We have a Caldera Tub and it has a great cover and lifter and has held up good.
I opened it today like I always do and started wondering what good does the lift strap in the front of the cover do. Sure you can stand there and pick it up a couple feet but you have to walk around to the side to flip it back half way. Then you have to grab it by the side to finish opening it. That strap is 100% worthless.
When you go to close it where your hands are always folds the flap in on the side and you have to then pull it out. The more it gets pinched in there the more it wants to go that way.
If you are reading along Watson / Caldera put a handle / strap on both sides and forget the one on the end. 
You're assuming everyone is using the same type lifter that you have.
If you look at the photos off the web site of the cover they show the stairs lined up with the strap on the cover.
Do people actually walk up the stairs with the cover closed and then standing on the top step lift the cover up part way and then step into the tub at the same time they are opening the first half. That sounds dangerous to me. Then from inside the tub standing on the one side open it the rest of the way. That would work to open it but wouldn’t help with closing it as there is nothing on the inside to pull on to close it.
I don’t think it matters what kind of cover lifter you have it all works the same way you flip the first half open and then fold both halves over the end of the tub. They just help by taking some of the weight off the second flip.
When I bought the tub I asked how hard it was to open and the sales guy stood to the right side of the tub and with his left arm reached under the side and flipped it half way and then did the same thing again. The strap on the front never got touched. I don’t know how that strap is to be used except when I use it to open the cover a little to toss in some chlorine.
If someone knows a trick to opening the cover using the strap I would love to hear.
