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SwimSpa Covers Challenges

Since the invention of the swimspa one of the biggest challenges of owning one is keeping it covered. Regardless of how long you have owned yours replacing the cover with something that will do the job and still make it easy for you to use can be frustrating. Here is the brutal truth behind each of the top five designs.

We’ll breakdown the facts to help you pick which one makes the most sense for your needs.

The Traditional Folding Cover

These are the covers that typically come with the swimspa when you buy it. Unless you’ve had one before it’s what you expect.

However more and more spa dealers are reporting that although people are buying swim spas the new owners don’t want this type of cover.

The problem is, even with a fancy bar lifter, this cover will end up to heavy to move. Usually within a couple years. It happens slowly as the cover takes on weight and the user has to spend more energy trying to take it off and put it back on. Eventually, it will be the reason they stop using the swim spa as the weight becomes more of a struggle.

If you can still manage to fold the cover over the bar and push it back, the weight of the heavy cover will either rip the cover in half at the seam or rip the bar lifter off the side of your swim spa. So with that experience you’ll come to look for a different kind of swim spa cover.

Another downside to this particular design is that they are made cheaply overseas. With all the latest Covid 19 madness going on the import of this type of cover has virtually stopped. If and when it does begin again the costs are going to be significantly higher. So what was the cheapest option of the designs listed here may not be the case anymore. Dealers are telling people it may be three months before they are able to get these covers back in stock. Turns out, that is wishful thinking on the part of the dealer. They really have no way of knowing when it will be.

At present this is still the cheapest type of swimspa cover. If it’s the design you want to keep using you’ll need to budget for replacing it every other year so that you can keep using your swimspa. You might also want to budget for a gym membership where you can get in shape for lifting weights.

The Rolling Cover

This cover seems the solution to all the problems that the traditional swimspa covers had. It has the ease of use. One person can just roll it up. You can even roll it up while you’re inside the swimspa. Yes, it costs more but hey it’s getting you back into using the swimspa so that’s good. And the dealer says it will be the last swim spa cover you’ll need to buy.

Unfortunately, that isn’t quite true. Most swimspa owners report that these roll up swimspa covers break down within a couple years. The other down side is that they don’t insulate worth a damn. Our opinion is it’s a cool idea but it doesn’t insulate and it doesn’t last so in the end it’s just the next scam that spa dealers use to take your money. Like telling you the reason your foam filled swimspa cover got heavy was it didn’t have a taper. Then they sold you one with a taper and it got heavy too.

Brutal truth on this design is if you really like it you should budget to replace it every three years. Also since it doesn’t insulate the cost of heating you spa is going to go up. Way up. So you might want to take on a second job or start a little side business so you can save up enough. But hey, while it’s working it is easy to use.

The Auto Cover

These covers are great for safety, but little else. The ease of use is right up there but they don’t even try to claim that they insulate. You’re going to pay a good amount to have them professionally installed and then you’re going to pay a fortune to heat your swim spa.

Rain and debris just accumulate on top of it. Once the load gets to be too much it will either dump it all into the swim spa while it opens or it will just quit working and you’ll be paying someone to come out and fix it. In the end, they’ll tell you that you need a roof over it.

The brutal truth on this cover is, yes it is easy to use, and yes, it typically lasts longer than the first two covers. Does it keep rain and debris out of your spa? No. If you want to keep rain and debris out of your spa and use this type of cover you’ll need to put it inside a building. Does it keep the neighbor kid from accidentally falling into your spa? Yes, but so does putting the spa inside a building or a fenced yard.  You’re going to spend even more money heating your spa water with this type of cover and building a roof over it. But yes, it is easy to use.

 

The Power Cover

The most expensive cover on the market. You’ll pay more for this cover than you did for your swim spa. Maybe more than you paid for your car. But it does have ease of use in the bag. Push a button and the four pillars of power slowly lift the “garage roof” off the spa. I don’t know about you but when I go out for a swim I enjoy having the sky above me. Swimming with the platform of doom above me doesn’t quite give me the peace of mind I’m looking for.

You’ll pay to have it professionally installed and fixed anytime there is a problem. It does offer a nice flat surface when it’s closed so you can use it as a picnic table or set drinks on it while entertaining if that’s important to you.

It will probably be the last swimspa cover you buy though. Simply because once you’ve paid this much for a cover and had it break down again, and again, you’ll give up using the swimspa. In order to afford this type of cover you’ll need either to win the lottery or have one of your rich relatives die and leave you money.

The SpaCap Cover

The unconventional cover. The SpaCap SwimSpa Cover. This one will more than likely take you a bit to wrap your head around. It’s not flat, so setting food and beverages on it when you entertain won’t work. Ease of use? Well it was designed by a woman with back problems so if you use it like they tell you to it really is like taking a comforter off your bed. Most women report they can move it with one hand.

Here is another plus, it insulates better than any other cover. It can handle a snow load better than any foam filled, or roll away cover. These covers are used at snow lodges and cabins all over the world from the Rockies to the Alps. They tend to last longer and stay lightweight. They come in over  a hundred different colors.

They can handle the wind better than any other cover. Over the last thirty plus years these covers have been through hurricanes and tornados and not even one has ever blown off. Let that sink in for a minute. These swimspa covers are in use all across the country and have survived every major storm over the last 30 years.

The SpaCap SwimSpa Covers are also affordable. They cost a little more than the typical foam filled cover but less than any other of those listed above.

So if you want the most cost effective, energy efficient, easy to use swimspa cover, we would recommend the custom swimspa covers from SpaCap.com.

