GLI Secur-A-Pool 18x36 Ft Rectangular Mesh Safety Cover with Center End Step

Yes, for the right buyer. The GLI Secur-A-Pool 18x36 Ft Rectangular Mesh Safety Cover with Center End Step ranks #3 in our Best Inground Pool Covers list. Its biggest strength: 18x36 sizing covers the most common inground pool footprint without paying for 20x40 extended coverage. The main caveat: mesh still lets fine debris and pollen through to the pool floor.

The main trade-offs owners and reviewers point to: mesh still lets fine debris and pollen through to the pool floor; step cutout is fixed at manufacture, only fits pools with a matching center-end step; not sized for pools larger than 18x36 without ordering a different configuration.

ASTM F1346-certified polypropylene mesh, 18x36 ft rectangular sizing, Center end step cutout, Full perimeter brass anchor system and Self-draining mesh weave.

Worth comparing: WaterWarden Premium Pool Safety Cover for 12x20 Ft In-Ground Pool, WaterWarden Solid Vinyl Pool Safety Cover, Fits 18x36 Ft Rectangle and WaterWarden Inground Pool Safety Cover 20x42 Ft Rectangle, Blue Mesh. Each ranks near it in our research for a slightly different buyer.

It's sold on Amazon. Prices and stock change often, so check the current listing before you buy, our link takes you straight to it.

Above-ground pool covers hook to the top rail of the pool wall using an elastic cable or winch-and-cable system, so the cover only needs to match the pool diameter plus a few inches of overlap. Inground pool covers anchor to the surrounding deck, which sits at ground level, so the cover has to extend well past the water's edge onto the coping and deck itself. Standard inground winter covers add a 4 to 5-foot overlap on every side (a 20x40 pool needs roughly a 25x45 cover), and safety covers are measured to the exact deck anchor points, which is why safety covers are far more often custom-fit than stock-sized. Buying an above-ground-style cover for an inground pool will leave gaps at the edges regardless of how it is anchored.

That depends entirely on who has access to the pool. If small children, pets, or anyone unable to swim can reach the pool area unsupervised, a winter tarp is not adequate protection, it is not weight-rated and can fail catastrophically under a person's weight, especially once pooled rainwater or snowmelt sits on top of it. Local and state codes in many areas require a compliant barrier (fence, cover, or both) around residential pools; an ASTM F1346-rated safety cover satisfies the cover portion of that requirement in jurisdictions that allow it. If the pool area is already fully fenced with a self-latching gate and unsupervised access isn't a realistic risk, a winter tarp is a reasonable and much cheaper choice for keeping debris and sun out during the off season.