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Crank parasol vs cantilever

Updated: 22.10.2026

You searched for a parasol with a crank and amazon.co.uk showed a centre pole through the table beside a banana arm over the sofa. A crank parasol vs cantilever comparison starts with that mix-up. Both can wind open. They are not the same frame. A centre-pole crank drops the mast through a dining table or into a base beside it. A cantilever stands the mast to one side so the floor stays clear. If the table has a hole, stay with the centre pole. The kept listings are on the [parasol with crank comparison](/hub/sun-shades/parasol-with-crank).

You searched for a parasol with a crank and amazon.co.uk showed a centre pole through the table beside a banana arm over the sofa. A crank parasol vs cantilever comparison starts with that mix-up. Both can wind open.

Our top picks

VOUNOT VOUNOT 2.7 m tilt with cover

Best overall

VOUNOT VOUNOT 2.7 m tilt with cover
9.5/10about £39.46
View offer
PHI VILLA PHI VILLA 3.8 x 2 m crank

Alternative

PHI VILLA PHI VILLA 3.8 x 2 m crank
6.4/10about £94.99
View offer
Harrier Harrier 2.7 m crank and tilt

Preis-Tipp

Harrier Harrier 2.7 m crank and tilt
7.1/10about £37.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.A crank is not a type
  2. 2.Table hole, floor space, and wind
  3. 3.Base weight and cost
  4. 4.When to leave this comparison

A crank is not a type

The crank is an opening method. You turn a handle and the canopy rises, which is easier on the hands than pushing a runner up a 2.7 m pole. The listings kept here are centre-pole rounds and two rectangular centre-style cranks, not a cantilever shortlist. A spare crank handle is a repair part. The Harrier carries a reference line that says overhanging cantilever, while the title and the reviews describe a two-part centre post that one buyer put through a patio table hole. If the pole is in the middle of the canopy, you are looking at a centre pole. If the pole is at the edge and the canopy hangs off an arm, you are looking at a cantilever. A rectangular crank such as the PHI VILLA 3.8 × 2 m is still a centre-style canopy. It is not a halfway house to a banana parasol.

Table hole, floor space, and wind

Choose a centre-pole crank when a dining table already has a hole. A 2.7 m round covers a typical four-seat to six-seat top. You lose the middle of the tabletop, and you gain a mast the table helps to hold. A cantilever cannot use that hole. Choose a cantilever for a lounge, a hot tub, or a table with no hole and no wish to drill one. The floor under the shade stays clear. Shade Specialists put that choice as a clear floor against a larger wind sail and a higher cost. A centre mast is usually the steadier of the two in a breeze. Schneider says the same. That is not a UK wind class, and neither type is windproof. A light base will still let a centre pole walk. The frames do not convert.
VOUNOT VOUNOT 2.7 m tilt with cover

Testsieger

VOUNOT VOUNOT 2.7 m tilt with cover
9.5/10about £39.46
View offer

Base weight and cost

Opal Retail's rule of thumb puts centre-pole bases roughly at 20–50 kg and cantilever bases roughly at 80–100 kg. Shade Specialists make the same split: the offset canopy tries to rotate around a mast that is not under the cloth. They agree that a cantilever is the heavier stand. A centre-pole crank here almost never includes that stand. You can use less weight when the mast also passes through a sturdy table. A cantilever base is wider, often a cross or a wheeled frame, and it will not hide under a bistro table. Shelf prices in this centre-pole set, on 21 October 2026, run from about £37.99 to about £142.99. A cantilever of a similar span is usually a dearer frame before the heavy foot. If the budget stops at about £40 and the job is a clear lounge, neither a cheap centre pole nor an under-based cantilever will do it.

When to leave this comparison

Leave when you need a clear floor. A hot tub, a pair of loungers, or a sofa with no hole is a cantilever job. These listings will not grow a side arm if you wind the handle differently. The shortlist for that frame is the cantilever parasol comparison, where the base class and the rotation belong. Stay when the table has a hole, or when you would rather have the mast under the canopy in a breezy garden. The Harrier's stray cantilever line is a reason to read the title twice, not a reason to switch hubs. The Products Compared editorial team used amazon.co.uk listings and UK retailer guides. We did not install both types side by side. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

Common questions

Does a crank mean it is a cantilever?
No. A crank means you wind the canopy open. Centre poles and cantilevers both use that handle. The type is where the mast stands. A reference line that says cantilever, as on the Harrier, still needs the photo and the reviews. Those describe a centre post.
Which is better over a dining table with a hole?
A centre-pole crank. The mast uses the hole, and the table helps hold the pole. A 2.7 m round is the usual size for a four-seat to six-seat top. A cantilever's side post does not belong in that hole.
Which needs the heavier base?
The cantilever. Opal Retail's rule of thumb is about 80–100 kg for an offset base, against about 20–50 kg for a centre pole. A centre pole through a sturdy table can sit lower in its own range. A 12 kg block is a seller line, not the cantilever figure.
Which is steadier in a UK breeze?
A centre mast is usually steadier, because the pole is under the canopy rather than a lever from the side. Shade Specialists and Schneider both say that. A centre pole on a light block can still walk. Close either type when the wind gets up.
I have a lounge sofa and no table hole. What then?
Buy a cantilever, not a centre-pole crank from this comparison. Budget for a heavy base in the 80–100 kg rule-of-thumb band. A rectangle such as the PHI VILLA still expects a pole under the canopy. It will not hover beside a sofa.

Related pages

Parasol with crank buying guide

Parasol with crank base and wind

Parasol with crank

Best parasol with crank for UK patio comparison 2026

How to put up a parasol with crank comparison 2026

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Shelf figures stored 21 October 2026. Updated 22.10.2026.

  1. Shade Specialists parasol buying guide (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Shade Specialists parasol base guide (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. Opal Retail parasol base weight table (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Ideal Home best parasols (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. Cancer Research UK sun safety (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. GOV.UK ultraviolet radiation FAQs (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. BSI BS EN 13758-1:2002 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 19 (retrieved 22.10.2026)