A car awning is a very important accessory you must have if you own a vehicle. Car awnings can be used as a car shade or as a shelter that can be attached to your vehicle. It is a very useful tool that you can use for protection from the elements not only for your car but for you as well.

When it comes to providing sun protection for your car, there are so many options for you. However, car awnings are the most popular nowadays, especially in Australia.

If you opt for a car awning to provide shade to your vehicles, it is best to follow these helpful tips and serve them as a guide for your purchase. This guide will ensure that you will get the best out of your money by making sure that you will buy the correct and quality awnings for your car.

Choose The Best Awning Material

When purchasing a car awning, make sure that you will pick the best material in the market. You will want an awning that will last long and having a good quality material will help you achieve this. When going shopping for a car awning, you will notice a wide range of materials available. Some may be a good kind but some are also low quality.

One of the best material that is used for car awnings is shade sail. This is the most common material that you can see around due to its high protection, stylish design and flexibility. Not because you opt for a shade sail material for your awning means that the search is over.

Shade sail alone uses various fabrics. These fabrics have their own pros and cons. To help you with your choice, it is recommended to go for PVC or DRiZ material. PVC fabric is best used for tensioned structures as it is made from high tenacity polyester that is coated with PVC.

It has a high soiling and mildew resistant fabric and is also fire retardant with a UV stabilization feature.

DRiZ on the other hand is a material that is coated with a waterproof membrane on one side. This waterproof membrane ensures that water will not penetrate on the awning but instead it will just roll off.

This high-density knitted polyethylene material can provide 99% UV protection, reducing the temperatures significantly beneath while it can effectively protect from rain. Aside from the best protection, you can ensure that shade sail material is heavy-duty as it is made to withstand great wind forces.

The Size Of The Area You Want to Cover

How huge or small the area you want to cover should also be a concern when buying a car awning. There are so many available sizes and layouts of car awning you can find today, and choosing can be a difficult task.

When considering the area you wanted to protect using the car awning, it can be easy for you to choose which among the sizes and design you will buy. You must as well consider the size of your vehicle. If you own a 4×4 vehicle, then you must want to opt for a 4wd awning.

A 4×4 awning is designed to provide protection to 4×4 vehicles that are bigger and higher. In addition to your vehicle’s size, you must take into consideration the extended area that you want to protect from the awning.

The awning size that you will be needing for a 4wd vehicle will be 2m x 2m to ensure that it provides complete protection. The longer the awning to your vehicle the better.

The purpose of your awning will also have a great impact on how much space you will be needed protection. Let us move on to the next tip to be able to fully understand the relevance of the intended usage of the awning.

The Intended Use

Another thing to consider when shopping for your car awning is the purpose of its use. Is it only to protect your car at home and serve as an outdoor garage? or Are you going to use it on your outdoor excursions?

The intended use of the car awning will play a significant role in choosing the right awning. If you want to use it as camping gear where it will provide protection from the natural elements during your camping adventure, then choosing a car roof awning can be your best choice.

Car roof awnings can be attached to your car to provide the necessary protection from the elements. You can opt for a design that will as well provide complete coverage on your car to keep it cool under the Australian sun.

However, there are car awnings designed to only have partial coverage provided for the vehicle and only focuses its protection on the extended area.

If your primary purpose of purchasing a car awning is to create protection for your car, you must opt for something that will cover your vehicle completely. There is an awning that is attached to your house instead of your vehicle. It is usually placed where you commonly park your vehicle at home.

Additionally, there are also awnings attached to your car that can be used as a roof when you park your car outside. The best example of this is the awning car umbrella that functions as a canopy that is attached to your car instead of the ground.

You have to remember that a car awning is created to provide additional protection for outdoor activities such as camping and beach activities. So if you want to use the car awning for other purposes, you can opt for a custom-made design instead of buying ready-made awnings.

The Price

Of course, you do not want to purchase an expensive car awning if you can have a quality product at the lowest price. Before rushing into buying a car awning, you must first do your research of the available options to know which one has the best quality yet has an affordable price.

You can find the best car awning at a low price if you only know how to find one. However, you must also keep in mind that the price gets affected by various factors and materials is just one of them. Another thing that can affect the price of an awning is the brand, the size and the design.

An expensive awning does not necessarily equate to a quality product. There are expensive awning that still does not provide the best protection it promised while there are also inexpensive ones that are more durable and efficient in providing protection.

Consider the Type of Awning

Awnings are designed and created differently. You will find different types of car awnings in the market that will further give you difficulty in choosing what will be best for you. To be able to figure out which type best suits your needs, it is best to understand what are these awning types are and how they work.

To better help you in choosing the best car awning, read each type of awning available in the market that you can choose from in the list provided below.

Different Types of Car Awnings

Aside from the tips on how to choose the best awning for your car, it is also vital for you to be familiar with the different types of awnings. Knowing the different type of car awning is one way of ensuring you are getting the best. Below are the type of awnings you will encounter during your shopping adventure.

Straight Awnings

The most popular awning that most people opt for is the straight awning type. It is best for vehicle camping especially if you are using a truck, an SUV, a van or an RV. Additionally, a straight awning type can be an affordable option for you.

It is a versatile product that will not break your bank. It can be set up or put down easily and can have additional accessories that come along with it.

Additional features such as a mosquito net, additional walls, and rooms can also be included when you purchase a straight awning. It is the type of awning that will give you the best value for your money.

Wing Awnings

A wing awning covers both sides and even the rare part of your vehicle which gives you more space compared to the straight awning. Due to its design and function, the wing awning is also referred to as 270-degree awnings.

If you want to cover the tailgate of your vehicle for a more convenient function such as cooking, extra storage and more room to chill or play games then the wing awning can be your best choice. The huge coverage of this type of awning makes it the most suitable type for outdoor activities for your whole family.

The only thing that might stop you from buying a wing-type awning is the price. You can find wing awnings more costly than the straight awning option.

Awning Car Umbrella

This awning looks more like an umbrella. It is attached to the roof of your vehicle when you park it under the sun. Just what the name suggests, the car awning umbrella functions as an umbrella that provides protection to your car.

With the use of a car awning umbrella, you can make sure that your car will not be extremely hot when you get in. It can as well protect your car from the damages direct sunlight can do to your car’s exterior.

Australia can be extremely hot during the summer months and having extra protection for your car can provide significant relief. It is indeed one of the must-have car accessories you should consider purchasing.

Final Word

Having extra protection for you and your vehicle against whatever weather you are going to encounter is important. A car awning can provide quality protection to you and your car from the harsh UV rays of the sun as well as the rainwater and wind. Additionally, A full protection car awning can keep your vehicles protected from dust, dirt and bird droppings.