a reel.
3. Take it off before shocking, and leave it off until free chlorine drops back to normal. Concentrated chlorine under a cover attacks the film.
4. Rinse grit off before rolling. Every grain rolled into the cover is an abrasive working on it all season.
5. Store it out of the sun over winter, dry and loosely rolled rather than sharply folded.