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2m garden parasol: size, mechanism and the missing base

Updated: 22.10.2026

You are standing over a bistro table on a UK patio, or two chairs on a balcony, and the listing in front of you says 2 m. That figure is the canopy, not the height of the pole, and it only works when people sit close together. A 2m garden parasol shades a bistro set or a pair of chairs. It does not shade a four-seat dining table once the sun moves off vertical. Prices in the [200 cm parasol comparison](/hub/sun-shades/200cm-parasol) run from £18.68 to £49.99, and most of those pages do not include a patio base. Listings were captured on 19 October 2026. This is not a lab test.

You are standing over a bistro table on a UK patio, or two chairs on a balcony, and the listing in front of you says 2 m.

Our top picks

VOUNOT VOUNOT 2 m tilt with ground anchor

Best overall

VOUNOT VOUNOT 2 m tilt with ground anchor
6.4/10about £23.99
View offer
Cressi Cressi Sunshell Ø 200 cm

Rank 2

Cressi Cressi Sunshell Ø 200 cm
8.4/10about £49.99
View offer
VOUNOT VOUNOT 200 x 125 cm balcony parasol

Preis-Tipp

VOUNOT VOUNOT 200 x 125 cm balcony parasol
8.0/10about £33.36
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What a 2 m canopy actually shades
  2. 2.Crank, tilt and a vent
  3. 3.The base is a second item
  4. 4.How to read a UV line
  5. 5.What to check on the listing

What a 2 m canopy actually shades

A round canopy of 200 cm is about 3.1 square metres of cloth. Two adults with chairs fit when they sit near the pole. Four diners do not, once the sun moves off vertical. Plot & Patio treats 2 m as a bistro or one-chair size and points a family patio toward 2.7 m to 3 m. If your table already seats four, leave this category. The rectangle in the same comparison is a different shape. A 200 x 125 cm cloth covers a wall-side strip, not a circle. One page states Ø 200 cm in both the title and the size field. Another title says 2 m while its specification table says a canopy diameter of 410 cm. Do not treat either figure as settled.

Crank, tilt and a vent

A crank winds a runner up the pole so you are not lifting the cloth by hand. A push-up, or manual lift, uses a collar you slide and lock. The two Sekey titles in this set are the crank pages. Neither title states a diameter. The Cressi and the yellow VOUNOT are manual-lift pages with a manual tilt. The rectangular VOUNOT’s specification line says bendable, and the bullets say the angle and the height can be adjusted. The yellow VOUNOT bullets claim a 30° tilt. Do not tilt into the wind: the cloth becomes a sail. A crown vent is not a wind certificate. The half-canopy choice is on the balcony parasol 200 x 125 page. None of the mechanisms stands up by itself.
VOUNOT VOUNOT 2 m tilt with ground anchor

Testsieger

VOUNOT VOUNOT 2 m tilt with ground anchor
6.4/10about £23.99
View offer

The base is a second item

Read the included-components line before you treat the photo as the parcel. The Cressi line says one Sunshell umbrella. The rectangular VOUNOT includes a cover, not a stand. The yellow VOUNOT includes a spiral ground anchor and a carry bag, which the bullets describe for sand, grass or soil, not for decking or a balcony slab. A table hole is not a substitute for a base. Country Living and Plia both make that point: the collar still has to grip the pole, and the weight still has to sit on the ground or under the table. Kilogram bands differ by retailer, so they live on the parasol base for a 2 m umbrella page rather than here. Add the base on top of the shelf price.

How to read a UV line

“UV 50+” and “UPF 50+” on these titles are the seller’s cloth claims. GOV.UK explains UPF as a fabric measure and cites BS EN 13758 for clothing, where only UPF 40 and above may be labelled as solar UV-protective clothing. A garden parasol is not that garment. Water-repellent, and “rain” on the Cressi uses line, are not a waterproof rating. One UK review of the yellow VOUNOT said it kept off light rain. That is a single report.

What to check on the listing

Read the diameter in the title and again in the size field, and stop if they disagree. The yellow VOUNOT is the clear example: the title says 2 m and the table says 410 cm. Patio bases are often made for 38 mm or 48 mm. None of the kept files states that figure, so measure the pole you receive. A photo of an X-shaped foot is not the box contents unless the included-components line says so. If the table seats four or more, this category is the wrong shade.

Common questions

Is 200 cm enough for four people at a table?
Not if they are sitting around the table at once. BBC Gardeners’ World puts about 2.3 m under a four-seat table. That figure is a retailer rule of thumb, not a measurement of your garden.
Does a 2 m parasol include a base?
Usually not, in this comparison. Budget a separate base unless the live page names one. Sekey reviews say a foot in the photo was missing from the parcel. The JKB05 page does not list the contents.
What does UV 50+ on the title mean?
It is the seller’s claim about the cloth. NHS still advises shade from 11am to 3pm between March and October, plus cover and factor 30 sunscreen. Skin outside the shadow is not protected by the number in the title.
Which listings do not state a diameter?
Both Sekey URLs, at £31.56 and £40.76, give no canopy size, and both print details-block ASIN B0FQ9PWS77. The JKB05 title says 200 cm and has no review line. The yellow VOUNOT says 2 m in the title and 410 cm in the table, so that diameter is not settled.
Can a beach spike stand on decking?
No. The yellow VOUNOT bullets describe the spiral anchor for sand, grass or soil. A deck board or a balcony slab needs a base that grips the pole, and you should check with the landlord before you bolt anything down. One UK reviewer of that parasol used a separate heavy base in the garden rather than the spike.

Related pages

How to put up a garden parasol

200 cm parasol

Balcony parasol 200 x 125 or a round 200 cm canopy

Parasol base for a 2m umbrella: kilograms and fill

Best 2m garden parasol for a patio, balcony or beach

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Listings captured 19 October 2026. Updated 22.10.2026.

  1. NHS: sunscreen and sun safety (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. GOV.UK: ultraviolet radiation FAQ (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. GOV.UK: General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Plot & Patio: parasol size, base and UV (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. Plia: choosing a parasol base (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Umbrella Heaven: 2 m garden parasol (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. Country Living: garden parasols and bases (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Christow 2 m tilting parasol on amazon.co.uk (retrieved 22.10.2026)