Skip to main content
A blue solar pool cover sits on top of a pool. Credit: Getty Images / PixelCatchers
Home & Garden

The Best Pool Covers of 2026

Products are chosen independently by our editors. Purchases made through our links may earn us a commission.

A blue solar pool cover sits on top of a pool. Credit: Getty Images / PixelCatchers

Why trust Reviewed?

Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.

Learn more about our product testing
Product image of Blue Wave Clear Solar Blanket
Best Clear Solar Pool Cover

Blue Wave Clear Solar Blanket

Check Price at Amazon

This pool cover offers all the same benefits as similar blue-shade covers, but it’s barely noticeable when installed over your pool. Read More

Pros

  • Clear, under-the-radar design
  • 6-year limited warranty

Cons

  • Not available for above-ground pools
Product image of Robelle Heavy-Duty Solar Pool Cover
Best Blue Solar Pool Cover

Robelle Heavy-Duty Solar Pool Cover

Check Price at Amazon

This blue solar pool cover cuts UV rays and features a solid three-year warranty. Read More

Pros

  • Three-year warranty
  • Significantly reduces evaporation
  • Cuts UVs

Cons

  • Slower to heat
Product image of Intex 16-Foot Recreation Solar Cover
Best Round Solar Pool Cover

Intex 16-Foot Recreation Solar Cover

Check Price at Amazon

With heat absorbing air bubbles and lightweight design, this cover will keep your pool warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Read More

Pros

  • Lightweight design
  • 95% evaporation reduction

Cons

  • Doesn’t include a storage bag
Product image of Pool Central Rectangular Solstice Solar Blanket
Best Pool Cover for Large Pools

Pool Central Rectangular Solstice Solar Blanket

Check Price at Amazon

This massive in-ground pool solar cover is great for your large pool. Read More

Pros

  • Large size
  • 4-year warranty

Cons

  • Weighs a hefty 169 lbs
Product image of Steinbach Krystal Clear 10-Foot Solar Cover

Steinbach Krystal Clear 10-Foot Solar Cover

Check Price at Amazon

The thin air-bubble insulation provided by this cover reduces the chemicals used in your pool and maintains a comfortable water temperature all year. Read More

Pros

  • Easy to store
  • Affordable price

Cons

  • Not as thick as some prefer

  • Blue Wave Clear Solar Blanket

  • Robelle Heavy-Duty Solar Pool Cover

  • Intex 16-Foot Recreation Solar Cover

  • Pool Central Rectangular Solstice Solar Blanket

  • Steinbach Krystal Clear 10-Foot Solar Cover

  • Evoio Solar Pool Cover

  • How We Evaluate the Best Pool Covers

  • What You Should Know When Shopping for the Best Pool Covers

  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

  • Best Clear Solar Pool Cover Blue Wave Clear Solar Blanket
  • Best Blue Solar Pool Cover Robelle Heavy-Duty Solar Pool Cover
  • Best Round Solar Pool Cover Intex 16-Foot Recreation Solar Cover
  • Best Pool Cover for Large Pools Pool Central Rectangular Solstice Solar Blanket
  • Steinbach Krystal Clear 10-Foot Solar Cover
  • Evoio Solar Pool Cover
  • How We Evaluate the Best Pool Covers
  • What You Should Know When Shopping for the Best Pool Covers
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy
Adam Reeder
Gabriel Morgan
Written by
Adam Reeder, Freelance writer, consumer advocate, and unapologetic watch geek.
Gabriel Morgan, staff writer, home products reviewer and all-around curious person.

Updated May 16, 2024

The Rundown

  • Our favorite pool covers are the Blue Wave Clear Solar Blanket and the Robelle Heavy-Duty Solar Pool Cover.
  • Solar pool covers retain warmth, reduce evaporation, and protect against UV rays, extending your swimming season and lowering chemical use.
  • Clear covers heat water faster, while blue covers retain warmth longer and offer better UV protection for chlorine, so choose based on your priority.

The best pool covers keep your pool warm during cool times and reduce evaporation in high summer heat. They may all look similar, but solar pool covers aren’t the same. Size, color, material, thickness, and other factors all make a difference in how well a pool cover will retain heat, block UV rays, and work with your other pool tools to keep your pool clean.

