Many people prefer to spend a day on the beach to relax and rejuvenate. The beach is the perfect place to bond with your family and friends and create some memories. However, without the right arrangements, it can turn into an uncomfortable experience for you. We are not talking about taking a lot of gear with you. A few essentials like a beach umbrella and swimsuit are more than enough.

A Beach umbrella is the perfect way to get the shade and UV protection that you need to relax. The proximity of the sun, sand, water, and an umbrella can help you relax your body and mind. The only thing which you need to keep in mind is that you need to choose the right one. Today, we will not only help you understand how to do so but also share with you the different types, sizes, and options available when it comes to choosing a beach umbrella.

Table of Contents

What is a Beach Umbrella?

Beach Umbrellas are also known as Sunshades. These umbrellas are large enough and range from 6 feet to 13 feet in dimensions. The purpose of such umbrellas is to provide you with the much-required shade against the sun. You can comfortably relax under them when you’re on the beach.

They are foldable to make it easy for you can carry them around easily on the roof of your car or in the trunk. They have an anchor, which allows you to stabilize them in the sand. Once you are at the beach, you can easily unfold it and put a bed sheet below it and relax on the beach. Before you rush to buy one, it is essential to look at the type and size options available. We will highlight those below.

Types & Size of Beach Umbrella:

Once you familiarize yourself with the type and size options, it is easy to choose the right one. Let us first start with the types of beach umbrellas that are available.

TypesSize

UV-Proof Beach Umbrella

The first type that you will come across when looking for one is the UV-proof beach umbrella. It protects you against the UV rays of the sun. When relaxing on the beach, such protection can come in handy. You can not only get some shade against the sunlight but also protect your skin. Due to these benefits, it is often in high demand.

Clamp-On Beach Umbrella:

The clamp-on umbrella is often small in size. It is, however, perfect if you want to sit in your lounge chair and need an obstacle to block the heat. There are generally eight panels in this umbrella, and each one of them clamps to the table. You can clamp them to a chair as well. Since you can clamp them to the surface of your choice, it is easy to get sun protection. If you’re going to spend a day on a calm beach, the clamp-on umbrellas are the perfect option for you.

Commercial Grade Beach Umbrella:

The commercial-grade beach umbrellas as the name suggests, are heavy-duty umbrellas. These umbrellas use weather-resistant materials. They are useful in high traffic places. Due to the heavy-duty construction, the wear and tear of such umbrellas are on the lower side. They usually consist of fiberglass which provides them with flexibility and a significant amount of strength.

The reinforced pockets and frame ensure that they can handle elements of weather without any issue. The fabric in use is often canvas. Canvas not only provides high durability but is pretty strong as well which ensures that it can handle consistent use without any problem.

If you’re searching for beach umbrellas, you can go through these three types to find the perfect option.

The size of such umbrellas varies according to the type. The ideal size is around 6 feet to 7 feet in diameter. These days, however, there are bigger ones available which are up to 9 feet in diameter. When you opt for the UV proof umbrella, it is even huge since it needs to provide you with a high amount of shade.

Thus, generally speaking, the size of such umbrellas is between 6 feet to 13 feet. Since you can detach the pole from the umbrella when not in use, it becomes effortless to carry them in the trunk of your car. You have to choose the size according to the type and the amount of shade you need.

Beach umbrella fabric types:

The fabric used in the umbrella will determine the durability and the amount of shade that you get. It will have a significant impact on the heat-blocking capacity of the umbrella. Due to this very reason, it is essential to check the fabric before buying an umbrella for the beach. The three fabric options that you will usually come across are:

• Polyester: The polyester material can not only block the heat but is mold resistant, durable and easy to clean. Polyester is wrinkle-resistant and has some flexibility which increases the wind resistance of the umbrella. It can dry very quickly as well which is why it is one of the most common materials used in these umbrellas.

• Cotton: Cotton is a natural heat repellent. That is why; it is the ideal material for such umbrellas. It is also affordable and highly durable which makes it an excellent choice for umbrella fabrics.

• Canvas: The canvas material is not only resilient but consists of a PVC coating. The coating makes it entirely waterproof. Moreover, the material used is hemp or cotton or linen. These materials are very durable and resilient which is what makes canvas such a good option.

