Airframe Spa Cover - Anyone have opinions or experience with one?

[ASoakADay]

Hi everyone,

It's been 5 years and it's time for a new spa cover.  I usually just order a replacement from my HotSprings dealer, but I thought I might check the old internet to see if anything new has been invented for covering spas.  I found this Airframe spa cover (by Coverplay), but they have literally NO web presence other than their website and a marketing video on Youtube. (Well, there is ONE comment on their Facebook page.) I've never seen so little feedback for anything, so at a minimum they will now have TWO search results on Google. 

Summary of the cover: It doesn't use EPS (bad for landfills), and isn't a big balloon like the Spacap, but it does use air in some sort of chambers.  Here's how they put it:
"Radiant energy barriers surround the air chambers limiting emissivity and condensation. As layered air chambers have minimal conductivity (no mass), they insulate better than new EPS foam and much better than water soaked foam."  There are things about them I don't like, like no skirt, no corner tie-downs, and a little pricey, unless it really lasts for 10 years.

So, I was wondering if anyone has one, and if so, are they are as good as they claim? Or has anybody even seen one in real life, or are they "vaporware"?
Thanks for any replies!

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

As long as their air chambers are smaller than 1/4" (length, width, height), it might work. Anything larger will NOT insulate as convection will simply allow the heat to "escape". I see nothing on their site claiming any kind of R-value or independent testing. I don't believe their video stating the nearly 2 million covers are throw out each year.

At nearly $700... I highly doubt it's worth it.

[av8r]

There seem to be no shortage of "new" cover designs that use chambers of air to insulate.  Aluminum roll tops, 1/4 fold systems, etc.  Until someone does some testing it's hard to beat the old styro covers.  I'd like to see someone using EPP foam or another closed cell, robust material and get rid of the styro, but styro is cheap...so they use it.

[Vinny]

That's one expensive cover! The website doesn't really go into anything of value ... just an advertising marvel. I would expect that if science was there and it won awards they would want the study on their site to prove how great it is.

[Tman122]

Air is the worst insulator there is!

[BullFrogSpasMN]

if anyone buys these for $700 I have a hell of a deal on some oceanfront property in Iowa to sell you