 Most pool owners agree: The longer you can be by the pool, the better. But that doesn't necessarily mean sitting in the sun the whole time. Sometimes it's just more relaxing to enjoy a little time in the shade.
While swimming pools are meant to bring relief from the blistering summer sun, we all know a little extra protection created by poolside accessories makes the long days of summer truly enjoyable. Getting the shade you need is as easy as turning the handle on a pool umbrella and opening it up.
Using a poolside umbrella to battle the hot days just makes good sense. Easy-to-use, flexible poolside umbrellas deliver relief from the sun—something every pool user needs at some point in the morning, afternoon, or early evening.
The biggest benefit of using an outdoor umbrella is its function for creating shelter from both sun and moisture. On a hot, sunny day, the umbrella acts as a shield from harmful rays, so people can still enjoy the sun without being directly beneath it. And in a sudden rain, an outdoor umbrella will cover a wider area than personal umbrellas, so more people are covered at once.
An umbrella is a flexible accessory for shading poolside areas, or even the pool itself along the water's edge. Umbrellas offer soothing relief without ever having to leave the swimming pool or pool deck. Lounging is much more comfortable, as are reading and resting thanks to reduced eyestrain.
Pool umbrellas also are quick to install, and easily removed. Adjustable umbrellas with awnings can be moved with just a few quick turns.
More uses will come to mind when one considers the portability of an outdoor umbrella. Besides being convenient and easy to use, it can be transported from one place to another with minimal effort. In fact, a poolside/patio umbrella is much more practical and cost-effective than any other type of shade structure since it can be used for picnics, recreational seating at sporting events, as well as yard and garage sales.
Season after season, the purchase of an outdoor umbrella will pay for itself many times over in comfort, flexibility, and ease of use.
What features should a consumer look for in a poolside umbrella?
A pool area just isn't complete without a good-looking, fully functional umbrella to lounge under during the hot summer days. Choosing the best umbrella for a pool can be daunting if you aren't sure what you are looking for. Here we answer with a review of the preferred materials and design concepts of a high-quality outdoor umbrella.
Materials and design
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A fine-quality umbrella should have eight ribs and a 1.5-inch diameter (38-mm) pole for optimal strength. The pole wall thickness should be 1.2-mm thick for durability, and should be made of extruded aluminum—not rolled, seamed, and welded. Extruded aluminum is at least 20% stronger. Why? Recycled aluminum has its imperfections, with less of the original material included, and therefore less of the qualities that make it exceptional for strength and durability. Extruded aluminum is preferred.
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High quality, weather-resistant, and fade-resistant fabrics sewn with a double over-lockstitch to prevent seam separation, using nylon thread for durability. Nylon will not rot like cotton thread.
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Look for solution-dyed fabrics, which are best-in-class because the color is part of the thread. That means the color will hold up against the sun far better than other types of oil-based fabrics.
Capabilities and functions
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Tilt functions vary for umbrellas in tables. A good tilt feature is the pushbutton tilt; a better tilt function is the crank tilt. A smooth crank tilt mechanism with infinite tilt positions is achieved by continuous turning of the crank handle to obtain the desired shading.
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A wind vent is preferable in umbrella design, as it will allow sudden gusts of wind to be vented out. Such a vent makes the umbrella much more stable in high wind conditions because there is less stress on the frame and fabric.
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Choose double-layered pockets to reduce fabric tearing.
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A quality cord that maintains a bursting strength of 100 pounds.
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A cord tracking system with nylon runners inside the crank housing that prevent the umbrella’s cord from coming in contact with any metal parts that can cut the cord. This type of system virtually eliminates cord breakage.
What is the difference between a patio umbrella and a market umbrella?
There are certain aspects that are common in all types of outdoor umbrellas. They all have some type of post to hold the canopy of the umbrella, which usually is made of a particular type of fabric. The canopy can be simplistic in design, or more creatively assembled.
 Market umbrella style usually refers to an outdoor umbrella or parasol typically found in the "old world" marketplace, such as an outside dining area, a bistro or sidewalk café, a pool deck, or some other public leisure area.
Market umbrellas were originally made from wood. To open and close a wood frame market umbrella, a pulley system normally does the work. Wood style frames usually do not have a tilt option.
Today there are aluminum market umbrellas that often tilt easily into different positions to effectively block the sun's rays. Market umbrellas are available in a large array of beautifully colored fabrics that can withstand the elements.
Outdoor aluminum patio umbrellas in the market style have by and large taken the place of the traditional wooden market umbrellas thanks to their strength and resilience. Even if a wooden umbrella has been made with a one-piece pole, has strong rib arms, and is sealed with many layers of varnish and protective sealant, it cannot stand the test of time compared to extruded aluminum materials. This is strictly due to the flexibility of the aluminum itself.
It should be noted, however, that the types of materials and products used with wood to make today's market umbrellas offer much stronger shade structure. Some manufacturers have added options for steel poles and shafts that are inserted internally into the wood pole for added strength from wind gusts and inclement weather.
Today, an outdoor aluminum umbrella in the market style is offered with different materials, and with different functionality.
 A cantilever style or offset umbrella—as the names suggest—the canopy is not sitting on top of a straight wood or metal pole. Instead, the offset umbrella has a base and an arm with a swing mechanism that allows it to be positioned wherever shade is desired. Offset—or cantilever—umbrellas also make great pool umbrellas because they enable more unrestricted movement and objects beneath them.
For example, with an offset umbrella, a side table can be placed beneath it and still have room for another chaise lounge or two. When the sun moves to a point where there no longer is shade covering the people beneath it, the angle of the arm or cantilever can simply be readjusted without moving the table, the loungers, the drinks, the books, the towels, and whatever else may be in use at that point.
In an age of automation, some outdoor umbrellas now have remote controls that allow them to be open and closed with the touch of a button from inside the home, or at the chaise lounge. The choice of patio or poolside umbrella for a garden area or backyard setting completely depends on the owner's desired goals for comfort, sun protection, relaxation, and quality.
Prices for outdoor umbrellas can range from an inexpensive $50 for a market umbrella to several thousands of dollars for an offset umbrella. Price is dependent on the various options and mechanisms included, such as size, fabric materials, cranks, pulleys, tilts, fittings, and wood or extruded-aluminum poles.
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