Best solar pool covers
A solar pool cover is the cheapest way to heat a pool with the sun. It’s a sheet of bubble plastic that floats on the water: it lets sunlight warm the pool during the day and, more importantly, stops the warm water from evaporating. A thick, well-fitted cover is the best choice for most pools. Solar rings do a similar job in pieces that are easier to handle. Our picks, chosen from manufacturers’ published information:
- Best overall: Blue Wave 14-mil Solar Blanket
- Best for Intex above ground pools: Intex Solar Pool Cover
- Best solar rings: Solar Sun Rings
A cover doesn’t replace a solar heater, but it makes any heater work better, and on its own it can add a noticeable amount of warmth for very little money.
Contents
- Our picks at a glance
- Best overall: Blue Wave 14-mil Solar Blanket
- Best for Intex above ground pools: Intex Solar Pool Cover
- Best solar rings: Solar Sun Rings
- How a solar pool cover works
- Solar cover, solar rings or a solar heater?
- How to choose a solar pool cover
- How we chose
- Frequently asked questions
Our picks at a glance
| Blue Wave 14-mil Solar Blanket¹ | Intex Solar Pool Cover² | Solar Sun Rings³ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Bubble blanket | Bubble cover | Floating vinyl rings |
| Thickness | 14 mil | Not stated | Two layers of UV-resistant vinyl |
| Sizes | Trim to fit your pool | 10, 12, 15, 16 and 18 ft round; 18 × 9 ft rectangular | 5 ft across, linked with magnets |
| Warranty | 6-year limited, prorated after year 1 | Not stated | Not stated |
| Best for | Most inground and above ground pools | Intex frame and Easy Set pools | Owners who want easy on and off |
Sources: ¹ Blue Wave 14 mil Solar Blanket warranty and installation instructions. ² Intex solar pool cover product pages. ³ Solar Sun Rings product pages and FAQ. All checked October 28, 2026.
Best overall: Blue Wave 14-mil Solar Blanket
Blue Wave’s 14-mil blanket is the best-documented cover we found. It comes with clear installation and care instructions and a 6-year limited warranty. Like most bubble covers, it floats bubble side down, and you trim it with household scissors to fit your pool’s shape. Blue Wave suggests leaving it on the water for 2 to 4 days so the packaging creases relax, marking the outline of your pool walls, and cutting it a little large before a final trim. Once it fits, it should stay in place without grommets, ties or weights.
The warranty is worth reading closely. It covers only delamination and seam failure, it’s prorated after the first year (you pay a growing share of the list price for a replacement), and you have to register within 30 days. It’s also voided by some common mistakes: leaving the blanket in direct sun when it’s off the pool, using it on water above 90°F, or storing it somewhere hotter than 120°F.
Pros
- Thicker than many budget covers, at 14 mil
- 6-year limited warranty, with full replacement in the first year
- Clear instructions for fitting, care and storage
Cons
- The warranty is prorated and covers only delamination and seam failure
- You must keep it in the shade when it’s off the pool, or the warranty is void
- Large covers are heavy and awkward to handle without a reel
Best for Intex above ground pools: Intex Solar Pool Cover
If you have an Intex frame or Easy Set pool, Intex’s own solar cover is the simplest choice: it’s made to fit Intex’s 10, 12, 15, 16 and 18 ft round pools and its 18 × 9 ft rectangular frame pool, so there’s no trimming. Intex says the air bubbles absorb the sun’s heat and pass it into the water, and that the cover reduces evaporation by 95%. It also keeps leaves and debris out of the pool.
Intex doesn’t list the cover’s thickness or a warranty term on its product pages, so it’s hard to compare durability with a thicker trim-to-fit blanket. For an Intex pool, though, a cover that fits out of the box is worth a lot. Intex also sells a solar cover reel for its rectangular frame pools.
Pros
- Sized to fit Intex pools, with no cutting
- Light and easy to put on and take off a small pool
- Also keeps debris out of the water
Cons
- Thickness and warranty aren’t stated on Intex’s product pages
- Only fits Intex’s own pool sizes
Best solar rings: Solar Sun Rings
Solar Sun Rings are 5 ft vinyl rings that float on the water. Each one is made of two layers of UV-resistant vinyl, and magnets around the edge hold neighboring rings together so they raft across the surface. You lift them out one at a time, which is far easier than dragging a large blanket off a pool. The maker says the rings heat the water during the day, act as a thermal blanket at night and cut evaporation of water and chemicals.
