When buying your first above ground pool, you definitely want to enjoy it all year round. But unfortunately, if you don’t live in a hot region, you’ll have to close it for winter. The smartest pool owners have a plan for winterizing their pool long before winter.

A significant element of such plan is a winter pool cover. It defends your pool against bad weather, and shields it from mud, trash, and wild animals. Moreover, a strong pool cover can help you prevent the pool’s wear and tear during the offseason.

Well, and what’s the optimal winter pool cover? The response may vary depending on your individual preferences and the purpose of your pool (and of course, your budget).

Kinds of winter pool covers

Most pool owners begin with using simple and affordable canvas to cover their pools for winter. When they wear down after a couple of years, they change it for a more viable alternative. Eventually, the choice is limited to solid vinyl or mesh, each of which has its own pros and cons.

Mesh

The biggest advantages of mesh covers are that they’re porous, so you won’t have to bother about wiping any liquid accumulated at the top. Another argument is that they’re very light, which means that you can easily handle it alone. Eventually, they’re usually less expensive than powerful vinyl pool covers (the difference in price is about several hundred dollars).

On the negative side, the small holes in such pool covers can let tiny debris and filthy water in. Moreover, they can pass the sunlight through, which may result in algal blooms. In general, with a mesh cover you will have to do extra cleaning upon opening your pool up next summer.

Vinyl

Strong vinyl pool covers create an airtight barrier over your swimming pool, which means that nothing will be able to penetrate. Thus, when it’s time to open the pool, you will find it in almost the same condition you left it in.

Of course, this type of pool cover is much more costly than mesh. But the result will pleasantly surprise you.

How to choose the best winter pool cover?

For the majority of pool owners, the decision between winter pool covers boils down to the individual preference. Do you want to have a maintenance-free pool over the winter with the help of a mesh cover? Or do you prefer to have less work to do after opening your pool by means of solid vinyl?

If neither suits you, you may consider a hybrid option that includes some features of the both options. Another good option is to just keep using a more cost-effective tarpaulin. Even if it must be replaced every couple of years, it might still be reasonable when taking into account your total pool winterization budget.

Apparently, the more you’re going to invest in a winter pool cover, the more sense it makes to conduct your research by reviewing the feedbacks, studying the product features, and visiting several pool suppliers. Take your time to search for an ideal cover to defend it during winter.