Pool Safety Covers
A barrier, not a tarp: anchored into the deck and built to carry weight. Pick your pool size and we show every safety cover cut for it, in mesh and in solid.
Pool safety covers
Select pool size
Your pool is not a rectangle?
A freeform, an L shape, a spa, a raised wall, or a step wider than the stock panel: the cover gets cut to your pool from your own measurements. Two ways to order, and neither is a checkout. Work through the measuring guide, or send us the old cover and we use it as the pattern.
Start a custom cover
Which safety cover do I need?
Mesh drains and solid does not, and that is the whole decision. A safety cover is cut about 2 ft larger than the pool, so roughly a foot of fabric lands on the deck on every side, which is where the anchors go.
MeshRain and snowmelt drain straight through into the pool, so nothing stands on top and no pump is involved. Shade is what you pay more for: more of it means less algae to open to.
SolidA solid sheet. No light, no dirt, no water gets through, and the pool opens close to clean. It needs a drain panel or a pump running on it all winter.
PoolTux safety cover lines, compared at 20 x 40 ft
| Feature | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drains through | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Fabric weight | 4.5 oz per sq yd | 7 oz per sq yd | 7 oz per sq yd | 12 oz per sq yd |
| Burst strength | 385 PSI | 670 PSI | 350 PSI | 400 PSI |
| Color | Green | Green | Blue | Blue |
| Step | None, plain rectangle | None, plain rectangle | Left step | Center end step |
| Strap grid | 5 x 5 ft | Not stated | 5 x 5 ft | 5 x 5 ft |
| Cover for a 20 x 40 ft pool | 22 x 42 ft | 22 x 42 ft | 22 x 42 ft | 22 x 42 ft |
| Warranty | 15 years, first 3 full | 20 years, first 5 full | 20 years, first 3 full | 20 years |
Every column is a cover for the same 20 x 40 ft pool, so the prices compare, and every cell is that cover's own published specification. All four are cut 22 x 42 ft, because a safety cover overlaps about a foot onto the deck on every side, and that overlap is where the anchors go. The two solid panels are step cuts, which is what we stock in solid at this size, and a step cut adds to the price. PoolTux does not publish a strap grid for the King99, so we say so rather than guess. GLI's Secur-A-Pool mesh comes in this size too.
What the shade percentage buys you, and why a solid cover is not the passive choice.
Pool School
ASTM F1346 sorts every cover into three classes and only two of them are safety covers. The label says which one you have.
Learn more Pool SchoolPool safety cover anchorsHow many you need is set by your cover, not by a spacing rule. The bit size, the setback, and how tight the springs go.
Learn more Pool SchoolMesh or solid?What the shade percentage buys you, why a solid cover is not the passive choice, and which one suits your yard.
Learn morePool safety cover questions
What is the difference between a safety cover and a winter cover?
ASTM F1346 sorts every pool cover into three classes: powered safety cover, manual safety cover, and other covers. A winter cover is an other cover, and the standard states that it is not intended as a barrier for children under five. Only the two safety cover classes face the load, deflection, drainage and opening tests.
How much weight does a pool safety cover have to hold?
For a pool more than 8 ft wide, 485 lb. The standard applies it as three weights, 210 lb, 225 lb and 50 lb, each spread over one square foot and all inside a 3 ft radius, which it describes as two adults and a child, enough to carry out a rescue. For a pool 8 ft wide or under the figure is 275 lb.
Are these safety covers certified to ASTM F1346?
There is no certificate and no outside body that issues one. Compliance is declared by the manufacturer, and the standard handles it through labelling: section 8.12 requires the label to state the cover's classification. The label is how you tell a safety cover from a winter cover.
Should I get a mesh or a solid safety cover?
Mesh drains rain and snowmelt straight through into the pool, so there is no cover pump to run, but some light passes and the algaecide dose under it is commonly doubled. Solid blocks the light and holds the water on top, so it needs a cover pump all winter. Each cover here says which it is.
Why is the cover 2 ft larger than the pool?
Because it has to reach past the water and onto the deck. A 16 x 32 ft pool takes an 18 x 34 ft cover: about a foot of fabric on each side, and that overhang is where the anchors go. Order by the pool size, not the cover size.
What does my deck need for a safety cover?
Deck all the way round the pool, because the anchors are set through the fabric that lies past the edge. Brass anchors tamp flush into concrete or paver decking and wind up with a hex key.
Why does the standard care about water sitting on top of the cover?
Section 7.3 requires a safety cover to drain substantially all standing water within 30 minutes after rain stops. In the test, the water counts as unsafe once it completely covers a supine test object's torso. The hazard being measured is a child drowning in the puddle on the cover, not in the pool.