Outdoor Shade Fabric Comparer
Solution-dyed acrylic is the awning classic, knitted HDPE is the shade-sail workhorse, and PVC-coated polyester is the waterproof one. Say what you are shading, then set two to four of the six common fabrics side by side: UV block, fading, water, heat, mildew, weight, life and care, every figure with its source.
Compare shade fabrics
Choose what you are shading and the six common outdoor fabrics are ranked for it. Then pick two to four and read them side by side, every cell with its source.
A score is this site's reading of the sourced cells, 0 to 100. It is not a test result.
Side by side
"Varies by maker" means no maker or standards page we cite gives a figure, so we give none. Where one product's figure is quoted, it is that product, not the whole fabric type.
How to read the comparison
Each cell says what a maker or a standards body has published, and links to it. Where the figure is for one product, the cell says so: Sunbrella publishes a weight for each fabric, not for "acrylic", and Coolaroo's 90% UV figure is for its Heavy Duty cloth, while its featured shade products run from 70% to 98%. A cell that says Varies by maker means no page we cite gives a figure, so we give none rather than guess. Price is one of those: it moves with the maker, the width and the shop, so ask for quotes.
The ranking is a reading of those cells, not a lab test. Each cell that states a clear advantage or limit is given a level from poor to best, each use weights the rows that matter for it (fading counts most for an awning, airflow for a sail, mildew and care for cushions), and a fabric scores lower if no maker page we cite names it for that use. A fabric with fewer than three rated rows is not scored. If you disagree with a level, the cell and its source are beside it.
What each fabric is
| Fabric | What it is | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Solution-dyed acrylic | Acrylic fibers saturated with color and UV-stabilized pigments before they are spun into yarn, so the color runs through the fiber rather than sitting on it. Sunbrella, the best known, is 100% solution-dyed acrylic. | Awnings, umbrellas, pergolas and outdoor furniture, per Sunbrella. |
| Polyester, uncoated or lightly treated | The most common manufactured fiber, which the American Fiber Manufacturers Association lists as strong, quick drying and resistant to stretching, shrinking and mildew. What the cloth does outdoors depends on how it is dyed and finished, which is why most of its cells say they vary by maker. | Varies by maker; upholstery, curtains and sails are among the fiber's major uses. |
| PVC-coated polyester | A polyester base coated with PVC paste carrying flame-retardant and UV-resistance additives, according to Serge Ferrari. | Shade sails and fixed or retractable pergola roofs, per Serge Ferrari. |
| HDPE shade cloth | Knitted high-density polyethylene. Coolaroo says its fibers are strong, light and absorb no moisture, and that knitting them lets air flow through. | Shade sails, shade cloth, selected blinds and umbrellas (Coolaroo). |
| PTFE-coated fiberglass | Woven glass fiber coated in PTFE, used by Birdair for permanent buildings, with a stated project life over 30 years. | Large permanent architectural projects. It is here as the benchmark, not as something to hang over a patio. |
| Olefin | Polypropylene or polyethylene fiber. The American Fiber Manufacturers Association says its color is added to the polymer before the fiber is spun, and lists it as colorfast, sunlight resistant and quick drying. | Indoor and outdoor carpets and upholstery (AFMA); Phifer blends olefin yarn with PVC-coated polyester for cushions and pillows. |
Solution-dyed or piece-dyed: why it matters for fading
Cloth can be colored before it is a fiber, or after it is a fabric. In solution dyeing the color goes in with the fiber, which is why Sunbrella's makers say the pigment goes "all the way through the fibers" and the color "stays true over time". Olefin is made the same way, with the dye added to the polymer before it is spun. The comparer gives polyester no fade level because the pages we cite for it give none, so if you shop for polyester, ask the maker whether it is solution-dyed and for the fade-test result.
Waterproof, resistant or repellent
The three words mean different things and the fabrics split on them. Sunbrella's awning fabric carries a water-repellent finish. It repels water but it is not a roof, and Sunbrella says to re-treat the cloth after a bleach clean. Coated polyester such as Soltis 502 Proof is a waterproof membrane, sold for pergola roofs. Knitted HDPE is the opposite case: it is made to let air through, so it shades but does not keep rain off. If you want to sit under it in a shower, choose a waterproof cloth; how to install a shade sail covers the rest.
