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Centre pole vs cantilever parasol

Updated: 22.10.2026

You want shade over a corner sofa, or over a table with no hole, and a grey centre-pole listing is cheaper than the offset arms in another tab. The centre pole vs cantilever parasol choice is a furniture choice. If the pole has somewhere honest to stand, stay with a centre pole. If it would land in someone's lap, this category cannot do that job. The five centre-pole rows are on the [grey parasol comparison](/hub/sun-shades/grey-parasol). Cantilever listings are on the [cantilever parasol comparison](/hub/sun-shades/cantilever-parasol). The Products Compared editorial team updated this page on 21 October 2026. We did not tip-test either type. A qualifying purchase through our amazon.co.uk links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You want shade over a corner sofa, or over a table with no hole, and a grey centre-pole listing is cheaper than the offset arms in another tab. The centre pole vs cantilever parasol choice is a furniture choice.

Our top picks

VOUNOT VOUNOT 2.7 m tilting parasol

Best overall

VOUNOT VOUNOT 2.7 m tilting parasol
6.8/10about £39.46
View offer
Harrier Harrier 2.7 m crank and tilt parasol

Rank 2

Harrier Harrier 2.7 m crank and tilt parasol
4.1/10about £39.99
View offer
VOUNOT VOUNOT 200 x 125 cm grey balcony parasol

Rank 3

VOUNOT VOUNOT 200 x 125 cm grey balcony parasol
9.2/10about £33.36
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What you are shading
  2. 2.Why the centre pole is harder to tip
  3. 3.The base you must add
  4. 4.The Harrier reference line
  5. 5.Where to go

What you are shading

A centre pole suits a dining table with a hole. The grey 200 x 125 cm rectangle is still a centre pole. It is a narrow canopy for a balcony or a bistro set, not an arm that reaches over a sofa. A cantilever plants the pole to one side and holds the canopy out over the furniture. Opal Retail points that layout at sofas, loungers, and hot tubs, and points the centre pole at tables with a hole and at small or windy gardens.

Why the centre pole is harder to tip

On a centre pole the load runs down the mast into the base. Schneider describes that central load as the reason a centre mast is more wind-stable than an offset arm. A cantilever is a lever. The canopy's weight, and every gust, acts at the end of the arm, so the base resists a turning force as well as a downward one. Tilt does not turn a centre pole into a cantilever. None of the five rows prints a tested wind speed.
VOUNOT VOUNOT 2.7 m tilting parasol

Testsieger

VOUNOT VOUNOT 2.7 m tilting parasol
6.8/10about £39.46
View offer

The base you must add

Both types need ballast these £30 to £40 listings do not include. For a freestanding centre pole around 2.7 m to 3 m, Opal's rule of thumb is about 40 kg to 50 kg, and Plia says 40 kg or more for about 2.6 m to 3 m. For a cantilever around 3 m, Opal quotes about 80 kg to 100 kg, and Cape & Co. describes its own cantilever bases at about 110 kg. That is roughly double, and it is still a shop range, not a law. A cantilever has no table hole to borrow. On a balcony slab, 80 kg to 110 kg may be more than you should stack without someone who can judge the structure.

The Harrier reference line

One row looks, briefly, like a cantilever. The manufacturer reference on the Harrier, ASIN B0C6QT9MN8, says Harrier Overhanging Cantilever Parasol. The title says a 2.7 m crank-and-tilt parasol. The dimensions are 270 x 270 x 240 cm. The price is about £39.99, the cover and the weights are optional, and the reviews are 4.4 from 26. Do not buy that listing as an offset arm. The string is a data clash. If the live page still shows a centre pole and a crank, judge it as a centre pole with a short review file and a rotating-head complaint. If you wanted the arm, leave the page. Crank setup is on the how to put up a garden parasol page.

Where to go

Stay with a centre pole when the table has a hole and you can buy a base in the 40 kg class before you open a 2.7 m canopy. Size and base order are on the how to choose a grey garden parasol page. Leave for a cantilever when the furniture is a sofa, a lounger, or a hot tub, and you can place about 80 kg to 110 kg of base to the side. This folder's about £32.99 to £39.99 band is not that cantilever price.

Common questions

Which is more stable in a UK wind?
A centre pole is the more stable layout, because the load runs down the mast. Schneider states that, and Opal points centre poles at small or windy gardens. A cantilever frees the floor and tips more easily, which is the BBC Gardeners' World warning. Neither point is a lab result on these ASINs.
Can a centre pole shade a sofa?
It can throw shade toward a sofa if you tilt it and you accept the pole in the seating area. It cannot clear the floor the way an offset arm can. On a corner sofa the pole ends up where feet or a side table want to be. That is when you change category. Tilting does not move the mast to the edge of the patio.
How much heavier is the cantilever base?
Shop rules of thumb put a freestanding centre pole around 2.7 m to 3 m at about 40 kg to 50 kg, and a cantilever around 3 m at about 80 kg to 110 kg. A cantilever cannot use a table hole as a shortcut.
Does tilt replace a cantilever?
No. Tilt changes where the cloth faces. The pole stays in the middle. A cantilever moves the pole to the side. Tilt also adds side load, so a marginal centre-pole base can feel worse, which is the opposite of a clear floor. If the listing does not state a tilt, as the Mansader does not, you have neither an angle nor an offset arm.
Is the Harrier listing a cantilever?
Not on the evidence you can trust. The reference line says overhanging cantilever. The title and the 270 x 270 x 240 cm size describe a crank-and-tilt parasol at about £39.99, with optional weights. Treat that as a conflict. Do not use it as side shade for a sofa. Confirm the live page if you still want a centre-pole crank.
What should a balcony do?
A narrow balcony usually wants the 200 x 125 cm centre-pole rectangle, not a cantilever base of 80 kg or more on the slab. A 2.7 m round canopy is often too wide.

Related pages

Rectangular parasol comparison

Grey parasol

Best grey garden parasol for a dining table or balcony

How to choose a grey garden parasol: size and pole

Grey balcony parasol: 200 x 125 cm, not 2.7 m round

How to put up a garden parasol: base, crank and wind

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Method scored 21 October 2026. Updated 22.10.2026.

  1. NHS: sunscreen and sun safety (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Cancer Research UK: sun safety (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. NHS Tayside: sun protective products (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. GOV.UK: General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. GOV.UK: accepting returns and giving refunds (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Which?: faulty products (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. Brollies and Parasols: parasol guidance (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Opal Retail: cantilever versus centre pole (retrieved 22.10.2026)