How to fit a solar pool cover
Updated: 2026-10-22
A solar film only earns its keep once it is on the water the right way up. If you are about to fit a solar pool cover on a garden pool in Britain, the sequence is short: bring the water to its normal level, put the bubbles against the water, let the sheet settle, then trim less than the first glance suggests. The seven bubble films on the [solar pool cover](/hub/swimming-pools/solar-pool-cover) comparison do not include a reel in their listing bullets, so you spread the sheet by hand. A cover that never reaches the waterline was bought too small, and that check sits in the [buying guide](/hub/swimming-pools/solar-pool-cover/sub/solar-pool-cover-buying-guide).
A solar film only earns its keep once it is on the water the right way up.
A solar film only earns its keep once it is on the water the right way up. If you are about to fit a solar pool cover on a garden pool in Britain, the sequence is short: bring the water to its normal level, put the bubbles against the water, let the sheet settle, then trim less than the first glance suggests. The seven bubble films on the solar pool cover comparison do not include a reel in their listing bullets, so you spread the sheet by hand. A cover that never reaches the waterline was bought too small, and that check sits in the buying guide.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | On the water | Rain | Storage | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  tillvex tillvex 549 x 274 cm solar film | Cut to the pool, bubbles down | No drain holes in this set | Dry, ventilated, out of sun | 9.2 | about £56.79 | View offer |
| Best value |  Intex Intex 28010 Easy Set solar cover | Tuck under an Easy Set ring | UK file lists no drain holes | Mild soap, then cool and dry | 8.6 | about £12.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Bestway Bestway 58240 rectangle solar cover | Off before anyone swims | No drainage holes; not in rain | Not a winter lid | 7.6 | about £25.67 | View offer |
On this page
Put the bubble side down
The bubbles belong against the water, and the smooth face belongs to the sky. Plastipack’s use-and-care guide and the install notes from 1st Direct Pools both give that order. 1st Direct’s account of the heating is concrete: sunlight warms the air held in the bubbles, and that heat moves into the water. Turn the film over and the pockets face the air. The sheet may still slow evaporation, though it no longer holds that warm layer on the water. Unroll from the near short side and carry the far edge across, because dragging one corner pulls the opposite edge in.
Intex’s general solar-blanket instruction, the maker’s shared manual rather than a line in the UK listing bullets, says to tuck an Easy Set film under the inflatable ring so a breeze does not peel it back. Use that tuck only where a ring exists. On a steel-wall pool the film floats, and creases can hide half a hand’s width, so wait before you decide the sheet is short.
Trim twice, and keep the blade off the liner
Cut less than you think, then cut again after the sheet has sat on the water. Plastipack’s guide asks for two trims and allows about 2 percent extra on their own covers because the film can shrink. That figure is theirs. It is not printed on the seven amazon.co.uk listings here. 1st Direct’s warning saves the fit: cut slowly, or you pull the far edge towards you and the sheet no longer spans the water. Keep a small overlap, and remove only a strip you can still see as overlap.
Plastipack prefers a curve at a ladder, because a square notch tears more readily. Use scissors, with card under the edge, and keep the cut off the vinyl liner. A knife can open the pool floor while you are only tidying the film. If the sheet is already smaller than the water, scissors will not add material. That shortfall is a buying problem.
Rain, chlorine, and swimming
Bestway’s warning on the 58240, on the live UK Amazon listing and the brand’s product page, says solar tarpaulins have no drainage holes and should not be used in the rain, and that children should use the pool only with an adult. That sentence is absent from the saved raw file for ASIN B0CDXQFVDF. Rain sits on top, a puddle pulls the film down, and lifting one edge can tip dirty water into the pool. The UK raw files for this set do not list drain holes on the Intex films either. A non-UK Intex page mentions holes.
Take the cover fully off before anyone gets in. GeoBubble’s FAQ says the same for swimming, and it says to remove the cover after a shock dose of chlorine. Intex’s general instruction says to stay off the cover because it will not support a person. Why a solar cover is not a safety cover carries the RoSPA point about emptying a paddling pool.
When you take it off for the year
Storage keeps the bubbles intact between seasons. The Intex care line for the 28010 says to wash with water and a mild soap, then dry the film in a cool, dry place. tillvex asks for a dry, ventilated spot out of direct sun. Plastipack notes that sun on a film off the pool overheats it, and their guide points to a reflective sheet while the cover is off the water. Intex’s general instruction says the pockets can burst in direct sun.
Fold or roll the sheet only once it is dry, or a wet roll grows mould and sticks the bubbles flat. None of the seven listing bullets includes a reel.
Common questions
Do solar pool covers go bubbles up or down?
Bubbles go down, against the water, and the smooth face goes up. Plastipack and 1st Direct Pools both give that order, and 1st Direct ties it to warm air in the pockets passing heat into the pool. Turn a bubbles-up sheet before you trim. A ladder notch cut on the wrong face leaves gaps when you later flip the cover.
How do I trim a solar cover without making it too small?
Let the sheet settle, then cut twice, taking less than the overlap you can still see. Plastipack allows about 2 percent extra on their own covers for shrinkage, and 1st Direct warns that a rushed cut hauls the far edge in. If the film already sits inside the waterline, stop. Cutting cannot enlarge it.
What if rain pools on a solar cover?
Take the water off and take the film off the pool. Bestway’s live UK listing for the 58240, and the brand page, say these tarpaulins have no drainage holes and should not be used in the rain. That line is not in the saved raw file. The UK raw files do not list Intex drain holes either.
Can I leave the cover on while I swim?
Take the cover fully off before anyone gets in. GeoBubble’s FAQ says it comes off for swimming and after a shock dose of chlorine. Intex’s general instruction says to stay off it because it will not support a person’s weight. Empty a paddling pool when you leave.
How do I store a solar pool cover so the bubbles survive?
Follow the Intex 28010 line if that is your cover: water, a mild soap, then a cool dry place. tillvex wants ventilation and shade. Plastipack points to a reflective sheet once the film is off the pool, and Intex’s general instruction warns that direct sun can burst the pockets. These listings do not include a reel.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures saved for this set on 20 October 2026.
- SPATA pool covers factsheet (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- SPATA water losses factsheet (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- RoSPA accidents to children (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- PWTAG swimming pool covers (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- BS EN 16582-3:2015 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 11 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Plastipack use and care guide (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- GeoBubble FAQ (retrieved 20 October 2026)