Considering how hot it gets in Australia, not only during heatwaves but on hot summer days, you might be thinking of getting the best outdoor umbrella for you.
However, if you’ve been doing your research, you might be feeling overwhelmed by all the options out there. The terminology can be confusing, too. How can you find the right outdoor umbrella for you?
Fortunately, in this article, we’ll review the best outdoor umbrella in Australia options that are available in 2022.
Finally, you can get the best outdoor umbrella for your outside space and enjoy those hot Australian summer days to the fullest. Read on to learn more.
There are different types of umbrellas if you’re looking to buy an outdoor umbrella. The first type we’ll review is what we call Classic outdoor umbrellas. These are lightweight centre-post umbrellas that are usually easy to move around.
They’re also easy to open and close. There are other names people use to refer to classic outdoor umbrellas, such as “market umbrellas,” “cafe umbrellas,” and “resort umbrellas.”
You’ll often come across these outdoor umbrellas at cafes and restaurants. You also might find them at hotel pools or in residential backyards. Sometimes, classic umbrellas will be placed in the centre of a table.
There are several outdoor umbrella options of the classic type. The first we’ll review is Classic Timber from our good friends Made in the Shade. This umbrella is Australian-made and hand-crafted from locally-sourced Victorian Ash timber. The canopy is of acrylic canvas material.
The single-piece centre mast is 60 mm. This is in contrast to split poles that measure 38mm that cheaper wooden umbrellas have.
If you want to add a little extra to your outdoor decor, you can get this umbrella with a striped colour canopy. A popular choice is the blue and white stripe option.
When choosing an umbrella in the classic style for the outdoors, another option is the UltraShade Home & Cafe outdoor umbrella. This is an Australian-made umbrella, too. If you’re looking for something durable but still relatively lightweight, this is a great option.
For example, say you live in a windy area. In this case, this is a great choice over other umbrellas, as it’s more heavy-duty than the others in the classic list (though not quite as much as our heavy duty list further down)
This umbrella comes with an acrylic canvas company with an aluminium frame.
Note that this umbrella is a little more costly then others in the classic range.
Another classic outdoor umbrella is the Shadowspec SU2. This product comes from New Zealand, and it’s lightweight with an easy-to-use pulley system. The pole and frame are made of aluminium that’s anodized and marine-grade.
If you’re looking for an outdoor umbrella you can open and close with ease, this is a great choice.
This umbrella offers an excellent mix of high quality and affordability. Therefore, it's one of the most popular products we sell at Project Shade.
If you’re looking for classic outdoor umbrella options that are a little less expensive, the Sungranger is a good option. Even though this is a lower-quality imported product than the other umbrellas on this list, it’s great value for money.
These umbrellas start at a low price of $349, giving you quite a lot for your money.
Another classic style outdoor umbrella is the Bambrella. This umbrella is made from bamboo and is very lightweight, so if you’re looking for an option that’s simple and easy to move around, this is a great choice. Prices start at the low price of $297.
Cantilever umbrellas are also known as side posts or offset umbrellas. These umbrellas have a pole, post, or column attached to one end of the umbrella—which creates a sort of floating shade. Many models of cantilever umbrellas have a swivel arm that allows them to rotate up to 360 degrees.
Cantilever umbrellas are a popular choice around swimming pools and in backyard areas. If you’re looking for the best cantilever umbrella for you, check out the following recommendations.
This umbrella, made in New Zealand, makes it possible for you to mount up to four umbrellas off one central shade mast for a large amount of shade. It also features the world-renowned Sunbrella acrylic canopy. Additionally, it comes with a warranty of 10 years for the canopy and six for the frame.
It also has patented features such as Shadowlock, Shadowglide, Shadowlift, and Shadowhub.
This umbrella is also available on a portable freestanding base. The Shadowspec Unity is truly one of the (if not the most) impressive outdoor umbrellas you will find.
The Shadowspec Serenity is the single canopy version of the Unity, with all the same features and warranty. This umbrella rotates 360 degrees, giving you the flexibility you need. This is our most-sold umbrella, which means it’s quite popular!
