Elite Thermal Shield 5mm Thermal Pool Blanket | R 0.15 | Elite Pool Covers
THERMAL · 5MM · R 0.15

Thermal Shield 5mm thermal blanket

The best insulator we make. An Airlon closed-cell foam core holds heat in the pool overnight, when a solar blanket has nothing left to give. $42 per square metre including GST.

Elite Thermal Shield 5mm thermal blanket in deep blue
5 mmAirlon foam core
R 0.15Tested to AS/NZS 4859.1
$42.00/m²Including GST
6 yearsPro-rata warranty

It insulates. It doesn't heat.

Worth being clear about, because it changes when you'd use it. Thermal Shield is opaque, so it has no solar gain — it won't collect the sun's warmth the way a bubble blanket does.

What it does instead is stop heat leaving. Most pool heat is lost overnight, when the air drops below the water temperature and the surface gives up its warmth. A 5 mm foam core across the pool is a far better barrier against that than a layer of air bubbles.

So it's the blanket for holding temperature — on a heated pool, through the cooler months, or anywhere the nights are cold. If you want the sun to do the heating, a solar blanket is the right product.

Chart comparing the thermal resistance of Thermal Shield against thinner foam and standard blankets

Thermal resistance compared across blanket types. Higher is better.

The Airlon core

Thermal Shield is the only blanket we make with an Airlon core — a cross-linked closed-cell polyolefin foam with a tough double water-resistant skin and unusually thick cell walls.

That matters more than it sounds. Foam blankets absorb water over their life, and a waterlogged blanket can end up carrying up to twice its original weight — heavier to handle, harder on your roller, shorter-lived, and worse at the insulating job you bought it for. Airlon takes up around three times less water than other foam cores on the market, so it keeps working the way it did when it was new.

The outer membranes are a high-UV, high tensile strength, water and chemical resistant woven HDPE in deep blue, and where the pool shape allows we build the blanket reversible to get more life out of it.

Cross-section of the Thermal Shield blanket showing the Airlon foam core between its outer membranes

Price your pool

Enter your pool's length and width. Thermal Shield is charged at $42.00 per square metre including GST, rounded to the nearest whole square metre, with no minimum charge.

How to measure your pool

Measure to the nearest 0.1 m at the longest and widest points. Order your pool size — we add the extra material.

Close view of the Thermal Shield blanket surface
Thermal Shield · 5 mm · deep blue

Estimated price, including GST

$1,344.00
32 m² at $42.00/m². Excluding GST: $1,221.82
We supply oversize. Every blanket is cut at least 200 mm longer and 200 mm wider than the pool size you order, at no extra cost.
8.0 m long × 4.0 m wide
Order quantity 32 m²

Ready to order? Take these measurements across to our pricing calculator, where you can add a roller, overcover or installation and check out.

Order this blanket

What it does — and what it doesn't

What it does

  • Holds heat in the pool overnight, when most of it would otherwise be lost
  • Keeps a heated pool at temperature, so your heater runs less
  • Cuts evaporation, and the heat that leaves with it
  • Extends the season at both ends, particularly where nights are cold
  • Resists waterlogging, so it stays light and keeps insulating over its life
  • Built reversible where the pool shape allows, for longer service

What it doesn't do

  • Heat the pool from the sun. It's opaque, with no solar gain — if you want the sun doing the work, choose a solar blanket
  • Act as a safety cover. It carries no load and must never be walked on
  • Replace your pool fence or adult supervision
  • Stay on indefinitely — like any blanket it needs periodic removal so chlorine gas can escape
  • Come with a roller. Add a fitting kit if you're fitting it to a roller you already own

We strongly recommend a reflective overcover with this blanket. It shields the material from UV while it's stored on the roller, which is where most blanket damage actually happens.

Thermal or solar?

They're not competing products — they solve different halves of the same problem. Some customers run a solar blanket in season and switch to Thermal Shield for the cooler months.

 Thermal ShieldSolar blankets
Main jobStopping heat escapingCollecting heat from the sun
Solar gainNone — it's opaqueYes, that's the point
Construction5 mm Airlon closed-cell foam coreBubble or Triple Cell fabric, 400–610 micron
Best usedOvernight, cooler months, heated poolsThrough the day and into the evening, in season
Price$42.00/m² inc GST$19.75 to $29.90/m² inc GST
Warranty6 years pro-rata5, 10 or 12 years pro-rata by tier

See the solar blanket range if heating the water is what you're after.

Specifications

ProductElite Thermal Shield 5 mm
Thickness5 mm
CoreAirlon cross-linked closed-cell polyolefin foam, double water-resistant skin
R value0.15 Kw, tested to AS/NZS 4859.1
MembraneHigh-UV, high tensile strength, water and chemical resistant woven HDPE, deep blue
Solar gainNone — opaque
Price$42.00 per m² including GST, charged on your pool area. No minimum charge.
Oversize allowanceSupplied at least 200 mm longer and 200 mm wider than ordered
Warranty6 years pro-rata
ManufactureDesigned and made in Australia

Common questions

Will it warm my pool?
Not from the sun — it's opaque and has no solar gain. What it does is stop the heat you already have from escaping, which on a heated pool or through the cooler months makes more difference than solar gain would. If you want the sun to do the heating, choose a solar blanket.
What does an R value of 0.15 mean?
R value measures resistance to heat flow — higher means more insulation. Ours is tested to AS/NZS 4859.1, the Australian standard for insulation materials, so it's a measured figure rather than a marketing one.
Why does water absorption matter?
Foam blankets take on water over time. A waterlogged blanket can end up carrying up to twice its original weight, which makes it harder to handle, puts more strain on your roller, and reduces how well it insulates. The Airlon core absorbs around three times less water than other foam cores, so it holds its performance for longer.
What size should I order?
Your pool size, measured at the longest and widest points to the nearest 0.1 m. Don't add anything for overlap — we cut every blanket at least 200 mm longer and wider than what you order.
Do I really need an overcover?
We strongly recommend one. A blanket sitting on a roller in full sun takes more UV punishment than it does on the water, and that's where most blankets fail first. An overcover is the cheapest thing you can do to protect the investment.

Not sure whether you need thermal or solar?

Tell us about your pool — whether it's heated, how you use it, and what months you want to swim — and we'll tell you which blanket makes sense.

Ask us
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