For pool and spa professionals, safety is always a top concern. Luckily, there's plenty of products out there designed to help you keep your customers safe in the backyard. Here, we look at 2017's new and bestselling safety offerings, from pool covers and gates to alarms — and more.
RELATED: This Service Company Takes Safety to the Next Level
LOOP-LOC
BABY-LOC Removable Fencing from LOOP-LOC is a convenient, cost-effective additional layer of protection that helps deter toddlers from gaining access to a swimming pool, raised deck or dock. Available in 4-foot or 5-foot heights, the premium quad-reinforced aluminum poles are non-corrosive, rust-proof and color matched to the company's black fabric. Matching neutral-colored caps fit snugly into deck sleeves when fence is removed, and BABY-LOC easily rolls up for fast storage when not in use. Optional self-latching magnetic gate available.
babyloc.com | (800) 562-5667
S.R.Smith
The new aXs2 from S.R.Smith is a 360-degree rotational pool lift with a compact design that requires minimal deck space. It is an ideal pool access solution for public, hospitality and community swimming pools, and is third-party verified to be ADA compliant. The aXs2's powder-coated frame provides extra protection from harsh aquatic environments, and its fully rotomolded seat with flip-up armrests and LiftOperator Intelligent Control System make it exceptionally user-friendly.
srsmith.com | (800) 824-4387
The Cover Company
The Cover Company provides high-quality safety covers with heavy-duty springs with locking pieces for quick installation. Tough-to-fit water features, including waterfalls, walls and other obstacles, are handled with ease. The Cover Company asks that builders looking for a quote should fax or email a drawing.
coverlon.com | (908) 707-1122
SmartPool
SmartPool offers a comprehensive safety product lineup. Its custom and standard safety covers are UL-certified and manufactured with triple-stitched webbing. SmartPool's safety nets are a viable alternative to a safety cover and are often the only reasonable safety solution for your aboveground pool customer. SmartPool also offers a line of UL-certified safety fencing for inground pools and a new line of fencing specifically designed for aboveground pools. To add another layer of protection to your customers' pools, SmartPool offers its dependable line of PoolEye pool alarms and YardGard gate alarms, all of which are ETL-listed to UL standards.
smartpool.com | (888) 560-7665
Tara Safety Covers
Tara Safety Covers offer long-lasting pool protection for residential and commercial pools. Every mesh and solid safety cover comes with heavy-duty single-coil springs. These springs are designed to maintain tension after years of installation and removal. To prevent tears, webbing runs across the top and bottom of the entire cover while each fabric panel has reinforced edges. New and replacement cover quotes are available instantly on Tara's easy-to-use order site, portal.taramfg.com.
taraliners.com | (256) 725-2500
Latham Pool Products
An automatic safety cover is the safest product available for a pool. Coverstar and Pool Cover Specialists brands offer industry-leading quality and features, like Wireless Touch Pads, auto shut-off, a two-year no-break warranty on ropes and the largest support and installation network in the business.
lathampool.com | (800) 833-3800
Pentair Commercial Aquatics
Pentair Commercial Aquatics offers a complete line of Paragon custom-fabricated, corrosion-resistant, stainless steel railings to meet any pool specifications. Custom railings can be used for any pool application including entry, ADA compliance, stairs, deck guards and diving towers. Available in both 1.9-inch and 1.5-inch OD as needed. Design and engineering support readily available. Pentair Commercial Aquatics also stocks standard railings for immediate shipment.
pentaircommercial.com | (800) 831-7133
Garrett Vinyl Liners & Safety Covers
Garrett Safety Covers offer unmatched performance, protection and peace of mind, the company says. With 12 styles and colors to choose from, your custom fit safety cover is made with high-quality materials that can withstand harsh weather conditions. All hardware is made in the U.S. of non-corrosive brass and stainless steel, while a triple-stitched double-webbing system increases the strength, longevity and security of your cover.
garrettliners.com | (800) 222-3650
Hayward Pool Products
EcoStar pool pumps can save pool owners up to 90 percent on energy costs compared to traditional single-speed pumps thanks to a super-efficient permanent magnet, totally enclosed fan cooled motor and industry- leading hydraulic design. EcoStar SVRS features an integrated Safety Vacuum Release System that helps prevent suction entrapment without additional devices, plumbing or wiring. It meets or exceeds all relevant ASME/ANSI standards as required by the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act and similar state and local requirements.
