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Double parasol vs cantilever

Updated: 22.10.2026

You are choosing shade for a dining table that already has a hole, or for a sofa that does not, and the titles use the same word for both. Double parasol vs cantilever is where the pole sits. A double parasol here is a long rectangular centre-pole canopy. A cantilever puts the mast to the side so the floor under the shade can stay clear. Five amazon.co.uk centre-pole captures from £49.43 to £134.99, read on 21 October 2026, are not cantilever listings. The table is the [double parasol comparison](/hub/sun-shades/double-parasol). A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are choosing shade for a dining table that already has a hole, or for a sofa that does not, and the titles use the same word for both. Double parasol vs cantilever is where the pole sits.

Our top picks

PHI VILLA PHI VILLA 3.8 x 2 m (177 reviews)

Best overall

PHI VILLA PHI VILLA 3.8 x 2 m (177 reviews)
6.2/10about £94.99
View offer
Harrier Harrier 4.6 m double-sided

Alternative

Harrier Harrier 4.6 m double-sided
4.2/10about £89.99
View offer
VOUNOT VOUNOT double parasol

Preis-Tipp

VOUNOT VOUNOT double parasol
5.5/10about £49.43
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Where the pole sits
  2. 2.Dining table with a hole
  3. 3.No hole, or a lounge set
  4. 4.What the base decision changes
  5. 5.Which to buy

Where the pole sits

Ignore the word double until you can see the mast. On a double-sided centre pole the mast comes up through the table, and the cloth is a long rectangle, around 3.8 m to 4.6 m in the way this category is defined. On a cantilever the mast stands to the side. Opal Retail treats banana as a curved-arm cantilever. Foxden’s double canopy cantilever at 270 x 440 cm is offset, with weights required separately.

Dining table with a hole

Choose the double parasol when the dining table already has a centre hole and you need length along the top. A round 2.7 m canopy shades the middle and leaves the ends in the sun. Opal’s centre-pole versus cantilever page puts the centre pole with a table that has a hole. That is not a promise that these five listings include a base. These captures are not a cantilever price. Checks before you buy sit on the double parasol buying guide.
PHI VILLA PHI VILLA 3.8 x 2 m (177 reviews)

Testsieger

PHI VILLA PHI VILLA 3.8 x 2 m (177 reviews)
6.2/10about £94.99
View offer

No hole, or a lounge set

Choose a cantilever when there is no hole, or the furniture is a sofa or a pair of loungers. Opal puts the cantilever with that clear floor, and with rotation so you can swing the cloth as the sun moves. A double parasol stood beside the table, off the hole, is a freestanding mast. The base has to do the whole job, and you do not gain the clear floor an offset arm is bought for. Cloth shape does not tell you the type. Pole position does.

What the base decision changes

An offset arm needs a heavier base on the retailer pages that compare the types. Opal’s 3 m cantilever band is about 80–100 kg, against a lighter centre-pole base in the same article. That is Opal’s rule of thumb for Opal’s range. This comparison has no cantilever ASIN, so 80–100 kg is not a measured requirement for a named offset model here. Foxden sells the weights separately. A centre pole still needs ballast, and none of these listings states a weight. Neither type has a wind speed here.

Which to buy

Buy the double parasol when you have a centre hole and you need length along a dining table that a round 2.7 m canopy leaves open at the ends. Buy a cantilever when there is no hole, or the furniture is a lounge set and the floor under the cloth has to stay clear. The word double does not override that. A double-canopy cantilever remains a cantilever. A centre pole stood off the hole inherits a heavier base and not a clear floor. These prices are not a cantilever price. NHS hours still mean clothing and sunscreen, whichever mast you choose.

Common questions

What is the difference between a double parasol and a cantilever?
A double parasol here is a rectangular centre-pole canopy, with the mast through the table and a length around 3.8 m to 4.6 m when the listing states one. A cantilever stands the mast to the side so the middle of a sofa stays clear. The word double appears on both kinds of title. Pole position is the test.
Which one if the dining table already has a hole?
Use the double parasol. The hole is there so a centre pole can cover a long table, including the ends a round 2.7 m canopy leaves in the sun. You still need one stated size, a pole that fits, and a base plan.
Which one for a sofa or a lounger with no hole?
Use a cantilever. A centre pole through a lounge set blocks the seats, and a centre pole stood beside them is a freestanding mast. Opal puts offset parasols with sofas and loungers. This set has no cantilever ASIN.
Is a banana parasol the same as a cantilever?
On Opal’s account, a banana parasol is a curved-arm cantilever. The mast is still at the side. A style split inside the offset family does not make a banana into a centre pole.
Is a double-canopy cantilever still a double parasol?
It is still a cantilever. Foxden’s double canopy offset is 270 x 440 cm with the pole to the side, a cross base included, and weights required separately. Double in that title means the canopy story, not a mast through the table.
Which type needs the heavier base?
Retailer pages put the heavier base on the cantilever. Opal’s 3 m offset band is about 80–100 kg in that guide, against a lighter centre pole. That is a rule of thumb for their range, not a weight for a model in this five-listing set. A centre pole still needs ballast, and neither type has a wind-speed claim here.
Can you put a centre-pole double parasol beside the table if there is no hole?
You can stand it on a freestanding base, and that base has to carry the whole load. You do not get the clear floor an offset arm is bought for, because the mast is still under the cloth. An open lounge set belongs with a cantilever. A dining table belongs with a centre hole.

Related pages

Best double parasol

Double parasol base and wind

Double parasol

Double parasol buying guide: shape, size, and pole

How to set up a double parasol before you cover it

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated 22.10.2026.

  1. NHS sun safety (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Cancer Research UK sun safety (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. GOV.UK ultraviolet radiation FAQ (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. BS EN 581-3:2026 preview (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. Plia parasol base guide (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Met Office storm advice (retrieved 22.10.2026)