Most garden furniture is bought spontaneously. The sun comes out and the barbecue is dragged into the garden shed. In the middle of that frenzy, someone utters “we really should sort some shade out.” It’s usually not the first thing on the list, but that is the first of many purchases that usually dictates how the garden is used for the rest of the summer. That is why thinking it through is always a better option than whatever is on the shelf at the local garden centre. Even with some thought, it will not be the first purchase of the summer.
Shade Without the Compromise
The design of Cantilever umbrellas is of a definite advantage as opposed to the traditional center-pole design. Center-pole umbrellas require a table with a drilled hole in the center, and the base of the parasol literally blocks the space of a would be passerby. The cantilever parasol places the post to one side and allows the canopy to do the overhead work. This one design feature eliminates a great deal of problems. It eliminates the need to move chairs around parasol poles, and eliminates the need of a certain type of table for a parasol to be useful. It also eliminates the compromise of constantly moving shade with the sun.
Because the arm rotates and tilts, the canopy can track the sun, meaning that it won’t leave a side of the patio with constant sunlight. This design will be appreciated by anyone who has spent a summer squinting at their laptop or has had to sit and watch a toddler’s ice pop melt from exposure to the sun.
Making More of the Space You’ve Got
Patios are not getting bigger in the UK, but people are trying to fit a fire pit, dining set and loungers on a patio that was not reasonably designed for any of those. A cantilever parasol is the only thing that you will need to fit under it because it can shade a table on one day and a group of loungers on another day, and do that with ease by swinging the arm. A cantilever parasol has built in versatility that a fixed structure, such as a pergola, does not have, and will save a lot of money.
A Longer Outdoor Season
It does not purely rely on looks for its design either. The UK does not have great weather, and with a sturdy frame and a weatherproof canopy, a good cantilever parasol can make your garden usable for more days of the year. It can handle a light rain and sun without needing people to leave and go indoors. Over the course of a season, its design can help people spend a lot more time outdoors.
Something Worth Getting Right
Honesty matters: not all cantilever parasols are the same and when it comes to pricing, not all pricing is the same. What differentiates something that will last a decade versus something that will fail in its first season are the details. The materials used in the frame and the fabric and the mechanism that lets the canopy rotate and tilt, and the base that holds it (and its canopy) in a wind. These things are all important to consider before making the purchase. It is fair to say that, in almost all cases, it is not true that the bigger item is the better value.
A Sensible Time to Buy
Pricing will change based on when the purchase is made. When the parasol is in high demand, retailers will sell it at its highest price. If you shop slightly before the demand spikes, or at the end of a season when the price is lowest because the retailer is clearing stock, you will likely get the best value and the most selection.
Cantilever parasols are not luxuries; in fact, they solve an almost universal problem. Most gardens have too much sun in certain places, and because of this problem, many gardens are inflexible. For this reason, it is justifiable that there should be one on the shopping list for this year, no matter the size of the garden.