Solar Sun Rings recommends covering at least 60% of your pool’s surface, and ideally 70% to 80%, and has a coverage calculator on its website. In windy spots, its Water Anchor version has a channel that fills with water to keep the ring from blowing off. The maker says the vinyl stands up to salt and chlorine systems and that the rings work with automatic pool cleaners.
Pros
- Easy for one person to put on and take off
- Rings break apart easily, which the maker says prevents entrapment in an accidental fall
- Water Anchor version for windy areas
Cons
- Gaps between rings let more heat and water escape than a full cover
- You need several rings to cover most pools
- Warranty terms aren’t stated on the maker’s product pages
How a solar pool cover works
A solar cover heats a pool in two ways. Sunlight passes through it and warms the water, and the bubbles hold a layer of air that slows heat loss. The bigger effect is the second one. Evaporation is by far the largest source of energy loss from a swimming pool, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings program, and the same source says pool covers can save 50% to 70% of pool heating costs. Stop the evaporation and the pool keeps the heat it already has, especially overnight.
Put the cover on bubble side down, with the smooth side facing up. Clear covers let more sunlight reach the water. Blue and other tinted covers let less through, but they’re still good at holding heat in.
Solar cover, solar rings or a solar heater?
- A solar cover is the cheapest first step for any pool. It holds in heat and cuts water and chemical loss, but it has to come off before anyone swims.
- Solar rings do much the same job and are easier to take on and off. Because they leave gaps, they hold in somewhat less heat than a full cover.
- A solar heater actively warms the water by pumping it through collectors in the sun. It adds more heat than a cover can, but costs more and needs plumbing. Our solar pool heater guide explains how they work and how to size one.
The best results come from using a heater and a cover together, because the cover keeps overnight what the heater added during the day. The Department of Energy says using a cover can reduce the collector area a solar heater needs. See our picks of the best solar heaters for above ground pools and the best solar heaters for inground pools.
How to choose a solar pool cover
- Thickness. Covers are rated in mil (thousandths of an inch). Thicker covers usually last longer and carry longer warranties, but they’re heavier to handle.
- Color. Clear covers let in the most sunlight. Tinted covers block more of it but still hold heat in.
- Fit. A cover should reach the pool walls all the way around. Trim-to-fit blankets suit any shape. Covers made for a specific pool, like Intex’s, need no cutting.
- Handling. A large cover is hard to take off alone. A cover reel, or rings instead of a blanket, makes it a one-person job.
- Warranty. Check how long it runs, whether it’s prorated, and what voids it. Many cover warranties cover only seam failure and delamination and require you to keep the cover out of the sun when it’s off the pool.
How we chose
We started from the solar covers and rings sold for residential pools in the U.S. and kept only products whose manufacturer publishes enough to describe them accurately: thickness or construction, sizes, how to fit and care for them, and warranty terms where given. Our sources were manufacturer websites and the instructions and warranty cards that come with the products, checked October 28, 2026. We haven’t tested these covers ourselves, and we don’t list prices because they change often.
We left out covers we couldn’t verify from the manufacturer. Sun2Solar, Doheny’s and Midwest Canvas covers are widely sold, but we couldn’t find the manufacturer’s own specifications and warranty terms for them, so check those details with the seller.
Frequently asked questions
Do solar pool covers really work?
Yes. Their main job is to stop evaporation, which is the biggest way a pool loses heat, according to the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings program. A cover won’t heat a pool the way a solar heater does, but it keeps the warmth the sun or a heater adds, especially overnight.
Should a solar cover be on during the day?
Yes, whenever the pool isn’t in use. During the day it lets sunlight warm the water while holding the heat in, and at night it slows heat loss. Take it off completely before anyone swims: a solar cover isn’t a safety cover and can’t support a person’s weight. When it’s off, keep it in the shade, since many warranties don’t cover sun damage to a cover left out of the water.
Clear or blue solar cover: which is better?
Clear covers let more sunlight through to warm the water. Blue and other tinted covers let less light through but still trap heat and cut evaporation. Either works far better than no cover.
How long does a solar pool cover last?
It depends on the cover’s thickness, your climate and how you care for it. Warranties are a guide: the Blue Wave 14-mil blanket carries a 6-year prorated warranty. Covers last longer if you keep them in the shade when they’re off the pool, take them off when the water is above 90°F, and store them clean and dry over winter.