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What is a Cantilever Umbrella?
Before we can go any further, we need to outline what a cantilever umbrella is. This often isn’t overly clear, in many cases, which may make it more difficult for individuals to find the deck umbrella of the best value for their needs – but outdoor cantilever umbrella designs can undeniably offer a number of key advantages.
Simply put, an outdoor cantilever umbrella is a type of patio umbrella that doesn’t feature a stand in the center of the umbrella. Instead, these umbrellas are supported by a suspension, usually off of a large pole. Naturally, this can offer a vast range of potential benefits overall.
Frees Up Space
Perhaps the most notable benefit of an outdoor cantilever deck umbrella is that it helps free up a surprising amount of space beneath the umbrella itself. Indeed, with a traditional stand, it’s often not possible to make the best use of your under-umbrella space since part of the available area is obstructed (which you’ll naturally need to work around).
Reduces Cluttering
It’s worth considering that when you choose a cantilever umbrella for your outdoor space, you’ll also enjoy far greater openness in the area. You may derive several notable benefits by tucking the stand away to the side rather than in the middle of the umbrella. Of course, this can be valuable both for properties with an exceptional view that they don’t want to mask and for homes with smaller gardens wanting to help the space feel as open and uncluttered as possible.
Provides Full 360 Degree Protection
Thanks to an cantilever umbrella, you can enjoy full 360-degree protection from the sun’s harmful UV lights, so long as the umbrella shade itself is up to the task. One of the best features of the cantilever umbrella is that it can fully move in line with the angle of the sun, helping you stay safe and enjoy the warm weather comfortably without risking getting ill or otherwise overheating due to the intense summer weather.
With the easy-to-use system that we designed for Bluu Oak Auto Tilt Cantilever, you can simply crank the handle clockwise with one hand to raise or lower the canopy, as well as adjust the canopy to the desired angles for all-day shade.
Is an Outdoor Cantilever Umbrella Really Worth It?
Is an patio cantilever umbrella worth it? Well, this will depend on who you ask – and will also depend on the type of umbrella you choose. For example, the best and most popular umbrellas, such as the Bluu patio umbrella (read on to find out more), will often provide a far superior standard of service than a generic or lower-rated model.
Nevertheless, if you’ve found an outdoor deck umbrella made to a high-quality, durable standard and offers excellent value for money, these are well worth the price. The convenience and comfort they can offer are often enough alone for many people; meanwhile, the lack of a central pole helps ensure that you won’t have to worry about this obstructing your view or use of table space.
Cantilever vs. Offset Umbrellas
One significant contrast is the difference between cantilever and offset hanging umbrellas. The Bluu cantilever umbrella and the Bluu offset patio umbrella are two good examples in this regard, offering a direct contrast between the two types of umbrellas. Indeed, it’s often easy to assume these are one in the same; however, this isn’t entirely true.
For example, Bluu cantilever umbrellas feature a strong stand and support the canopy through a single, rigid pole; this provides strength and durability for the canopy. Contrastingly, since the canopy hangs directly for Bluu offset hanging umbrellas, the sleek design makes it easy to incorporate with any home. However, the superior wind resistance of cantilever umbrellas makes them moore practical for windy environments (such as for homes higher above sea level experiencing greater winds or those near the coastline).
Both styles share the same structural support pole, however. Furthermore, they can both be braced with specialist weighted bases; this helps reduce the risk of the umbrella being unstable.
What to Consider When Picking the Best Cantilever Umbrella for your Backyard
So, if you think at this point that a cantilever or offset umbrella might be right for your backyard, it’s important to choose a fitting model. After all, as with many things in life, not every model of cantilever umbrella is created equally, and considering this may help you find one that’s right for you.
As part of your decision, you will need to consider many different factors to choose a suitable umbrella. These may include the following features.
Size
Frame
A solid and firm frame is integral for the overall success of your outdoor deck umbrella. With this in mind, it’s vital to consider whether your chosen model features a strong, suitable design. Materials such as aluminum are usually a popular option since they offer a lightweight design but exceptional strength and robustness.
