In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, outdoor dining has become a popular choice for Australians. Be it a café or an outdoor dining space in a restaurant, people have felt safe and secure having their meals in an open area. To make them more comfortable, café or restaurant owners install outdoor umbrellas so that their guests are well protected against the sun.
But how much protection do these umbrellas give and how do we judge which outdoor café umbrellas are the best shading solutions? Luckily, we are here to help you.
In fact, it’s not only café umbrellas that we will only focus on. We also use beach umbrellas to shield ourselves when we visit beaches. And it is important that we understand how much protection can a beach umbrella give us against the sun. Read on…
How to choose a café outdoor umbrella?
To choose an umbrella that provides adequate protection, you must consider two aspects:
- The fabric of the umbrella
- The stability of the umbrella
We will tell you about these two factors but, first, we want to tell you about a fact. A recent study published in JAMA Dermatology has reported that 78% of participants had developed a sunburn in spite of using large cantilever umbrellas. However, the same report said that umbrellas are effective in protecting you from UV rays because they filter out 99% of these harmful rays.
What does the research say?
In fact, another research by the Emory School of Medicine said that black umbrellas were quite adept at blocking 90 to 95 percent of UV rays. This is because the amount of radiation touching your skin under a black umbrella is the total amount of direct light that the fabric allows through plus the amount of reflected light. However, the amount of reflected light depends on how you set up the umbrella. Because you cannot quantify this light easily, it’s hard to put a precise number on the amount of radiation you get.
Another study revealed that outdoor café umbrellas provide at least 90% protection against UV rays. Among the 23 types of umbrellas that were tested to see the impact of direct sunlight on them, it was seen that “the poorest performing umbrella still blocked an average of 77% of UV rays.”
UV protection factor: Ultraviolet protection factor or UPF is a measure of how well the fabric of an umbrella protects you against both UVA and UVB rays. Generally, beach umbrellas can provide UPF 50+ sun protection. This is equivalent to wearing SPF 50 sunscreen. To make you understand better, an umbrella with UPF 50 blocks out 98% of both UVA and UVB rays while a UPF 30 umbrella blocks out only 96.7% of both types of UV radiation. So, our suggestion is to look for an umbrella with a UPF rating of 50+.
What type of umbrella is ideal to protect you from the sun?
Cantilever umbrella: A large cantilever umbrella is a good choice when it comes to choosing umbrellas for your café or restaurant. The structure of the device is such that it might seem that the umbrellas are floating unsupported in the air. However, the umbrellas extend outwards from a side-leveraged frame and it is the beam that holds the canopy on one end while it is supported by a pole at the other end. These umbrellas are portable and provide you with 360-degree sun protection with an unobstructed view.
Anything else that one needs to keep in mind?
Earlier, we mentioned about the fabric, frame, and stability of an umbrella. All these factors are important to protect you from the sun.
Fabric: You cannot compromise when it comes to the fabric of the café umbrella. You must select the highest quality so that the canopy can provide good protection against the sun. Some of the popular choices are:
- Acrylic:A very commonly-used fabric, acrylic is resistant to weather elements like sun, wind, and rain. It offers you 95% protection from UV rays.
- Polyester:It has similar traits to acrylic and is resilient and adaptable.
- Olefin:Olefin offers a high degree of UV protection and is long-lasting.
- PVC Vinyl: The fabric repels UV rays and is made for tough Australian weather conditions.
- Spanish recasens: A high-quality Spanish product, the fabric is durable and long-lasting.
- Italian Para Tempotest: Tempotest is Italian-made and is known for its durability.
Stability: Frames and a heavy base give the umbrella stability. So we suggest you go for either aluminium, steel or fibreglass frames because all these materials are not only lightweight and durable but they are strong, wind resistant, and can keep the canopy upright.
Because of the wind, especially on beaches, your café outdoor umbrella needs to be stable and provide protection irrespective of the time of day. A heavy base helps secure the umbrella to a particular spot.
Conclusion
The idea is that you can take off your hat and glasses, and relax under a café outdoor umbrella because it provides you with the necessary amount of shade. A top-quality outdoor umbrella has UV filters that can keep out UV radiation for optimal sun protection. In addition to shielding you from the sun, many umbrellas are designed for style and elegance and create an aesthetic appeal to your outdoor space.