While purchasing a hot tub, one of your considerations should be how you will cover it. Covers help prevent children from falling into an unattended hot tub and keep debris out of your tub while you are not using it. While many hot tubs come with their own covers, there are some advanced features that you can find with custom options that can enhance your hot tub experience and make your cover easier to use. You can look into purchasing a custom cover or making your own to suit your specific needs. 

​Automatic Covers

Automatic covers either completely lift your cover from your hot tub at the press of a button or offer mechanical assistance while you lift your cover. Usually, automatic covers involve an arm that is attached to your hot tub or the deck around your hot tub and utilizes the fold in the tub's cover to lift it up and away from the tub. Automatic cover lifters may be a feature that comes with your hot tub or something that you will look into adding after your purchase. 

Besides making it easier for you to lift your cover away from the hot tub, automatic lifters can also reduce abrasion to your cover as it will be lifted away from the tub as opposed to you sliding it off. A common mistake hot tub owners make when removing their covers is to drag the cover off or use the tie-down tabs to move the cover, which can weaken the seams and cause tearing. An automatic lifter makes it less likely that you will make this mistake. 

Telescoping Covers 

Telescoping covers combine your hot tub cover with a gazebo. It consists of a weather-resistant gazebo with either two or four telescoping supports, usually held in place with a spring-loaded pin. When you are not using your hot tub, the supports are retracted and the cover is lowered on top of the hot tub to create a seal that can keep out debris. When you want to use the hot tub, the cover can be lifted with either automatic or mechanical assistance. The cover then acts as a shade device while you are using the hot tub.

These covers are usually thinner and lighter than traditional hot tub covers. They may not provide protection from falling into the tub, as excessive weight or sharp objects can cause tearing, depending on the material that they are made from. Additionally, they do not provide as much insulation as traditional covers, which can increase the cost of keeping your tub ready for use. For these reasons, they may be combined with a traditional cover to offer extra protection for your hot tub. 

Sliding Covers 

If your hot tub is recessed into your deck, then you should consider investing in a sliding cover. These are covers that use wheels and tracks to move back and forth over a hot tub. They are usually custom designed to match your deck and support the weight of a person so you do not lose deck space when your hot tub is in use. For example, some people install a grill onto the top of their sliding hot tub cover, which can be used whether the cover is in place over the hot tub or moved to the side. However, because they are usually easy to move thanks to their rollers, it is important to install locks to prevent them from moving accidentally. 

If you are thinking about a hot tub, do not forget to think about custom covers to protect it and enhance your experience. Contact a company like Ole's Pool & Spa for more info.