Automatic cover vs bubble cover: the full comparison

When it comes to protecting and heating a swimming pool, two of the most common solutions are the automatic slatted cover and the bubble cover. Although at first glance both "cover" the pool, their performance, durability and level of safety are very different. In this article we compare the two options to help you decide which one suits your needs best.

What is each system?

• Bubble cover: a flexible sheet, usually of polyethylene with air bubbles or similar materials, laid over the water and taken off by hand or wound onto a reel. Its main job is to reduce evaporation and add a little heat.
• Automatic slatted cover: a structure made up of rigid PVC or polycarbonate slats that float on the water and are deployed by an electric motor, covering and uncovering the pool at the touch of a button.

Safety: the big difference

This is possibly the most important point. A bubble cover floats on the water but bears no weight, so it does nothing to remove the risk of falling in or of drowning. An automatic cover manufactured in accordance with the NF P90-308 standard, like Ingerclima's, withstands the accidental passage of a 100 kg adult without breaking or pulling free of its anchor points, acting as a genuine anti-drowning barrier. If your aims include child safety, the automatic cover is the only one of the two options that does that job, as we explain in our article on child safety and the NF P90-308 standard.

Energy savings and less evaporation

Both systems cut water evaporation and therefore the amount of water and chemicals you use. However:

• The bubble cover gives a moderate insulating effect, but being thin and in direct contact with the water, its ability to hold heat in is limited.
• The automatic cover, by creating a sealed pocket of air above the water (a greenhouse effect), heats the pool far more effectively, especially with solar polycarbonate slats, which use the sun's radiation to heat the water naturally.

Ease of use

A bubble cover usually has to be put on and taken off by hand, or handled with a reel that takes up space at the poolside. The automatic cover is operated with a simple switch or remote, with no physical effort, and it blends into the pool surroundings with no extra visible parts when the shaft is submerged.

Durability and maintenance

The PVC and polycarbonate slats of an automatic cover are designed to withstand many years of exposure to the sun and to pool chemicals, as we set out in our guide to slat maintenance. Bubble covers, being thinner, more flexible materials, tend to degrade sooner and need replacing more often.

Can the two systems be combined?

Yes. A bubble cover can be laid on the water underneath an automatic slatted cover, adding the insulating effect of the bubble cover to the safety and strength of the slatted one. It is an interesting option for anyone after maximum energy savings without giving up safety. We manufacture the automatic slatted cover only, and you can see the full range on our pool cover models page; the bubble cover is bought separately.

Price: a long-term investment

The bubble cover costs less to begin with, but its service life is shorter and it has to be replaced periodically. The automatic cover involves a larger initial investment (you can find indicative ranges in what an automatic cover costs), but its durability, its safety functions and the energy it saves over the years make it, in most cases, the more cost-effective option over the medium and long term.

The wind decides more than you would think

On paper the two of them cover the water; in practice they behave very differently as soon as the air picks up. The bubble cover is a sheet that has to be handled by hand and that the wind lifts easily, something that on the plain around Toledo and along the coastal strip of Marbella and the Costa del Sol, with the poniente and levante winds, happens on many days of the year.

The slatted cover floats on the water, so it never acts as a sail. That is why in windy areas the bubble cover ends up in the shed by the second summer, while the slatted cover carries on being used every day.

Conclusion

If your priority is a modest saving and a low initial outlay, the bubble cover can be a way in. But if you are looking for real safety for your family, ease of use, effective heating and an investment that lasts, the automatic slatted cover is the more complete option. At Ingerclima we make automatic slatted covers only, and we will advise you plainly on the best solution for your pool, including whether a bubble cover under the slats is worth adding.