Best Pool Covers Australia — Reviews & Comparisons
What ‘Best’ Really Means
There’s no single best pool cover — only the best cover for the job. An unheated pool, a heated pool, or a leafy yard each point to a different cover.
Below are our verdicts by situation, every cover type compared with real prices, and genuine reviews from Australian pool owners — the advice we give over the phone every day.
The Quality You Can’t See
Two covers can look identical on day one; whether one lasts two summers or eight is decided by additives you can’t see. That’s the difference between Australian-made pool covers and cheap imports — and the reason ours carry pro-rata warranties of up to 12 years.
We’ve explained it in Australian-made vs imported covers below — the additives, the sun-and-chlorine attack, and how to buy quality you can’t see.
- Let Us Measure Your Pool Right Now
Showing all 6 results
Showing all 6 results
- Sizing & Shape to Match Your Pool
- Huge Savings on Pool Shop Prices
- Premium Australian Quality
- Free Delivery - Next Day Dispatch
- Real Warranties - Up to 12 Years
Outstanding Advice & After Sales
Our customer support is second to none – users rave about how we don’t rest until every issue is solved to their satisfaction.
Highest Customer Satisfaction
We currently boast an industry leading client review rating of 4.9 with Google. Clients most appreciate our speed and pre sales advice.
Secure & Safe Online Shopping
Clients receive a unique transaction ID directly from Pay Pal (even if paying by credit card). Don’t receive the goods? Refunds are simple.
Fast Free Aerial Pool Measure Service — We Will Recommend Cover Sizing
Completed in only 2 hours
We recommend the right cover size and shape from high-resolution aerial images — taken regularly from aircraft.
Over 95% of Australian homes are already imaged, and we measure to within 5–10 cm.
- Submit your details below to get our sizing assessment and discount pricing within 2 hours
Fast Aerial Pool Measurement and Quote
We can recommend cover sizing and shape, based on High-Resolution Images (already taken from aircraft).
A fast and free, same day service
A Pool Express Exclusive
We access High-Resolution Aerial Imagery (taken regularly from low level aircraft) – 95% of Australian homes have been imaged.
We can measure your pool within an accuracy of around 5 to 10cm. That is far greater accuracy than could be achieved from “Google Earth views”.
We can then recommend cover sizing – We can even design your cover. Simply provide your details in the form below.
- Submit your details below:
-
You will receive our assessment &
suggestions today
Our report will also include discount prices for the highest grades of pool covers on the Australian market
- Submit your details below:
- You will receive our assessment and suggestions today
Our report will also include discount prices for the highest grades of pool covers on the Australian market
Pool Cover Benefits
One Pool Cover - Many Benefits
A cover will offer all pool owners multiple benefits. The durability of our covers means you can enjoy these benefits for years to come.
A summary of the main benefits will include those shown below:
To enjoy those benefits you will need a good and reliable roller in order to deal with the cover on a daily basis. We offer a range of well designed and thoroughly tested roller models to suit various pool sizes and design style preferences.
- A longer and more enjoyable swimming Season
The gain in average water temperature can transform how your pool is used. You can start swimming much earlier in the swimming season (and also much later).
You will also be tempted to use your pool much more often during the regular swimming season.
- Almost total elimination of evaporation water loss
Most Australian pools suffer serious daily water loss from evaporation, especially during summer.
A good cover will almost eliminate evaporative water loss altogether (by around 98%). This not only saves cost, it saves work and stress having to constantly monitor the pool’s water level during dry periods.
- Less work with leaves - You can even use a garden blower
A pool cover can make a dramatic difference to the work of dealing with leaves. A pool cover will keep leaves “above the pool” and out of the water.
If leaves do not just later “blow away” in the next strong wind, you might just “blast these away” occasionally with a garden blower. Not even an option without a cover.
- Reduced chemical and treament expenses
You can expect a cover to eventually pay for itself from savings on other pool costs. Putting a cover on a pool is one-step away from having an indoor pool.
With care, you can certainly reduce filter running times, chlorine dosage and other chemical requirements.
How does a pool actually lose heat?
Your pool will gain significant heating from the effect of sunlight simply striking our pool cover. But further heat gain benefits result from the ability to “retain heat”.
