Above Ground Winter Pool Covers - Mesh or Solid?

Winter covers for your above ground pool: you know you need one, but how do you choose the right one? There are many quality grades available for each type of pool cover, but beside your pool cover budget, how do you select between the solid pool covers and the mesh pool covers for an above ground pool?

Solid or Mesh Winter Pool Covers: Which is Best?

Solid Winter Cover

Mesh Winter Cover

Solid winter covers

Nearly airtight, solid winter covers will prevent dirt, water, debris, and sunlight from entering the pool. Blocking the sunlight aids in preventing algae and other organisms from growing in the pool during fall and winter months. A good solid winter pool cover ensures that your pool water will be as nice in the spring as it was in the fall.

A solid cover does require a cover pump to remove accumulated water and melted snow from the cover’s surface.

Both solid and mesh pool covers are different than a solar cover in design and construction. You can easily narrow your search by pool type; above ground covers are very different from in-ground pool covers. Solid covers are more expensive than mesh covers as they are more durable and ensure clean pool water in the spring.

Mesh winter covers

Mesh covers provide excellent winter protection and are perfect if you live in an area that receives heavy snow fall during winter months. These covers are porous, so that melting snow, melting ice, and rain will drip through the cover into the pool, preventing puddles on the surface of the cover. Those particles of debris can be easily cleaned out in the spring with a pool vacuum. Mesh covers are less expensive than solid covers and are lightweight, so they are easier to install and remove.

Winter Pool Cover Maintenance

Winter covers need some small amount of maintenance during the off-season. They should be checked periodically, especially after snowfall, and drained if necessary. It’s a good idea to check the cover’s tension and make any necessary adjustments where needed. A proper fit will help you get the full benefits of a quality winter pool cover.

Leaf Nets

No matter what type of cover you choose, you can supplement the effectiveness of your pool cover with a swimming pool leaf net. Leaf nets are designed to go over your winter pool cover to prevent leaves and other debris from collecting on the cover or settling into pooled water.

If you have a lot of trees around your pool, a leaf net makes it easy to clean leaves and debris from the pool cover. This is a fast and easy way to keep the cover clean and remove unnecessary weight and unwanted debris.

Place your leaf net on the pool when you cover the pool for the winter, then remove the leaf net after the trees have lost their leaves. It's so easy to pull all the leaves off your pool cover in under a minute.

Having a winter cover will save you time and money in the spring, so choose carefully! You will need specific accessories for your cover. When ordering, be sure to ask your salesperson about the right accessories for your type of above ground pool cover. For specific information about getting the most out of your winter cover, you'll want to check out our 5 Above Ground Pool Winter Cover Tips!