Hot tub covers are a must for hot tubs or spas that are installed outdoors. The cover will protect the tub during summer time so dirt or leaves don’t fall into the water. In winter, when you’re not using your outdoor spa, the cover will keep it protected from rain, snow or dirt. Hot tub covers can also be used indoors, especially if you don’t want to empty the tub every day or if you want to keep the water hot for a longer time. This is the case of some day spa centers, where water needs to be hot when the first clients arrive.

Hot Tub Covers Types

Depending on their features, there are several types of hot tub covers:

• Seasonal hot tub covers: they cover the whole tub, not only the top and they are suitable for outdoor tubs, to keep away the snow from falling and thawing inside the tub.
• Double hinged hot tub covers: they offer the best protection because they are rigid, but they are difficult to maneuver because of their weight. The middle hinge allows to lift only half of the tub cover, so if there’s only one person willing to use the tub, you won’t need to completely remove the cover.
• Rolling covers: these covers are flexible and very easy to put on and remove, because they are simply rolled over the tub top. They can be made of vinyl or thin foam and they don’t take too much storage space when not in use.

High quality hot tub covers have several layers made of different materials, each of them playing a special role. For instance, fiberglass panels would give strength to the cover, the breathable underside layer would allow water to dissipate, while the vapor heat sealed foam insulation would help keeping the water hot. The vinyl coating can have various colors, the most common being brown, burgundy or charcoal. If you choose a top quality hot tub cover, then it’s most probably that one single person won’t be able to handle it. There’s nothing to worry about, though, because you can buy a cover lifter, which is a mechanism that would enable the easy lifting of the spa cover.

How To Measure For Hot Tub Covers

When buying a hot tub cover, you have to take care of how you measure your tub, because you can’t afford to make a mistake here. If the cover is too small you won’t be able to use it, and if it’s too big it won’t fit on the tub top. Large hot tubs or spas can have multiple shapes, so don’t forget to specify which shape is yours when you go to buy a cover for it. You’ll have to make sure the cover will go over the tub lips you can make a lip to lip measurement, but don’t forget to mention that to the shop assistant. Maybe it would be better to go talk to her before purchasing anything, so you can then follow the advice for correct measurement. As a general rule, it’s better to buy the cover a bit bigger rather than buying it smaller. A small cover won’t fit well on the tub and it won’t be able to keep your water hot.

If you have children, you’d better buy a hot tub cover with childproof locks. Most models feature such locks, but don’t forget to make sure they are really hard to unlock by a child. It’s always better to be safe than sorry and you know how curious children can be. You surely don’t want your little one to fall into the hot tub.

In case of hot tub covers that are exposed to direct sunlight, you may want to buy some maintenance and conditioning products, in order to delay discoloration from UV rays which will inevitably occur.