Which are the Safest Pool Safety Covers for your pool?

If you own a swimming pool you owe it to your children and the neighbor's children to do all you can to keep them away from the pool unsupervised. Installing a barrier such as a pool safety cover will help reduce the chances of someone falling into your pool and drowning.

While there are many types of pool covers on the market today, not all pool covers are designed to withstand the weight of a person, even a small child.  In fact, some pool covers may even pose additional safety hazards. 

Pool Covers Not Designed for Safety

Plastic pool covers:  Many pool owners use plastic pool covers to keep debris out of their pools.  While plastic pool covers are effective for keeping leaves and other debris from your pool, they will not support the weight of a person.

Solar pool covers:  Solar pool covers are an option selected by many pool owners to cover their pools, as they are very affordable.  In fact, they are the cheapest type of pool cover available for sale.  However, while these types of pool covers will help to keep your pool’s water warm and debris free, they are not recommended for use as a safety tool.  They will collapse when weight is applied, even the weight of a small child.  Another risk is posed as someone who falls into the pool can get tangled with a lightweight solar or plastic pool cover.

The Best Pool Safety Covers

Mesh pool covers:  Mesh pool covers are a good option if you want a pool cover that will help prevent drowning.  While it isn’t advised that you walk on mesh pool covers, they are designed to withstand the weight of several adults. 

The only downside to this type of pool cover is the use.  Tightly secured mesh pool covers are safe, but it can be time consuming to secure the cover.  Depending on the size of your inground pool, you may need twenty or more hooks that you need to attach the cover to.  However, when properly secured, they can hold the weight of several adults. 

They are also the best type of pool cover for pools that aren’t used in the wintertime, as rain and snow drain through the mesh panels.  This is also a good safety feature in the winter as puddles of water aren't allowed to collect on the surface of the cover. 

Vinyl pool covers:  In terms of safety, vinyl pool covers have a number of benefits, one being their strength and durability.  Although not recommend, vinyl pool covers can be walked on.  And, they cannot be pulled back without having the key properly in place. 

The only downsides to vinyl pool covers, also called solid pool covers, is that many don't allow water to drain through it, meaning some may not be good for areas with lots of rainfall or snow.  And, it could pose a risk to small children if they wander onto the cover and there is a puddle of water. If you choose a vinyl pool cover, be sure choose one where the manufacturer has built in drain panels into the cover, or use cover pumps which pump the water off. 

Synonyms:  Ool, opol, pol, polo, pkol, poool, ppool, plol, pool, poool, pook, poo, and pooll are typos for "pool." Over, ocver, ccover, cver, cvoer, coover, coer, coevr, covver, covr, covre, and coveer are typos for "cover."