You’ve worked hard to create a beautiful oasis of a patio, one where you can hear the birds chirping in the morning as you sip your coffee. Around noon, though, the sun begins to beat down, turning your oasis into an unyielding inferno. You need shade. 

While a beautiful shade tree would do the trick, trees take time to grow. Patio awnings are a simple, effective solution to your problem. You can continue to enjoy your patio even when the sun shines bright. 

If you’ve ever had a south-facing window, you understand the dilemma as well. You want to see the sun, but the heat from the midday sun warms your house up to unrelenting temperatures. Window awnings solve this problem. 

Keep reading to learn all about the best patio and window awning models on the market today. This awning buying guide will help you navigate the world of canvas and retractable shade. 

BEST WINDOW AWNING MODELS AND TYPES

Studies have shown the right type of window or patio awning can save you as much as $200 annually or even cut your energy bill by as much as 50 percent. When you’re looking for the best awning for your windows or patio, you need to find something with the following qualifications:

A Lengthy Arm Warranty: Find an awning that has at least a 20-year limited warranty on the arm of the awning. Your arm will take the most abuse because you move it, and it’s exposed to the elements. Plus, replacing and repairing the arm is expensive, so you want a guarantee that will protect you from having to put extra expense into repair a few years down the road. 

A Fabric and Mesh Warranty: Look for an awning that puts a warranty on the fabric and mesh should something odd happen, such as a tree branch falling through the awning. A 10-year warranty is a common and sufficient amount of time. 

Certified Fabric: Awnings have come in a variety of fabrics, including vinyl, acrylic, polyester vinyl composite, metal, or other natural materials. You can even find awnings made of wood. Look for an awning that has a certified fabric, something you can put your trust in. 

Sunbrella fabric is a stamp of quality for awning fabric. This material is the premium material for awnings. It has been around for over 30 years, and it has proven itself to be the most durable fabric on the market for awnings and other coverings. 

It is fade-resistant, mold and water-resistant, easy to clean, eco-friendly, time resistant, and versatile. You can find it in a variety of colors depending on the awning company you’re using. You’ve probably already seen it in the boat cover you use or the hot tub cover on your patio. 

When you see “Sunbrella,” you know you have quality material for your awning. 

1. RETRACTABLE AWNINGS

Retractable awnings are your most space-saving solution for shade on your patio. You can roll out this patio awning when you need it and then roll it or solid it back up and protect it when the weather turns south. You do not have to worry about wind or storm damage if you keep your awning rolled up during inclement weather. Plus, retractable awnings come in different styles, like slope, concave, and waterfall. 

The best of the best retractable awnings will cost more than stationary awnings. Plus, repairs to the awning material can cost a bit. But still, retractable awnings save you the headache of worrying about if your awning will last through whatever assaults it throughout the seasons. 

Some retractable awnings even have high-tech sensors that tell you when the sun, window, or rain will damage the awning, alerting you to pull that awning back into its case. 

With these qualifications, the Elite, a roll-out retractable awning system, is your best retractable awning system on the market. It covers from 6 to 80 feet of width. It also has six projections from 5 to 13 feet out. 

An Elite Cassette awning is another type of premium-class retractable awning. This awning includes a cassette that your awning rolls into. The cassette protects the awning when it’s not in use. 

The Uni-Lux retractable awning is a step down from the Elite cost-wise, but it does not sacrifice quality. You can customize the Uni-Lux to fit your windows specifically as well custom-make this model for each order. 

The Econo-Lux is the least expensive but still a high-quality shading system. It comes in a pre-manufactured frame size with four different colors. Standardization makes this retractable awning less costly than the other retractable models. 

2. STATIONARY AWNINGS

Stationary awnings are what you’d typically see on businesses. However, they’re becoming more popular in homes because of their energy-saving qualities. The sun’s rays through your windows are responsible for nearly 20 percent of your air conditioner’s load, after all. 

Stationary awnings come in multiple styles and colors, so you can match the style with your home decor and style as well. You do not have to sacrifice aesthetics for function. 

For example, the Riviera, one of our economical awnings, is a classical stationary awning. It is one of the most popular awning designs in Orange County, California, because of its simple, attractive, and inexpensive nature. It pairs well with early American architecture and adds depth and character to homes. 

The Orleans is a fixed window awning modeled after homes in New Orleans. It has a rounded curve edge to it, providing ample shade for windows and curb appeal to your home. You can find styles such as the Orleans all around Los Angeles because of their classical look. 

If you have rounded windows, you can consider a stationary awning like the Dome awning. This awning adds a touch of classic European charm with the function of much-needed shade from the southern California sun. You can add it to match your rounded windows or recessed arches. 

The Spear and Decorative is a fixed window awning that looks like a recessed awning. It works well with either contemporary or classic home aesthetics, with a nod to ancient Roman designs. 

3. CUSTOM AWNINGS

If you have a unique home or just want a unique look, custom awnings are your best bet. Sometimes you just cannot find awnings that work for your windows. You can order a custom awning to fit your window or patio and create the perfect sunshade for parties with your friends or quiet mornings with your coffee. 

Custom awnings can include patio earnings, awnings for entrances, or even free-standing awnings. So if you need an awning that you can stow away after the party is done, you can get one that packs up and fits in your garden shed or garage. 

The same qualifications apply to a custom awning as for all awnings. Make sure you have quality material and that your awning has an adequate warranty. 

4. RETRACTABLE WINDOW AWNING

One of the slickest inventions over the past thirty years is the retractable window awning. You can enjoy the view of the outdoors in comfort without the sun beating in on you. And you can rest assured that your window awning is safely retracted when intense storms assault your property. 

Retractable window awnings are some of the best window awnings for home use because of their adjustability. For example, the Robusta Retractable Window Awning can be adjusted so that you have it completely retracted to have it tend out 165 degrees. So you can adjust the awning based on the sun’s position. 

Awnings also help ensure privacy as well as lower energy bills. 

5. DROP SHADE

While drop shades are not technically awnings, they function the same and thus qualify as a sun-protecting apparatus. Drop shades are large, heavy shades built for large areas like stucco overhangs, entranceways, and patio lattice structures. You can use them anywhere that you can mount the vertical tracks.

Sun-Pro patio drop shades come in a variety of widths and lengths. You stow them away in a 5″ box with a large roller tube. They cover a distance as wide as 25 feet and as high as 18 feet. 

Best of all, these drop shades use the same Sunbrella-certified fabric you find in the awnings listed above. So you can sit easy knowing you have quality shades blocking out UV rays. 

If you’re looking for patio shade, you have the option of Patio-Pro sun shades. This shade has been around for over 44 years. It’s a transparent, UV-blocking shade that hand from your patio vertically, working well for stucco balconies, patio windows and doors, and wood lattice covers. 

STAY COOL IN THE SHADE

Your best window awning models are the ones that work well for your home’s function and aesthetic. As you can see, you have a variety of styles and colors to choose from when you’re looking at window awnings. So enjoy shopping and stay cool. 

For all of your awning and shade needs, contact us. We’d love to help you stay cool.