KoolGrips Comfort Cover 8 Foot Neoprene Zippered Hand Grip Rail Slip Cover Sleeve for In Ground and Above Ground Swimming Pools, Royal Blue

We purchased this sleeve (6-foot) on a Wednesday, received it on Thursday and my wife and I installed it on Saturday. We like it now that it's on, however it goes on with some difficulty and takes work to install. I searched the reviews looking for techniques and tips that others discovered when they installed theirs, hoping to avoid their missteps and save some of our time in the process. I did find a few tips and some advice.Here are some of the things we discovered and some of the things we did (your-mileage-may-vary):1. We left the sleeve in direct (Florida) sunshine for about 2 hours before we started the install. That softened the sleeve and made it more pliable. We didn't try soaking it in warm water as the instructions suggested.2. Used small vise grip pliers (6" size) to clamp onto and pull the zipper. I know the instructions say not to do this but it worked like a charm and the zipper suffered no apparent damage. The vise grips made a very good handle for the zipper pulling. We rated this a 5-star tip.3. We placed a few drops of dish soap on a wet/damp sponge and used that to wet the rail. The addition of the soap made the sleeve move easily and we were able to slide the sleeve around the rail and position it without difficulty.4. Getting the zipper started was the hardest part of the install. The zipper leg refused to enter the notch on the other side and it took us about 10-15 tries of simultaneously stretching the sleeve and pushing on the zipper before it got started. I think the next time we do this -- if we do it again -- we'll put a few drops of dish soap in the notch before trying to insert the other leg.5. Moving the zipper on the straight section of the rail was easy and straightforward. The vise-grips helped.5. We found the zipper bunched up quite a bit when following the inside of a tight bend in the railing. I think if we had pulled the sleeve horizontally along the soaped rail at the same time as stretching it around the rail, it might have reduced the bunching of the zipper. I think this zipper is designed to bunch up no matter what you do -- all you can hope to do is minimize the ugliness.6. When we were done, I placed a plastic zip-tie through the zipper and around the sleeve to keep the zipper locked in place and preventing it from coming undone.All told, the two of us spent about 30 minutes of concerted effort to install the sleeve. In the hot Florida sun it was not much fun. Although it looks good and dresses up the plain stainless steel railing, I don't look forward to removing it for cleaning. If it comes off now, it will have to do it on its own.

We have a pool rail that has a coating to help with the heat- unfortunately the Tucson,Az sun is brutal. I decided to add another layer of protection. Unlike others complaints of hard to put on, we had a very easy time. I took the advice to wet it first; I pulled it together and my husband zipped it right on. Took about 3 minutes to put on. It is still hot- there is no escaping the heat of the Old Pueblo, but it is way better and I love how it is ribbed to get a good grip. Definitely recommend

First off, I did this alone, but with trepidation because of the accounts of difficulty and needing two people. Fortunately, it took me only 15 minutes and the installation went smoothly.I installed below the waterline (although you’re not supposed to) as you can see in the photos because the powder coating was peeling badly leaving splotches of bare-metal—the reason for the purchase.1. Soaked the cover in the pool for 10 minutes with the inside down (may not make a difference but that’s how I did it).2. Put dish soap directly on a wet sponge and wet the rail liberally.3. Started at the waterline and easily zipped the first 2 inches.4. With both hands I shimmied the sleeve down toward the very bottom of the rail in the water. There was obviously no dish soap solution; nevertheless, it I moved down with only moderate effort.5. At the bends I stretched it before zipping.6. It zipped easily around the bends and throughout.Whew! I couldn't help saying, “Thank you God for the wisdom how to do this and how well it worked out.” I don’t take these things for granted.

I did not follow directions and I am very happy so far that I did not. If you read the instructions for measurement it is not supposed to go below the waterline. I love the way it looks below the waterline so I don’t care if it voids the warranty. It works perfectly as intended. We actually had a neighbor fall when their hand slipped on the bar before. Now it is a very sturdy feeling when we get in and out of the pool. I think it looks great. It’s a little bit of work to put on. Maybe 5 to 10 minutes. That’s because it’s a very tight fit and you need to soak it as it says and then carefully zipped from one end to the other. But that’s it. Then it’s installed and it tightly wrapped itself to the post and does not feel slippery in the least. As good as you can imagine the grip feeling it is that good.

This was exactly what I was looking for to cover my pool Rail. I had read a suggestion on installing it and did exactly as was suggested and it went on with out a hitch.Hint: soak the koolgrip in warm water for about 15 minutes then install it wet. should zipper right on. I tied one end with cording to hold it in place until I had the zipper connected then just zipped it down I started from the bottom up and then down . My rail is shaped like a number 4 . 3 years later, July 14 2020 I just ordered a new replacement of the same item. The original lasted this long and has been serviceable but over the time leaving it on since I installed it it has seen its serviceable limit. The area where it’s grabbed over time began splitting and exposing the railing it covers. This is probably from wet hands exiting the pool that has chlorine treatments. I have to say it’s a nice product and served its purpose with delight. I have ordered a new one and looking forward to it’s continued use.

I really like this product. But the width is only 4 inches. And in order to zip it up I needed a 6 inch wide. So I had to return it for a refund. My only complaint is the seller charged me $8.59 for restocking. Which I was unaware of. But at least I got the rest of my money back. I just wish they made a 6 inch wide one. I looked everywhere but they’re all 4 inches wide. Make sure you measure correctly. I was reading all the reviews and noticed that most customers purchased for their pool rails. I was purchasing for my spa rail. So maybe the spa rails are a little bit wider than the pool rails. Buyers beware