They come in very handy, especially when we are out there with the elements. Apart from shading us from the sun and rain, umbrellas provide us with many more benefits that we can't ignore. For example, umbrellas can be used as decorations, plant covers, creative hanging devices, etc.
When we use umbrellas as a shade on a beach, they're called beach umbrellas. Beach umbrellas are large umbrellas that provide shade for users on a beach or lawn. If you're planning a fun get-together with your friends at the seaside, then you mustn't go without one. We'd let you in on the reason for that in this article.
We'd discuss the harmful effects of UV rays and how beach umbrellas protect us from them. We’d also provide tips that give you a better idea of In addition, sunlight how you can care for your beach umbrella so that it can serve you for much longer.
The Harmful Effects of UV Rays on the Skin
UV (Ultraviolet) radiation, according to CDC, is “a form of non-ionizing radiation that is emitted by the sun.” Do you remember hearing that the early morning sun gives Vitamin D? We all have the UV rays to thank for that. That's because they help produce this sunshine vitamin that keeps our teeth, bones, and muscles healthy through sunlight.
There are three types of UV radiation — Ultraviolet A (UVA), Ultraviolet B(UVB), and Ultraviolet C (UVC). Of the three types of UV radiation, the ozone layer doesn't absorb the UVA at all. That means UVA's penetrate right through the ozone layer and get to us unfiltered through the sun. The ozone layer filters some UVB rays and doesn't let the UVC rays penetrate it at all.
Unfortunately, however, UVA and UVB rays can be very harmful to our skin in the following ways:
● Sunburn
Many people get sunburned after spending a few hours in the sun and getting exposed to UV light. When someone gets sunburn, it's pretty easy to discover. You'd notice red, painful patches on the person's skin. That reddish or pinkish part may even feel hotter than other parts of the skin when you touch it.
Sunburns cause tender skin, swelling, and tiny blisters. In severe cases, they can make the affected person feel feverish and weak, have a headache, or feel nauseous. Sometimes, they can lead to painful eyes, dark spots, wrinkled skin, etc. If you're concerned about your looks, sunburns can be embarrassing to deal with. Fortunately, they only take a few hours to heal except in extremely severe cases that span several days.
Sunburn, however, is the effect of your body protecting your skin from UV lights. It does this by forcing your skin to produce melanin much faster than usual. However, the tan from melanin can't protect your skin enough, and when the UV light overpowers it, it causes sunburn.
● Premature Aging
Everyone wants to maintain beautiful, radiant, and youthful skin. However, that can be challenging to achieve with continued and prolonged sunlight exposure. UV light causes adverse skin changes known as photoaging.
First, photoaging weakens your skin's connective tissues, making your skin lose elasticity and become weak. Photoaging also causes deep wrinkles and freckles, red veins, solar lentigines, and dry, rough faces. Sunlight exposure causes liver spots, leathery skin, and actinic keratosis. To worsen matters, they can also make you feel older than your age by causing eye problems for you. For example, they can make your cornea burn and aid the development of cataracts and other eye issues that cause blindness.
● Weak Immune Systems
Our immune systems help to defend our bodies against harm. They are to our bodies, what the armed forces are to a nation's security. Our immune system wards off anything that tries to make us sick. When our immune system gets weak, we fall ill more quickly than usual.
That's what extended periods of sun exposure does to our bodies. When UV rays penetrate our skin, they attack our immune system and make the body less able to fight off diseases and infections. That, in turn, increases our risk of developing severe skin infections and illnesses. Apart from that, UV rays can render some vaccines ineffective and trigger herpes and other medical conditions.
● Skin Cancer
Skin cancer is one of the most devastating medical conditions anyone can suffer. Unfortunately, prolonged exposure to UV rays is one of the common causes of skin cancer. It first starts as precancerous skin lesions that later transform into skin cancer. This disease has two main categories—Keratinocyte carcinoma and Melanoma.
While some patients heal from their skin cancer, melanoma is dangerous and highly life-threatening.
Anyone can suffer the adverse effects of UV rays exposure. However, some people are more susceptible to the disease than others. They include:
● Light-complexioned people and Blondes
● Outdoor workers
● People living in high altitudes
● Swimmers—wet skin is more likely to burn than dry skin
● People who take lots of photosensitive drugs.
Why are Beach Umbrellas Important?
When packing for the beach, it can be tempting to pick up just any kind of umbrella. However, as you'd later discover, regular umbrellas don't do well on the beach. There are many reasons why you must take a beach umbrella with you on your seaside trip. We've listed some of them below:
● Beach Umbrellas Block UV Rays
One of the most significant benefits of having a beach umbrella is to avoid the harmful effects of the sun. Now that you know how harmful UV rays are, you can appreciate this better. First of all, beach umbrellas are wide enough to shield you from the sun adequately. Furthermore, many of them have extra fringes on all their corners for that purpose.
As if that's not enough, many of them have SPF protection as another measure to protect you from sun rays. SPF is an acronym for Sun Protection Factor. It measures how well the umbrella protects you from the harmful solar radiation effects. The higher the SPF in a beach umbrella, the more protection you get from the sun.
