What Is the Best Pool Cover? Types, Prices and Warranty

Name: comparepoolquotes
Price range: $$$

The best pool cover for most Australian pools is a 525-micron solar bubble cover: $22.50–$26.20 per m² at three retailers on 26 October 2026, $720–$838.40 for an 8 × 4 m pool, with a 10-year pro-rata warranty: $72–$83.84 per warranty year, the joint lowest of any cover we priced. Heating with gas or a heat pump? Choose 4.5 mm foam.

The short answer

Cheapest per year: a 525-micron bubble cover works out at $72–$83.84 per warranty year on a 32 m² pool, against $116.48–$150.40 for 400 micron and $132.80–$154.13 for 250 micron.
Evaporation: SPASA puts a cover’s cut at 90–95% on one page and up to 97% on another; the NT Government says up to 95%; one NSW council says about 40% for a leaf cover.
Heated pools: a 4.5 mm foam cover is R 0.13 on the maker’s figures, well above the R 0.05 the National Construction Code requires outside NSW for gas or heat-pump heating, at $38.75–$43.60 per m².
Too warm already? A reflective non-heating 525-micron cover costs $22.50–$24.50 per m² at two retailers, the same as their 525-micron bubble cover, with the same 10-year warranty.
No cover is a fence: SPASA says pool covers are not safety covers and cannot be used instead of fencing; that includes a slat cover, which is quote-only.

The pool cover decision table: eight cover types with the makers’ published thickness, R-value and warranty, the evaporation cut and who says it, price per m² at three Australian online retailers read 26 October 2026 (retailer-published, inc GST), and our arithmetic for an 8 × 4 m (32 m²) pool
Cover type	What it does (who says)	Maker’s warranty	Evaporation cut (who says)	Price per m², 26 Oct 2026	8 × 4 m pool (32 m²)	Per warranty year	Wrong for
Solar bubble cover, 250 micron	Translucent bubble; up to 4°C of solar gain (maker’s claim on a retailer’s page)	3 years pro-rata	Up to 90–95% (SPASA, NT Government); up to 99% (maker’s claim)	$12.45–$14.45	$398.40–$462.40	$132.80–$154.13	Anyone who wants it to last; it has the shortest warranty
Solar bubble cover, 400 micron	Up to 6°C of solar gain (maker’s claim)	5 years pro-rata	As above	$18.20–$23.50	$582.40–$752	$116.48–$150.40	Buyers comparing on price per year: it costs more per warranty year than 525
Solar bubble cover, 525 micron	Up to 8°C of solar gain (maker’s claim); R 0.1 (maker’s FAQ)	10 years pro-rata	As above	$22.50–$26.20	$720–$838.40	$72–$83.84	A pool that already runs too warm in summer
Reflective non-heating cover, 525 micron	Opaque, reflects the sun; no solar gain (maker’s description)	10 years pro-rata	Up to 99% (maker’s claim)	$22.50–$24.50 (two retailers)	$720–$784	$72–$78.40	Anyone who wants the cover to warm the water
Thermal foam cover, 4.5 mm	Closed-cell foam; R 0.13 (maker’s specification on a retailer’s page)	8 years pro-rata	Up to 90–95% for covers in general (SPASA)	$38.75–$43.60	$1,240–$1,395.20	$155–$174.40	An unheated pool that relies on the sun
Leaf or mesh cover	Woven cover anchored into the paving; water passes through	8 years pro-rata (one maker)	Around 40% (Port Macquarie-Hastings Council)	No price at the three retailers we read; anchor kit $18, deck fitting $10.08 (one retailer)	Quote only	Not costed	Heating or water saving; it is a debris cover
Automatic slat (hard) cover	Motorised polycarbonate or PVC slats	Not stated on the page we read	Not quantified by the maker	Quote only: the maker asks for a quote request	Quote only	Not costed	A budget below a custom quote; not a substitute for the pool fence
Liquid cover	A film one molecule thick, dosed monthly	None (consumable)	Up to 30% (product page) to up to 40% (council)	$55 a litre (one retailer)	About $165 a year for 50,000 L	Not applicable	Debris and heat; it stops neither as well as a sheet

Which pool cover should I buy for my pool? The cost-per-warranty-year rule

The cost-per-warranty-year rule: divide the cover’s price by its warranty years and buy the lowest result that suits how you heat the pool. On 26 October 2026 that was a 525-micron bubble cover for most pools.

Worked for an 8 × 4 m pool (32 m²), at the lowest and highest of three online retailers’ per-square-metre prices: 525 micron costs 32 × $22.50 = $720 to 32 × $26.20 = $838.40. Over its 10-year pro-rata warranty that is $72–$83.84 a year. The 400-micron cover is $582.40–$752 over 5 years, $116.48–$150.40 a year, and the 250-micron cover $398.40–$462.40 over 3 years, $132.80–$154.13 a year.

A pro-rata warranty is not a promised life: it pays a shrinking share of a replacement as the cover ages. The same maker says owning a cover means an ongoing replacement cost of $80–$120 a year, depending on care, which sits close to the 525-micron figure above.

