Parasols & Garden Umbrellas

As much as we love when the sun comes out, without nearby shade to retreat to it can become a bit too much. Our great range of garden parasols & umbrellas offer shaded areas in your outdoor space to hide away from those harsh UV rays or surprise sprinklings of rain. Find a range of garden umbrellas and parasols, including everything from overhanging parasols to standard cantilever parasols, right here at Robert Dyas.

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Parasols are the finishing touch to your garden furniture. Not only parasols highly effective at providing shade on those super hot days, garden umbrellas can really bring your entire garden together. Whether you have rattan or wooden garden furniture, an overhanging parasol can create a stylish feel in your garden and flawlessly complement your current furniture.

Our cantilever & banana parasols are the perfect way to ensure you are always shielded by the sun, no matter where it sits in the sky. Their ability to move left to right and up & down means you always have the choice of how much sun you are exposed to.

For larger garden spaces, square parasols are a great addition. Due to their large size, square parasols are able to cover much larger spaces compared to the traditional garden umbrellas. Find them in a range of colours from classic beige & grey to emerald green - we have something for every garden!

Keep your garden parasols and umbrellas protected in the cold, harsh months with our super practical range of parasol & umbrella covers, ready for the next time. Don’t forget a parasol base too, to hold down your new umbrella or parasol...

Not quite what you’re looking for? Why not check out our structured shade sails, giving a more permanent solution to protecting your family against the harsh UV rays.

What is a parasol?

A parasol is essentially an umbrella that provides shade during the day. The Latin root of parasol breaks down into ‘para’ which means ‘shelter’ or ‘shield’ and ‘sol’ meaning ‘sun’, so it is literally a shelter from the sun. This is what separates a parasol from an umbrella; they’re made for two opposite forms of weather. A parasol used to be made of thin material and be handheld to shield the user on a sunny walk, but nowadays we associate this with the garden parasol that slots into your outdoor dining furniture. It’s still made of a thin, lightweight material to allow light through during the day, but they are typically a freestanding parasol and base instead of an accessory.

How to clean a garden parasol

It’s important you clean your parasol regularly because this means it won’t suffer as much wear and tear and could therefore last much longer before you need a replacement. However, you shouldn’t wash your garden parasol on the same day you’re planning on putting it away, because moisture can linger in the folds of the canvas and cause mould or mildew. Nobody wants a nasty surprise when taking the parasol back out for the summer months!
Cleaning a garden parasol is simple. Begin with brushing off any loose dirt and leaves that may have fallen on it. Then, hose it down gently with cold water. Use a sponge or soft bristled brush to wash the canvas with warm water and a drop of washing up liquid. Make sure you don’t pull on the canvas too much or scrub too vigorously, as this could lead to tearing. Leave it to air-dry in the sun before replacing the parasol cover and placing it back in your garden shed.

How to put up a garden parasol

This may be different based on whether you’ve got a regular garden parasol or a cantilever parasol, or even if your parasol base is different. For example, if you’ve got a parasol base that can be tightened around the pole, then all you need to do is slot your parasol into it and turn the screw to compress the grip. Then, you can simply erect your parasol by pushing the canvas up and fixing it in place with a lever or key.

For a cantilever parasol, this is slightly different…

How does a cantilever parasol work?

A cantilever parasol sees the parasol stand supporting the sunshade from the side rather than the centre, allowing for a more communal shaded space without a pole in the middle to obstruct conversation.

Each of our cantilever parasols will come with their own instructions, but there are certain steps to follow when setting yours up. First, assemble the parasol base and then place the parasol into it and fix it in place. The locking handle can be moved up and down the main pole, so adjust the height to where you’d like your canopy to hang. Fix the lever when it’s at your desired height to lock it in place, and crank the canopy open to its full span. Voila! You’ve assembled your cantilever parasol.