A swimming pool can provide families with hours of entertainment and the opportunity for healthy recreation. However, unless care is taken, swimming pools can prove very dangerous. The sad fact is that it takes just thirty seconds for a child to drown. It is for this reason that pool covers can be so valuable.

Swimming pool covers provide many useful functions, such as maximizing the benefits of the pool-heating system, thereby cutting back on the portion of the energy bill devoted to keep the pool temperature perfect. Hard-top swimming pool covers also function as a backup to a pool fence (an absolute safety necessity), ensuring that if a little child wanders onto a covered pool, he or she will not get entangled in a flimsy cover, which is a drowning hazard. Warmer environments only require simple plastic swimming pool covers just to keep the pool clean and protected from airborne dust, dirt, and leaves when not in use. The choice of the type of swimming pool cover is determined by what the particular necessities are.

Swimming pool covers come in a variety of choices: net pool covers, mesh pool covers, vinyl/in-ground pool covers, etc. They adapt to rocks and waterfalls and don't obstruct views. A mesh pool cover has a tight-fitting safety barrier, and it prevents unwanted entry, reduces maintenance, keeps pool free of debris, and reduces evaporation. A vinyl pool cover boasts an outstanding safety barrier, and it operates with the turn of a key, seals out dirt and leaves, insulates and retains heat, and reduces chemical loss. All-Safe and Katchakid are two of the many manufacturers of swimming pool covers.

The mesh swimming pool covers serve dual purposes: safety and protection of the pool from leaves and debris. Mesh covers are used extensively throughout the U.S. to close down or winterize pools. The fabric of the swimming pool cover is a unique blend of polypropylene and is impervious to chlorine and mildew. Most swimming pool covers provide an adequate level of safety if properly cared for. However, care should be taken to choose a pool cover that is high in quality and one in which the mesh pool cover straps go completely across the cover on both the top and bottom of the cover. Also, the spacing of the straps on the mesh pool covers greatly affects the overall strength.