Most pool owners do not realise how much pools can “chill” every day (and especially overnight) by heat lost from evaporation alone.
Worsening the situation – the warmer you pool gets, the greater the evaporation and heat loss. Water temperatures far lower than ideal are the natural result.
Why Quality Matters
Don't Waste Work & Money
- Wasted, Early, and Repeated Expenses
Experienced pool owners agree: Investing in a high-quality pool cover is a smart decision.
- While cheaper options may need replacement every 18-36 months, superior covers can last nearly a decade. This longevity not only saves money in the long run but also spares pool owners the frequent hassle of purchasing and installing new covers.
- While cheaper options may need replacement every 18-36 months, superior covers can last nearly a decade.
- This longevity not only saves money in the long run but also spares pool owners the frequent hassle of purchasing and installing new covers.
Cover Quality - How Other Covers Fail Early:
- Poor Quality Ingredients - Covers Damaged Quickly by UV and Pool Chemicals
- Poor Quality Ingredients - Covers Damaged by UV and Pool Chemicals
While various pool covers may appear similar, such as “blue plastic bubbles,” they can be made from substantially different ingredients. This significantly impacts the cover’s performance and durability.
Our covers utilize an optimal combination of anti-oxidants (to resist damage from pool chemicals) and UV inhibitors (for years of protection in outdoor sunlight).
- Poor Design From the Start
Each brand of pool covers has its own distinctive bubble profile, which plays a crucial role in determining its lifespan.
Our bubble design is optimized for performance and maximum durability, a level of detail often overlooked by other manufacturers.
- Rapid, Poor Quality Manufacture
To save costs, inferior covers often employ overly rapid manufacturing techniques and pay little attention to quality control. This compromise typically leads to lower cover quality and durability.
The material formulation of our covers, particularly the anti-oxidants, results in a high-quality and consistent product after the high-temperature molding and formation process.
- Australian Covers Universally Better than Imports
Based on our experience, all Australian-made pool covers are significantly more reliable than imported covers, which are primarily sourced from China and available online through forums such as eBay, Temu and Catch.
Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with products made in China. However, when it comes to pool covers, these products are manufactured at the lowest possible expense, resulting in severely compromised quality. Such covers should be treated as “semi-disposable,” requiring frequent replacement, accompanied by substantial work and mess each time.
- 100% Made in Australia
Our Recommendations by Situation
A 550-grade solar cover, custom-made to your pool like everything we sell
A much higher than average micron grade that provides excellent heating performanc and stops around 98% of evaporation. Good heat retention, expecially wien used with a heat pump. Great value in the long run, with a 10-year pro-rata warranty. Get an instant custom quote.
evaporation stopped
pro-rata warranty
made to your pool
The same custom-made Australian cover in a 250 or 400 micron grade. Identical quality materials at a lower price. Still offers 3 to 5 years of expected use. Many first-timers start here and upgrade later. Small sizes start from around $200 for smaller pools.
A foam thermal cover. While solar covers perform well at retaining heat, especially overnight, thermal covers take insulation to the next level. They are popular with pool owners who are less concerned with collecting free heat from the sun and more focused on retaining heat generated by a heat pump—making them the natural partner for a heated pool. . See thermal covers.
A PoolTex tie-down cover. These reinforced, fabric-mesh covers tie-down over the entire pool and extend beyond the pool edge. They provide complete protection from leaves and debris while allowing rainwater to pass through. Unlike solar covers, which are often removed and replaced daily during summer, these covers generally remain in place for weeks or even months at a time. See leaf & winter covers.
A fitted above-ground cover. Heavy-duty woven fabric with a stretch cord for a quick, secure fit — leaves out, evaporation halved.
Comparing Pool Cover Types
Premum solar cover (made-to-size)
Heating, evaporation control, exact fit on any rectangle, L- or T-shape
$270 – $1,030 (typically ~$580)
400–610 micron grades; the higher the grade, the longer the life and warranty.
