If you more than a couple of years into owning a hot tub then you’re probably researching replacement hot tub covers because yours is already in dire straights. They soak up water, sag in the middle, crack along the fold, break coverlifters, and end up looking like a soggy pool float within a couple of years. Advanced Spa Covers, based out of Arlington, Washington, has built its entire business around fixing that problem, backing it up with pricing, materials, and a customization process that’s worth a closer look before you buy your next cover. We actually covered this company in an article back in 2019 and figured it was time time to do a recap on their progress.
What Makes an Advanced Spa Cover Different
Most hot tub covers are a vinyl skin wrapped around a slab of EPS foam. Over time, that foam soaks up water like a sponge, and the cover gets heavier, saggier, and harder to lift every year. Advanced Spa Covers (ASC) skips the foam entirely in favor of what they call a patented honeycomb core wrapped in a 100% seamless outer shell, with no seams for water to work its way into and nothing inside that can absorb moisture.
A few of the specs they lean on:
- Third-party lab tested to support over 1,000 lbs.
- A 64-mil vapor barrier, which they describe as roughly 16 times thicker and 50 times more waterproof than a typical cover
- 25% higher R-value per inch than standard covers, for better heat retention
- A UV coating designed to resist ozone, chlorine, bromine, and sun exposure without fading or breaking down
- A limited lifetime warranty
- 100% made in the USA
The honeycomb-and-seamless-shell approach is really the whole pitch: a cover that won’t get waterlogged, won’t need replacing every 3-5 years, and stays light enough for one person to lift for the life of the product.
Pricing: What You’ll Actually Pay
ASC sells direct off their website with published starting prices, though the final number depends heavily on the options you pick. Here’s the current lineup:
- The Advanced Spa Cover, 2-piece, up to 96″ x 96″: from $2,999
- 3-Piece Oversize Spa Cover, up to 96″ x 120″: from $4,979
- 4-Piece Swim Spa Cover, up to 96″ x 192″: from $6,478
- Upgrade to: Covermate 1 Cover Lift (no hydraulic assist): $299.95, on sale from $325
- Uprgrade to: Covermate Freestyle Lift, for round or unique shapes: $399.95, on sale from $499
- Upgrade to: ProMax Cover Lift: $475, on sale from $499
- Upgrade to: Vanish XL Cover Lift: $549.95, on sale from $599
Worth noting: that “from” price is a starting point, not a real-world quote. Configuring a standard 2-piece cover with a few common upgrades, like a wider skirting, a hinge, and some handles, pushed the total to roughly $5,100 on their own configurator during our look at the site. If you’re budgeting, treat the published price as a floor and expect the real number to land higher once you’ve picked colors, hinges, and any 3D design work. For what its worth, back in 2019 the cover was selling for around $1500-2,000 retail so it has gone up considerably (as with all things since the pandemic).
The Customization Process
This is really where Advanced Spa Covers separates itself from a typical cover retailer. Instead of picking a size and a color and checking out, you’re walked through a line-by-line configurator on the product page covering:
- Color: four standard colors, or a “Custom Color Match” option where you name literally any color and their team confirms it with you before production.
- Skirting: width and color, including a custom option, with the skirting designed to slide out on a track for cleaning without tools.
- Hinges: a free hinge-less option, where each section ships as a separate, tightly gasketed piece, or an upgraded geared, pin-less aluminum hinge.
- Handles: free standard recessed handles in whatever quantity you want, or a paid “Deluxe” handle upgrade.
- 3D Embellishments: the standout feature. You can carve custom designs, patterns, logos, or photos into the top and/or bottom of the cover.
- Radiant heat barrier: an optional, patent-protected upgrade for additional energy efficiency.
- Cover lift compatibility: flagging upfront whether you’ll use a lift, since it changes how the cover needs to be built.
The 3D embellishment options are genuinely unusual in this category. You can choose from a library of pre-made designs, like sports team logos, nature scenes, and geometric patterns, or submit your own photo or sketch for a fully custom carving. Pricing on custom designs has moved around: at one point ASC was running a promotion offering a free library design or a custom design for $99 against a stated regular value of up to $900, framed as a limited-time offer. Since these promotions come and go, it’s worth calling or emailing to confirm current design pricing rather than assuming a number you saw online is still active.
One nuance that’s easy to miss: designs can go on the bottom of the cover too, not just the top. Since an open cover usually leans against a wall or sits upright in a lift, the underside is often what people actually see day to day, so a design there isn’t just a novelty, it’s arguably more visible than the top in daily use.
A Few Other Things Worth Knowing
- Lead time runs about 4 weeks, depending on the complexity of the design, worth planning around if you’re timing a cover replacement to a season.
- Nothing goes into production without a confirmation call. ASC is upfront that they reach out to verify color, skirting, and design details before fabrication, so the online configurator is more of a starting quote than a final, locked-in order.
- It’s a showroom-and-appointment business, not a warehouse operation. Their Arlington, WA location keeps factory and showroom hours of 9-5, Monday through Friday, with appointments recommended.
- Sizing tops out at 96″ x 192″ for the 4-piece swim spa option. If your spa is larger or needs more customization than the standard configurator allows, they ask that you contact them directly.
- Customer feedback leans heavily on the design element. Testimonials on their site specifically call out custom sports-team designs and the cover still being easy to lift well after purchase.
Advanced Spa Covers is priced well above a big-box replacement cover. A base 2-piece cover starts at $2,999, and realistic configured pricing often lands in the $5,000+ range for a standard-size hot tub, but the pitch is longevity and personalization rather than a cheap commodity swap. If your current cover is on its second or third replacement in a decade, or you want something that actually looks intentional next to your patio rather than a beat-up rectangle of vinyl, it’s a solid one to get a real quote from. Just go in expecting the online price to be a starting point, and budget for a follow-up call before anything actually gets built.
If your spa is on a tight budget, or you’re not planning to be in the house long enough to see that payback, a well-maintained vinyl cover with a good cover lift is still a reasonable call. I would also suggest the Aircap Hot Tub Cover by Thrml which is extremely affordable and has similar benefit of the ASC. For more information or discount codes on premium hot tub covers then reach out to us thru our contact form.
