If you own a swim spa or are planning to buy one in 2023, you need to know how important it is to protect your investment. The best protection for your swim spa is a high-quality cover.
The right cover will not only protect your swim spa from potential weather damage and debris but also keep the water temperature consistent, often significantly reducing your monthly energy consumption and electric bills.
In this ultimate guide to the best swim spa covers in 2023, we’ll cover everything you need to know to make an informed decision about what type of cover is best for your swim spa.
Protection: A swim spa cover protects your spa from falling dirt and debris that can often clog filters and damage pumps. This helps to extend the life of your swim spa, keeping it working efficiently for longer.
Insulation: A quality insulated cover will also help maintain the water temperature inside your swim spa, helping you to save big on energy and heating costs, especially during the summer months. A well-insulated cover will also significantly reduce evaporation from your swim spa’s surface area, meaning less water is lost from the inside of your spa, and much less time and money has to be spent on refilling the water.
Safety: When properly secured, a cover can prevent unintended access to the spa, offering peace of mind, especially for families with children or pets. To provide the highest level of safety for all users, every type of swim spa cover must be constructed in accordance with rigid ASTM standards for lockable safety covers.
Covana swim spa and hot tub covers are luxury automatic lifting covers, often combined with gazebo and privacy attachments. The Covana Legend is the Swim Spa Cover that comes in 2 different sizes (12 – 15ft and 16 – 20ft) and the Horizon, Evolution, and Oasis models are designed for hot tubs with maximum efficiency and durability in mind.
Covana’s Legend cover is the first and only product of its kind on the market, making your swim spa more convenient and cost-effective to run than ever before thanks to its sleek, space-saving design and high-density insulation that creates a peaceful and private space in which to soak.
A simple turn of a key causes the entire roof to rise up silently over the swim spa over your head, so you can enjoy your daily swimming routine in any kind of rainy or snowyoutdoor conditions and without getting the sun in your eyes.
You can anticipate Covana to lower the cost of heating your swim spa by up to 30% thanks to its R-21 insulation value, stopping the evaporation of water and chemicals when the cover firmly locks onto your swim spa.
The Covana’s minimalistic design won’t detract from the aesthetics of your garden in any way, complementing your garden landscape when open, and not obstructing your beautiful garden views when closed.
Instead, enjoy the extra privacy and protection from the elements when you turn the key to open your spa and look past its smooth, seamless surface whenever you’re not in the water.
The Legend can perform up to 80 repetitions on a single charge (supplied with a spare battery), however, there is no option that runs off of a wall outlet.
One of the main advantages the Covana covers hold over their competitors is their build quality & long-lasting durability that combines rigid ABS thermoplastics for the hardtop with a high-efficiency fibre-reinforced XPS thermal core.
You can almost guarantee a Covana cover will last as long as your swim spa itself, so no need to worry about replacement covers years down the line!
While the higher price point may be a deterrent for some, ranging from between £14,000 and £20,000, the build quality, versatility, and year-round ease of use of these structures make them a worthwhile investment for those looking to enhance their outdoor living space.
One option increasingly gaining popularity among swim spa owners is the rolling cover. Forget the heavy, cumbersome covers that make upkeep a chore, rolling covers are often made from lightweight materials such as carbon fibre that allow all types of bathers to roll open and retract the cover from their swim spa with ease and speed (often under a minute!).
The single-piece design of the E2E Cover helps to create a complete sealon top and all the way around your swim spa thanks to there being no joins in the middle. Whether it be dual-temperature swim spas or single chamber models, rolling covers are great at helping to retain the spa’s heat while also reducing both energy consumption and heating costs.
Dual-chamber swim spa owners can also reap the benefit of maintaining water temperature in the swim chamber when they are only relaxing in the seats of the hot tub chamber. Simply roll the cover back far enough to enter the hot tub while still efficiently maintaining the temperature of the water in the swim end of the spa.
The closed-cell foam insulation within all E2E covers also ensures that no water is absorbed by the cover, a common problem often encountered among old-style bi-fold covers that leads to significant weight increases.
Many rolling covers also boast built-in air lets that allow air to escape as you roll back the lid, meaning you won’t going have to stare at a humongous ball of insulated cover during your relaxing soak and exercise sessions.
E2E rolling covers are also manufactured with UV-protected materials and fully framed to adequately handle snow load, meaning that you can rest easy knowing that prolonged exposure to direct sunlight or heavy snowfall won’t cause your cover to deteriorate in quality.
