With the summer approaching, most people start looking for ways to cool down during the day’s heat and create shade to protect them from the blazing sun. Hiding indoors and constantly using air conditioning is not what anybody wants during the summer months.
There’s a way to enjoy the summer in the comfort of your home by installing a functional retractable deck or patio awning.
I understand that with so many available options online, selecting the best retractable deck and patio awnings is challenging. That’s why I picked the top 5 models from some of the best retractable awning brands. I’ll detail each model’s construction and features and why the following selection is worthy of your investment.
*A comparison table of the best retractable awnings for your deck and patio based on their extending mechanisms.
*A comparison table of the best retractable deck and patio awnings based on used fabric brands.
*A comparison table of the best retractable patio and deck awnings based on their size (width/projection)
The Best Retractable Awnings for Decks or Patios
As you probably already know, Retractable Awnings Reviews is a website where I collect valuable client reviews for various retractable products real customers have purchased and used. Based on those reviews and thorough research online, I present the top 5 retractable deck and patio awning models. The best retractable awnings for decks and patios listed below have some of the best customer reviews and scores. It’s also good to highlight that they are products of some of the best awning brands – Retractableawnings.com and ShadeTree, which also answers the question, “Who makes the best retractable awnings?”.Palermo by RetractableAwnings.com
Palermo Plus by RetractableAwnings.com
Roma by RetractableAwnings.com
Venezia by RetractableAwnings.com
Shan by ShadeTree
Extending Mechanism
First, let’s focus on the extending mechanism of each model. Retractable awning extending mechanisms can be manual or motorized. Motorized versions are typically controlled by remote control, a mobile app and/or a wall switch and are available with backup manual override that allows the awning to be closed in case of loss of electricity in the house or neighborhood. With manual options, the mechanism relies on a detachable manual crank to extend and retract. You can purchase all of Retractableawnings.com’s models (Palermo, Palermo Plus, Roma, and Venezia) with manual or motorized/electric extending mechanisms with optional backup manual override. The Venezia full cassette model also has a torque-sensing motor available in most sizes. The vendor’s torque-sensing option prevents a small space from occurring in the front of the awning cassette due to possible fabric stretch. If you purchase a motorized retractable awning, in most cases, it will come with an optional backup manual override in case of a loss of electricity or a power outage. On the other hand, ShadeTree’s Shan model is a motorized-only retractable awning.| Manual | Motorized | Motorized with manual override | |
| Palermo | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Palermo Plus | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Roma | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Venezia | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Shan | ➖ | ✅ | ➖ |
Fabric
Fabrics are a crucial part of a retractable deck or patio awning and are one of the things that set apart the best awning companies from the rest of the market. The two brands I selected, Retractableawnings.com and ShadeTree, rely on different fabric brands for their best garden awnings. Palermo, Palermo Plus, Roma, and Venezia are available in over 500 different solids, stripes, and textures, and you can choose from fabric brands Para, Dickson, Recasens, and Sunbrella and four frame colors. The Shan model frame is available in 4 colors and 4 fabric brands: Para, AirFlow Mesh, Recasens, and Sunbrella. All of these brands are water resistant except for AirFlow Mesh (which has small holes in the fabric and cannot be used for light rain protection).| Para | Sunbrella | Dickson | Recasens | AirFlow Mesh | |
| Palermo | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ➖ |
| Palermo Plus | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ➖ |
| Roma | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ➖ |
| Venezia | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ➖ |
| Shan | ✅ | ✅ | ➖ | ✅ | ✅ |
Frame Material
Strong and non-rusting frame extrusion material is vital for the longevity of an outdoor retractable deck or patio awning. Thanks to their quality frame materials, only top-quality retractable awnings will last for years to come in light rain, light wind, and sun, thanks to their quality frame materials. The models Palermo, Palermo Plus, Roma, and Venezia, whose components are designed, engineered and manufactured in Europe, all have rustproof 6063 aluminum frames, powder-coated with Qualicoat® approved powder coating and with additional assembly components such as screws, chains, etc., from 316 marine-grade, rustproof stainless steel. The Shan model’s frame is extruded aluminum with powder coating, attached via stainless steel screws.
