Choosing an umbrella canopy fabric is one of the most important decisions you will make when purchasing an outdoor umbrella. A high-quality outdoor umbrella will provide excellent shade and add a touch of color to your yard or other outdoor space. You may want to choose an awning that will protect you from the heat and UV rays from the sun as well as heavy rain. So which fabric is better for you?
What Is An Umbrella Canopy
Umbrella canopy can be made of various fabrics, different fabrics have different functions, and the most important one is the sun protection function, which can reduce the direct sunlight to provide shade and UV damage.
Why Sunshade Fabric Is So Important
WHO has identified nine adverse health outcomes clearly caused by UV radiation exposure, including burns, cortical cataracts, malignant melanoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, and basal cell carcinoma of the skin. Overexposure to UV radiation is known to be associated with a variety of health problems, most notably skin cancer and cataracts of the eye. Skin cancer is 0.5%-0.7% of the total disease burden attributable to UV radiation exposure.
The good news is that outdoor umbrellas can block over 90% of UV rays, providing you with the shade and protection you need so you can enjoy the warmth of the sun well outdoors. If you choose a quality outdoor umbrella that is made from high quality materials with UV filters that filter UV radiation for optimal sun protection, then you will be well protected. Of course, one should always wear sunscreen to minimize the risk of skin cancer.
What kind of material does Purple Leaf have for the umbrella canopy?
PES Polyester
Polyester at a great price is a very popular fabric in today's fashion. Polyester is a man-made fiber used in textiles. It weighs 240 g/m2 and with our water repellent treatment and UV inhibitor treatment, it achieves better water and mildew resistance, while also effectively blocking 98% of harmful UV rays.
Sunbrella
Sunbrella is a well-known brand on the market and is often considered one of the best outdoor fabric brands. Sunbrella is recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation as an effective UV protector because the fabric blocks up to 98% of harmful UV rays. Make sure your patio umbrella fabric has a UV protection factor of at least 50. it also has excellent softness, mildew resistance, the ability to stay cool in direct sunlight, and quick drying properties. The only downside may be that it's a bit pricey.
How to Choose the Best Umbrella Canopy
Depending on your needs, you can choose different materials for your umbrella fabric. For example, you can choose the PES material to save money; you can also choose the Sunbrella material to make your outdoor umbrella last a little longer.
UV Protection
The most important reason for choosing an outdoor sunshade is to protect ourselves from UV rays when we are outdoors, which allows us to enjoy our time outdoors better. So we should choose a thicker shade fabric, like the ones we use at Purple Leaf which are sun protective, and we have to say here that Sunbrella fabric is highly recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation to help prevent skin damage caused by the sun, which is great for your health.
Fade Resistance
Choose a fade-resistant fabric. Since your cantilever umbrella is outdoors, it will be exposed to direct sunlight all day long. With low-grade umbrellas made of inferior materials, your new umbrella will look old and fade quickly. Our Purple Leaf umbrella fabric, on the other hand, is fade-release, so it will last a long time without fading and will look as good as new.
Waterproof and Anti-mold
You need to choose a more suitable outdoor umbrella, preferably one that can withstand rain and mildew, depending on your location and the weather. The Sunbrella is not completely waterproof, but it is well protected from moisture and therefore from mildew.
Conclude
You can choose the fabric of the umbrella fabric according to your needs, but if you want the umbrella to last a little longer, Sunbrella fabric is a good choice, and of course the life of the umbrella has a lot to do with the care of the umbrella. I hope this article is helpful to you, if you have other ideas or questions you can message me.