E2E covers also offer fantastic customisation options, currently available in four different colourways that are guaranteed to fit in style with your swim spa’s cabinetry or acrylic shell. These are grey, black, mahogany and taupe, and can be seen here below:
BlackGrey
MahoganyTaupe
The considerable heat retention and extra insulation that rolling covers provide to your swim spa are guaranteed to reduce your energy costs, however, this will require a decent amount of payback time, as rolling swim spa covers are likely to set you back between £3,000 – £4,000 in our experience depending on the size of your swim spa model.
That being said if you’re looking for a cover that’s versatile, durable, energy saving and will help you make the most of your swim spa all year round, it is definitely worth considering an E2E rolling cover.
The US SPA automatic thermal cover enhances the process of uncovering and covering your swim spa, making it both enjoyable and visually appealing.
With a simple press of a button, you can effortlessly accomplish these tasks without the need to search for storage space for the cover. The automatic lifting mechanism, known as ACS® and patented for its excellence, allows for the use of various surface materials on the thermal cover. These materials can range from attractive textiles to custom-coloured coated sheets.
By adding an automatic thermal cover to your swim spa, you elevate it to an architectural and technological masterpiece while also effectively maintaining the water in your swim spa at a comfortable temperature and keeping it clean.
Furthermore, it provides a risk-free environment, as it is designed to support the weight of a child, eliminating the safety concerns often associated with open pools. Rest assured, a global patent ensures the utmost safety of this remarkable feature.
The majority of swim spas available on the market today will have a foam-insulated bi-folding cover that is already included within the package.
Swim spa bi-fold covers are usually a combination of two firm foam covers that meet in the middle of your spa and fit snugly together using Velcro connectors, still resulting in a great lockable safety cover.
Despite often being the cheapest option in terms of modern swim spa covers, often priced between £800 – £1,500, bi-folding covers definitely aren’t as aesthetically pleasing as rolling or automatic gazebo covers and often will need replacing every 3-5 years depending on how well you maintain it.
Bi-fold covers operated with a cover lifter will also often limit your view from both outside and inside of the swim spa, something that many parents may not be fond of if you are keeping a close eye on children in your swim spa.
As well as this, because of most swim spas’ height and the weight of manual bi-fold covers, taking off and putting the cover back on for some individuals may be somewhat awkward and difficult, reducing the one-person accessibility of your swim spa.
At WhatSwimSpa?, the most important aspect of a swim spa is its ease of use; the less complicated and hard work it is, the more probable it is that you’ll get out and smash that early morning workout or aqua therapy before the day’s activities begin.
It’s crucial to consider your region and who will use the swim spa among other factors when you are buying and installing a swim spa and choosing a cover:
The Simplicity of Use: Most people don’t need assistance to utilise a rolling cover, but nothing could be easier than the turn of a key used to operate a Covana, so be sure to consider who in the family is most likely to be taking the cover on and off before you take the plunge.
Energy Efficiency: While all swim spa covers offer solid insulation values, the most energy-saving choices are definitely the automatic Covana covers and the rolling E2E covers. It is also important to recognise what type of environment you live in here, as the automatic covers are certified for extreme temperatures, whereas the rolling E2E cover is ideal for areas with milder climates, as it allows you to fully open up your swim spa and take advantage of any natural sunlight available and top up your tan!
Warranty: You want to feel secured by a warranty in the same way that the cover protects the spa. Most swim spa covers should come with a minimum of 3-year warranty cover, so be sure double check with your dealership that you are well protected.
The best swim spa cover ultimately depends on your family and individual needs, as well as your budget.
A standard bi-folding cover is perfect for you if you’re looking for something budget-friendly that still offers a solid level of foam insulation.
If you’re looking for a middle-ground between saving energy consumption, convenience and affordability, rolling covers or an automatic thermal cover are the way to go.
Finally, if you’re looking for convenience, ease of use, and aesthetics with a bigger budget, Covana automatic covers are the perfect solution.
No matter what type of cover you choose, just remember that it’s essential to protect your swim spa with high-quality cover to ensure it lasts for years to come.
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How can I increase the lifespan of my swim spa cover?
Regular cleaning and conditioning, avoiding harsh chemicals, and removing snow or debris promptly can help extend the life of your swim spa cover.
Can I customise my swim spa cover?
Many manufacturers offer customisable options for swim spa covers, including various colours and materials, so yes, be sure to enquire with your local dealership about a custom cover in-store.
I am the Content Writer and Marketing Officer at WhatSwimSpa? Magazine. I recently graduated with Distinction from Northumbria University with a Master's degree in Occupational and Organizational Psychology. My role at WhatSwimSpa? is to ensure that all swim spa and hot tub lovers can easily access the highest quality and most up-to-date content, news and information from within the UK wet leisure industry. In my spare time, I love to produce music and DJ across the country, possessing a significant passion for all underground dance and electronic music genres.
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