● They Protect You From Rain and Wind
When you plan a beach trip, you intend for it to be as fun as possible. You'd want to enjoy quality time with your friends and wouldn't envisage any form of inconvenience. However, the weather conditions at the beach can be pretty unstable. Sometimes, it could be extremely windy and rainy.
You wouldn't want your guests to stampede in search of shelter in those conditions. That's another reason why beach umbrellas are essential items on the beach. Unlike regular umbrellas, they have a firm anchor that holds them to the ground. They're also made from sturdy materials that help them withstand windy conditions.
With a beach umbrella, you can enjoy your fun activities on the sand, no matter the climatic conditions.
● They Can Serve as a Tent
Having a beach umbrella on the seashore feels like home for two reasons. First, like your home, it helps to map your territory. That is, it secures your spot on the beach. So, you'd be sure that some other adventurer wouldn't usurp your position if you walked away for a while.
Secondly, beach umbrellas allow you to have enough privacy with your loved ones. If you're on a romantic trip, you can huddle your partner conveniently, without any concerns. You can lay back in the comfort of your umbrella like you'd do at home. Some beach umbrellas are built like small tents for added privacy too.
● Beach Umbrellas Provide You With Security
The beach is free for all to come in and enjoy. As such, it may be pretty uncomfortable for people who want solitude. Apart from providing you with a personal beach space, beach umbrellas can be a security measure against drone cameras.
Sometimes, people want to take aerial photographs of the beach when they visit. A beach umbrella covers you from their view. So, you wouldn't appear in anyone's pictures or videos without your consent.
● They Provide Comfort and Coziness
If you've been to the beach on a sunny day, you'd understand how much the sand soaks up all the heat. Having your feet on the hot sand can be pretty discomforting. It's worse when you need to relax your whole body on the sand. Fortunately, a beach umbrella can protect the sand from heat and ensure you're comfortable in whatever position you like.
● They Add Some Color to your Adventure
Beach umbrellas on a beach make a magnificent sight. They're usually designed in beautiful, bright colors, accompanied by elegant accessories that make each one stand out. Beach umbrellas are customizable, and you can make yours in any color or design that you like. Such a blend of different colors on the beach is a fantastic sight to behold.
What Accessories Go Well with a Beach Umbrella?
Owning a beach umbrella is excellent as you can be sure of top-notch sun protection and comfort at the beach. However, you can feel more comfortable with some essential beach umbrella accessories. Beach umbrella accessories are things that, when added to your beach umbrella, make it more attractive and versatile. They enhance your umbrella's functionality.
Here are our favorite beach umbrella accessories:
● Carry Bags
We know that some beach umbrellas are large enough to shade up to 5 people at once. However, that shouldn't affect its portability. With carry bags for your beach umbrellas, you can transport them any time you like without stress. These carry bags usually have a handle for a firm grip. They're also made with beautiful designs and are attractive to look at.
● Beach Umbrella Clamps
A beach umbrella clamp helps you to fasten two parts of your umbrella together. They allow you to adjust your umbrella to the height you wish. With an umbrella clamp, you can easily reposition your umbrella to suit various temperatures and humidity.
● Beach Umbrella Sand Bags
Beach umbrella sandbags are one of the most functional umbrella accessories ever. It's particularly essential for windy beach days. The sandbags serve as a strong base for your umbrellas to ensure they can withstand strong winds and storms. Some of them come with sturdy handles for portability.
● Table Trays
Most times, carrying a table with you to the beach can be too much of a hassle. Fortunately, you don't have to worry about where to keep your food with the beach umbrella table trays.
You can attach the table tray to your umbrella pole and place your drinks and food on top. This prevents them from getting contaminated with sand. Some table trays come with cup holders too.
● Sand Anchors
The beach umbrella sand anchors help to hold the umbrella firmly to the ground. It has a sharp end that penetrates sand or mud and keeps it secured. With a strong anchor, your beach umbrella stays in place even in a storm.
● Hanging Hooks
Beach umbrella hanging hooks are one of the fantastic umbrella accessories that you'll love. They provide a way for you to hang your items like jackets and sunglasses. This prevents you from keeping them on the ground. They can also serve as a place to dry wet items on the beach.
How to Care for your Beach Umbrella
Typically, beach umbrellas are made from quality, sturdy materials that guarantee durability and cost-effectiveness. However, even the best quality umbrellas need regular maintenance to remain functional. If you don't maintain your beach umbrellas properly, they may get damaged soon enough.
Here's how to care for your beach umbrellas to ensure that they last for as long as possible:
● Understand the Umbrella Parts
The first step to caring for your beach umbrella is by understanding its parts. The different parts of a beach umbrella are made from different materials. Some of them are more delicate than others. As such, your maintenance methods all depend on what part of the umbrella you're considering.
Two main components of a beach umbrella to pay attention to are the frame and canopy. It's also important to tell the difference between when your umbrella parts need cleaning or replacement.