Luckily, we did the research so you don’t have to. Here are some of the best pool covers in stock right now.

A clear pool cover from the Blue Wave brand appears in the image.
Credit: Reviewed / Blue Wave

Heat up your pool quickly.

Best Clear Solar Pool Cover
Blue Wave Clear Solar Blanket

The most obvious thing about this Blue Wave solar pool cover? It’s not blue! The 16-by-32-foot solar pool cover is barely noticeable when installed over your pool. Since it’s clear, it’ll help warm your pool water with UV rays extra quickly, all while keeping out leaves and other debris.

This model comes in six different size options and has a thickness of 14 mm. It includes a whopping six-year warranty, and it’s especially effective as an inground pool cover.

Pros

  • Clear, under-the-radar design

  • 6-year limited warranty

Cons

  • Not available for above-ground pools

Buy now at Amazon


$229.99 from Walmart

A blue solar pool cover from Robelle covers a swimming pool.
Credit: Reviewed / Robelle

Retain temperature and keep the sun from breaking down your pool's chlorine.

Best Blue Solar Pool Cover
Robelle Heavy-Duty Solar Pool Cover

When you’re looking for a high-quality pool cover that’s capable of stabilizing swimming pool water temperature and reducing UV rays, then the Robelle Heavy-duty solar pool cover is the way to go. This large, polyethylene cover features classic downward-facing air pockets beneath a rectangular blue backing.

Robelle reports that its cover cuts evaporation by up to 90% and raises pool temperatures by up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. It comes with a three-year warranty, guaranteeing a healthier pool for multiple seasons.

Pros

  • Three-year warranty

  • Significantly reduces evaporation

  • Cuts UVs

Cons

  • Slower to heat

Buy now at Amazon


$199.99 from Walmart

A circular, blue pool cover from Intex appears on a white background.
Credit: Reviewed / Intex

This pool cover is shaped for your circular pool.

Best Round Solar Pool Cover
Intex 16-Foot Recreation Solar Cover

Intex is one of the most respected names in outdoor equipment, and the Intex Recreation 16-foot round solar pool cover is the perfect example of why they’re such a popular brand.

With heat-absorbing air bubbles and a lightweight design, this is one of the best pool covers available. It will do as much to keep your round swimming pool warm in the winter as it will to keep it cool in the summer.

Pros

  • Lightweight design

  • 95% evaporation reduction

Cons

  • Doesn’t include a storage bag

Buy now at Amazon


$59.90 from Walmart

A woman drags a Pool Central blue pool cover across a swimming pool.
Credit: Reviewed / Pool Central

Huge pool? This solar pool blanket has it covered.

Best Pool Cover for Large Pools
Pool Central Rectangular Solstice Solar Blanket

This massive in-ground pool solar cover is great for your large pool. It’s got the same traditional texture and blue color you’ve probably seen on plenty of swimming pools over the years.

When you have a pool that large, water loss due to evaporation is one of your major concerns. This type of cover will ease those worries and make owning your pool easy and breezy. It has a four-year warranty and it’s made right here in the U.S.

Pros

  • Large size

  • 4-year warranty

Cons

  • Weighs a hefty 169 lbs

Buy now at Amazon

Product image of Steinbach Krystal Clear 10-Foot Solar Cover
Steinbach Krystal Clear 10-Foot Solar Cover

Pool owners know it’s not always easy to find a small solar pool cover. Thankfully, this 10-foot Steinbach round pool cover comes at a great price. It’s as easy to store as it is to use. Just roll it up for easy stowing.

The thin air-bubble insulation provided by this solar cover helps to reduce the amount of chemicals used in your pool, while helping to maintain a comfortable water temperature all year round. If you’re looking for an inexpensive option, then this is the one.

Pros

  • Easy to store

  • Affordable price

Cons

  • Not as thick as some prefer

Buy now at Amazon

Product image of Evoio Solar Pool Cover
Evoio Solar Pool Cover

Evoio offers a great selection of differently-sized solar pool covers for your needs. Choose from 10-foot, 12-foot, or 15-foot round cover designs.