Solar cover — budget grades (250/400 micron)
First pools and small budgets — same custom sizing at entry price
From ~$95 (smallest size, 250 micron)
Custom-sized like every PE solar cover; shorter warranties — 3–5 years pro-rata
Foam thermal cover (5 mm)
Heated pools — holding paid-for warmth overnight
$39 per m², custom-made (an 8 × 4 m pool ≈ $1,250)
Manufacturer-rated R-value 0.144 m²·K/W; cuts heat loss ~75%; reversible
PoolTex leaf & winter cover (tie-down)
Keeping leaves and debris out, winter shutdown
From $1,099; custom shapes ~$2,600
Heavy-duty mesh, anchored at the edges
Above-ground pool cover
Above-ground pools
~$130 – $290 (typically ~$200)
Sized to fit popular above-ground pool brands
Australian-Made vs Imported Pool Covers
Most cheap pool covers sold online are imported. Most covers built to last are Australian-made. The difference isn’t visible in a product photo—it lies in the chemistry of the material.
Invisible additives
UV stabilisers and antioxidants make up a fraction of a percent of a cover’s weight, and they decide almost everything about its life. Two covers can look identical; only one still has flexible, intact bubbles five summers later. None of this appears on a spec sheet — pool covers don’t come with one.
Sun above, chlorine below
Australian summer sun runs a UV Index of 12–14, well beyond what import-spec plastics are built for. Meanwhile chlorinated water — salt and mineral pools included; a chlorinator makes the same chlorine — slowly consumes a cover’s protective antioxidants from the water side. Those tell-tale blue flakes in an ageing pool are the bubble undersides, the hardest-worked part of the cover, giving out first.
Sun above, chlorine below
Australian summer sun runs a UV Index of 12–14, well beyond what import-spec plastics are built for. Meanwhile chlorinated water — salt and mineral pools included; a chlorinator makes the same chlorine — slowly consumes a cover’s protective antioxidants from the water side. Those tell-tale blue flakes in an ageing pool are the bubble undersides, the hardest-worked part of the cover, giving out first.
How to buy quality you can't see
Our experience shows that the level of UV resistance in our Australian-made covers is materially greater than that of imported covers. Inexpensive imports commonly sold online often claim to include a “warranty”, but in practice, there may be no practical way to make a claim in the future. Our covers are made by a major Australian manufacturer operating since 1976, with warranty claims handled simply by email.
Invisible additives
UV stabilisers and antioxidants make up a fraction of a percent of a cover’s weight, and they decide almost everything about its life. Two covers can look identical; only one still has flexible, intact bubbles five summers later. None of this appears on a spec sheet — pool covers don’t come with one.
Sun above, chlorine below
Australian summer sun runs a UV Index of 12–14, well beyond what import-spec plastics are built for. Meanwhile chlorinated water — salt and mineral pools included; a chlorinator makes the same chlorine — slowly consumes a cover’s protective antioxidants from the water side. Those tell-tale blue flakes in an ageing pool are the bubble undersides, the hardest-worked part of the cover, giving out first.
Why UV and chemical resistance come as a pair
The two attacks are linked: pool chemistry can disarm the most common UV stabilisers, so a cover that can’t handle chlorine loses its sun protection too. Quality Australian-made covers are formulated against both.
How to buy quality you can't see
Our experience shows levels of UV resistance in our Australian-made covers materially greater than that of imports, and the warranty is your proof: nobody offers 8–12 years pro-rata on a cover that can’t survive chlorinated water under Australian sun. Ours are made by an Australian manufacturer operating since 1976, with claims handled simply, by email. And treat micron numbers with care — a micron figure is only as honest as the seller, because nobody independently audits it.
Pool Cover Questions, Answered
Warming the Pool vs Holding the Warmth
A solar bubble cover is translucent for a reason: sunlight passes through and warms the water — typically five degrees or more in season — while the bubbles slow the loss overnight. If nothing else heats your pool, it’s the clear choice.
A heated pool flips the problem: you’ve already paid for the warmth, and the job is holding it. Our 5mm foam thermal covers are manufacturer-rated at R 0.144 m²·K/W and cut heat loss by around 75%. An uncovered pool typically drops four to six degrees overnight — with a heat pump running, that difference is your power bill.
What Are the Negatives of a Pool Cover?
Not many — and none that outweigh the water and heat savings — but three are worth knowing before you buy. Anything bigger than a small plunge pool really wants a roller: dragging a wet cover by hand gets old fast, and rough handling shortens its life. No cover lasts forever — the protective additives are gradually used up doing their job, which is why warranty length is the honest guide to lifespan. And a foam thermal cover holds heat brilliantly but blocks the sun’s free warmth — so match the cover type to how your pool is heated.