The Master Shade is an Australian-made outdoor umbrella that is wind-rated up to 100 km/h. It also rotates 360 degrees and tilts. If you love to decorate every inch of your space, you’ll be happy to know that you can customise the canopy and frame colour of this umbrella.
This high quality cantilever umbrella comes in a large variety of size options including a 5m octagonal. The Master Shade is also a little cheaper than other premium cantilever umbrellas on this list.
This umbrella is Australian-made with German engineering. This umbrella also has a patented double title feature and the warranty on the frame lasts 20 years. It also offers a full rotation of 360 degrees, making it a versatile umbrella.
Due to its excellent build quality and unique double tilt feature, this umbrella is quite expensive compared to other single canopy umbrellas on this list.
The double title feature makes it possible for you to move the canopy with a little more accuracy. This can be helpful when moving it slightly to move where it creates shade.
Each Revolvashade is custom made when you order, if you are interested in this unique umbrella please contact us to learn more.
This is cantilever umbrella that’s very similar to the Shadowspec Serenity. However, you won't get as much out of the Instant Shade Eclipse as you would from the Shadowspec Serenity. This said, the Instant Shade Eclipse comes with a tilt feature which is handy in some situations.. If you're interested in the Instant Shade Eclipse it's worth reading our blog - Shadowspec Serenity vs the Instant Shade Eclipse.
The heavy duty commercial range is made up of the strongest outdoor umbrellas available. These umbrellas are built to withstand tough weather conditions and are long-lasting. Heavy duty umbrellas are popular in commercial areas.
Examples of these commercial areas include schools, amusement parks, and high-end restaurants and hotels.
You can also find them in residential areas that are prone to severe weather conditions, such as beachfront properties. Want to find out more about the best commercial outdoor umbrella options? Keep reading.
The UltraShade Commercial Entertainment umbrella is Australian-made and wind-rated up to 80 km/h. It has a tamper-proof handle, an acrylic canvas canopy, and you can customise the colour of both the canopy and the frame.
There’s also the optional Serge Ferrari 502 Architectural PVC canopy upgrade available. These commercial outdoor umbrellas are custom made so please contact us to place an order.
This outdoor umbrella is made and designed in Australia. Technically, these structures aren’t umbrellas, as they don’t open and close which makes them almost indestructible. Flexshade Tension Membrane has the highest wind resistance out there, as it’s 160 km/h wind-rated.
This option comes with a 10-year structural warranty. It’s also available in multiple configurations including Centre Column or Side Column.
The Shadowspec SU10 is a telescopic mast to clear most furniture. It’s available with a portable freestanding base and has a sunbrella fabric canopy. The frame is made of commercial-grade aluminium and the hardware is made of stainless steel.
This heavy duty commercial umbrella is Australian-made. It’s similar to FlexShade, but some SkySpan models open and close. When this outdoor umbrella is open, it can have a wind rating of up to 118km/h. Different options include the Horizon, Sunset, Typhoon, and other umbrellas.
The HD Nova is very similar to the Shadowspec SU10. This said, it's not as nice to look at as the Shadowspec SU10. However, you can also get an optional LED light kit with this outdoor umbrella. Additionally, it does come with a longer canopy warranty than the Shadowspec SU10.
The HD Nova comes with a 10-year fade warranty, a 3-year frame warranty, and is the UV Standard 801.
Now that you’ve learned about Australia’s best outdoor umbrella options for 2022, you might be interested in purchasing an outdoor umbrella. In this case, you should look no further than the outdoor umbrellas available through Project Shade.
We design our umbrellas specifically for Australian conditions. We sell classic, heavy duty, and cantilever outdoor umbrellas. We also sell shade sails and structures.
To learn more about the outdoor umbrellas we have available, contact us now.
Please note the contents of this post is information only and general in nature.
If you require advice it is best to contact one of our shade specialists who can review your particular circumstances and then provide
tailored advice according to your needs.
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