Pool Covers - Custom Solar Pool Covers for Australian Pools

A pool cover is a purpose-designed protective covering that sits on the water’s surface or securely across the pool, depending on the type. It acts as a thermal barrier between the water and the environment. Pool covers reduce evaporation, conserve water, and minimise chemical loss. By trapping warmth and absorbing solar heat, a pool cover increases water temperature and improves heat retention. Pool covers also keep out debris, reducing cleaning, maintenance, and chemical use.

Solar pool covers float on the water to reduce evaporation, increase temperature, and retain solar heat. Winter or leaf and debris covers are heavy-duty covers used off-season to keep leaves and dirt out, reducing cleaning. Thermal pool covers focus on insulating heated or indoor pools to retain warmth. Polycarbonate or slat covers are rigid, track-mounted systems that reduce evaporation, retain heat, improve safety, and offer a sleek, modern finish.

What is the best pool cover for your pool depends on how you use it and what you want to achieve:

• Solar Pool Covers are ideal for most pools. They float on the water, reduce evaporation, and help raise and retain heat using the sun — great for extending your swimming season while saving on chemicals and heating costs.

• Thermal / Insulated Covers are better if heat retention is your priority (especially with external heaters or indoor pools). These thicker covers lock in warmth more effectively than standard solar blankets.

• Winter / Leaf & Debris Covers are best if you need long-term protection from leaves and dirt — often used in colder months or high-leaf areas.

• Polycarbonate or Slat Covers suit those wanting premium performance, high heat retention, excellent debris control and convenience. These rigid, track-mounted systems are long-lasting and very practical for frequent use.

Consider your climate, budget and how often you swim to pick the right type

Choosing the right pool cover starts with your priorities and how you use your pool. Consider evaporation control, debris protection, heat gain and retention, ease of handling, and durability. Solar pool covers are cost-effective for reducing evaporation and naturally warming water in sunny climates. Thermal pool covers are best if heat retention and reduced energy costs are key. Leaf and debris or winter covers work well where debris is heavy or the pool gets very minimal use. Think about material thickness (micron rating), UV resistance, and whether you want a compatible roller system for easier daily use. Match the cover type to your pool’s location, climate and maintenance needs to get the best performance and longevity.

Yes — pool covers are worth it for most pool owners because they deliver real, measurable savings and practical benefits. Quality pool covers cut water evaporation by around 95–98%, conserving thousands of litres and lowering water bills. They help retain heat and can increase water temperature while reducing heating energy use and cost. Pool covers also reduce chemical loss and filtering needs, saving on chemicals and maintenance time, and keep debris out of the pool. Over the life of the cover, these savings on water, energy and chemicals often outweigh the upfront investment, making pool covers a cost-effective solution

Yes! — pool covers do save you money in several measurable ways -

• Evaporation - The average pool (45,000L) loses its entire contents of water every year through evaporation and a pool cover reduces that amount by up to 98%. That's a saving of 44,100L of water annually.
• Temperature Increase - A good quality translucent Solar pool cover, the marketing suggest can add 8 - 12 Degrees Celsuis. But in reality its probably closer to 3-4 Degrees Celsius on average.
• Heat Retention - A Solar Pool Cover can retain about 70% of the heat in your pool. A Thermal pool Cover as much as 80% of the heat in your pool.
• Chemical Reduction- Reduce the amount of chemicals by as much as 50%. The average pool uses approx $50 of chemicals per month averaged out over the year.

So how much money does this actually equate to. Lets take an average pool in Sydney of 45,000L, with a Swim Season of October to April, swimming twice a week.
Water Savings - 44,100L - 33,900 (average rainfall) = 10,200L or $25 per annum

Chemical Usage - $50/2 = $25 x 12 months = $300 per annum

Electricity Usage for a heater -  Without a Cover $972. With a Cover $608. $972-$608 = $364 per anuum
A pool cover will save this pool annually - $689.
The cost of the 7m x 4m Solar Pool cover is $554

Therefore, it is reasonable to suggest a pool cover will pay for itself in less than a year.

Extrapolated out over the life of the pool cover of 8 years the savings would be $5,512 and 352,000L of water.

In its simplest form,  the amount of chlorine that your pool cover is exposed to determines the lifespan of the pool blanket. The higher your chlorine levels the shorter the life of the pool cover.

A 500 Micron Pool cover will typically last 6-8 years, where a 600 micron cover will typically last 7-10 years. As the thickness of the material increases so does its resistance to tearing and stretching. Also as the thickness increases so to does the amount additive used to protect it against UV and Chlorine degradation, extending service life. Premium pool covers include these protective additives to slow oxidation, reduce sun damage, and maintain flexibility over time, typically the very cheap covers do not have this additive included.

A Solar Pool Cover is not a Safety Pool Cover. A safety pool cover typically comes in two forms -  a tensioned mesh or vinyl with lockable anchor points in the surrounds, or a polycarbonate slat style pool cover. 
A Solar Pool Cover albeit very buoyant and capable of holding up some weight does not have the structural integrity to be considered strong enough to uphold a person.