Even though you can cover your pool during the summer months with just about any pool cover you come across, during the winter months pool owners are probably going to want a little bit more protection for their pool. They are going to want to buy something that keeps debris out of the pool so that when Spring shows up, the pool can easily be opened up for the season. This is when the best winter pool cover comes in handy. After some extensive research, we’ve come across ten of the best pool covers for winter and placed them in a handy list for our reader’s convenience.

Best Winter Pool Covers

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10In The Swim Round Pool Cover

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This round winter pool cover is designed for 18-foot above ground pools. It’s made from high-quality polyethylene that’s designed to hold up against wind and leaves for the winter season. This cover also comes with everything needed to fit it securely on the pool, and this includes a metal winch, fastening loops, and wire cables. With the purchase of this pool cover, anyone can shut down their pool for the winter season and rest assured that it won’t be filled with leaves when they reopen the pool during the start of the summer swim season. All of which makes it a quality and inexpensive cover.

9Blue Wave Rectangular In-Ground Safety Cover

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Since this pool cover comes in sizes from 14×28-feet to 20×40-feet, there’s one of these covers in the right size for just about any inground pool. What’s truly remarkable about this cover, however, is that it comes with a number of features which really helps it protect the pool from the elements. It features reinforced wear strips on the backside of the cover that helps to protect it from fraying. It’s also stitched along multiple seams, and this helps to prevent the cover from tearing during use. Additional features of this cover include a drill & tamp brass anchoring system and stainless steel hardware to go along with it.

8Blue Wave Gold Above Ground Oval Cover

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There’s a size of these Blue Wave Gold pool covers that will fit a variety of different pools. These covers can be bought for oval pool sizes from 12×20-feet all the way to 21×41-feet, so just about anyone with an oval pool can find one of these covers in an appropriate size. This cover is designed to close pools down for the winter and does a great job at protecting the pool against high winds, heavy sunlight, snow, ice, and rain. It features a 4-foot overlap and wide top rails, too, so the pool owner can fit it properly on their pool without having to stretch or rip it.

7Water Warden Pool Safety Cover

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This product is designed from the bottom up to provide not only a suitable winter covering for appropriately sized in-ground pools but is also designed to be a safety-cover. This product has a break strength that exceeds 4,000-pounds and is triple-stitched for durability. Other features found on this product include X-tack stitching and come with double-strapping for an additional layer of protection. This cover also comes with hardware kits that are made from stainless steel and solid brass. And because this product can be installed in only a few minutes, there’s no reason why just about anyone can install it on their inground pool.

6Blue Wave Gold Pool Cover

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This 24-foot winter pool cover is 28-feet in size, so it has a 4-foot overlap that allows it to fit the pool without a whole lot of trouble. This keeps the pool cover from having to be stretched or being ripped while it’s being fit to the pool and ensures a better fit. This product is designed to protect against a variety of weather conditions including high winds, rain, snow, ice, and the damaging UV rays of the sun. And since it’s made from high-quality materials and is designed to exacting standards, it’s backed by a 15-year warranty from the manufacturer as well.

5Intex Deluxe Round Pool Cover

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There are plenty of reasons to like this round pool cover that’s available in 10-foot, 15-foot or 18-foot sizes. First of all, this cover is made out of durable and UV-resistant polyethylene that holds up to wind rip and heavy rain or snow. It’s also easily secured with the rope ties that come with it and has an 8-inch overhang, so the pool owner can fit it nice and tightly on their pool. To prevent the water accumulation that often occurs with less quality pool covers, this model is equipped with drain covers that allow rainwater to slow be relieved.

4Pool Mate Heavy-Duty In-Ground Pool Cover

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In-ground pools need as much protection as above-ground pools, but unfortunately, there aren’t as many pool covers available for them. Having said that, however, we did find this high-quality model that’s designed to protect these type of pools from harsh winter conditions. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to protect the pool against seasonal rain or need to keep it covered through heavy snowfalls, this cover is designed to do the job. It’s made from polyethylene, has a 5-foot overlap that makes it extremely easy to install, and comes with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty. And these covers are available in sizes to fit pools from 12×24-feet to 30×60-feet.

3Robelle Round Pool Cover For Swimming Pools

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With an 8×8 scrim and with a heavy-duty polyethylene construction, this 24-foot round pool cover is ready to protect any suitably-sized pools. As is the case with most of the pool covers created by Robelle, this cover is designed with a dual-side design that helps to keep the pool safe during the winter season. Its top layer is designed to resist UV radiation, and its backside is designed to resist algae growth. This cover also features a 4-foot overlap that makes it extremely easy to install on the pool and ensure a secure fit. And it’s available in a variety of different colors and sizes for different pool types.

2Robelle Platinum Swimming Pool Cover

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Constructed using some of the strongest polyethylene material that’s used for pool covers, the Robelle 331833 Platinum Cover is designed to hold up to just about any weather conditions. It can hold up to rain, snow, wind, sleet and even hail, as long as it’s properly installed. The top of these covers are designed to resist the sun’s ultraviolet rays, and the backside of the cover is designed to resist algae growth. This combination allows this cover to keep the pool in stable condition right until it’s time to open the pool up for the summer swim season. And since it’s available in a variety of sizes, there’s one for just about any pool.

