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Doppler parasol for a balcony

Updated: 22.10.2026

You are trying to shade a chair on a UK balcony that is about as wide as the door behind it, and a round canopy plus a heavy base can take the standing room as well as the sun. A Doppler parasol for a balcony, in this set, comes down to the 180 x 120 cm rectangle against the 200 cm round, and then to whether the base the model page names is a load your slab is allowed to carry. The [Doppler parasol comparison](/hub/sun-shades/doppler-parasol) lists the four models. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. We did not weigh a balcony slab.

You are trying to shade a chair on a UK balcony that is about as wide as the door behind it, and a round canopy plus a heavy base can take the standing room as well as the sun.

Our top picks

Doppler Doppler Jack 250 cm

Best overall

Doppler Doppler Jack 250 cm
7.3/10about £93.15
View offer
Doppler Doppler Rethink hand-opener parasol

Rank 2

Doppler Doppler Rethink hand-opener parasol
8.6/10about £52.58
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Doppler Doppler Rethink 200 cm

Preis-Tipp

Doppler Doppler Rethink 200 cm
8.0/10about £73.94
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Rectangle or a small round
  2. 2.The base weight the model page names
  3. 3.Pole, cover and winter
  4. 4.Leave the 250 cm Jack off this balcony

Rectangle or a small round

On a narrow balcony the 180 x 120 cm Rethink is the space choice. That is listing B0B5B3PSMC. The raw file did not print the size, because the details block showed a conflicting ASIN, and the live amazon.co.uk title on 20 October 2026 says 180 x 120 cm, matching Doppler's model page. The canopy is a rectangle with four ribs, so it can sit along the rail while you still walk past the short side. The 200 cm round, B0B5B4JJ38, is the alternative when the balcony is deep enough for a small table. A 200 cm circle needs a metre of radius around the pole before the cloth ends, and the base sits in the middle of that circle. If your balcony is a corridor with one chair, the rectangle leaves a path. If the slab is wide enough for a small table, the 200 cm round is the one that covers it.

The base weight the model page names

The canopy is only half the floor. Doppler's page for the 180 x 120 cm Rethink names a minimum base of 40 kg and a lower tube of 3.2 cm. The generic round-canopy table's 25 kg at 180 cm does not cover rectangular canopies. Use 40 kg for this rectangle. The 200 cm Rethink page names 30 kg and the same 3.2 cm tube. Those kilograms are Doppler's recommendation for the parasol. They are not a legal limit for your building. If the lease, the freeholder or a sticker on the balcony does not tell you what you may place there, ask before you buy a 40 kg base. Doppler's FAQ still puts the limit at about Beaufort 4, roughly 20–28 km/h, with the recommended base, and says to close the parasol when the wind rises. A heavier base does not make the cloth stormproof.
Doppler Doppler Jack 250 cm

Testsieger

Doppler Doppler Jack 250 cm
7.3/10about £93.15
View offer

Pole, cover and winter

Both Rethink model pages state a 3.2 cm lower tube, a hand opener and a cover in the supply. The rectangle's Amazon title names a cover. That same 200 cm components line lists a base and a ground anchor, and buyer comments often say the base was not in the box. You can own the cover and still need to buy the weight. The rectangle's captured file does not state UV. The manufacturer page for the 180 x 120 cm model does say UV 50+, which is the same class of claim as the other balcony bullets and not a UV Standard 801 certificate. The detail of that wording stays on the buying guide. Height on the 200 cm model is unresolved: one line on the manufacturer page says it is not height adjustable, and the blurb says the height is infinitely adjustable. Do not buy it for a height you cannot confirm.

Leave the 250 cm Jack off this balcony

A 250 cm Jack still calls itself a balcony parasol in places, and it is the wrong footprint here. The Jack's manufacturer page names 50 kg for the 250 cm and a 3.8 cm tube. That is one more reason to leave it off a narrow flat balcony. If you wanted a crank and a 250 cm circle, this page is the wrong one.

Common questions

Is the 180 x 120 cm rectangle better than a 200 cm round on a narrow balcony?
For a narrow balcony, yes, because the rectangle can run along the rail and the 200 cm circle needs room all round the pole. The round is the better cover when you have a small table and a deeper slab. Better here means floor space.
What base weight does Doppler name, and will my flat allow it?
The current model page names 40 kg for the 180 x 120 cm Rethink and 30 kg for the 200 cm round. That is Doppler's minimum for the parasol. Your building may allow less, or it may not publish a number you can use. Ask the freeholder if the load is unknown.
How much floor does the base need as well as the canopy?
The base sits at the pole, inside the canopy's footprint, and you still have to walk around it. A 200 cm round puts that weight near the middle of a two-metre circle. The rectangle's 120 cm depth is the tighter dimension past the rail.
Does the Rethink include a cover?
Both Rethink titles name a cover, and both manufacturer pages say a cover is included. Use it for winter once the cloth is dry. The base is a different line. The 200 cm listing has listed a base in the components, and reviews often contradict it.
Is a 250 cm Jack still a balcony parasol?
The Jack is 250 cm, 5.7 kg, with a 3.8 cm tube and no base in the box. The manufacturer page names a 50 kg minimum base. On a narrow flat balcony it takes too much floor and too much weight.
Can I fix a ground sleeve into the balcony myself?
Do not cut a sleeve into a suspended slab. A ground sleeve in a garden base belongs with a builder. On a balcony you use a freestanding base, and only after the freeholder has confirmed the load.

Related pages

Best Doppler parasol

How to use a Doppler parasol

Doppler parasol

Doppler parasol buying guide: size, opener and base

Doppler parasol crank or hand opener: which to buy

Sources

Manufacturer pages, UK legislation and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Desk score updated 21 October 2026. Page updated 22.10.2026.

  1. Doppler warranty (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Doppler FAQ (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. Doppler base-weight table (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. UV Standard 801 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. GOV.UK product safety reporting (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. amazon.co.uk Doppler parasol listings (retrieved 22.10.2026)