One of the best parts of being outside is the warmth of the sun. When summer comes however, the rays of the sun can become far too bright and hot. When you designed your patio area, you may have thought you wanted to be a sun worshipper and work on your tan. Eventually you’ll need to get out of the sun and this is where a cantilever umbrella comes in handy.
In this article, we’ll discuss what a cantilever umbrella is. We’ll also suggest how you might incorporate them into your outdoor living space.
What Is A Cantilever Umbrella?
What if you don’t want the umbrella post to be in front of you or next to you? This is why the cantilever umbrella has become the ideal solution. A cantilever umbrella provides the canopy of the umbrella without that pesky post in the middle of your space. A cantilever umbrella is an umbrella where the base is offset from the center, off to one side. With a large rectangular cantilever umbrella, the base is typically offset from the center of the long edge of the canopy.
First, when you consider a cantilever umbrella or any umbrella for that matter, you’ll want to look at the orientation of the terrace to the sun. You don’t want to plan on putting an umbrella to the north of your sitting area. Keep in mind the sun is almost never directly overhead. It’s always at a slight angle. The sunshine will come from the southeast in the morning, and the southwest in the afternoon.
Best Cantilever Umbrellas Comparison
What To Look For In A Cantilever Umbrella
When examining what is a cantilever umbrella to you, the feature you want to look for are a tilt function. This allows you to tilt the canopy to accommodate the changes in the sun’s rays as the day goes by. The base of your cantilever umbrella will be very heavy, so do not plan on being able to easily move the umbrella base itself as the sun moves. Having the ability to tilt the umbrella canopy in place can make up for much of the needed movement throughout the day.
Additionally, and equally important as the location of the umbrella related to the sun, is the size of the canopy itself. One of the most common sizes is a 10’ square or hexagon shape. This is good for one or two chairs. You will notice with this setup you will be adjusting the umbrella canopy regularly. However, this is a great improvement over a center pole umbrella, and is a great size for some setups.
Best Cantilever Umbrellas 2023 Reviews
If you want the Ritz Carlton of cantilever umbrellas, you can always consider a Tuuci. These cost well into the thousands, often more than $10,000 for a well appointed umbrella. This may seem extreme to spend that much on an umbrella. However, if you have a high wind condition like an urban rooftop where you can’t afford to let your umbrella go flying off and crashing to the street in a wind storm, sometimes it’s your best option. They also have the ability to build in motorized opening and closing, heating systems, as well as lighting systems.
For the rest of us though, there are numerous cantilever umbrella options out there. Just make sure you don’t fall for some of the low priced, low quality umbrellas on the market today. It used to be cantilever umbrellas were only for the extremely wealthy among us who could afford a Tuuci. However, now there are some great low priced options on the market. With that comes some low budget junk however. To help make sure you don’t wind up with a pile of cheap canvas and bent aluminum we’ve put together a few of our favorite cantilever umbrellas below.
Best Cantilever Umbrella Under $200: Bluu Banyon
- PREMIUM PATIO DÉCOR: The BLUU BANYAN umbrella has a classic, floating design that will transport you to your last relaxing vacation on the beach. The…
- HIGH-QUALITY SOLUTION-DYED FABRIC: The 10 FT wide canopy is made of 240 gsm solution-dyed fabric with a water-repellent coating to increase the water…
- TOP-OF-THE-LINE FRAMEWORK & EXCELLENT STABILITY: The tilting joint is made from PA66 enhanced nylon and is secured on an aluminum die-cast rotating…
This umbrella comes with a 24 month fade resistance guarantee on the fabric. With a cross base like the Bluu Banyon, you will want to purchase the fillable base plates to help weigh the base down. Best Choice Products makes the perfect 4 piece solution.
Speaking of Best Choice Products, they make another excellent option for a low priced umbrella.
- 360-DEGREE ROTATION & EASY GLIDING: Step on the foot-release latch and turn the sturdy powder-coated aluminum pole to your desired position
- SOLAR-POWERED LED LIGHTS: A top-mounted solar panel powers 35 LED bulbs (5 per rib) and one central light to provide perfect lighting day and night!
- EASY-LOCK HANDLE: A simple trigger release system allows the handle to smoothly glide before securely locking the canopy in position with one of a…
What we like about this one is the built in solar powered lighting system. Use the same base weights as listed above to help hold this umbrella down.
Best Cantilever Umbrella Under $400: Sunnyglade Deluxe
- 【Upgraded Fabric & Innovative Design】This offset umbrella is made of 250/gsm 100% polyester fabric with PA coating that is fade & sun resistant…
- 【Provides a Wide Range of Shade】The canopy size of this offset patio outdoor umbrella is 10x13ft, which can provide you with enough shading area….
- 【Stable Frame Structure】Outdoor offset patio umbrella is crafted with 8 durable aluminum ribs, heavy aluminum main pole is more stronger and…
For a low priced rectangle, the Sunnyglade 10’ x 13’ is an excellent solution. Use the same base weight system listed above. The detailing is not as high end as the Purple Leaf, but the price is less than half, so if you don’t need the luxurious feel of the Purple leaf, this is an excellent option to get you the shade you need. The crank and tilt functions are especially easy to use with the Sunnyglade.
Best Cantilever Umbrella Under $800: Purple Leaf
- The canopy size of this patio umbrella is 9’X12′, unique double-top canopy and wood pattern design for commercial and residential use
- This cantilever umbrella has unique handle design and crank system, 6 height and angle to choose, 360-degree rotation for easier shading area control
- 【2023 UPGRADED】High quality 240/gsm yarn dyed polyester fabric, UV resistant, water-repellent and colorfast fadeless, 3 years warranty
The 9’ x 12’ or 10’ x 13’ Purple Leaf are our high end umbrellas of choice. These are a bit more expensive, but built into them are high end detailing reminiscent of the Tuuci umbrella series which nearly all of these umbrellas attempt to mimic. When answering the question what is a cantilever umbrella, we say it’s the Purple Leaf. The Purple Leaf is in our opinion the best representation of an umbrella under $1000 which creates the look and feel of a high end luxury resort umbrella.
Cantilever Umbrella Summary
Your cantilever umbrella will bring many benefits. Surely you will not have to deal with pesky poles in the middle of a dining set. However, cantilever umbrellas also make the perfect substitution for an in pool umbrella stand. While Tuuci may have the best overall cantilever umbrella, you can find several more affordable products that will get the job done. You don’t need to spend a fortune on a cantilever umbrella.
