There is no best material. Each customer has individual issues that are unique to their own pools and pool cover needs. Below are three materials and combinations that address most of the customer concerns that have been expressed to us.

• This material offers easy pool cover setup at the start of the winter season because it is very light weight (4.1 oz/sq yd).
• The material offers the greatest resistance to sunlight deterioration (UV resistance) over any of the other materials listed here.
• The open weave prevents water from collecting on its surface.

Disadvantages:

• The material can not be patched, hence it is not an appropriate choice for pools located under trees (branches break off).
• The material has low abrasion resistance; thus pool cover must have a scuff pad of another material to address this weakness.
• While open mesh prevents water from collecting on pool cover, decayed leaves that remain on the cover eventually sift through. In combination with sunlight (which also permeates the cover) the decayed leaves eventually lead to an algae filled pool that requires additional "shocking" to kill the algae during the spring season.

• This material is still light weight (6.5 oz/sq yd) thus making setup at start of winter season an easy job.
• Unlike polypropylene, vinyl coated mesh can be patched. Hence it is a good choice for pools located under trees (where branch breakage can cause pool cover damage).
• Higher abrasion resistance than polypropylene.

Disadvantages:

• This material degrades sooner under sunlight than polypropylene mesh.
• Fabric design allows larger particles and more sunlight to penetrate cover and enter pool water. Thus the algae buildup at end of winter season may be greater than with polypropylene.

• Highest abrasion resistance than all the materials listed here.
• This material minimizes organic material and sunlight from entering pool. Hence the material is a good choice for pool locations NEAR trees and shrubs.

Disadvantages:

• Its weight (10 oz/sq yd) becomes a real factor in fall setup. Water pooling tends to lead to unsightly and possibly unsafe slimy build up ( decayed leaves and water ). Hence it tends to be used for smaller pools.
• Rain and snow require pumping water off the cover throughout the winter months. Removal of the cover in the spring becomes more difficult because debris can spill into the pool.

• While the organic loading of the swimming pool is the same as an all mesh cover, the amount of sunlight allowed to enter the pool is minimized. This material combination tends to minimize algae loading.

Disadvantages:

• Weight remains a factor in the Start of winter setup.

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