Types of Outdoor Umbrellas

Outdoor umbrellas come in several styles. Depending on your activities or location, you may wish to consider one or more of the following types:

1. Market/Patio umbrella

Market or patio umbrellas work well for shading chairs or patio tables. Often, their canopies are made of polyester or acrylic, synthetic materials that block sunlight and moisture. These materials also hold up well to sun and weathering. You may find canopies in a wide range of colors and designs.

A market umbrella has an extra layer or flap at the top of the canopy. This extra layer acts like a vent, allowing wind to pass through the umbrella. This way, the force of the wind is likely to cause less damage to the umbrella. Of course, in heavy winds, you should close or remove your umbrella to a storage area.

Poles may be composed of wood or aluminum. Wood parts often have an attractive finish, but typically do not offer tilt options. Not all aluminum poles will have a tilt option, either, but the ones that do will advertise either a manual tilt, such as push-button, or a simple mechanical tilt, such as collar tilt or auto tilt.

2. Beach umbrella

Beach resorts offer their customers umbrellas on the sand. An individual or family conscious of the sun might also carry an umbrella on an excursion. The canopies often look similar to those of market and patio umbrellas. However, their poles usually don't have tilt options.

Sometimes the bottom of the pole will have an auger or sharp tip you can use to drive or screw the umbrella into the sand. If the pole doesn't have a tip like this, you can purchase a separate base you screw into the sand and set your umbrella pole into. Some of these bases even come with attached tables where you can set your drinks, reading material, or sunscreen.

3. Wall Mount umbrella

You can purchase an umbrella of durable material that mounts to your wall, too. Wall mounts have rotating and tilting arms so you can control the position and angle of the canopy. Check the specifications carefully before purchasing a wall mount model. It may require specific types of hanging materials or must be hung in specific portions of the wall.

4. Offset umbrella

The base and pole stand to one side of the canopy. This type offers an easy solution to shoppers who already own patio tables without a hole in the middle. You don't have to buy a new table or cut a messy hole in your old one. Make sure to measure so that you ensure the base sits far enough out of your way when you eat or sit to play games. Quality offset umbrellas should be wide enough that the base and pole don't obstruct your activity.

Outdoor umbrellas come in enough styles that you can pick one to fit your needs perfectly. Whether you read, eat, sleep, or relax outside, you can enhance your protection from the weather and your comfort.

by Rachel Dawson