Outdoor restaurants are becoming more popular because they offer customers a great meal experience out in the open. Be it a dream date or a casual business meeting, eating at fancy restaurants or cafes with a pleasantly flowing breeze can lift anybody’s mood. But what about the time when it starts to drizzle or the sun is too bright to handle?

It can be a total mood spoiler and make your customers panic. If you are an outdoor restaurant owner or in the business to rent outdoor spaces for events, you probably understand the pain that we are talking about. Investing in some heavy-duty outdoor umbrellas can help solve the problem in such a situation but a lot of business owners do not pay enough attention while shopping for this important accessory and have to face embarrassing situations later.

A lot of factors should be considered when it comes to buying a heavy-duty commercial umbrellalike its construction, fabric and colour. But most importantly, you need to pay attention to the wind resistance and rating of the umbrella, especially if you live in high wind velocity areas. These attributes will help you assess your umbrella’s durability and strength; however, this test is not as easy as it sounds since the wind resistance and rating are not usually covered under any sort of warranty. Today, allow us to shed some light on how to purchase the best commercial umbrella for windy areas!

Why heavy-duty outdoor umbrellas are better for areas with higher wind velocity?

If you live in a windy area with a wind velocity of more than 15-20 mph, you must be acquainted with the pain of having to rush and close these umbrellas when strong winds hit unexpectedly; or even worse, the unannounced winds damage your expensive patio umbrellas, especially if they are made of lightweight materials.

Closing and storing your commercial umbrellas in a safe place would be the best idea to avoid such a situation, but investing in high quality umbrellas with higher resistance to strong winds is an unavoidable step towards a promising outdoor business. Naturally, you would want your heavy-duty commercial umbrella to resist all types of harsh weather conditions but it is made of fabric after all. It can handle only a limited amount of everyday damage due to high-wind situations.

How much wind can a commercial-grade umbrella take?

It is important to know about the acceptable speed of wind that your commercial umbrellas can resist before getting blown over or damaged. A patio umbrella bought from a trusted manufacturer is designed to be fine under a wind velocity of 15-20 mph.

But when the winds go up to the stormy speed of 20-30 mph, it is time to take immediate action. Wind speed higher than 20 mph that is coupled with heavy rain can adversely damage your umbrella, even its inside ribs. If your umbrella is made of lightweight materials, there is a bright chance that both its pole and fabric will be torn away. Umbrellas made of heavy fabrics might be a better option but their beams can still leave you in the lurch.

What is the solution?

You can always put your heavy-duty commercial umbrellas away when the skies turn grey but perfect weather forecasts can be a myth sometimes. So, how will you protect them from getting blown or being toppled over? Are there any wind-resistant umbrellas to make your life easier? Well, the answer is ‘no’. But here’s the good part – you can invest in heavy-duty umbrellas as they feature a sturdy construction and innovative design to fight wind as bravely as possible.

Cantilever umbrellasare also a great way to steer clear from any damage caused by strong winds as they are designed with an easy lift crank, strong acrylic fabric construction and 360-degree rotation. Besides adding to the look and feel of any outdoor setting, cantilever umbrellasare one of the safest and most portable umbrellas for windy areas.

Wind-Rating system for outdoor umbrellas

There are different systems that help consumers assess the wind rating of an umbrella, some of which are:

Software modelling

This method helps create various testing scenarios with the amalgamation of advanced software with machine learning to check an umbrella’s potential performance under high wind speeds.

Wind tunnel

Wind tunnel is also an aerodynamics testing method that is used for umbrellas as well as other high-tech products like cars and planes.

Real-world situations

Testing in enclosed environment can often lead to mistakes. Therefore, real-world testing (wherein samples are tried and tested at different locations) is the most reliable method to assess your umbrella’s performance in high wind speeds.

Summary

Conducting comprehensive research around the wind-rating system is an inseparable step for making the most of your outdoor umbrellas. But it’s best not to put your patio umbrellas to the test under stormy winds, even if they rank well on wind-rating systems. Umbrellas with the best wind resistance rating, premium construction and thoughtful design are known to perform better under harsh weather conditions. So, choose your outdoor umbrellas wisely!