Hot Tub Cover Material Question Vinyl vs Atlantis (Polyester)

[DangerBoy]

I'm looking at ordering a new cover for my hot tub and I notice that some of the vendors up here offer an alternative to the standard marine grade vinyl material that I'm used to using. One vendor calls it Weatherguard but the others I've looked at call it Atlantis and one vendor I've looked at doesn't offer it at all. From the pictures it looks like it's some sort of woven polyester or ripstop material, perhaps something similar to that Sunbrella fabric they use for making higher quality patio umbrellas. They, of course, charge extra for it over the standard marine grade vinyl but they say it's lighter weight, more durable, more resistant to UV, less prone to fading, yada, yada, yada than the standard vinyl material.

I'm wondering if any of you have tried out covers of this material and what your opinion of it is vs the tried and true marine grade vinyl. I'm especially interested to hear how well it works in the winter time. I'm wondering if maybe ice and snow sticks to it more and is harder to sweep/brush off vs vinyl since the fabric has a woven texture to it and isn't as smooth as vinyl.

Is it a gimmick or worth the cost of the upgrade from vinyl?

 

[JoeSelf]

My tub came with a sunbrella cover. It looks the same as brand new after a year. Not a long term review, but I like the material.

 

[SpaWife]

My hot tub came with the Cal Armor hot tub cover, which is polyester. If you click on the link, it explains that it's lighter, stronger, and more resistant (to UV, mildew, mold) than vinyl.

I've had it for 1.5 years, and I like it. Dirt settles onto it, but that can be washed/scrubbed off with dish soap & water. It doesn't need conditioning or special cleaners - in fact, my hot tub dealer said not to use those on it because it'll be bad for it. I have mine under an awning, so the snow doesn't accumulate on it. But I can understand why the woven material might cause you hesitation.

I have seen a snow broom for the hot tub, so maybe that might be something that could help.

 

[phonedave]

Bullfrog spa covers are a Sunbrella material.

Mine is about 18 months old, and is still good. I think they hold up better than a vinyl cover but they do take a little effort to clean. Since they are not smooth like a vinyl cover, they tend to collect dirt. I have a soft scrub brush I use. I just wet to cover down with a hose, give it a light/gentle scrubbing, and hose it off. No soap or anything like that.

On a really bad spot (like when birds attack) I spray it with a little Ahhsome Spray Cleaner