Warmer weather is just around the corner. Your favorite lounging spot in your patio is waiting to be used. Protection from the suns rays is important to keeping you and your friends and family healthy by providing shade for those hot summer days with a patio umbrella. Protecting your skin from harmful sun rays can help prevent skin cancer and sunburns caused by excess exposure to the sun. Some sun exposure is healthy, however over exposure can result in age spots and premature wrinkling. Knowledge of these health risks are important for everyone. The warm months of the year are usually everyone’s favorite time of the year! Hanging out with family and friends next to the pool, smelling the melt in your mouth ribs that smell so good you can almost taste is a time everyone enjoys. Everyone enjoys those good times but everyone also remembers that one blazing hot day where they wanted to just lay down on the chaise lounge and rest and relax from reality under an umbrella but the annoying sun kept moving just below the brim to flash right into your eyes.

Fortunately there are umbrellas that offer a tilting mechanism (manual or mechanical) that allows the user to customize the exact angle that the patio umbrella tilts to provide more shade without getting out of their comfortable chair to move the umbrella only to have to get up 10 minutes later to reposition because the sun keeps moving. When looking to purchase the best shade unit for your needs there are certain things to research and review before making your investment. Most everyone is mainly going to ask themselves what color and what type of fabric am I looking for that has a great warranty and will last me season after season. The truth is, is that with patio umbrellas you get what you pay for. The less expensive umbrellas will not last as long as the more expensive patio umbrellas due to the type of material used for construction. Outdoor & garden umbrellas are available from $80 all the way up to $2,500. The difference is the quality of the frame, the quality of the fabric and the overall type of mechanism used for the umbrella. Patio umbrellas that do not have a crank or tilt, use a pulley lift system or are a manual push up which is slightly harder to raise than standard crank umbrellas but will last longer because there is less that can go wrong with the mechanisms the umbrella uses to raise and lower.

The pulley or manual push up lift systems are simple and are sure to last. The manual push up patio umbrellas are used by placing one hand on the main pole lower than the hub and using the other hand to apply pressure upwards, moving the patio umbrella hub up causing the fabric to expand up and out. After raising the umbrella with your hand past the pin hole, stop and place the metal pin through the hole preventing the umbrella hub and fabric from lowering back into its original closed position. The patio umbrella pin can be made from different metals including stainless steel to prevent rust. Stainless steel is rust resistant and durable made for outside use year round.

Another type of operating system is the “manual tilt” mechanism which has been used since the patio umbrella was invented. The “manual tilt” mechanism of tilting your patio umbrella can be integrated into umbrellas that use manual or push up systems. Manual tilt umbrellas can be operated by depressing the single button at the pivot point towards the top of the umbrella frame. After pressing the tilt button in, manually tilt the umbrella to the desired angle. Manual tilt outdoor umbrellas generally have up to three different locking positions depending on the brand of umbrella. Manual tilting umbrellas are simple in design and operate smoothly. Patio Umbrellas that offer an integrated crank to raise and lower your umbrella are a great option for users who are looking for a fast and convenient way of operating their umbrella without the hassle of having to manually raise or tilt their umbrellas. Crank operating systems for patio umbrellas work with an operating system concealed within the main frame structure.

Crank operated patio umbrellas function by turning a hand clockwise to raise the umbrella and anti-clockwise to slowly lower the unit. This method is great for older folks who do not have the ability to manually pushup the umbrella. The crank uses mechanical advantage making it simple and almost effortless to operate your unit. Each umbrella that operates with the crank operating system can be integrated with a manual tilt, collar tilt or auto tilt mechanism as well. The collar tilting umbrella mechanism works similar to the auto tilting operating system. Collar tilting umbrellas use the standard handle to raise and lower the umbrella, the special feature of the collar tilt mechanism is right above the handle on the crank housing there is a collar or ring that tilts the umbrella to the desired angle by twisting in a clockwise rotation. This type of tilting mechanism has endless tilting angles that the manual tilting mechanism can not compete with.

Reliable and long lasting, collar-tilting umbrellas are engineered for long time use and offer the user a high quality mechanism that is sure to satisfy. A auto-tilt patio umbrella is an umbrella that raises and lowers with the assistance of a crank exactly like the collar tilt however, with the auto-tilt umbrella mechanism, to tilt the umbrella the user would start with turn the hand in the clock-wise rotation to raise the umbrella. Once the umbrella is fully opened and extended, the user would continue to turn the crank handle to “auto” tilt the umbrella. This mechanism is reliable and is used with high quality patio umbrellas and has proven to be one of the best. When choosing a patio umbrella that is right for you with the assistance and knowledge of a patio umbrella buying guide is important to choose the correct size and style for your patio needs. There are many factors that need attention when choosing the perfect umbrella for your summer.