Item 09 of 10
The cover and lifter
The cover holds the heat in and keeps children out. On a spa this long, its weight decides how often you bother to open it.
What it is
A swim spa cover is a lid 12 to 21 feet long, built in sections. Most are tapered foam panels wrapped in vinyl, like a hot tub cover but longer: Master Spas ships its Michael Phelps Signature Pro with a four-section folding cover. Some makers offer rolling covers instead; Master Spas' Axis rolls away over the swim side, and Wellis offers a rollcover on its Danube. A lifter is the frame that swings folding panels off. PDC's TruSwim comes with a locking safety cover.
Why it matters
California's energy listing names the exact cover each spa was tested with, and the cover changes the result. Bullfrog's S150 appears twice, at 301 watts with one cover and 239 with another, a fifth less standby power from the lid alone.
Covers wear out faster than the spa. Jacuzzi puts a standard cover's life at 4 to 6 years in an average climate. Once the vapor barrier around the foam fails, the foam soaks up water, gets heavy and loses much of its insulating value. On a swim spa that's a lot of wet foam: Jacuzzi says that without a lifter you'll likely need two people to open it, so the lifter belongs in the price.
Two warranty points catch people out. Master Spas' H2X warranty doesn't cover the cover at all, and it excludes sun damage to a spa kept under a non-insulating or unapproved cover, which matters if you swap in a thin roll-up later.
How makers do it
Folding foam panels with a lifter
The good wayTapered foam panels in vinyl, swung off by one or two lifters. Master Spas sells manual and hydraulic lifts for its swim spas.
Rolling cover
AcceptableA flexible cover rolls onto a drum at one end. Master Spas' Axis and Wellis's rollcover work this way.
Roll-up over the swim side, foam over the hot tub
AcceptableMaster Spas pairs an Axis roll cover on the swim side with a folding foam cover on the hot tub side.
In the showroom
Check this
- Lift one panel of the display's cover yourself, then picture doing it in January.
- Read the cover's spec: thickness, taper, foam density, and whether it locks.
- Read the warranty for the cover. It's often separate, short, or excluded.
Ask this
- Is this the cover the model was energy-tested with, and is it included?
- Which lifter do you fit on a spa this long, and is it included?
- What does a replacement cover cost, and how long do yours last here?
How each brand does it
15 of 17 brands publish enough to tell. For the rest, ask the dealer.
Every brand, A to Z (15)
- PartlyArctic Spas
A heavy tapered Mylovac cover is standard; a lifter isn't, and the warranty excludes damage from cover-removal devices.
- PartlyArtesian Spas
A vinyl cover is included; the lighter fabric cover and any lifter cost extra.
- PartlyBullfrog Spas
A locking cover is included and warranted 3 years; the lifters cost extra and can get in the way of the swim tether.
- PartlyCal Spas
A 5-to-3-inch locking foam cover is included; a lifter isn't, and cover claims turn materials-only after 90 days.
- PartlyCoast Spas
A 5-inch WeatherShield cover comes standard; a lifter doesn't, and a roll-up cover is an option.
- PartlyDynasty Spas
A foam cover comes standard (two single-fold lids on the 13-foot Pro models); there's no lifter, and the thickness isn't published.
- PartlyEndless Pools
Cover and lifter cost extra on every model; Endless sells a polyester-fabric foam cover it says is 60% lighter than vinyl.
- PartlyHydropool
A locking, hinged foam Safety Hard Cover comes with the spa; cover removers appear only in the option lists, and the cover has a 1-year guarantee.
- PartlyJacuzzi
A sectional, lockable hard cover appears to ship with the spa; no lifter is listed, and the swim spa warranty excludes the cover.
- PartlyLPICatalina Swim Spas, Dr. Wellness
An insulated locking cover is standard on Catalina models, but LPI gives no thickness, taper or section count and lists no lifter.
- PartlyMarquis
Marquis doesn't say a cover comes standard; lifters are an option, and a non-Marquis cover voids the V150 surface warranty.
- PartlyMaster Spas
A four-section foam cover comes standard; the lifter is extra, and the swim spa warranty doesn't cover the cover.
- PartlyPDC Spas
A locking folding foam cover with a 4-inch sloped core is included; a lifter is extra and owner-installed.
- PartlySwimEx
The standard cover is a light floating thermal blanket (R 3.2), not a safety cover; a four-section hard-top safety cover or a manual security cover costs extra, and no lifter is needed or offered.
- PartlyWellis
A 'Thermo cover' comes standard (not on the Beach Club); there's no lifter, and a roll-up cover costs extra.
American Whirlpool and Sundance Spas don’t publish this.
Read nextBest swim spasSwim spa costSwim spa sizesBest swim spas for lap swimmingSwim spa electrical requirements
Where it gets complicated
Roll-up covers are easier for one person, and foam covers insulate better; nobody publishes long-term heat loss or lifespan by cover type. The energy listing only tells you about the cover that was tested.