Think of the perfect little piece of paradise in your home – your patio. I know you are a stylish and a well-organized woman who has it all under control, and your home design is certainly not something you would disregard; the perfectly chosen sitting area with a lot of space to accommodate the dozens of friends and family that come to your gatherings, the ideal coffee table that blends in with the furniture, and the cute details such as pillows, vases and fruit bowls are all there. But aren’t you missing something?

As summertime in Australia can be pretty hot and the strong sun rays can damage your furniture and make you feel too hot and uncomfortable while sipping your ice-cold coffee, you definitely need to invest in a quality outdoor umbrella. For that reason, I gathered some guidelines to help you pick a patio umbrella that besides spicing up the look of your outdoor area, will also perform at its best. Here’s what to consider.

Position

First things first! Before going on a shopping spree to look for the ideal patio umbrella that will make a difference on your patio, go outside and take a good look on your space. Do you want the umbrella to go out through the table, or to be free-standing? Picture the ideal atmosphere and imagine yourself in your most favourite position; which part of the patio is your most favourite one to enjoy in? Free-standing patio umbrellas are usually used in large outdoor areas and they can shade different kinds of furniture of any size. On the other hand, a through-table patio umbrella is placed in the centre of the patio table and often serves as the focal point of the whole area.

Umbrella Stands

The support for your umbrella, i.e. the umbrella stand, depends on how you intend to use the umbrella in the first place. While choosing the standard base of outdoor umbrellas, also consider a heavy-duty support that could withstand any weather. Moreover, bear in mind that free-standing umbrellas need heavier bases than through-table ones

Size

The size of the outdoor umbrella should be determined by the space that needs to be shaded. The basic rule of thumb to follow while calculating the dimensions of the diameter you need is that the umbrella should always be at least 1.5 metres larger than the area you want it to cover.

Material

The main purpose of the outdoor umbrella is to block the harmful sun rays. Keep in mind that whether this is achieved, largely depends on the choice of material of the canopy. Not all materials can provide great sun protection; the most commonly used ones are canvas, PVC and cloth. Canvas canopies are pretty durable fabrics that effectively block out the sun. It is not water resistant, but it could be treated for your canopy to be waterproof. PVC canopies on the other hand, block 100% UV light and can survive bad weather. Shade cloths have the ability to block 90-95% UV rays, they can resist small amounts of rain, but are not entirely waterproof.