How to use a tilting parasol
Updated: 16.10.2026
You have the box open on the patio, the canopy is still tied, and you are not sure whether to tilt it before it is fully up. How to use a tilting parasol comes down to an order: seat the pole, open the canopy, tilt it while it is open, stand it straight again, then close it and cover it only when the cloth is dry. The [tilting parasol comparison](/hub/sun-shades/tilting-parasol) separates the crank models from the manual-lift models. This page is the sequence for an owner. Products Compared did not run a lab test. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have the box open on the patio, the canopy is still tied, and you are not sure whether to tilt it before it is fully up.
You have the box open on the patio, the canopy is still tied, and you are not sure whether to tilt it before it is fully up. How to use a tilting parasol comes down to an order: seat the pole, open the canopy, tilt it while it is open, stand it straight again, then close it and cover it only when the cloth is dry. The tilting parasol comparison separates the crank models from the manual-lift models. This page is the sequence for an owner. Products Compared did not run a lab test. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Opening | Tilt | Cover or bag | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  VOUNOT VOUNOT 2.7 m crank tilt, red | Hand crank | Push-button, stated 45 degrees | Cover | 8.6 | about £39.56 | View offer |
| Alternative |  SUNMER SUNMER 2 m tilt, ivory | Manual lift | Manual tilt | Cover | 8.2 | about £39.90 | View offer |
| Preis-Tipp |  VOUNOT VOUNOT 200 × 125 cm balcony tilt, grey | Bendable, height adjustable | Manual tilt | Cover | 8.0 | about £33.36 | View offer |
On this page
Seat the pole before you open anything
Put the pole in the base, or through the table and into the base, before you free the canopy. A loose collar lets the pole walk as you crank, and the tilt joint then takes a twist it was not meant to take. Tighten the collar. If the listing mentions a spring pin in the pole, fit it first. A UK review of the Amazon Basics parasol says you have to remember that pin, and that a canopy left up wet can go mouldy.
Open with the crank or the lift, then tilt
Free the tie and turn the crank so the runner lifts up the pole. Stop when the cloth is taut, not when it merely looks round. On the push-button models you then press the button, angle the canopy, and wait for the lock. The red VOUNOT listing puts that angle at about 45 degrees. UK reviews of that parasol say the control is high once the canopy is up, so the angle is hard to judge. A Grand patio reviewer of about 160 cm said their own control was too high. Use a step or a second person. Do not hang off the rim to drag the canopy over. That loads one rib. Tilt only while the canopy is open. A closed bundle fights the joint. If the button will not press, the runner may not be at the top of its travel. Crank a little further, then try again. Harbour Lifestyle's note on a stiff crank is to press the push-button and not force the handle the wrong way. If the crank feels stuck, stop. Forcing past a stop is how cloth gets inverted.
Manual lift, and the beach spike
The SUNMER does not use this crank. You lift the runner by hand and set the tilt by hand. The beach pair is the same idea plus a stated 30-degree tilt, after you have screwed the spiral anchor into sand or soil. A patio table does not take that spike. Return the canopy to upright before you close it. Leaving it tilted and then cranking shut is what binds the runner.
Close it, including in wind, and cover it dry
Stand the canopy straight, make sure the tilt has clicked back, and crank the opposite way until the runner is down and the cloth is gathered. Tie it. If you are closing because the wind has got up, do this before the canopy is a sail. One UK review of the 200 × 125 cm rectangle found a rib bent after the parasol was left up in a breeze. Brollies and Parasols' usage PDF tells their customers to close above 25 km/h and to store the parasol inside above 35 km/h. Those speeds are that seller's instruction for their own range. They are not a UK law, and they are not printed on the VOUNOT listings. The cover goes on only when the polyester is dry. A café install, an in-ground socket, or a glass table whose hole may not be structural is a job for a fitter.
Common questions
Do I tilt before or after the canopy is open?
After. Open the canopy fully with the crank or the lift, then press the tilt button or set the manual tilt. When you have finished, stand it straight again before you crank it shut. Tilting a folded canopy fights the cloth.
Which way do I turn the crank to close it?
The opposite way from the way you opened it, and only once the canopy is upright and the tilt lock is back. If the handle will not turn, the runner is probably still locked in the tilt, or a tie is caught. Forcing the wrong direction is how cranks get stripped.
What if the button is above my head?
That is a known complaint on the red 2.7 m VOUNOT: the tilt control is high once the canopy is up. Use a step or a second person. Do not pull the rim down to reach the button, because that bends a rib. If you cannot reach it safely, a shorter manual-tilt canopy is the better match.
Can I leave it open overnight?
No. Close it when you leave, and close it when the wind rises. One maker's PDF uses 25 km/h as a close point and 35 km/h as a store-inside point. Those figures are that maker's rule, not a rating on these listings. A tilted canopy left up is the case where a rib gets bent.
When do I put the cover on?
When the canopy is closed, tied and dry. The red VOUNOT and the rectangle include a cover. The Amazon Basics box does not, and a UK reviewer bought one separately. If it has rained, leave the cloth open somewhere sheltered until the polyester is dry, then cover it.
What if the crank feels stuck?
Stop. Check the tilt is released, the pole is seated, and nothing is tangled. Harbour Lifestyle suggests pressing the push-button rather than forcing their crank. Do not treat a spray as a fix for a cracked collar or a missing stop. If it still will not move, use the returns route rather than a longer lever.
The canopy flipped inside out. What should I do?
Ease it back from the outside of the cloth, check the ribs, and stop using it if a rib is bent or the stop that limits the crank is missing. A non-UK review stored with the Sekey file describes a missing stop pin that let a canopy over-wind. That file is not a clean UK sample, so do not assume a VOUNOT has the same fault. Forcing it shut is how a bent rib becomes a broken one.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 15 October 2026.
- NHS — sunscreen and sun safety (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- GOV.UK — ultraviolet radiation frequently asked questions (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- Cancer Research UK — sun safety (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- General Product Safety Regulations 2005, regulation 5 (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- BSI — BS EN 581-3:2026 outdoor furniture, tables (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- Plia — guide to choosing a garden parasol base (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- Brollies and Parasols — parasol usage guidance (retrieved 15.10.2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison, captured 15 October 2026 (retrieved 15.10.2026)