Above Ground Splash
Above-Ground Pool Winterizing Supplies & Closing Essentials
Cold-weather preparation starts with one important question:
Is your above-ground pool designed to stay assembled through winter, or should it be drained, dried and stored?
Once you know that, choosing the right winterizing supplies becomes much easier.
A year-round steel-wall pool in a freezing climate may need a secure winter cover, protected skimmer and return fittings, drained equipment and off-season water care.
A seasonal frame pool may need to be taken down instead.
And a pool in a mild climate may need much less freeze protection than one facing months of snow and ice.
This page brings together our winterizing guides, winter-cover comparisons and product reviews so you can build the right setup for your pool, climate and cover type.
If you want the complete closing process from cleaning the pool through installing the winter cover, use our step-by-step winterizing guide.
Start Here: Choose the Right Winterizing Path
Need the Complete Closing Process?
Our How to Winterize an Above-Ground Pool: Step-by-Step Closing Guide walks through cleaning the pool, water preparation, equipment protection, skimmer and return protection, pool pillows, winter covers and off-season checks.
Best for: anyone ready to close the pool and looking for the complete process in the right order.
Not Sure Whether Your Pool Should Stay Up?
Some above-ground pools are designed to remain assembled all winter. Others, particularly some seasonal frame and soft-sided pools, may be intended to be drained, dried and stored when freezing weather arrives.
Our Can You Leave an Above-Ground Pool Up All Winter? guide explains how to check your pool type, manufacturer instructions and climate before making that decision.
Best for: Intex, Bestway and other frame-pool owners who are unsure whether to cover the pool or take it down.
Need a Winter Cover?
If your pool is staying assembled, the next question is usually which cover fits your pool shape and winter conditions.
Our Best Winter Covers for Above-Ground Pools guide compares round, oval and rectangular options, plus leaf nets and useful winter-cover accessories.
Best for: pool owners who know the pool is staying up but still need to choose the right cover.
Which Winter Setup Fits Your Pool?
Use this as a starting point. Your pool and equipment manuals should always override general winterizing advice.
The most important distinction is whether your pool is designed to remain assembled. A year-round pool in a freezing climate needs proper freeze protection for the equipment, plumbing and cover setup. A seasonal frame or soft-sided pool may instead need to be drained, dried and stored, while a pool in a mild climate may need less freeze protection but still requires water, equipment and debris care. Check the instructions for your exact pool before buying a complete winterizing setup.
Choose a Winter Cover by Pool Shape
Winter covers are not one-size-fits-all. Start with your pool shape, then check the exact pool dimensions, cover overlap, fastening system and whether the cover is intended for your style of above-ground pool.
Round pools: Our POOLHACKER Winter Pool Cover review looks at a solid winter cover designed for round above-ground pools.
Oval pools: See our QH.HOME Oval Winter Pool Cover review for oval above-ground pool size options, fit considerations and setup advice.
Rectangular pools: See our QH.HOME Rectangular Winter Pool Cover review for rectangular frame-pool sizes and winter setup considerations.
If you are still comparing cover types rather than a specific product, start with our Best Winter Covers for Above-Ground Pools guide.
Winterizing Reviews & Product Guides
Winterizing products solve different problems. A winter cover protects the pool from off-season debris and exposure, a pool pillow can support certain solid-cover setups, a cover pump manages standing water, a leaf net handles falling leaves, and skimmer protection helps reduce freeze risk around vulnerable fittings.
You do not need every product shown below.
Use the sections further down the page to decide which supplies actually make sense for your pool before choosing a specific product.
Which winterizing supplies do you actually need?
Not every above-ground pool needs every winterizing product.
Your setup should be based on the pool type, whether it stays assembled, your winter temperatures, the type of cover you use, wind exposure and whether leaves or standing water are normally a problem.
Winterizing kits
A winterizing kit can simplify the chemical side of closing the pool, but a special kit is not required for every above-ground pool.
The important starting point is clean, properly prepared water and the correct sanitizer level for your pool before the cover goes on.
If you use a winterizing kit, treat it as part of the closing process rather than a replacement for testing, cleaning, equipment protection or the winter cover.
Our POOLHACKER Pool Winterizing Kit review explains what this type of kit does, its pool-size limits and what it does not replace.
Pool Pillows
A winter pool pillow is mainly useful with certain solid winter-cover setups, particularly where freezing conditions are expected.
It can help create a raised area beneath the cover and provide some space for ice movement, but it should not be treated as something that holds the entire winter cover above the pool like a tent.
Follow the instructions for your pool and winter cover before adding one.
Our POOLHACKER Winterizing Pool Pillow review explains sizing, inflation and positioning.
Winter Pool Covers
A winter cover helps protect an unused pool from leaves, sunlight, debris and off-season weather.
The correct cover depends on:
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pool shape;
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actual pool dimensions;
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cover overlap;
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fastening method;
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pool style;
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wind exposure;
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and whether you want a solid or mesh-style setup.
A winter cover should not automatically be treated as a safety cover unless it is specifically designed, installed and rated for that purpose.
For the main comparison, use our Best Winter Covers for Above-Ground Pools guide.
Leaf Nets
A leaf net and a solid winter cover do different jobs.
A leaf net catches leaves, twigs and larger debris. It can be placed over a solid winter cover during heavy leaf fall so you can remove the leaf load before it becomes wet, heavy and difficult to manage.