Apart from the type of fabric, the thickness also matters a lot. It varies from 75D to 300D. The thicker the material, the heavier it will be. However, the thicker fabrics provide more sun protection. You have to achieve a balance between portability, thickness, and sun protection. When you choose the umbrella accordingly, it becomes effortless for you to get optimum sun protection.

What’s a UV-Proof beach umbrella?

The UV-proof Beach umbrellas are becoming more and more common. As people become more aware of the harmful effects of UV rays, they prefer UV proof umbrellas rather than the normal ones. Most of these umbrellas have a sleek design and a larger shade. They can protect you not only against the rays of the sun but heat and wind as well. Generally speaking, they have a UPF rating of 50+， 55+. It is a good idea to go with the best options which have UPF ratings of 100.

UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. An umbrella with a UPF rating of 100 will pass only 1/100 UV rays and block 99/100 rays. That is why the higher the UPF rating of the umbrella, the better it is for you. UV-proof Beach umbrellas block UVA and UVB rays as well. This means that when you’re lying under the shade of these umbrellas, you can not only relax but also protect your body against any UV radiation.

A unique feature of the UV-proof Beach umbrellas is that they are tiltable. It allows you to get the shade at the angle and the location which you want. The tiltable construction further adds to the usability of these umbrellas.

Thus, if you’re looking for an efficient umbrella for the beach, it does not get any better than the UV proof ones. They have numerous features on offer which can not only provide you shade but also protect your skin.

Construction – Beach umbrella pole, frame, Anchor:

We will now go into the construction details of the beach umbrella and highlight different elements of the same.

Beach umbrella poleFrameAnchor

The pole refers to the central vertical spine of the umbrella. It connects the umbrella with the anchor below. It consists of a wide variety of materials like PVC, aluminum, wood, steel. They are then powder-coated to make them rust-resistant. Many of them are given a metallic finish to improve aesthetics. Generally speaking, the pole weighs less than 2 lbs.

Most of these umbrellas feature a foldable pole or a detachable pole. It allows you to divide the pole into two parts and make it small enough for easy portability. Once you are on the beach, you can easily join them using the clips on offer or the threaded ends.

The size of the pole is adjustable which allows you to change the height of the umbrella. Many umbrellas come with poles which are tiltable. It allows you to place the umbrella at the angle of your choice. Thus, the pole of the umbrella plays a vital role in reducing its size during transportation and making it easy to transport.

The frame of the umbrella refers to the rib structure. It is on the underside of the fabric. The spoke-structure provides proper support to the material of the umbrella. The spokes are flexible. It helps the umbrella to retain an appropriate shape even in windy conditions. The frame spokes consist of different materials like:

Iron/Aluminum frame
Stainless steel
Wooden
Fiberglass

Choose the quality of materials.

Fiberglass ribs are the most versatile of the lot. They not only impart strength but also are flexible which can help the umbrella retain its shape in windy conditions. The number of spokes always depends on the size of the umbrella. The more the diameter of the umbrella, the more will be the spokes. The frame of the umbrella keeps it in proper shape.

The anchor of the umbrella is at the bottom of the pole. It has a threaded design which makes it convenient for you to bury the umbrella into the ground. You can use the back-and-forth motion or the circular motion to fix the anchor into the beach sand. Once the anchor sets in the sand, the umbrella will remain in its place. It can handle windy conditions and other elements of weather without any problem. The length and design of the anchor matter a lot.

When buying a beach umbrella, it is wise to choose the one which has an efficient anchor design at the bottom.

If you want to choose a sturdy umbrella for the beach, it is essential to look at the construction quality of the umbrella and then take a call. The pole, frame and the anchor of the umbrella can help you understand its durability and strength.

What’s a vent beach umbrella?

The wind speed is often on the higher side when you’re at the beach. When using an umbrella in such a windy condition, it may act as an obstacle for the wind. That is why; the force on the umbrella might increase. Sure enough, it has an anchor but with consistent wind pressure, the wear and tear on the umbrella increases. The best way to combat this is to go for the vent beach umbrella.

The vent beach umbrella consists of a flap which you can quickly open or close in the canopy of the umbrella. The advantage of this flap is that when it is open, wind can pass through it and heat can escape from the umbrella. It means that the umbrella will no longer act as an obstacle for the wind. When the impact of wind is on the lower side, the wear-and-tear is minimal.

