The 10 Best Above Ground Pool Covers For Winter

If you have something other than a basic circular model in your backyard, the Blue Wave Oval Gold (about $65) could come in handy. It's thick and durable, and has a four-foot overlap to reduce the likelihood of tearing or stretching, even in heavy winds.

You may need to pair it with another cover, but if you're sick of having to drag leaves and larger debris off your pool's surface, the In The Swim Leaf Net (around $38) can help. Made from thick knitted polyethylene, it's easy to install in the fall and remove once the trees go bare.

You get more than just a protective shield with the Swimline Blue (appx. $97). It also ships with a large air pillow that will prevent your cover from freezing to the water, and a winterizing kit that keeps it from getting stained from all the oils and grime inside.

The silver, 8 millimeter material on the PoolTux King (about $75) has been layered with UV-protection, so it's less likely to fade over time. It can also spare the floor of your pool from discoloration as well, all while keeping the surface from clogging up with trash and debris.

The Swimline SuperGuard (appx. $78) comes with a steel cable and a winch, enabling you to secure it as tightly as you desire. That's good, because it's extremely lightweight, and could otherwise easily fly off in a storm. The lack of heft makes it easy to install, though.

Every seam on the Pool Mate Sandstone (around $65) has been heat sealed, reducing the likelihood that it will tear in the middle of a harsh storm. However, the eyelets are spaced a little too far apart, which can let both wind and light in underneath the fabric.

The Blue Wave Silver (appx. $56) should be on your shortlist if you live in a frigid climate. The polyethylene scrim is capable of holding up under a fair amount of ice, snow, and sleet, and the overlap helps reduce the level of stress applied by all that frozen water.

As the name suggests, the Harris Economy (about $39) is a good choice for the budget conscious. It's inexpensive, but consider yourself lucky if you get more than a year or two of use out of it. Still, replacing it frequently might still be worth it from a financial standpoint.

The Buffalo Blizzard Deluxe (about $50) is reversible, with blue on one side and black on the other. The black portion is good for blocking out the light that algae needs to grow, while the blue is attractive to look at when you're in the middle of a blizzard and longing for summer.

If you're going to be staring at a dormant pool for several months out of the year, it might as well be pretty to look at. To that end, the Robelle 3328-4 (appx. $95) comes in a wide variety of colors — but let's face it, it's going to be completely white by the middle of December.