Evaporation: The Invisible Water Bill
An uncovered pool in an Australian capital loses somewhere between 46,000 and 61,000 litres to evaporation in a typical year — more than most pools hold. At current water prices that’s roughly $180 to $320 a year, before counting the heat and chemicals that leave with it. A well-fitted cover stops around 98% of it. We’ve broken the numbers down city by city: Perth · Sydney · Melbourne · Brisbane · Adelaide · Gold Coast · Sunshine Coast · Canberra.
Pool Cover Warranties: What to Look For
- A genuine local manufacturer behind the warranty — ours has operated in Australia since 1976, and claims are processed simply, via email.
- Pro-rata terms — the warranty’s value is apportioned across the cover’s life, so you’re covered in proportion to the years remaining.
- Warranty length matched to micron grade — higher grades carry substantially longer warranties, up to 12 years pro-rata.
Two more things worth knowing. Our manufacturer is ISO 9001-certified for quality management — and in an industry with no product-durability standard, process certification and the warranty are the signals that count. And when you buy from an Australian seller, Australian Consumer Law guarantees sit above any written warranty — far easier to rely on than chasing an overseas storefront.
What is the best pool cover to buy?
It depends on the job — our verdicts above cover the six common situations. In one line: a premium Australian solar cover for an unheated pool, a 5mm foam thermal for a heated one, a PoolTex tie-down for leafy yards and winter, and a fitted cover for above-ground pools.
Micron Grades Explained (250–600)
Micron refers to thickness: a 500-micron cover contains half a millimetre of material before it is moulded into its bubble profile. Warranty length increases with grade—from 5 years pro-rata at 400 micron to 12 years at 600 and 610 micron—because thicker material takes longer to wear through, with a small improvement in heating performance as an added bonus.
Most experienced pool owners choose 550 or 600 micron. However, thickness alone does not determine quality. The UV stabiliser package matters more, and even a lower-micron Australian-made cover will generally outlast an inferior 500-micron import.
Which is better — mesh fabric or solid?
They do different jobs. A solid floating bubble cover is the swimming-season cover: it warms the water and stops around 98% of evaporation, but only intercepts 50–75% of leaves. A tie-down mesh cover is the opposite: anchored at the edges, it blocks 100% of leaves and adds a real layer of safety, while cutting evaporation by about half. Many owners run both — the bubble cover in season, the mesh cover for the off-season. One thing to know: tie-down covers don’t go on rollers.
Is a blue or clear pool cover better?
Honestly: colour makes no practical difference to heating — pick the look you prefer. What actually moves performance is micron grade and material quality, which is why our warranty bands are set by micron, not colour. Clear, light blue or mid blue at the same grade carry the same warranty and do the same job.
Do I Need a Pool Cover Roller?
Unless your pool is a small plunge pool, yes. A roller takes the cover off single-handed in a couple of minutes, which means it actually gets used — and it protects your investment: gentle handling extends the cover’s life, and every roller we sell includes a free UV over-cover, because a cover stored bare in hot sun cooks. Under the reflective over-cover it’s been reported around 30 °C cooler.
Are Aussie pool covers any good?
Genuinely, yes. Australian-made bubble covers are formulated for the harshest UV environment covers face anywhere, with stabiliser and antioxidant packages sized to match.
Inexpensive covers imported from Asia have been sold online for more than 20 years, yet they still account for only a small share of the Australian pool cover market. Many buyers are disappointed when they find themselves replacing the cover after only a couple of seasons.
Buying another cover and repeating the installation process is a lot of unnecessary work, particularly when it happens years earlier than expected. Most experienced pool owners who have tried both Australian-made and imported covers would not consider purchasing an imported product a second time.
How long does a pool cover last?
Honestly, about as long as its warranty suggests. Higher-micron Australian-made covers commonly last five to eight years and carry pro-rata warranties of up to 12 years. Cheap imports, by comparison, are commonly reported to fail within just 2 or 3 seasons.
Proper care also makes a difference: keep chlorine levels within the recommended range, remove the cover before shock-dosing the pool, and store it on a roller protected by its UV over-cover.
