Stand in a backyard at four o'clock on a hot afternoon and the problem is obvious: the shade never lands where the people are. Half of that is tilt and position, but the other half was decided at the checkout. This umbrella size guide works through the part most people guess at — matching the canopy diameter to the table underneath it and the space around it.
Every size quoted here is a canopy dimension published in our outdoor umbrella range, from a 120cm personal beach shade to a 500cm commercial octagon. Measure your table, measure your space, and the chart below will get you to the right diameter in a few minutes.
How outdoor umbrella sizes are measured
The advertised size of an outdoor umbrella is the width across the open canopy, not the height of the pole. A round or octagonal canopy is measured from rib tip to rib tip, so a 300cm umbrella throws roughly a three-metre circle of shade at midday. Octagonal canopies are quoted at their widest point, which means the shaded area is a little smaller than a true circle of the same figure.
Square and rectangular canopies are quoted by their sides instead — a 300cm square, or a 400 x 300cm rectangle. Keep the shapes straight when you compare, because a 3m square covers more ground than a 3m octagon. Height is a separate number again, so check the listed mast height if the canopy has to clear a doorway, a wall light or a gutter.
The umbrella size guide chart: matching canopy to table
The working rule is simple: the canopy should reach at least half a metre past the table edge on every side. Add roughly one metre to your table's diameter, or to its length and width, and that is your minimum canopy size. Any less and the outer seats sit in the sun the moment it moves off centre.
| Canopy size | Table or space it suits | In the range |
|---|---|---|
| 120–240cm | Beach chairs and picnic rugs, not dining tables | Beach umbrellas, from the 120cm Donna to 240cm family sizes |
| 220–250cm | Bistro table for two, 60–90cm across | Harbord, 220cm square or 250cm hexagonal |
| 270cm octagonal | 90–120cm round table, four seats | Como |
| 300cm (3m) | 120–150cm table, four to six seats | Capri, Lotus, Regis 3m square |
| 330–350cm | 150–180cm round table or a six-seat setting | Palermo, Emery, Biarritz, Regis 3.5m |
| 380–400cm | Eight-seat settings and full lounge zones | Savannah 3.8m, Econoshade, ShadeMaker |
| 400 x 300cm rectangular | Long tables seating eight to ten | Savannah 4x3m Rectangle |
| 500cm | Commercial courtyards and venue settings | Palazzo |
The sweet spot for a standard six-seat setting is the 330 to 350cm band. The Regis 3.5m Octagonal Cantilever Umbrella ($1,699) runs a 350cm octagonal canopy in O'Bravia solution dyed canvas, with side axis tilt up to 75 degrees either way. Because it is a cantilever, the mast stays outside the setting, which buys back usable shade over the table itself.
Smaller tables want smaller canopies, and not only for looks — an oversized canopy dwarfs the setting and catches more wind than the space needs. Over a 90 to 120cm round table for four, the Como Umbrella ($325) covers well with a 270cm octagonal canopy on a kempas hardwood frame. For a bistro table for two, the Harbord Umbrella ($229) comes as a 250cm hexagonal or 220cm square canopy, and its height adjustable mast drops the shade low over a small table. If you are choosing the table at the same time, sizing both together from our outdoor dining settings makes the pairing easy.
Long tables need a rectangle, not a bigger octagon
A round canopy over a long rectangular table always shortchanges the end seats. Push an octagon wide enough to cover a 2.4m eight-seater and the middle of the table is doubly shaded while the ends still burn. The better answer is a rectangular canopy that mirrors the table's own shape.
The Savannah 4x3m Rectangle Umbrella ($1,899) is the long-table option in the range. Its 400 x 300cm canopy reaches past each end of a 2.2 to 2.4m table with the overhang the sizing rule asks for, and a metre to spare across the width. On a narrow deck, the same footprint can cover a lounge pair and a coffee table side by side instead.
Small spaces: balconies, courtyards and the beach
In a compact space the constraint flips — measure the space first and the table second. The canopy needs clear air to open, so check the distance to walls, balustrades, gutters and pendant lights before you commit to a diameter. On a balcony, check the rules too: strata and body corporate by-laws often limit what can stand or be fixed outside, and they vary from building to building.
At the portable end of the range, beach umbrellas run from 120cm personal shades up to 240cm family sizes. The Noosa Beach Umbrella ($71.99) sits at 180cm, with a UPF30 canopy, a fluted sand spike and a carry bag — sized for one or two people rather than a group. Canopies like these are made to be carried and anchored in sand; a courtyard table deserves a proper base and a bigger canopy.
The Australian angle: sizing for a sun that will not sit still
In most of Australia the midday sun sits to the north, then swings low into the west through the afternoon. A canopy sized for perfect noon coverage can still leave the western seats squinting by 4 pm, which is why tilt and rotation matter alongside raw diameter. It is also why the half-metre overhang rule is a minimum rather than a target — in a Perth or Adelaide summer, generous beats exact.
Two things sit outside this guide on purpose. Wind behaviour, frames for exposed coastal sites and base choice are covered in our guide to the best cantilever umbrellas in Australia. And ballast is its own calculation entirely — a wider canopy needs a heavier base, so once you have a diameter, our umbrella base weight calculator matches canopy size to base weight without the guesswork.
Umbrella sizing — frequently asked questions
How do you measure an outdoor umbrella?
Measure across the open canopy from rib tip to rib tip — that width is the advertised size. Octagonal canopies are quoted at the widest point, and rectangular canopies by their two sides, such as 400 x 300cm. Pole height is listed separately and only matters for clearance.
Should an umbrella be bigger than the table?
Yes — the canopy should extend at least half a metre past the table edge on every side. In practice that means adding about one metre to the table's diameter or length. Anything smaller leaves the outer seats exposed as soon as the sun moves off centre.
What size umbrella suits a 90cm balcony table?
A canopy between 220cm and 250cm suits a 90cm table for two. That size gives the half-metre overhang on each side without overwhelming a small space, and a height adjustable model can sit low over the table when the sun drops. Measure the clearance to walls and balustrades before you buy.
Can an outdoor umbrella be too big for the space?
Yes. A canopy that cannot open without touching a wall, balustrade or gutter is the wrong size no matter how good the shade would be. Bigger canopies also catch more wind and need heavier bases, so buy for the space you have, not the biggest figure on the page.
Shop the range
Once you have a diameter in mind, everything in this guide sits in our umbrellas and shade collection, from carry-anywhere beach shades to full-size cantilevers. We deliver Australia-wide, free delivery applies over $100, and most orders are dispatched within 3 to 10 business days.