hayward.com | (908) 351-5400
RJE Technologies
Safety Turtle 2.0 is the only pool alarm that watches the child (or pet) and not the water. The locking wristband is secured on the child's wrist (or to pet collar) and sounds alarm in the house when the Turtle is submerged in water. Easily portable for vacations. Multiple Turtles can be added to one base, making them ideal for multi-child families.
safetyturtle.com | (949) 943-3349
Merlin Industries
Merlin's standard mesh Dura-Mesh II has the best combination of sunlight shading, abrasion resistance, tear strength and burst strength of any other standard mesh cover on the market, the company says. In addition, the patented SmartMesh safety cover changed the direction of the safety cover industry when it became the first and only mesh material to provide 100 percent shade from sunlight and offer 40 micron filtration of debris, the company adds. Less sunlight and less debris through the safety cover means less algae growth during the off-season and quicker, easier springtime openings.
merlinindustries.com | (800) 289-1836
Fabcote
Fabcote offers a line of powder-coated safety rails for swimming pools and spas. Fabcote's state-of-the-art, in-house powder coating facility produces an exceptionally durable finish to resist corrosion. The surface of the rail is evenly coated using an electro-static process that drives the coating material into and around all surfaces. Made of high-grade 304 stainless steel, these rails are ideal for increased safety in the pool area. Both standard and custom rails and ladders available.
fabcote.com | (800) 815-6083
Meyco Pool Covers
Weighing in at just 4.4 oz. per square yard, Meycolite is versatile and easy to handle. It's so lightweight that there's no size limit to the pool it can cover. From small backyard pools to expansive poolscapes, Meycolite can cover it. Plus, MeycoLite's 20 percent tighter weave keeps even small debris trapped on the cover and away from the surface of the pool, while water is free to flow through. Available in blue, mocha, gray, black and classic green.
meycocovers.com | (800) 446-3926
Inter-Fab
Inter-Fab offers a new line of Salt Pool Safe Thermo-Plastic Coated safety rails that provide an additional layer of protection against corrosion on salt chlorine generator pools as well as safety for entry and exit of swimming pools. These new stainless steel rails are treated with an advanced polymer coating that not only protects rails in harsh environments but also provides a safe grip and an attractive, texturized finish. Inter-Fab offers a complete line of handrails and ladders for the safe entry and exit of swimmers including custom rails and ladders and hundreds of standard off-the-shelf rail goods.
inter-fab.com | (800) 737-5386
Aquamatic Cover Systems
Since 1980, Aquamatic Cover Systems has provided peace of mind to families around the world with both the Hydramatic hydraulic automatic and EZ-Cover manual safety swimming pool and spa covers, the company says. Both covers are third-party verified to exceed ASTM F1346-91 standards for safety, and both satisfy pool barrier codes throughout the U.S. and Canada.
aquamatic.com | (800) 262-4044
Renosys
The RenoSys SoftSide Diving Board Safety Pad System is designed to protect swimmers from dive stand or water-play area falls of up to 12 feet. Endorsed by Dr. Tom Griffiths, CPSC ASTM drop testing confirms that the safety pads eliminate 97 percent of critical injuries and 100 percent of fatal falls from head impact from heights of up to three meters. Custom manufactured in the U.S. of durable, colorfast, watertight, slip-resistant PVC and proprietary foam materials.
renosys.com | (800) 783-7005
Anchor Industries
Anchor introduces a super-strong solid vinyl replacement upgrade for competitors' "cross-web" style or grid pattern solid vinyl and mesh covers. This 14 oz. coated vinyl wears longer than laminated vinyl, the company says, and is mildew resistant and easy to clean. No cross webbing eliminates stitching for superior strength. Spring-loaded tensioning pulls tight for a smooth look. Tension paddles tested over 3,400 pounds of tensile strength. Limited 10-year warranty.
anchorinc.com | (812) 867-2421
GLI
All GLI Safety Covers are now branded with a laser-etched, stainless-steel tag with the option of including up to four lines of your company's contact information. No more lost sales or service when homeowners move — the new owners will be able to easily find where the cover came from and when a cover was made. Plus, these tags will include the covers born-on-date and a re-order number for GLI's design team to use as a reference for future replacements.
glipoolproducts.com/cobranding | (800) 448-2343
Automatic Pool Covers
The AutoGuard automatic cover system is constructed to give pool owners the most convenient option in pool cover safety. These automatic systems run real-time user diagnostics to prevent problems and quickly locate potential maintenance needs. Built with commercial-grade hardware, each unit delivers more than 1,500 pounds of torque, meaning your customer's pool can be safely concealed or opened up in about 60 seconds or less (depending on the length of your pool).