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The Best SwimSpa Cover

Swim Spas represent special obstacles when it concerns covering them.
We can all concur that the swim spa has to be covered when not in use for all the same reasons a hot tub requires a cover. The obstacle is that because of the length of the swim spa and the height of the sides, eliminating and changing the Swim Spa Cover can be a lot more difficult.
Getting a brand-new swim spa is an exciting occasion in life. You’re looking forward to the exercise you’ll receive from using it. Possibly you’re a little relieved to have actually finally selected from the various designs you looked at. At any rate, you most likely weren’t thinking much about the Swim Spa Cover you would use.
Normally, the cover that gets back with your new purchase will be a 4 section rigid foam filled Swim Spa Cover that will split in the center and go off both ends.
No big deal.
Up until it starts to get heavy.
Which it always does.
Every rigid foam filled Swim Spa Cover ever made winds up the same way and it is not the fault of the user. It’s a style defect. Integrated in obsolescence since as soon as it is placed in use over the warm water in your swim spa it is unavoidable.
It’s not from rain, so having a taper won’t make any difference. In fact you might have it under a roof and the Swim Spa Cover will still get heavy.
The factor is the steam from the water. The particles of steam are really little as they rise from the water surface. They make their method into the little cracks and crevices in the foam. Then as the steam cools it forms back into a liquid and becomes caught in the Swim Spa Cover
It happens slowly and on a Swim Spa Cover which is made of private areas, at differing speeds. So eventually you’ll notice one or two of the sections are actually getting heavy. The bar lifters on completions of the swim spa aren’t much assistance due to the fact that you still have to raise that heavy Swim Spa Cover back up onto the spa which is a lot higher than a routine spa.
This is why SpaCap.com developed a different style for their Lightweight Swim Spa Covers
Instead of using several foam panels that will eventually wind up in some landfill, they designed Lightweight Swim Spa Covers that uses air chambers that don’t suck up moisture.
In fact SpaCap.com Lightweight Swim Spa Covers are easy to use, insulate better, will not blow away in a wind storm or be harmed by snow or hail.
Covered with Sunbrella Marine material, these Lightweight Swim Spa Covers will not fade, or fall apart at the seams either. So if you own a swim spa, and you intend to keep using it daily, SpaCap.com has the Swim Spa Cover for it.
If you’re not prepared to order today, bookmark this website so you can find it again when you’re prepared!

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SwimSpa Covers, Best Choice

A swimspa cover is vital for controlling energy costs, and to protect the spa from external debris. Traditional spa covers are made with a foam core, and that foam is absorbent. As the foam takes on moisture from seepage and condensation from the heated water rising under a cold closed cover, the cover becomes heavy and difficult to handle. Eventually it will keep you from using your swimspa.

The vinyl material that is typically used to cover a foam core is rated by HOURS which means that when it’s exposed to the sun’s UV rays on a daily basis, it’s going to break down and vulnerable to tearing or being punctured.

The End2End SwimSpa Cover is a relative newcomer to the swimspa cover market. It claims to Lock In Heat and Keep Out Moisture. Admittedly it does have some advantages over the traditional multi piece folding foam swimspa covers. Its one-piece design using closed-cell foam instead of the traditional rigid foam panels prevents it from absorbing water, so it stays light and easy to manage. That much is true. The reason closed cell foam has not been used in the traditional rigid swimspa covers is that it isn’t rigid. It would sag without support.

The roll up cover overcomes that by having a support system built into the cover.

It also claims to have a UV-resistant coating that keeps it strong against the elements and new-looking for years.

The roll-on, roll-off design makes it easy for a single person to handle. In fact, this exclusive feature makes it possible to roll the cover off a swimspa in less than 60 seconds. It can be rolled in either direction, making it ideal for dual-temperature swimspa. You can roll back the pool side for your daily swim, and then roll back the spa side for relaxing at night. Aside from being extremely easy to take on an off, it requires minimal overhead clearance and gives full visibility on all sides of the swimspa as compared to traditional covers which can be problematic for applications with height restrictions or if you are trying to enjoy views. Admittedly, this is a great improvement over the traditional swimspa covers.

Custom made with the highest quality commercial-grade materials, this durable, energy-efficient and lockable safety cover is built to withstand all weather conditions. Its full-frame design makes it able to handle even large loads of snow, and thanks to its UV protected surface, it will not deteriorate from time spent in direct sunlight.

Made in the U.S.A., the End2End SwimSpa Covers are available in a range of colors. But not nearly as many as the SpaCap.com SwimSpa Covers which can be done in any of the over one hundred colors of Marine Grade Sunbrella.

So what’s the down side? Although the closed cell foam is an improvement it has to be supported to keep the rain and debris out of the spa. That support will eventually breakdown. It will never be able to handle as much of a snow load as the SpaCap SwimSpa Cover which recast right on the water surface.

The UV resistant coating is a code for, “it will handle a sun a little longer than a traditional cover” but not nearly as long as Marine Grade Sunbrella which is used on the SpaCap SwimSpa Cover.

In the end, The SpaCap.com SwimSpa Covers are still the overall best choice. No other swimspa cover starts insulating at the water surface. A huge advantage since the point is to seal in the heat and keep the water warm.

The SpaCap.com covers are all made in the USA and the Sunbrella fabric will last YEARS longer than any other material, no matter what UV resistant coating they use.

When you really want to get the best swimspa cover on the market you’re still better off with the swimspa cover custom made for your spa by SpaCap.com.