Inevitably, your choice of umbrella frame should be durable enough to support the weight of the canopy securely; moreover, since your new umbrella will be outside, it must be able to withstand any environmental pressures. Contrastingly, frames made from iron or steel may be more prone to oxidisation when in contact with the air or moisture, which could make the frame begin to rust (compromising its overall structural stability).
In addition, it is always worth considering the size of your chosen umbrella’s frame; after all, photos can often be misleading, and this could leave you purchasing an umbrella that’s not as tall as you thought. The best outdoor cantilever umbrella should be large enough to cover you and your guests comfortably, without being too close to make things feel claustrophobic and without being too far so as to make the canopy less effective for reducing exposure.
Canopy
When choosing a suitable, large cantilever umbrella of great value, looking for a model that features a top-class canopy is crucial. However, as part of this decision, you may need to consider several factors, which could include the following points. However, the most critical factor to consider as part of this decision is whether your choice of canopy will be up to the job.
Shape
The shape is one of the first factors you may want to consider when it comes to the canopy for a patio cantilever umbrella. Most canopies come in circular shapes, offering consistent coverage for your space. However, you could also look out for canopies in many other shapes, such as triangular, square, or rectangular canopy shapes instead, to create a neat, clean finish for your available space.
An excellent comparison is the Bluu Redwood cantilever umbrella range. Bluu’s Redwood umbrellas are available in round and square shapes. Aside from the shape of the canopy, these two cantilever umbrellas are roughly comparable; however, the Bluu Redwood Cantilever Umbrella Square 1 tier provides a slightly higher level of coverage (100m2) thanks to the square canopy shape and a stylish, contemporary look. Meanwhile, the Redwood Cantilever Umbrella Round 1 tier offers excellent value-for-money and a professional finish, with only a marginally smaller surface area (approximately 95m2).
Fabric
Different fabrics can impact your overall canopy experience, which may be worth considering. Indeed, in many cases, fabrics can determine your canopy’s light permeability and waterproofing. As such, if you’ve been looking for a canopy that can serve year-round, looking out for waterproofing and UV-resistant is integral.
Opting for a specialist material, such as the solution-dyed fabric used in the BLUU 10 ft square outdoor umbrella, may help provide superior all-year opportunities for your residential or commercial property.
What’s more, it’s also worth considering how the choice of fabric type may also impact UV ray protection. For example, the Outtra fabric used in the Sequoia Cantilever umbrella helps provide over 99.95% UV resistance thanks to the exceptionally high gsm of 300; meanwhile, the more affordable SDP fabric offers a great value-for-money solution with a still-impressive UV resistance of 98% and 240 gsm.
Vent
The shape of your canopy can rapidly result in the air becoming stuffy and hot. This is especially true for a larger canopy which may capture more air. As such, when purchasing an outdoor cantilever umbrella, it’s essential to look ideally for a model that features vents to allow for regular airflow under the canopy.
For example, this is well highlighted by both Bluu Sequoia Pro Cantilever and Redwood range, which are available in Tier 1 and Tier 2 designs. The main difference here is the additional ridge of material above the vents, which provides the same level of protection from the elements while allowing for larger vents and greater overall airflow within the space – a vital requirement in hot climates.
Durability
It’s notable that cantilever umbrellas can vary significantly in terms of durability, which may impact your final decision on the best cantilever umbrella for your residential or commercial property. One easy way to ascertain the overall durability is to consider the warranty available on your chosen umbrella, which should directly relate to the overall durability and quality of the umbrella.
When choosing a material, we highly recommend opting for aluminum ribs and poles, which provide excellent long-term results without having to worry about rusting and the like. Ideally, your choice of cantilever patio umbrella should also feature a suitably broad base for stability – a minimum of three feet, typically – and a pole dimension of at least 1.5mm.
Fortunately, the Bluu cantilever umbrellas meet these criteria, making them a suitable option to consider if you have been looking for a durable umbrella design. Review our polices on warranty and return.
Wind Resistance
One significant factor that many people overlook when choosing an outdoor cantilever umbrella is wind resistance.