● Clean the Frame
Never neglect to clean your umbrella's frames now and again. Your method of cleaning will depend a great deal on the material it is made from. For wood, aluminum, and fiberglass frames, you can clean them by wiping them with a damp cloth. For any frame, it's important to avoid using harsh cleaning products on them. To remove stains, a mild soap will do.
● Remove Stains
Your umbrellas should also look clean. As such, it's essential to remove visible stains after each use. The earlier you try to remove the stains, the easier they'd be to come off. When washing off stubborn stains from your umbrella, you can soak the fabric in cold water, little bleach, and soap.
To maintain your umbrella pole, you can coat it with rust-neutralizing primers or any suitable protective sealant.
● Store Properly
Beach umbrellas are seasonal items, and you may need to store them for a while before your subsequent use. Before storing your umbrella, ensure that it's clean and dry. Then, close it with its pole outside and cover the umbrella with a clean cloth.
Lastly, be sure to store it in a clean, dry place. When protecting the pole, ensure that you use a material that prevents dust, water, and other elements from destroying the umbrella.
If your beach umbrella comes with a hook, it'd be great to store it hanging. If not, you can place it horizontally on a shelf or any dry place. It's not advisable to store your umbrellas in extreme temperatures. If you keep your beach umbrella improperly, you may find it damaged when you need to use it in the future.
● Avoid Hazardous Weather Conditions
Your beach umbrella is built to withstand hazardous climatic conditions like storms and heavy winds. However, frequent exposure to such situations can make it last less long than usual. So, be sure to plan your beach trips during favorable weather conditions.
● Practice Umbrella Care Best Practices
There are many best practices to imbibe to improve your umbrella's durability. For example, you must close your umbrella any time it's not in use. Also, you mustn't apply force in opening and closing your beach umbrellas. You should pay attention to your umbrella and notice behaviors that destroy it and then avoid them. When in use, ensure that your umbrella is appropriately anchored to the ground to avoid blowing away in storms.
Top Beach Umbrella Manufacturers
One vital factor to consider when buying a beach umbrella is the manufacturing company. Ensure that you stick with a reputable company that prioritizes quality above all else. If you want to customize your beach umbrella, ensure that they have all it takes to meet your criteria. These best manufacturing companies will always look to offer you top-level client satisfaction with every purchase.
The manufacturing company you choose for your umbrella can significantly affect its durability. That's because some umbrella companies may try to cut corners and compromise quality to maximize profit. Your choice of umbrella manufacturers must also be budget-friendly. We've compiled a list of our favorite manufacturers below:
● HFUmbrella
HFUmbrella is a leading brand in beach umbrella manufacturing worldwide. For over 30 years, we have consistently served more than 10,000 global brands. We are a household name in the umbrella manufacturing industry, and integrity guides whatever we do.
Also called Huifeng Umbrella, our products are where cost-efficiency and top-notch quality meet. If you're a business, we have several customized options for your brand. What's more, you can save up to 50% cost from direct purchase.
● Sun City (Xiamen)
Sun City Umbrella is a manufacturing company in China. They produce one of the most beautiful and durable umbrellas in the region. You can back on them to give you just what you need. From commercial portable beach umbrellas to Custom Strip umbrellas, you can be sure of high-quality umbrellas from them.
● iBrolly
If you live in the UK, you've probably heard of iBrolly. As a leading umbrella brand in the UK, iBrolly has been producing top-notch promotional beach umbrellas for over 25 years. They also manufacture umbrellas in Hong Kong and deliver them to clients worldwide. Their umbrellas are pretty affordable, and their unique designs are too attractive to ignore.
● Fulong
Fulong Fujian Umbrella Co Ltd has been producing quality folding umbrellas since 1988. Since then, they've never wavered in their promise to top-quality and nothing else. They're also a notable brand in umbrella importation and transport umbrellas to clients globally.
● Trio Industrial Co. Ltd.
Like other companies on our list, Trio Industrial Co, Ltd is a globally renowned brand. As a leading umbrella producer in Eastern Asia, Trio company specializes in customized umbrellas. They've consistently produced promotional umbrellas for top brands globally. Their beach umbrellas are always known to stand out from the crowd. Some of their top clients include UPS, Rio Brands, Impact Images Inc, and Costco Wholesale Corporation.
Conclusion
There are many ways to have fun, especially with friends and family members. One of our favorite ways is going for a picnic on the beach. That way, you get to enjoy nature and serenity alongside the exciting chit-chats. The beach is also the perfect location for anyone who wants to enjoy some solitude in the midst of many.
Since the beach is outdoors, you're going to soak up a lot of sun, especially in summer. Of course, that’s not ideal because UV rays from sunlight can damage your skin and even cause life-threatening diseases like skin cancer. But not to worry; HFUmbrella has got you covered.
Our beach umbrellas will provide you with ample shade from the sun. So, you don't have to worry about the UV rays' toxic effects as you enjoy time by the seaside. Our umbrellas are also beautiful, customizable, and made from the best quality materials you can find nowhere else. You'd love them, just like many of our longtime customers. Contact us at
[email protected] today to place your beach umbrella order.