The pressure on the anchor reduces significantly. It increases the life span of the umbrella and ensures that it remains stable in its place. Additionally, it provides you with some respite from the heat which makes the shade under the umbrella much comfortable for you. That is why; most of the beachgoers prefer vent beach umbrellas.

Beach Umbrella Prints:

Now that you are familiar with the types of umbrellas for the beach and their construction, it is time to know more about the prints of the umbrella. The umbrella prints are often quite vibrant and eye-catching. Some of the print options which you can choose from are:

Silkscreen print

Screen printing is a printing technique whereby a mesh is used to transfer ink onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil.

You can print on plastic, clothes, metals and many other materials. The stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink as a clear image. A roller or squeegee is moved across the screen stencil, forcing ink past the threads of the woven mesh in the open areas, and printing onto the layers underneath. There are a number of advantages to using screen printing:

Good printing thickness for clear logos.
Good light resistance. With this method can be used for outdoor products, such as umbrellas.
Able to print over big areas, up to 3-4 meters.

Heat transfer print

This type of printing involves transferring a desired pattern via heat onto a substrate. First, the print machine is heated to a certain temperature, before being pressed with a significant amount of pressure for a certain amount of time onto the umbrella. It is then simply released and your printing incomplete! This way of printing holds a number of advantages:

Heat printing allows you to reduce your setup time hugely. The only main concern is its cost as it is not as economical compared with other print methods for mass production. One of the primary benefits of a heat press machine, when compared with other graphics printing devices, is the speed with which businesses can produce a finished product.
Great for multicolored printing.
Photographic material can be pressed using this method.
If in larger quantity, it is more cost-effective than silk screen printing.
The process is mess-free.

Almost all these prints are available in bright colors. It means that these umbrellas are aesthetically pleasing. If you do not like the existing designs, there is another solution which we will discuss below.

How to Custom print beach umbrella?

Customized printing is the perfect solution for you. We at Hfumbrella, unlike the other umbrella manufacturers, allow you to submit your design. We manufacture the umbrellas precisely as per the print which you provide us. The digital printers which we use are of high quality which ensures that you get exact design mimicked on the umbrella. That is what makes us stand out.

You can not only select the type of umbrella which you want but also customize its design. The customization option is available across various sizes and types which allows you to pick the right umbrella. If you’re a bit choosy or you want to stand out from the crowd, this is the perfect option for you.

We will now share with you a few tips which will help you to choose umbrellas for the beach.

Tips for buying a beach umbrella

With so many different options and variants available, it can be confusing to pick the right one. However, using four tips below, you can do so quite easily.

1. Check the size:
The primary factor which you should consider is the size of the umbrella. You have to look at the diameter of the umbrella. If you plan to spend the day on the beach with your family and friends, it is a good idea to opt for a large umbrella with a diameter of more than 9 feet. If you’re looking for a solo umbrella, you can choose the smaller one with 6 feet in diameter. You have to keep this factor in mind and then shortlist the umbrella options.

2. Prefer the UV-proof one:
Instead of just looking at the fabric, you have to choose UV proof umbrella right away. Once you buy it, you don’t need to worry about UVA and UVB rays. You can relax at the beach without any side effects on your skin. It is time to spend time on the beach without worrying about UV rays.

3. Do not ignore the material:
The next tip which you need to follow is to check the fabric. It should be heavy-duty and long-lasting. When it can handle all the elements of the weather, you can comfortably relax on the beach. It should be quick to dry so that in case of rain, you don’t need to wait for a long time to use it.

4. Choose the right type:
Lastly, you have to pick the right one. Apart from choosing the UV proof one, you also have the option of the clamp-on umbrella if you want to attach it to your lounge seat or your table. If you’re going to use it in your commercial premises, it is a good idea to choose the commercial-grade variants. Your application will ultimately decide the type of umbrella which you want.

So, if you have been perplexed by the numerous beach umbrella choices available, you can use our guide above to pick the right one. We at Hfumbrella offer you all these umbrellas with a wide variety of design and color options. Once you shortlist the same, you can drop us a line to order that beach umbrella.
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