Retailers measure the widest water-line width and the length and supply the cover slightly oversize for trimming; how they charge for that allowance differs, so check the quoted area before comparing. Rollers are priced separately on what a pool cover roller costs.

Solar, foam or reflective: which pool cover type for heating?

Heat with the sun: a translucent bubble cover. Heat with gas or a heat pump: foam. Too warm already: reflective.

Bubble (solar) covers let sunlight through to warm the water. SPASA says up to 8°C; energy.gov.au says bubble covers can cut heat losses from a heated pool by as much as 75%, and translucent ones can warm a pool by as much as 7 degrees. The maker’s own figures rise with thickness: up to 4°C for 250 micron, 6°C for 400 and 8°C for 525.
Foam covers are insulation, not solar collectors. One maker’s 4.5 mm foam is R 0.13, against R 0.1 for its 525-micron bubble cover. The National Construction Code Housing Provisions (13.7.8) require a cover of at least R 0.05 on a pool heated by gas or a heat pump; whether that applies to you, and the NSW exception, is on do I need a pool cover.
Reflective non-heating covers are opaque and reflect the sun; the maker says the water stays at about the temperature of an uncovered pool, which is its claim rather than a measurement we could find. They cost the same as a 525-micron bubble cover.

What the heating itself costs is worked on what it costs to heat a pool; a cover is the cheapest part of any heating plan.

How much evaporation does each pool cover stop?

The sources do not agree, so here is each one as published:

SPASA, the industry association: 90–95% and about 3,000 litres a month on its water-savings page; up to 97% on its pool covers page.
NT Government: up to 95% for a cover; 40% or more for blankets or liquid covers (read on a web.archive.org copy dated 14 April 2026, because the site refused this host).
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council: about 40% for simple leaf covers, up to 90% for thicker blankets and security covers, up to 40% for liquid covers.
Makers and sellers: up to 99% for bubble covers; up to 30% for one liquid cover.

A sheet cover that is on the water cuts evaporation by roughly nine-tenths; a leaf cover or a liquid cover by a third to two-fifths. What that is worth at your water tariff is worked on pool cover cost and payback, and the evaporation by city on how to reduce pool evaporation.

A liquid cover is the cheapest to start: $55 a litre at one retailer, dosed 250 mL per 50,000 litres every 30 days on the label, so 3 litres, about $165, a year. That is more per year than a 525-micron sheet cover’s warranty-year cost, for a smaller cut.

Leaf covers, slat covers and safety

A leaf or mesh cover is stretched over the pool and anchored into the paving, so water passes through and leaves stay out. One maker gives its leaf covers an 8-year pro-rata warranty. None of the three retailers we read prices the cover itself; one sells the anchor kit for $18 and a timber-deck fitting for $10.08. It is a debris cover for autumn and winter, often used alongside a solar cover in summer.

An automatic slat cover rolls rigid polycarbonate or PVC slats across the pool at the press of a button. The maker we read publishes no price and asks for a quote request, and says it should be used with compliant fencing and supervision.

No pool cover replaces the pool fence. SPASA says pool covers are not safety covers and cannot be used instead of fencing, and says never to swim under one. The barrier rules are on pool fence rules by state.

Making any pool cover last its warranty

The cover maker we read says 95% of its warranty claims come from owner misuse, chiefly two things: a cover left rolled up in direct sun off the pool, and too much chlorine. It says to keep chlorine at or below 3 ppm (2–2.5 ppm is its suggestion); SPASA’s covers fact sheet says 1.5–2.0 ppm and never to super-chlorinate with the cover on. The two disagree on the ceiling, so stay at or under 2 ppm with the cover on and you satisfy both.

A cover is cheaper to add while a pool is being built, with the roller and its position in the plan. Ask for the cover type, thickness, warranty and roller as separate lines, then compare pool quotes on the same specification.

Common questions

What is the best type of pool cover?

For most pools, a 525-micron solar bubble cover: $22.50–$26.20 per m² on 26 October 2026 with a 10-year pro-rata warranty, $72–$83.84 per warranty year on a 32 m² pool. Foam suits gas or heat-pump heating.

How much evaporation does a pool cover save?

SPASA says 90–95% and, on another page, up to 97%; the NT Government says up to 95%, and 40% or more for blankets or liquid covers.

Is a thicker pool cover better?

It lasts longer on paper: one maker warrants 250 micron for 3 years, 400 for 5 and 525 for 10. Per warranty year the 525 is cheapest, $72–$83.84 on a 32 m² pool.

Do I need a solar cover or a thermal cover?

Solar (bubble) if the sun heats your pool; foam if a gas heater or heat pump does. The NCC requires at least R 0.05 for those heaters outside NSW; one 4.5 mm foam is R 0.13.

Can a pool cover replace a pool fence?

No. SPASA says pool covers are not safety covers and cannot be used instead of fencing, and a rigid slat cover maker says its cover should be used with compliant fencing.

Sources

General information only, current at 2026-10-26. Pool rules differ by state and by council, and penalty amounts are updated regularly. Confirm your own obligations with your council or a registered inspector before acting.

What is the best pool cover? Every type compared on cost per year