Cool in the shade: The best sun brollies for balcony and garden

Jul 23, 2009, 4:15 GMT

Hamburg - The sun is hot, the sky is blue and it is 30 degrees Celsius in the shade. Only with the right sun protection is it possible to comfortably deal with those conditions and right now sun brollies and sun awnings are two of the most popular ways to block the sun's rays.

But brollies and awnings don't just stop harmful ultra violet (UV) rays, they can also provide a pleasing look for the balcony or garden.

A garden has always been a refuge from the troubles of daily life. 'It's a place to withdraw to when things are getting stressful,' says Ursula Geismann from the German Association of the Furniture Industry.

The trend right now is towards bringing the living room into the garden. At the moment large items of furniture are in. 'Big sun brollies have become very popular. They are almost as big as those used in the catering trade.'

'In terms of colour, brollies must match the garden's overall ambience. This summer we've been seeing a lot of white but earthy tones are also popular,' says lifestyle consultant Yvonne van de Straat-Werner.

The brolly's frame can be either made of wood or aluminium. Van de Straat-Werner thinks aluminium is the trendier of the two.

Uni-colour models are the favourites right now. Stripes are still in fashion but to a smaller extent. Along with big brollies, you also see smaller versions. 'They look like the small umbrellas you find in the Caribbean,' says van de Straat-Werner.

Sun awnings are very useful in big gardens where they can be stretched between two trees. Awnings are available in multiple colours. 'You won't go wrong by choosing a single colour model but flowery patterns are not very common this summer,' says van de Straat-Werner.

Fred Wilkening has no preference when it comes to design. The expert from Germany's consumer advice and safety organisation, TUEV, checks sun screens for their performance characteristics.

'The most important thing is the level of sun protection a brolly or awning can provide,' he says. The brolly's material should definitely be one that lives up to a UV protection standard of between 60 and 80.

If there is no safety label there are a couple of other things to look out for that can help you choose the best brolly.

'If you place two brollies beside each other you can easily tell which one offers the most sun protection. Thin material you can see through will not block the sun's rays properly,' warns Wilkening.

That type of brolly is also usually less able to stand up to bad weather conditions. Other quality characteristics are ease of use and the brolly's pole: 'The bigger the brolly, the thicker the pole must be. The brolly stand must also be good enough to take the weight.'

Ursula Geismann recommends spending a little bit more money to get good quality: 'A cheap brolly will last maybe two years and then you will have to get a new one.' Umbrellas costing between 400 and 500 dollars are usually good value. 'They last between five and seven years.'

Fred Wilkening, on the other hand, thinks price is not always a good indicator of quality. 'You can find a good sun brolly for a reasonable and attractive price,' he says.