Automatic pool covers have long been considered a top convenience product for pools. There is no better option for ease of opening and closing pools safely, making them ideal for maximizing use of the pool.
With a surge in demand for spas and swim spas, so too is there a new demand for automatic covers for these products. Customers are also looking at the benefits of being able to instantly open and close their spa without the need to lift a heavy traditional cover.
Auto covers for spas and swim spas are appealing to new owners as well as existing owners who have struggled with cumbersome, traditional covers. Despite their higher price point, the automatic spa cover not only provides convenience and safety but also an esthetically pleasing cover solution.
Growing demand for auto covers on spas
As automatic pool covers are one of the premier cover options for pools, it is not surprising consumers want the same type of cover for their spas and swim spas.
“Almost 100 per cent of the pools we build have an automatic pool cover,” says Matt Harms, general manager at Modish Pools in Indiana. “Our market is very familiar with the convenience, safety, and beauty of this product and we believe this familiarity has fueled the demand for auto covers on spas.”
Allan Horwood of Pool Patrol in British Columbia agrees: “Putting an auto cover on a spa or swim spa was an anomaly in the past, but now it has become a regular request from new and existing owners.
“There appears to be an untapped opportunity for pool professionals who want to start selling auto covers to their spa and swim spa clients.”
As installers face increasing requests for these types of covers, many manufacturers are experiencing a steady upward trend in demand for smaller auto covers for installation on spas, swim spas, and smaller pools. Some builders and installers report consumers are investing in larger spas and swim spas with TVs, stereos, lights, and a multitude of jets, and will spend $40,000 on the spa itself. Spending another $8000 to $10,000 on an auto cover no longer seems outrageous.
In comparison to a traditional spa cover, an auto cover for a spa may seem expensive; however, consumers who want automation and convenience will pay a premium for an auto cover to be installed on their spa.
Selling automatic spa covers
One of the biggest selling features of the automatic cover is it makes it easier to use a pool or spa in the winter. Many spas are used year-round, so, for some, it is a logical choice to install an auto cover as opening and closing the spa can be done easily and quickly during cooler months.
“The spa owner is in their home dressed to jump in the spa or swim spa and the last thing they want to do wrestle with a cumbersome cover standing in the freezing cold without shoes or a coat before they can get in,” says Horwood. “They would much rather push a button next to their patio door, wait one minute for the cover to pull back, walk out, and immediately get into their spa.”
Harms says most of his clients plan to use their spa in the winter and they do not want to get fully dressed to brush snow off a hard top cover and wrestle with it to open their spa. They want to be in their swimsuits and immediately get in the water.