Size
Size is another crucial factor when choosing the best patio and deck awnings for your home or business. Consider the width and projection of the canopy so you cover all the outdoor areas you need. Measuring the available space beforehand would be best so trees, lamps, downspouts, and other obstacles won’t obstruct the awning.| Max Width | Max Projection | |
| Palermo | 52’6″ / 1,600.20cm | 11’10” / 360.68cm |
| Palermo Plus | 52’6″ / 1,600.20cm | 13’2” / 401.32cm |
| Roma | 39’4″ / 1198.88cm | 16’0″ / 487.68cm |
| Venezia | 39’4″ / 1198.88cm | 13’2” / 401.32cm |
| Shan | 23’0” / 58.42cm | 13’6” / 33.02 cm |
Installation
Another criterion for selecting the best outdoor awnings is their installation options. If you are still wondering where to mount your awning, choosing one you can install on various surfaces is probably best. The awning models offered by Retractableawnings.com have various mounting options, including the wall, soffit/eave/overhang, roof, fascia, rafter, and beams. ShadeTree’s model comes as a wall-mount version only.Additional Features
The best electric awnings have various additional features related to their movement, motorization, and controls. It’s not uncommon for vendors to offer different motion and wind sensors, timers, and other gadgets. The best motorized retractable awnings by Retractableawnings.com (Palermo, Palermo Plus, Roma, and Venezia) all use the best in the industry – Somfy and Simu motors (owned by Somfy) for their retracting mechanism. You can purchase all of RetractableAwnings.com’s retractable awnings with the following additional gadgets, accessories, and controls.- Protective hood (cover)
- Wall switch (indoor and outdoor available)
- Remote controls (single or multi-channel as needed)
- Module to control via a smartphone or tablet (iOS and Android versions available)
- Digital keypad
- Rain and sun sensors
- Wind sensors
- Motion sensors
- LED lights that can be installed on the top or bottom of the arms
- Telescopic poles for additional wind protection
- Timers
My Top Picks
According to customers who published their reviews on my site, we can conclude that the best retractable awnings for decks and patios include the models Palermo, Palermo Plus, Roma, Venezia, and Shan. To make your choice even easier, I conducted thorough research on each model and concluded that some of these retractable awnings outshine the others in their engineering specifications and German certifications, such as TÜV and European CE Mark.The Best Motorized Retractable Awning
Venezia by Retractableawnings.com is hands down the best motorized retractable awning available. The vendor uses proven quality motors (Somfy and Simu) for their extending mechanism, and you can purchase the Venezia with a torque-sensing motor available in most sizes.
The Largest Retractable Awning
As I already mentioned, when talking about retractable awning size, there is a difference in width and projection. That’s why there are different winners in both categories.Width
The Palermo and Palermo Plus outshine the other models with their 52’6″ (or 1,600.20cm) width using one motor and one continuous fabric.
Projection
Roma is hands down the retractable awning with the largest projection (16’0″ / 487.68cm) I have ever seen in this industry, and it is truly an engineering marvel.
Pros & Cons
In this post, I selected the best patio and deck awnings in the industry, so discussing the pros and cons is difficult. However, I will divide the models by company rather than by model to highlight some advantages and disadvantages.RetractableAwnings.com
This vendor offers high-quality products and only uses certified materials and top-quality fabric brands (nothing from China) to produce their retractable awnings. Their models, all of which are custom-made at their factory in Florida, can be installed on various surfaces. Clients can choose from over 500 fabric colors and enjoy multiple high-tech gadgets. If purchasing a model from this vendor, it’s good to consider their production and freight time and costs related to additional upgrades.ShadeTree
ShadeTree’s model is simple and effective and overall has good reviews on my website. The Shan only has a motorized extending mechanism and can be installed on a wall. You can choose from 4 different fabric brands.