Great for both in-ground and above-ground pools, this solar cover for pools is durable and weather-resistant. If properly cared for, it should last for years to come.

Pros

  • Multiple sizes available

  • Above-avg. 15 mm thickness

Cons

  • Thickness makes the cover heavier and more difficult to carry

Buy now at Amazon

How We Evaluate the Best Pool Covers

To find the best pool covers, we poured over specs and product reviews online, looking for the solar pool covers that fit the needs of the average pool owner. We used our expertise as product testers to determine which pool covers had the best combination of features and price to appeal to the average user.

What You Should Know When Shopping for the Best Pool Covers

What is a Solar Pool Cover?

When you see the term “solar pool cover” kicking around, you might imagine something that’s powered by a photovoltaic cell, like a solar panel. This isn’t so. Solar pool covers are named for their ability to regulate pool temperature by retaining the energy from the sun.

Think of solar pool covers as insulation for your pool's water, which is useful in both warm and cool periods of time.

Why You Should Use a Solar Pool Cover

Solar pool covers have many benefits. They help the pool’s water retain warmth from the sun, thereby extending the period in which you can comfortably enjoy it.

Pool covers also reduce the amount of water that evaporates away from the pool, thus lowering your water bill. Chlorine evaporates with water, so limiting evaporation helps your pool retain chlorine as well.

On the subject of chlorine, another benefit of a solar pool cover is to reduce the amount of UV light that enters the pool water. While sunlight heats the water, UV rays can break down chlorine. Because of this, an uncovered pool will require more chlorine.

Additionally, the covered surface protects the pool from certain types of contaminants, like pine needles, leaves, and bugs. A pool with less dirt and trash in it means less pool maintenance.

Why Color Matters When Picking the Best Pool Covers

An Intex pool cover sits on an above-ground pool.
Credit: Reviewed / Intex

Blue pool covers heat water slower, but they offer more protection for your pool's chemicals.

The type of solar cover you pick matters. Most pool covers are blue or clear. These two choices have different advantages.

Clear pool covers allow light to penetrate into the water quickly. For this reason, they’re most effective at heating water. Blue pool covers might be slower to heat the water in your pool, but they also let less heat out, thus, they’re better at keeping a pool warm for longer.

Another factor is that clear pool covers offer less protection from the UV rays that break down chlorine.

It’s up to you to decide if you would rather invest in warming your pool quicker or holding that temperature longer.

How Much is a Pool Cover?

Solar pool covers vary in price, but you should expect to pay anywhere from under $50 up to a few hundred dollars.

Price will vary greatly depending on factors related to the quality of your pool cover and the size of your pool.

What is the Best Way to Get Water Off a Pool Cover?

The simplest way to get water off of a pool cover is to lift it and slant the cover to one side, allowing the water to drain off it.

However, sometimes, this may not be an option. A shop vacuum that can handle water is one other option. Some shop vacs will enable you to suck the water off the top of the pool cover, effectively pumping it away.

How do You Use a Solar Pool Cover?

To effectively use a solar pool cover, you’ll want to make sure that your pool cover sits flush with the top of the water. Most employ air bubbles or another such float to stay above the water and hold heat within.

A pool cover should not drape up onto the sides of the pool. If it drapes over the edge of the pool, this could allow water to evaporate out of the body of the pool.

Before you spread out your solar pool cover, make sure to remove any pool floats that might live in your pool.

How Fast Does a Solar Pool Cover Heat a Pool?

Solar pool covers concentrate sunlight into the water and insulate it. Because they use the power of the sun, they can effectively warm up the water in a pool. However, this process happens slowly.

Meet the writers

Adam Reeder

Adam Reeder

Contributor

Adam Reeder is a freelance writer, consumer advocate, and unapologetic watch geek.

See all of Adam Reeder's reviews
Gabriel Morgan

Gabriel Morgan

Staff Writer, Home

Gabriel Morgan is a staff writer on Reviewed's home team, where he covers consumer education topics such as earthquake preparedness, radon in the home, and concerns about health and wellness in product design. He also writes product reviews and how-to articles on appliances, smart home technology, and goods for the home.

See all of Gabriel Morgan's reviews

Checking our work.

Our team is here to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and experts obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.

Shoot us an email