Key takeaways
- Wind it while it floats: roll the cover straight onto the reel from the water. Pulling it onto the deck first adds abrasion and makes it heavier.
- Shade the rolled cover: a rolled solar cover in full sun can overheat and degrade in a few weeks. A reel cover, typically a fitted UV-resistant fabric sleeve, extends cover life considerably.
- Straps wear first: the webbing straps that join cover to tube fray and fade after a few seasons. Replacement strap kits are inexpensive and are cheaper than a new reel.
- Telescopic tubes: sand-grit and calcium can make the tube sections stick. Rinse them with fresh water at season’s end and store the tubes collapsed.
- Weight: a wet 16 × 32 foot solar cover is much heavier than when dry, and cranking can be tiring. Gear drives help, and so does skimming leaves off the top before winding.
The best solar pool cover reels are the Intex Solar Cover Reel for Intex rectangular frame pools, the Feherguard Premium Above Ground reel for round and oval pools up to 30 feet, the Sun2Solar stainless steel reels for most inground pools, the Aqua Splash Pro when the reel must fit under a diving board, and the GLI Storm Commercial for large or long pools with heavy covers. Choosing comes down to three measurements: pool width, cover thickness, and how much deck space you can give up.
Above ground vs inground reels
Above ground reels mount to the pool itself. Round and oval versions usually hang on the top rail with brackets and lift off when you swim; rectangular frame reels stand beside the pool on a base. Inground reels sit on the deck on a pair of wheeled stands and roll away from the pool edge after the cover is wound up. Mixing them up is the most common buying error, because an inground stand is too low to clear an above ground wall, and an above ground bracket has nothing to grab on a concrete deck.
Solar cover reels compared
| Reel | Pool type | Max pool width | Frame / tube | Notable detail | Typical price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intex Solar Cover Reel (28051E) | Intex rectangular frame | 9–16 ft | Aluminum tube, plastic crank | Tool-free assembly, crank lock | $130–$200 |
| Feherguard Premium Above Ground | Round / oval above ground | Up to 30 ft (by tube set) | Aluminum telescopic tubes | Lift-off and swing-away design | $200–$400 complete |
| Sun2Solar Above Ground Reel | Round above ground | Up to 21 ft | Aluminum tube | Handles covers up to 12 mil | $150–$220 |
| Sun2Solar Stainless Steel Reel | Inground | 16, 20 or 25 ft | Stainless frame, 3-1/4 in tube | 18 in to tube center | $170–$260 |
| Sun2Solar Easy Gear | Inground | 16, 20 or 25 ft | Stainless frame | Gear drive roughly halves cranking effort | $250–$400 |
| Aqua Splash Pro | Inground | 16, 18 or 20 ft | Metal frame, 3 in aluminum tubes | About 11 in tall, fits under diving stands | $200–$320 |
| GLI Storm Commercial | Inground | 20 or 24 ft | Stainless frame, 5 in tube option | For pools up to about 24 × 75 ft | $450–$800 |
Best picks by pool
Intex rectangular frame pools: Intex Solar Cover Reel
Built specifically for Intex rectangular frame pools 9 to 16 feet wide, this reel assembles without tools, uses an interlocking aluminum shaft, and has a hand crank with a lock so the cover does not unroll in wind. It is not designed for round pools.
Round and oval above ground pools: Feherguard Premium Above Ground
Feherguard’s system clamps to the pool’s top rail, so you reel in the cover, lift the whole reel off and swing it down beside the pool. One detail trips up buyers: the FG-7B part is the reel ends only, and you add a telescopic tube set sized to your pool. Complete kits for pools up to 24, 28 or 30 feet are also sold.
Budget round above ground: Sun2Solar Above Ground Reel
For round pools up to 21 feet, this reel handles covers up to 12 mil thick and usually costs less than the Feherguard. It is a sensible option for 15 to 18 foot pools.
Most inground pools: Sun2Solar Stainless Steel
A stainless frame resists the rust that eventually streaks painted steel stands near chlorinated or salt water. The 3-1/4 inch tube suits covers up to about 24 × 44 feet. If anyone in the household finds cranking hard, the Easy Gear version uses a gear set to reduce effort by about half.
Pools with a diving board: Aqua Splash Pro
At roughly 11 inches tall, the Aqua Splash Pro base slides under many U-style diving stands, so the reel can stay at the deep end without moving the board.
Large pools and heavy covers: GLI Storm Commercial
The Storm’s larger 5 inch tube option spreads the weight of a long, wet cover and reduces sag at the middle. It is built for long lap pools and covers that would bend a standard 3 inch tube.
Sizing: how wide a reel do you need?
Measure the pool at its widest point, perpendicular to the direction the cover will roll. Then:
- Choose a reel rated at least as wide as the pool. Many owners go 1 to 2 feet wider to reduce sag and leave room for the end stands on the deck.
- Trim the cover so it is a few inches narrower than the tube. A cover wider than the tube bunches at the ends and pulls the reel off center.
- Check the cover’s thickness. Most reels are rated up to 12 mil; heavier 14 to 16 mil covers need a larger tube or a commercial reel.
- Allow deck space: an inground reel and its rolled cover typically take a strip about 2 to 3 feet deep across the pool’s end.
| Pool size | Suggested reel width | Reel type |
|---|---|---|
| 15–18 ft round above ground | 18–21 ft | Sun2Solar AG or Feherguard Premium |
| 24 ft round above ground | 24–28 ft | Feherguard Premium |
| 12 × 24 ft Intex frame | 16 ft | Intex Solar Cover Reel |
| 16 × 32 ft inground | 18–20 ft | Sun2Solar Stainless or Aqua Splash Pro |
| 20 × 40 ft inground | 20–25 ft | Sun2Solar 25 ft or GLI Storm 24 ft |
Daily use and durability realities
- Wind it while it floats: roll the cover straight onto the reel from the water. Pulling it onto the deck first adds abrasion and makes it heavier.
- Shade the rolled cover: a rolled solar cover in full sun can overheat and degrade in a few weeks. A reel cover, typically a fitted UV-resistant fabric sleeve, extends cover life considerably.
- Straps wear first: the webbing straps that join cover to tube fray and fade after a few seasons. Replacement strap kits are inexpensive and are cheaper than a new reel.
- Telescopic tubes: sand-grit and calcium can make the tube sections stick. Rinse them with fresh water at season’s end and store the tubes collapsed.
- Weight: a wet 16 × 32 foot solar cover is much heavier than when dry, and cranking can be tiring. Gear drives help, and so does skimming leaves off the top before winding.
Bottom line
Pick the Intex reel for Intex rectangular frame pools, the Feherguard Premium for round and oval above ground pools, and a Sun2Solar stainless reel for most inground pools. Step up to the Aqua Splash Pro if a diving board is in the way, or the GLI Storm for large pools and heavy covers. Size the reel to the pool’s widest point, not the cover’s.
