Shade7 is New Zealand’s leading supplier of premium outdoor umbrellas, specialising in umbrellas that offer strength and durability as well as stunning appearance. Shade7 Cantilever umbrellas transform the way New Zealanders enjoy outdoor living and are an increasingly sought-after landscaping design feature.
What is a cantilever umbrella? A cantilever umbrella has the mast or pole at the side, and the canopy hangs beside it, or in technical terms, the canopy cantilevers out from the side of the mast or pole. This creates a unique experience using an outdoor umbrella, as it removes the centre pole from the shaded space beneath the canopy, leaving the entire shady area free to use and enjoy. The benefits of cantilever umbrellas are also explored in this article.
A Cantilever umbrella and a centre pole umbrella are equally useful and desirable but offer different benefits, Fixed shade options such as louvres or sails can be great for overhead sun, but often provide no shade as the sun moves lower, or too much shade on overcast days. Questions such as ‘should I get a cantilever umbrella’, or ‘is a cantilever umbrella better than a centre pole umbrella, or better than louvres or a shade sail,’ are important when considering sun protection and outdoor entertaining. If you would value any of the following benefits, then for your outdoor space, the answer could be yes, a cantilever umbrella may serve your needs best.
- Entertain with no umbrella pole to peer around or fit furniture around.
- Have an open shaded space on deck/patio that can be adjusted as the sun moves lower.
- Shade more than one area of furniture on the deck or patio, such as dining and lounge, as the sun moves.
- Shade an outdoor table that seats more than six people.
- Shade an outdoor dining table with no umbrella hole.
- Be able to cover a spa pool beside the deck.
- Shade poolside sun loungers sometimes, and other times shade the pool.
Hilton KORO Fiji Riviera Cantilever Umbrella
If you have answered yes to any of these benefits, then a cantilever umbrella might be the ideal option for your outdoor area. The following points on how a cantilever umbrella is different to a centre pole umbrella will help you decide this.
- With the umbrella mast at the side of the umbrella canopy, and not in the middle of it, the shaded space is like an open-air room.
- With the umbrella mast at the side of the umbrella canopy, the umbrella is most often installed at the edge of the deck. This keeps the patio or deck open and free for people to sit and to walk, or for children to play.
- Unlike a fixed roof or shade sail, as the sun sinks lower, the canopy of a Shade7 cantilever can be rotated or tilted to block the low sun, or to create additional privacy.
- And unlike a fixed roof or shade sail, a Shade7 cantilever umbrella can be closed to let the light in and requires no installation permit.
- The stunning Shade7 Riviera or Stellar mast and frame add extra elegance and luxury to any outdoor space, beautifully framing any view.
- Shade7 Cantilever umbrellas are extremely strong. They are most often bolted directly to deck or patio, which means they are never in danger of tipping over in windy conditions.
- Bolting to deck or patio is very neat and discrete, providing a small footprint for maximum free space beneath the canopy. However, for those unable to bolt directly to their outdoor area, Shade7 have two very stable freestanding base options available.
Once you have decided on a cantilever umbrella, the next question is how to decide what the best cantilever umbrella for you is, and what size cantilever umbrella your outdoor space needs.
The biggest factors in choosing the best cantilever umbrella for an outdoor space are:
- The size of the space that needs protection from overhead sun.
- Whether low sun is a problem.
- How the space is used – for example, will the umbrella cover a spa pool or lounge suite as well as a dining table.
- Height of objects beneath or behind the umbrella
- How exposed to the wind the area is.
- The direction the outdoor space faces, eg North-facing.
The answers to these questions are discussed in What cantilever umbrella should I get?
Or contact any of the friendly team at Shade7, who will be happy to discuss your needs, and help you to choose the best cantilever umbrella for your beautiful outdoor area.
