Aside from shade sails, another good option of shade you can use on your patio is an outdoor umbrella. When it comes to design, outdoor umbrellas can as well be styled the way you want them to be. Aside from providing shade to your patio, an outdoor umbrella can also add flavour to your entire patio design.

If you want to opt for an outdoor umbrella to install on your patio, you should start shopping for the best outdoor umbrella that fits your needs. Use these tips below as a guide to help you choose the best outdoor umbrella for your patio.

Evaluate Your Landscaping

When choosing outdoor umbrellas, you must not forget to consider your landscaping design. This way you can ensure that you will choose the best design that complements the look of the background design of your patio.

The style and colour of your umbrella should blend well with your entire landscaping design and the colour of your house. This way your patio will not look out of place. Additionally, you must as well consider the concept of your patio where you will place your umbrella.

Moreover, if your patio is located in your garden area, you must take into consideration the style of your garden. You must choose the umbrella’s material according to the concept of your garden. For instance, bamboo frames are best if you have an oriental garden design because they will surely complement the entire concept.

The Size of The Area

The next thing you must consider is the size of the area you want to cover. By knowing the exact dimension of the space, you will know which size of the umbrella will be best to purchase.

If the outdoor umbrella is intended to provide shade to a patio table, it is best to measure the table before you go shopping for an umbrella. Usually, patios have standard size tables and you want to make sure that the umbrella that you will purchase will cover the table perfectly.

What you must remember here is to choose an umbrella that is large enough to cover the patio table while not too large to overpower it.

For table size from 30 to 36 inches, you will need to buy umbrellas with a size of 6 to 8 feet in diameter. If you have a table size of 38 to 48 inches you will be needing an outdoor umbrella with a diameter of 9 to 11 feet. Lastly, if your table measures 54 to 60 inches in diameter the best umbrella size for this would be 11 feet or more.

If you pick the wrong size of umbrella for your patio, it will never serve its purpose properly which is to block the UV rays of the sun and the rainwater. Australia is known to have very hot and humid weather during summer which you will need an effective shade to help you cover the heat of the sun during the summer days.

Materials Used

There is a range of outdoor umbrella materials available. Traditionally, outdoor umbrella frames are made with fibreglass, wood or aluminium. Each of the materials used for umbrella frames has its benefits.

For aluminium frames which is also the most common frame material you can find in the market today, it is a lightweight material that is durable and can resist all kinds of weather conditions.

Wood frames on the other hand are made with outdoor-tolerant woods like eucalyptus, Ipe, teak and bamboo. Umbrellas with these frame materials are popular when it comes to outdoor-living furniture purposes as it looks aesthetically pleasing.

The only downside of this material is that it can be less resistant to damage caused by weather, insects or rotting.

The next material is the fibreglass frames. Fibreglass is also a lightweight material and flexible with weather and dust resistant features. Due to their flexibility, fibreglass frames are the most resistant to strong winds. Another benefit of a fibreglass frame is that it comes in different colours which you can choose according to your preference.

Mechanism

The most common models of outdoor umbrellas have low-tech pulleys where you will need to manually operate to open and close the umbrella. Most pulley umbrella owners tend to leave the outdoor umbrella open throughout the season as it can be very difficult to open and close it.

There are also umbrellas who are using a crank to open and close the umbrella. Furthermore, you can opt for automatic outdoor umbrellas where you will only need to push a button to open and close the umbrella. It can as well have an auto-tilt feature to position the umbrella anywhere you want.

Shapes

Usually, umbrellas are round. However, some of the outdoor umbrellas can be octagonal which is referred to as market umbrellas. Newer models that are coming out on the market today have rectangular shapes to cover longer spaces or rectangular tables.

Although the shape of an outdoor umbrella does not have much relevance, it is still best that you know the different umbrella shapes that you might encounter during your outdoor umbrella shopping.

Price

The price of an outdoor umbrella will depend on the materials used and its mechanism. If you are installing the umbrella as a piece of outdoor furniture and not as a shade, you can opt for a cheaper kind but you must expect less from it.

However, if the main purpose of your outdoor umbrella is to provide shade and protection for your outdoor patio, you must go for the best quality umbrella to ensure optimal protection and coverage. It is also best to go for the automatic umbrellas so that you can easily close them when not in use.

Types of Outdoor Umbrellas

You must understand the different types of outdoor umbrellas that are available in the market. Aside from the size, shape and price, you must also know what type of umbrella is best for you. The options available for you are:

• Sunshades
• Market Umbrella
• Pagoda
• Cantilever
• Logo Umbrella
• Commercial-Grade Umbrellas

Each has its pros and cons which is what you must discuss with an outdoor umbrella expert. Do not hesitate to ask for assistance during your shopping so that you can buy the best umbrella that will fit your needs.

In General

You should choose an outdoor umbrella properly so that you can get the best value for your money. Choose wisely so that you will enjoy all the benefits an outdoor umbrella can provide you with. Use the information provided to ensure that you will only choose the best outdoor umbrella for your patio.