Pool Safety Covers vs. Solar Covers: What Keeps Kids Safe

Only a true safety cover, one that covers the entire pool securely enough that a child can't slip under it, keeps children out of the water. Floating solar covers and winter covers are not safety covers. They can hide a child who slips underneath, so never count on them as a barrier.

Covers are useful. They keep pools clean and warm and save water. This guide helps you tell which ones also protect children, and how to use them safely.

Safety covers vs. other covers

Under 2 inches

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says floating solar and winter covers are not safety covers and can actually increase drowning risk (opens in a new tab). A safety cover should cover the entire pool securely enough that a child can't slip under it (opens in a new tab). The AAP adds that power-operated weight-bearing covers are often the safest and easiest to use (opens in a new tab).

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) barrier guidelines say power safety covers should conform to the ASTM F1346 standard (opens in a new tab), which sets safety performance requirements for pool covers to protect young children from drowning. Ask the seller or installer to confirm a cover meets it.

Why a floating cover can be dangerous

A floating cover makes the pool look like solid ground. The AAP explains that a small child might try to retrieve a ball or other light toy (opens in a new tab) that has landed on it, step on, and fall through.

Then the cover makes things worse. CPSC warns, about hot tubs, that a solar cover can allow children to slip into the water while the cover appears to stay in place, hiding the child (opens in a new tab). The same is true of a pool.

• Take a floating cover fully off before anyone swims, and put it fully back after, or remove it while young children are around.
• Never leave a pool partly covered when children are nearby.
• If a child is missing, check under any cover too, not just the open water.
• Teach children to stay off every pool cover, and to ask an adult to get toys that land on one.

Water pooling on top of covers

Rain and melted snow collect on covers, especially solid winter covers. The AAP warns: make sure no standing water collects on top (opens in a new tab), because children can drown in less than 2 inches of water.

• Use a cover pump or follow the maker's instructions to drain the water after storms.
• Check the cover after every heavy rain while children are around.
• Keep the gate to the pool area latched in the off-season, too.

Using covers as one layer

A cover works best as part of the layers of protection, not as the only one. CPSC describes barriers, including covers, as layers that are not childproof, but give parents additional time to find a child (opens in a new tab) when supervision lapses, and says barriers can never replace adult supervision.

• When the house is one side of the barrier. CPSC says a power safety cover can provide a security barrier, especially when one side of the house serves as the fourth wall (opens in a new tab). Door alarms are the other common option. See pool fences and gates.
• Keep the controls away from children. CPSC says to keep the control device for the pool cover out of the reach of children (opens in a new tab). Use the key, keypad or lock if your cover has one.
• Close it every time. A safety cover that's left open isn't a barrier. Add "cover closed" to your end-of-swim routine.
• Keep it working. Pool Safely says to keep pool and spa covers in working order (opens in a new tab). Replace torn mesh, broken straps and loose anchors.

The Red Cross lists lockable covers (opens in a new tab) alongside door alarms as a secondary barrier behind a four-sided fence.

Hot tub covers

Hot tubs need a locking cover, too. The AAP says to always cover and lock hot tubs, spas and whirlpools right after using them (opens in a new tab), and CPSC says to always secure the safety cover on your spa or hot tub (opens in a new tab). More in hot tub and spa safety.

What you can do today

1. Check what kind of cover you have. If it floats, treat it as a heat cover, not a barrier.
2. Remove standing water from any cover, and plan how you'll keep it clear after storms.
3. Move cover controls or keys out of children's reach.
4. Add "cover closed, gate latched, alarm on" to the end of every swim.
5. Check the rest of your barrier with the Pool barrier check, and review pool alarms if your house forms one side of the pool area.