apc-mfg.com | (800) 878-5789
Pen Fabricators
Pen Fabricators now offers a new textured and printed vinyl material for safer vinyl-covered features on pool liners. Due to increased demand for steps that are safer, yet blend with the pool liner, Pen Fabricators offers more than 15 patterns that are available in textured vinyl for steps, benches, swim-outs and sundecks. Solid colors are also available.
penfab.com | (800) 359-5350
Leisure Concepts
Created to make entry and exit of spas safer, the Safe-T-Rail is an ultra-sturdy handrail covered in slip-free black foam for additional grip. Available in either stainless steel or rust-free powder-coated aluminum, this handrail can be mounted in just five minutes and works on most aboveground spas. The company also offers the Safe-T-Rail II for customers who prefer not to mount the rail to the spa, as well as a built-in, slide-under-the-spa stand to accommodate any spa or display.
leisureconcepts.com | (800) 469-2428
Imperial Pools
Imperial focuses on safety with "deep end relief." The company manufactures a full line of stock and custom, steel or polymer, deep-end benches for new pool construction or as drop-in retrofits for existing pools. A bench in the deep end is the perfect rest area for little ones just learning how to swim.
imperialpools.com | (800) 444-9977
Rico Rock
Rico Rock offers unique coping/waterline pieces to be used as handholds under waterfalls for safety. Pool code states that there must be handholds every 4 feet if the water depth is over 4 feet. To ensure safety compliance, all raised beam and rock features should incorporate a handhold of at least 3 inches in depth to ensure a safe pool environment. Made of lightweight, cast concrete that is easily mortared, these coping waterline features are easy to add to the pool. Available for immediate shipment in a variety of colors.
ricorock.com | (888) 717-3100
Shock Alert
Shock Alert is a device used to detect electrical voltage gradients in water. The device can be used in pools, fountains, lakes or anywhere electricity can travel in water. Shock Alert was developed to prevent electric shock drowning tragedies from occurring. Electric shock drowning occurs when AC voltage present in water passes through the body. Even a low-level of voltage can cause skeletal muscular paralysis, rendering the victim helpless and eventually resulting in drowning.
shockalert.com | (844) NO-SHOCK
Pool Covers Inc.
Pool Covers Inc.'s aluminum spa covers have been field-proven for more than 25 years. Each cover is made to withstand the harshest elements and the toughest pets, making it a true safety cover, the company says. Covers are UL listed, meet ASTM safety standards and won't absorb water or buckle under heavy loads. Each cover is custom made with a variety of colors available.
poolcoversinc.com | (844) 360-4100
Cover-Pools
Cover-Pools automatic pool covers provide a reliable solution to keep families safe. This innovative design provides a safe, alternative solution to keep unwanted swimmers out, and saves homeowners up to 70 percent on heat, water, chemicals and cleaning. Cover-Pools' automatic pool cover requires fewer pool cover adjustments and features easier fabric replacements, the company says. Stainless steel cables now available.
coverpools.com/steelcable | (801) 484-2724
McEwen Industries
McEwen Super Solid is the strongest and most puncture-resistant solid cover fabric on the market, the company says. Surprisingly, this durable material makes for a lighter weight cover than traditional solid cover fabrics. This saves time and makes cover installation and removal easier. McEwen Industries offers Super Solid Safety Covers in green, blue and tan colors.
mcewenindustries.com | (704) 365-8070
Color Match Pool Fittings
The 20-Inch Unblockable 360 Pebble Top Drain is the most advanced drain on the market, the company says. It is VGB safety certified and provides exceptional flow rates up to 360 GPM. It disappears into the pool or spa floor by using the same plaster, aggregate or tile used on the pool surface to cover the top of the drain. Its unique removable slotted drain cover can easily convert to an open debris removal drain. Ideal for both residential and commercial use.
poolfittings.com | (623) 337-4120
Vacless Systems
Vacless Systems manufactures and sells safety vacuum release systems. These SVRS devices can be used on residential as well as commercial pools, spas and water features. The Vacless unit requires no tools, no cutting of existing plumbing and no calibration upon installation. Units are certified and meet the requirements for the Virginia Graeme Baker Act. Vacless is a CPSC-approved SVRS manufacturer.
vacless.com | (818) 701-6200
Fox Pool Corporation
E-Z VIEW steps use the liner floor pattern over the steps with an additional white or blue "stripe" welded on at the point where the riser meets the tread for greater visibility. The stripes are approximately 2 inches wide on the tread with an additional 2 inches on the riser, making it easy for swimmers to see the steps going in or out of the pool.
foxpool.com | (800) 723-1011