If trees are one of your biggest winter problems, see our Blue Wave Leaf Net Pool Cover review.
Skimmer Plugs and Winter Plates
The skimmer and return fittings are important areas to protect in freezing climates because trapped water can freeze inside vulnerable components.
Depending on the pool, the correct setup may use a winter plug, skimmer plate or another manufacturer-approved method.
Check compatibility carefully. Skimmer dimensions and fitting styles are not universal.
Our Pool Skimmer Plug guide looks at one wide-mouth option and explains when this type of winter protection makes sense.
Cover Pumps and Siphon Pumps
If you use a solid winter cover, rainwater and melted snow may collect on top.
A cover pump or siphon pump can remove that water before it becomes excessively heavy and pulls down on the cover.
Mesh-style covers behave differently because water can normally drain through instead of collecting on top.
Our Best Pool Cover Pumps for Above-Ground Pool Covers guide compares automatic, manual electric and non-electric options.
Cover Wrap, Clips and Extra Securing Tools
Wind can lift, flap and shift a winter cover even when the main fastening system has been installed correctly.
Depending on the cover, pool and local weather, additional clips, cables or stretch wrap can help reduce movement.
These products are not essential for every pool, but they can be useful in exposed or consistently windy yards.
If your winter cover keeps lifting, flapping or coming loose, our guide to keeping an above-ground pool winter cover from blowing off explains how to secure it properly. It covers cable and winch adjustments, clips for steel-wall pools, clamps for metal-frame pools, hanging weights and stretch wrap.
See our Clear Stretch Film Cover Wrap review for one additional securing option.
What Should You Buy First?
Before buying winterizing supplies, first confirm whether your pool is designed to stay assembled through winter.
If the manufacturer recommends draining, drying and storing your pool for the off-season, you may not need the same winter-cover setup as a permanent or year-round pool.
If the pool is staying assembled, prioritize the items that address the actual risks around your setup.
1. The correct winter cover and fastening system
Choose a cover that matches the pool shape, dimensions and installation style.
2. Skimmer, return and equipment protection
Make sure you have the plugs, plates or other equipment required by your pool and equipment instructions.
3. Water testing and any closing treatment you actually need
Start with clean, prepared water. Add closing products according to your pool conditions and product instructions rather than buying chemicals simply because they are sold as part of a winter kit.
4. A pool pillow if it suits your cover and climate
This is most relevant to certain solid-cover setups where freezing is a concern.
5. A leaf net or cover pump based on the problem you expect
Use a leaf net when falling leaves are the main issue. Use a cover pump when standing water collects on a solid cover.
6. Extra wind protection if your pool is exposed
Cover clips or stretch wrap may be useful if wind regularly loosens or lifts the cover.
This is a buying priority, not the order in which you physically close the pool. For the actual closing sequence, follow our step-by-step winterizing guide.
Simple Above-Ground Pool Winterizing Checklist
Before you consider the pool closed for winter, make sure the main parts of the setup have been covered:
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Clean the pool thoroughly and remove leaves, dirt and debris.
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Test and prepare the water before closing.
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Drain, disconnect or protect equipment according to the manufacturer instructions.
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Protect the skimmer, return and any plumbing that could hold water in freezing conditions.
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Install the correct winter cover setup for your pool.
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Check the cover and pool periodically through the off-season, particularly after strong wind, heavy rain or snow.
This is only the short version.
For water level, chemicals, equipment, plumbing, pool pillows, cover installation and the full closing sequence, follow our How to Winterize an Above-Ground Pool: Step-by-Step Closing Guide.
Plan Ahead for Spring
A good winter closing should make spring opening easier.
When swimming season returns, our Pool Opening Guide for Above-Ground Pools walks through removing the winter cover, reconnecting equipment, checking the pool, testing the water and getting circulation running again.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you need to winterize an above-ground pool?
The exact supplies depend on whether the pool stays assembled, your climate and the type of winter cover you use. A typical setup may include clean and prepared water, a winter cover, skimmer and return protection, drained equipment, a pool pillow where appropriate, and a cover pump or leaf net if standing water or leaves are a problem.
Can you leave an above-ground pool up all winter?
Some above-ground pools are designed to remain assembled through winter, while others are seasonal pools that may need to be drained, dried and stored. Check the winterizing or storage instructions for your exact model before deciding which setup to buy.
Do you need a pool pillow for an above-ground pool?
Not every pool needs a pillow. It is mainly useful with certain solid winter-cover setups, particularly where freezing weather is expected. Follow the instructions for your pool and cover before adding one.
Do you need to drain an above-ground pool for winter?
A pool that is designed to remain assembled is normally winterized with water left in it at the level required by the pool, skimmer, return and cover setup. A seasonal pool being dismantled may instead be completely drained, dried and stored. Follow the manufacturer instructions for your exact pool.
How do you stop water collecting on a winter pool cover?
If you use a solid winter cover, rain and melted snow may collect on top. A pool pillow can help create some rise beneath certain solid-cover setups, but it should not be relied on to keep the cover completely free of water. Use a cover pump or siphon pump to remove standing water when needed. Mesh covers normally allow water to drain through instead.
What type of winter cover do I need for an above-ground pool?
Start with the shape and dimensions of your pool. Round, oval and rectangular pools use different cover options, and some covers are designed for particular frame or wall styles. Check the intended pool size, cover overlap, fastening method and whether the cover is solid or mesh before buying.