Indeed, imagine you open your umbrella on a breezy or windy day; it’s easy to see how this could result in potential trouble when the canopy is opened.
Of course, when not in use, you should always close down your cantilever umbrella. However, when in use, you should always look for a patio cantilever umbrella that has a suitably large base for stability, a heavier canopy to reduce the impact of wind, and a strong construction that’s wind-resistant.
Fortunately, the Outtra materials, for example, are a prime example of this, being wind resistance certified by the Bureau Veritas, giving you greater confidence in your new patio umbrella as a result.
Features
- Frame materials
- Ease of construction
- Ease of canopy opening
- Recyclable materials
- Tilting systems
- Velcro straps or connections
- Canopy color choices and vibrancy
These factors may help influent your final choice on the optimal type of outdoor umbrella for your needs. However, if you’re unsure about any of these features – or the features we’ve mentioned previously – in your chosen canopy umbrella, we’d recommend contacting the manufacturer of the umbrella to check these features.
Price
As a final point of note, it’s unsurprisingly worth considering the price of your chosen umbrella before making a purchase. Of course, this may not always be the easiest factor to assess since the price of your umbrella can vary based on so many different factors.
For example, a canopy with more vents or a higher gsm may be substantially more expensive than a canopy made from slightly lighter-weight materials. One such example would be the Bluu Redwood Cantilever Square Umbrella, worth $749, compared to the Oak Auto Tilt Cantilever Umbrella of the same size, valued at $799).
When considering the price of your outdoor cantilever deck umbrella, it’s worth considering that price alone doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re buying a good – or bad – umbrella. For example, many people assume that a cheaper umbrella will be of inferior quality; however, if we take the Bluu Sequoia Pro Cantilever Umbrella Round 1 Tier as an example, we see that this isn’t actually the case at all. Meanwhile, suppose you’re looking for an excellent umbrella with a lower budget. In that case, you could instead consider an offset hanging umbrella, such as the Bluu 10 ft offset hanging umbrella Tier 1, which is priced exceptionally affordably from just $229.
As such, just because a cantilever umbrella is of a slightly lower price, don’t immediately assume that it will be low quality – if you do your research, you can find cantilever umbrellas for almost any budget that will deliver top-quality results! Similarly, if you find an umbrella with an exorbitantly high price tag, don’t assume that must mean it’s made to a premium standard; sometimes, this can just be the manufacturers “cashing in.”
Umbrella Accessories You May Need
At this point, we’ve considered some of the key things you should know about purchasing a premium quality cantilever umbrella, such as the models from Bluu. However, before you jump right in, it’s also worth considering whether you’ve got the right accessories in place to keep your umbrella working at its best. Indeed, in many cases, finding the most effective solution for your property can seem tough, but it shouldn’t necessarily have to be this way. With this thought in mind, investing in the following umbrella accessories may be an excellent option to consider.
Cantilever Umbrella Bases
One of the first options you should consider is whether your cantilever umbrella might benefit from a weighted base. Cantilever umbrella bases are often highly affordable, such as medium and large Bluu bases valued at $169 and $199, respectively. Indeed, while Cantilever umbrellas offer slightly greater wind resistance than offset umbrellas, which makes them a little more tolerant during strong and rough weather, they can still be prone to getting swept off course if a gust of wind strikes at just the right angle.
Now, it’s often easy to overlook the importance of a umbrella stand; however, in windy weather, a suitable stand will often prove invaluable. Indeed, the umbrella base helps keep your patio umbrella firmly in position at all times, so even if the weather picks up, you won’t have to worry about the umbrella going walkabouts as it were. After all, while “sharing is caring,” no one wants their neighbour’s umbrella careening through their fence during rough weather.
Weighted bases easily slot around the foot of your cantilever umbrella’s stand, helping ensure you’re able to quickly get on with enjoying your new umbrella without having to worry.
Offset Umbrella Bases
Both offset and cantilever umbrellas can be prone to getting knocked off course in especially strong winds. Fortunately, Bluu’s compact base for Banyan offset hanging umbrellas can help with this.