Heat under the shade
Blocking light and letting heat out are different jobs. Knitted HDPE does the second well: Coolaroo says hot air escapes through the knit. The other fabrics' cells carry no airflow figure; Birdair says PVC membrane reduces radiant heat gain. PTFE shows the reflective end: Birdair reports it reflects as much as 73% of the sun's energy and keeps about 7% on its outer face. For the wider picture of shading in hot weather, see shade for hot climates.
UV block, and what UPF means
UPF, the ultraviolet protection factor, is the ratio of the UV that reaches you with and without the fabric. The Skin Cancer Foundation explains that a UPF 50 fabric blocks 98 percent of the sun's rays and lets two percent (1/50th) through; 30 to 49 is very good, 50+ excellent. The UPF scheme was built for clothing. Makers of shade cloth more often quote a percent of UV blocked, as Coolaroo does (up to 90% for Heavy Duty, up to 95% for its commercial-grade sail), so compare a percent with a percent, and read any UPF claim for the exact product and color. For clothing, the Skin Cancer Foundation adds that dark or bright colors and tight weaves protect more, and that stretching a fabric lets more UV through. For how strong the sun is where you live, and how long you can stay in it, use the UV index and time in the sun guide.
Weight, worked out
Weights come in grams per square meter (gsm) in most of the world and ounces per square yard in the US, and the comparer shows both. One oz/yd² is 33.9 g/m², from 28.3495 g in an ounce and 0.8361 m² in a square yard. Sunbrella Shade 4636 is 9.00 oz/yd² on a 46 in (117 cm) roll, which is 305 g/m². Coolaroo Heavy Duty is 230 gsm, which is 6.8 oz/yd².
| Example (cloth only, no frame or hardware) | Area | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Awning in Sunbrella Shade 4636, 10 ft by 12 ft (3.05 m by 3.66 m) | 13.3 yd² (11.1 m²) | 120 oz, 7.5 lb (3.4 kg) |
| Shade sail in Coolaroo Heavy Duty, 13 ft 1 in by 13 ft 1 in (4 m by 4 m) | 19.1 yd² (16 m²) | 130 oz, 8.1 lb (3.7 kg) |
The cloth is the light part. A frame, arms or posts and fixings weigh far more, so weight tells you about the fabric's feel and strength, not what your structure must carry.
How long each lasts
Makers publish warranties and design lives, which are not the same as how long a fabric lasts on your patio. Sunbrella gives a 10-year limited warranty on shade and marine fabrics; Coolaroo gives 15 years on its Heavy Duty cloth; Serge Ferrari gives 5 years on Soltis. Birdair, speaking of architectural membranes, puts the design life of topcoated PVC at about 15 to 20 years, and 10 to 15 where UV is high, and PTFE at over 30. Warranty terms differ by maker and product, so read the document for the one you buy. Birdair's own PVC figure drops where UV is high, so where you live matters.
Keeping it clean
Sunbrella's advice for awning fabric is to hose it off monthly and give it a full clean every two to three years in most places, with mild soap and a soft brush, and a dilute bleach mix for stubborn mildew. It adds that the fibers do not promote mildew but mildew can grow on dirt left on them, which is the point behind regular rinsing for every fabric here. HDPE shade cloth dries quickly and should not meet harsh chemicals or a pressure washer, according to Coolaroo. Step by step: how to clean an awning, and for cushions, umbrellas and other cloth, how to clean outdoor fabric.
Which to pick
For an awning or a patio umbrella, where color and a rain-shedding finish matter, solution-dyed acrylic is the fabric Sunbrella's own pages name. For a sail over a seating area, knitted HDPE lets hot air out and is the only fabric here with a UV-block percent published, while PVC-coated polyester suits a sail or roof that must stay dry. Cushions favor the solution-dyed fibers, acrylic and olefin. Which structure comes first is a separate decision: types of awnings and what they cost, shade sail, awning or pergola, louvered pergolas and how to choose a patio umbrella cover it.
Polyester and olefin have thin entries here because the pages we cite for them describe the fiber, not a finished shade cloth with weights, UV percentages and warranties. That is a gap in the table, not a verdict on the fabrics. If a maker's spec sheet for either gives a figure, it belongs in the comparison with its link.
Sources, all read on 19 October 2026: Sunbrella (Glen Raven); Coolaroo (GALE Pacific); Serge Ferrari; Birdair; The Skin Cancer Foundation; the American Fiber Manufacturers Association on polyester and olefin, and Phifer. Makers describe their own products, and Coolaroo's pages are its Australian and New Zealand site. Warranty terms and specifications change; check the current document before you buy.