I bought my rings at A&M pools at Val Vista and Southern. You could cut a bubble wrap pool cover into pieces and get some of the convenience, but the design of the rings makes them somewhat more effective. The magnets around the edge are also nice to keep them rafted up. I'm at Power and Brown. If you want to come over and check out the rings, or even borrow them for a few days, let me know. They're just sitting under my bed right now