Priced from $139, the compact base slots onto the umbrella’s foot – as with the cantilever design – to give your umbrella a little more security than before. Each base is made from HDPE materials and can be filled with any choice of material, including water, sand, or a mix of both. This feature allows for a total weighting potential of up to 230 pounds, depending on the level of support required.
Bluetooth Umbrella Lights
One of the key selling points of an outdoor cantilever umbrella is its aesthetic appeal. Thanks to the lack of a central pole, cantilever and offset hanging umbrellas are able to drastically open up a space and provide a simply stunning aesthetic. However, it’s important to consider that this alone can only go so far; as such, more and more people have been looking for alternative options instead to help make their cantilever umbrellas shine.
Well, this is quite literally possible thanks to solar umbrella lights. Designed exclusively with outdoor umbrellas in mind, solar umbrella lights are able to transform a space into a bright, fun, and vibrant area that’s ideal for any event, be it hosting a party, camping in the backyard, or anything else to that effect.
Bluu solar umbrella lights, specifically, connect via Bluetooth and offer a phenomenal selection of over 16 million different colors and shades, thanks to RGB color schemes. Moreover, you can control the colour of your lights directly through the Lotus Lantern mobile app, making it easier than ever to customise your outdoor space.
Bluetooth Speakers
Sometimes, a little music is ideal to enliven a space – and if this is something you’ve been considering, it’s worth looking at whether you could potentially attach speakers to your outdoor cantilever deck umbrella. Indeed, the Bluu Bluetooth Umbrella Lights come with premium-quality inbuilt speakers, making them a dual-purpose solution for a myriad of different applications.
Once the speakers have connected via Bluetooth, you can easily control them through your mobile device, allowing for a festival-quality sound experience directly from your own garden.
Other Questions You May Have
At this point, we’ve outlined some of the key things you should know about investing in a cantilever umbrella. However, it’s not always clear about whether this might be right for you. Fortunately, the following questions may help you get the most from your new Bluu cantilever umbrella.
How do I maintain my cantilever umbrella?
Maintaining your cantilever umbrella is, fortunately, incredibly simple. In normal conditions, you shouldn’t need to do much maintenance at all, other than cleaning the canopy gently with mild detergent and water (then leave your canopy to air dry naturally). However, to keep the canopy in top condition, be sure to close it down in adverse weather.
Do Bluu patio umbrellas block UV rays?
UV rays can cause a great deal of harm to our skin and overall health. Fortunately, Bluu’s excellent range of premium quality patio umbrellas block UV rays, thanks to their innovative design and weighty Outtra fabric canopies, weighing between 240 and 300gsm. Furthermore, since Bluu has partnered with the Skin Cancer Foundation, you can count on the most effective canopy designs that perfectly look after your skin health. The rotating angles also allow you to position your canopy at the most effective angle to block UV light.
Why does Bluu name its patio umbrellas after different kinds of trees?
The Bluu range of cantilever umbrellas is named after trees, which relates to the connection and cooperation between Bluu and American Forests. Furthermore, each umbrella is inspired by the shade provided by trees, hence why tree-inspired names seemed a fitting option.
What to do with your Bluu patio umbrella in the off-season?
If you’re not planning on using your Bluu patio umbrella, such as for the off-season when it’s a little wet and windy outside, we recommend closing down your canopy securely. Make sure the canopy has a weighted base that’s filled with either sand, water, or a mix of both to keep it secure during adverse weather.
If you still have questions, you can probably find answers in FAQ, or feel free to contact us.
From YouTuber Anne Stedman
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been looking for a premium quality cantilever umbrella, hopefully, today’s guide will have given you new inspiration on where to start your search. Specialist / best cantilever umbrellas, such as the Bluu product range, can be excellent options to consider if you have been looking for a top-quality model of outdoor cantilever deck umbrella for your home or commercial property.
Remember: there’s no single choice of cantilever umbrella that’s ideal for every application. With that being said, there are ways you can look out for top-quality models – such as the Bluu cantilever umbrella range – that will help transform your enjoyment of outdoor time.
1 comment
Jack
Nice article, provides great help for my idea of decorating my backyard
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