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Canopy Fabrics And Coatings
What the canopy is made of decides what the umbrella is for
Why This Decision Matters
Two umbrellas with identical frames do completely different jobs depending on the canopy. A silver coating turns a rain umbrella into a parasol. Reflective fabric turns it into a safety product. Cork turns it into a gift. These are the canopy materials and coatings available on Levoo builds.
Canopy Materials
190T pongee polyester
The standard canopy across most of the range. Takes printing well and sheds rain reliably.
Polyester
Used where a slightly different hand or price point is required, including on our steel-framed folding model.
Nylon
An alternative canopy fabric available on request.
Ultra-light cloth
Specified when total weight is the constraint, typically on multi-fold formats.
Reflective fabric
A canopy that returns light from headlights across its whole surface, used on the Reflective Folding Umbrella.
Cork
A natural canopy material used on the Cork Umbrella, with visible grain variation from panel to panel.
Coatings
Silver coating
Applied to the underside for sun protection. Available rated UV30+ and UV50+ on the UV Silver Coating Folding Umbrella.
Colour coating
A coloured coating on the underside, which changes the light under the canopy and the look from below.
Black coating
A black underside coating used to cut glare and increase shade density.
Printed fabric
Fabric printed before assembly, which is how full coverage designs are produced.
Matching Fabric To The Brief
- Sun protection in a hot market points to a silver coating with a stated UV30+ or UV50+ rating
- Night visibility points to reflective fabric across the canopy rather than an edge strip
- Photographic artwork points to printed fabric, printed flat before the panels are sewn
- Premium gifting points to cork, with the understanding that it is dried open rather than folded away wet
- Everyday rain use points to 190T pongee, which is why most of the range uses it
Where You Can See This In The Range
Folding UmbrellaUV Silver Coating Folding UmbrellaA silver coated canopy rated UV30+ or UV50+ that folds into a bagView specification →
Cool UmbrellaReflective Folding UmbrellaThe whole canopy is the reflector, not a strip on the edgeView specification →
Straight UmbrellaCork UmbrellaCork canopy, wooden shaft, wooden handle: an umbrella that does not look like a giveawayView specification →Industries And Guides That Use This
Canopy Fabrics And Coatings Questions
What does 190T mean?
It is the thread count of the pongee fabric used for the canopy. It is the standard specification across most of our range and is quoted so you can compare like for like between suppliers.
Does a silver coating change the canopy colour?
The coating is on the underside, so the outer face keeps its printed colour. What changes is the light under the canopy.
Can a coated canopy still be printed?
Yes. Printing goes on the outer face so the coating on the underside stays intact.
Which fabric is most durable?
For everyday rain use, 190T pongee. Reflective fabric and cork are specified for what they do rather than for maximum durability, and both need a little more care.
Ask Us Before You Commit To A Specification
It costs nothing to check, and it is a great deal cheaper than finding out at delivery. Email the details and we will come back within 48 hours.