What’s the best beach umbrella for your next ocean trip?

Do you know what to look for when buying beach umbrellas?

While it might not sound like it, your beach umbrella is one of the most important parts of your beach ensemble - as such, it’s something that you’ll need to put a lot of care into choosing before you hop onto the sand and enjoy the scorching sun without burning.

“Wait, did I hear that right? Can you get sunburn under an umbrella?”

Absolutely. You're not spared from harmful UV rays and skin damage even while you’re sitting under your umbrella. Believe it or not, many umbrellas only offer marginal UV protection - that’s why it’s so important that you choose the right one to protect you.

So before you start slathering yourself with Sunbutter sunscreen, don a beach hat, and slide on a pair of stylin’ beach sunnies, you’ll need to buy and set up your beach umbrella first.

What is the best umbrella for the beach?

3 beach umbrellas for your beach picnic setup

If you’re looking to buy a beach umbrella, it’s important that you choose one that doesn’t just look good, but also protects from harmful UV rays.

Specifically, that means choosing one that has:

• A special UV-resistant coating
• Durable, sturdy construction
• A large area to ensure you’re covered

And ideally, you’ll want one that ticks all three boxes.

Luckily for you, our online beach shop has a number of premium beach umbrella options that are exactly what you’re looking for...

Klaoos beach umbrella

Made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, Klaoos offers aesthetically-pleasing, masterfully designed umbrellas that will last for many years.

These umbrellas are high quality, durable, water-repellent... and not to mention, gorgeous looking.

Semi-handcrafted and carefully stitched and finished, a Klaoos beach umbrella is perfect for your outdoor adventure, offering absolute sun protection with its certified UPF 50 UV rating.

Moreover, they look fantastic which is exactly what you want if your goal is to stand out at the beach. 

Choose from distinct and brightly coloured combinations inspired by the psychedelic stylings of the hippie era.

We love the red/pink watermelon umbrella or Hibiscus umbrella - either of which will make you stand out for miles around, even on the most crowded beach.

Are you a big fan of royal purple? The Klaoos French umbrella is just what you need.

Need shelter while you lounge on the most comfortable, best beach chairs around? The Klaoos’ Angelique personal beach chair umbrella fits the bill perfectly.

Whatever your style, if you’re a big fan of colours, Klaoos has you covered (literally!)

Bamboo and Bungalow 

Want to capture the feel of the summer with your umbrella? Thanks to their warm and vibrant prints, Bamboo and Bungalow umbrellas are just what you want.

Incredible designs like this fruit salad umbrella and this safari-themed umbrella use durable, fade-resistant inks to stay stunning for multiple summers in a row.

Not only that, but these are great at protecting you from UV as well. A huge 2-metre canopy and UPF50+ protection means that you’re protected from the sun with one of these playful vintage umbrella designs.

Each Bamboo & Bungalow umbrella comes with a portable carrying bag as well - not only does it make it more practical to carry around with you, but it also means that they can be kept protected when they aren’t being used.

Business & Pleasure umbrellas

Business & Pleasure umbrellas are some of our best-selling umbrellas - and it isn’t hard to see why. With a huge range of vintage-themed umbrellas inspired by the styles of the 1960s, these umbrellas are sure to turn heads wherever you go.

Not only that, but they’re also made of recycled materials, using offcut wood sourced from World Forestry-certified timbers.

And of course, they have incredible retro-inspired designs too. Even their relatively simple White beach umbrella has a certain character about it, as it instantly transports us to the French Riviera.

Can you use a beach umbrella as a patio umbrella?

Absolutely!

While our premium beach umbrellas have been crafted for the windy, salty, and wet atmosphere of the beach, there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying their powerful protection all year-round if you have an appropriate mounting system in place.

Each umbrella we stock, in addition to including UV protection, is also chosen for durability, meaning that you can use it as your regular umbrella throughout the year.

Just remember, if you plan to set it up permanently outside, it’s going to be absolutely blasted with UV. While our premium beach umbrellas will last longer, the elements can take their toll. 

If you want to keep yours pristine, you may need to take steps to maintain it.

By that, we mean putting a cover on it when it’s not in use, and taking it in if harsh weather is on its way or you don’t expect to use it for a while.

Follow-up question: can you use a market umbrella at the beach?

You might think that this is the best choice for your beach trip - after all, they’re big and offer huge coverage. They should be perfect, right?

While this is true, they also come with their own issues - mainly, their weight.

Market umbrellas are heavy - and considerably so. Most have a thick and heavy base that prevents it from snapping or breaking, and which also makes it a lot harder to carry around.

Short story - even if you do have a market umbrella that might be suitable for the beach, the effort required to move it around will quickly be trumped by your enthusiasm to do so!

Instead, why not choose a premium umbrella that’s specially designed for the beach? 

Find the perfect beach umbrella for you

Visit our online beach shop

Boatshed7 is your one-stop-shop for the perfect day out at the beach.

We have a range of beach accessories, equipment, toys, and more - whatever you need for your beach holiday, we’ve got it!

Explore our most popular beach gear here and start shopping now!