1Pool Mate Oval Above Ground Cover

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Designed to protect above ground swimming pools during even harsh winter conditions, this quality pool cover is durable and is designed to be of professional quality. This product is backed by a 12-year warranty by the manufacturer and is made from tough polyethylene that will hold up to all kinds of different conditions. All of this cover’s seams have been heat-sealed for improved performance and grommets are placed in a way that makes pool installation a snap. This winter pool cover is not only lightweight, but it’s also well-designed, and there’s a size available for just about any above ground pool.

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A Guide To Winter Pool Covers

Winter pool covers might be one of the most important pieces of equipment a pool owner can own. A good pool cover for the winter months can keep debris such as leaves and bugs out of the pool’s water, as well as keep snow and water from getting into it. This allows for less work when it’s time to open the pool back up for the swimming season. Unfortunately, far too many people fail to purchase the best winter pool cover for their needs, or if they do, they fail to install it correctly.

Hopefully, this guide will help to curb those problems by giving pool owners the information they need to buy a winter cover that fits their pool, along with some general advice on installing that winter cover correctly. With the goal of this guide firmly in mind, let’s start off with a buyer’s guide to buying a new winter cover and then work our way from there.

A Guide To Buying A Winter Pool Cover

As promised, we’re going to start this guide off with a discussion on what you should look for when purchasing a new pool cover for covering your pool during the off-season. Although all pool covers tend to look the same, there are actually subtle differences between different covers that can make all of the difference.

First, Consider The Size Of The Cover

The first thing that you should do is to figure out the size pool cover that you need. To find that out, you’re going to have to measure your pool, of course. And this can be different for both above-ground and in-ground pools—depending on the shape of your pool. For square pools, measure the length and the width of the pool.

It’s important to realize that the measurements you use for the pool don’t translate directly into the size of the pool cover. You’re going to need a little bit of extra material on the pool cover, so it can compensate for a lower water level. For example, the round pool cover for a 24-foot pool would actually be 28-foot in diameter.

Second, Consider The Thickness Of The Pool Cover

The next thing that the consumer wants to think about when buying a new pool cover for the winter months is the thickness of the pool cover. Generally speaking, higher quality pool covers will be thicker, and therefore, more likely to hold up to harsh winter conditions. It should also be mentioned that thicker pool covers also tend to have longer warranties than thinner winter pool covers. Of course, it also usually means that they’re more expensive, but as they say, you get what you pay for.

Next, Find Out If Accessories Come With It

Another thing that the consumer should think about is whether the cover comes with some of the essentials that you might need it to have. Usually, wall pillows are sold separately, but cable and a winch are sometimes included with pool covers so they can be properly attached. If they don’t, then you’ll need to buy those items to make sure that you properly install your winter pool cover.

A Guide To Installing Your Winter Pool Cover

Once you have purchased the best winter pool cover for your needs, it’s time to cover the pool with it. Below are some of the steps you’ll need to take to properly cover your pool so your pool will be in good condition by the time that the swim season begins again. Sound good? Well, let’s get started.

Step One: Prepare The Pool To Be Closed

The first thing that you should do before you close down your pool is to make sure that you get the pool ready to be closed. This usually involves cleaning the pool, making sure that you lower the water level below the level of the skimming, and then adding whatever chemicals you need to add to your pool. When that’s done, this is a good time to install the air pillows, inflate them, and then put them into place.

Step Two: Spread Out The Cover

The next step is better done by two people, but if no one else is available, it can certainly be done just by one person—it will just require a little bit more time. If you’ve purchased your winter pool cover correctly, then you should have a 2-foot overlap over the entire length of the cover. It’s this slack that will overlap the pool wall and allow the cover to dip into the lowered water level. Make sure that the cover is even all the way around the pool before you move onto the next step.

Step Three: Add Leaf Pool Cover (Optional)

This step is optional because not everyone uses a leaf cover, although we personally think that they’re an expendable tool that makes keeping the pool clean a lot easier. However, if you don’t want to use one, then just skip to the next step. Everyone else can go ahead and lay their leaf cover on top of their winter cover. This is simple, all you have to do is make sure that it’s even and that you don’t accidentally mess up your winter cover while you’re setting up your leaf cover.

Step Four: Thread And Winch The Cable

Now you can thread your cable through the loops or grommets that are on the winter pool cover. Once it has been threaded, use the winch that came with the cover to pull it tight. If there’s any extra material, tuck that in so that the wind can’t get a hold on it and pull the cover from the pool.

Step Five: Protect The Pool Against Wind-Whip

The last step is to protect the pool from wind-whip. Wind whip can cause significant damage to the pool and can cause the winter pool cover to be less effective. For above-ground pools, wall bags can be laid on top of the cover around the perimeter of the pool. Pool clips are also another viable option for preventing wind-whip. Once you’ve decided on your favorite method, put it into place, and then sit back knowing full well that your pool is secure against the ravages of the winter season.