Every fabric tested. Every one rated UVE 99%.
Every fabric in our range, from Ivory Mist to our new Provence Blue, has been independently lab-tested to AS 4174:2018, the Australian standard for shade fabrics. Each one achieved the same result: a UVE rating of 99%, in the Ultra-heavy cover category, the most effective under the standard.
Below are the results for each fabric, the fabrics inside each colourway, and how our umbrellas performed in the wind tunnel.
- Every fabric
- UVE 99%
- Protection category
- Ultra-heavy
- Fabrics tested to AS 4174
- 8 of 8
- Wind tunnel tested
- 60 km/h
ARPANSA certified
Canopy fabric tested to AS 4174:2018 and certified by ARPANSA. Blocks 99% of effective UV radiation.
Certified by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency.
Applies to our 3m double-tier umbrellas in every colourway: Ivory Mist, Cactus Green, Golden Hour, Desert Sand, Flamingo Blush, Powdered Blush, Salted Butter, Midnight Navy and Provence Blue.
Sun Protection Certification Trade Mark licence SP-102 · valid to 22 July 2027
Results by fabric
Each fabric was tested on its own by ARPANSA’s UV laboratory, with ten specimens measured for the radiation that passes through. Light or dark, every one achieved the same UVE 99% rating.
-
Ivory Mist
White · woven solution-dyed acrylic
- UVE rating
- 99%
- UV radiation blocked
- 99.4%
- Shade factor
- 88.0%
- Protection category
- Ultra-heavy cover
- Designation
- Most effective
- Fabric weight
- 264 gsm
- Tested
- July 2026
- Report
- UVR_26-0248-1
ARPANSA certified. UVE rating 99%.
-
Cactus Green
Green · woven solution-dyed acrylic
- UVE rating
- 99%
- UV radiation blocked
- 99.8%
- Shade factor
- 99.1%
- Protection category
- Ultra-heavy cover
- Designation
- Most effective
- Fabric weight
- 260 gsm
- Tested
- July 2026
- Report
- UVR_26-0248-2
ARPANSA certified. UVE rating 99%.
-
Golden Hour
Yellow · woven solution-dyed acrylic
- UVE rating
- 99%
- UV radiation blocked
- 99.9%
- Shade factor
- 87.4%
- Protection category
- Ultra-heavy cover
- Designation
- Most effective
- Fabric weight
- 262 gsm
- Tested
- July 2026
- Report
- UVR_26-0248-3
ARPANSA certified. UVE rating 99%.
-
Desert Sand
Taupe / beige · woven solution-dyed acrylic
- UVE rating
- 99%
- UV radiation blocked
- 99.2%
- Shade factor
- 95.4%
- Protection category
- Ultra-heavy cover
- Designation
- Most effective
- Fabric weight
- 255 gsm
- Tested
- July 2026
- Report
- UVR_26-0248-4
ARPANSA certified. UVE rating 99%.
-
Flamingo Blush
Pink / peach · woven solution-dyed acrylic
- UVE rating
- 99%
- UV radiation blocked
- 99.9%
- Shade factor
- 94.0%
- Protection category
- Ultra-heavy cover
- Designation
- Most effective
- Fabric weight
- 266 gsm
- Tested
- July 2026
- Report
- UVR_26-0248-5
ARPANSA certified. UVE rating 99%.
-
Salted Butter
Light yellow · woven solution-dyed acrylic
- UVE rating
- 99%
- UV radiation blocked
- 99.8%
- Shade factor
- 90.4%
- Protection category
- Ultra-heavy cover
- Designation
- Most effective
- Fabric weight
- 266 gsm
- Tested
- October 2026
- Report
- UVR_26-0392-1
ARPANSA certified. UVE rating 99%.
-
Provence Blue
Light blue · woven solution-dyed acrylic
- UVE rating
- 99%
- UV radiation blocked
- 99.6%
- Shade factor
- 98.3%
- Protection category
- Ultra-heavy cover
- Designation
- Most effective
- Fabric weight
- 256 gsm
- Tested
- October 2026
- Report
- UVR_26-0392-2
ARPANSA certified. UVE rating 99%.
-
Midnight Navy
Deep navy · woven solution-dyed acrylic
- UVE rating
- 99%
- UV radiation blocked
- 100%
- Shade factor
- 100%
- Protection category
- Ultra-heavy cover
- Designation
- Most effective
- Fabric weight
- 261 gsm
- Tested
- October 2026
- Report
- UVR_26-0392-3
ARPANSA certified. UVE rating 99%.
Tested to AS 4174:2018 (Knitted and woven shade fabrics), Appendices A, B and D, on new, dry, unstretched fabric as the standard requires. UVE is the standard’s rating for effective UV blocked; UV radiation blocked is the measured share of all UV stopped; shade factor is the share of visible light blocked. Ivory Mist was first tested in May 2025 and re-tested in July 2026 with the same result.
What’s in your umbrella
Several of our umbrellas alternate two fabrics, panel by panel. Every panel in every canopy is made from a fabric tested above.
-
Provence Blue Coming soon
Provence Blue + Ivory Mist panels
ARPANSA certified. UVE rating 99%.
Wind tested
Our 3m double-tier umbrella went through two independent wind-tunnel tests in May 2025, set in a 25 kg base. The wind speed was raised in stages to see whether it would tip.
- 38 km/h 10.7 m/s. Stayed upright with no tipping, falling over or damage.
- 48 km/h 13.4 m/s. No tipping on the 25 kg base.
- 65 km/h 18 m/s. Still no tipping on the 25 kg base. We round this down and call it 60 km/h.
Wind testing shows how the umbrella and base behave in controlled conditions. Real gusts, especially near open water or between buildings, can be stronger and less predictable, so always close your umbrella when it’s unattended or strong wind is forecast. For exposed spots, pair our 24.5 kg base with an Extra Weight Plate.
Full reports
Test report (PDF): Ivory Mist, Cactus Green, Golden Hour, Desert Sand, Flamingo BlushReports for Salted Butter, Provence Blue and Midnight Navy (October 2026) and our wind-tunnel reports are available on request. Contact us and we’ll send them through.
Required disclaimer (AS 4174:2018)
When shade fabric is used for purposes such as shade structures for human protection, the ultraviolet effectiveness (UVE) may not be an accurate guide to the protection provided and may be less than the measured value due to variations in design, height and size of shade structures, stretching of the fabric, the distance of the fabric from the persons, the direction of sunlight, and the physical location of the persons within the shade structure (e.g. at the edge or at the centre).
Questions
What does UVE 99% mean?
UVE stands for ultraviolet effectiveness. It is how AS 4174:2018, the Australian standard for shade fabrics, rates the amount of effective UV radiation a fabric blocks. Every one of our fabrics is rated UVE 99%, in the Ultra-heavy cover protection category.
What is ARPANSA?
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency is the Australian Government’s authority on radiation protection, including UV. Its laboratory tests shade fabrics to AS 4174:2018, and its Sun Protection Certification Trade Mark is licensed only for fabrics it has tested and rated. Our licence is SP-102, and it covers every fabric we use.
Do darker colours give better protection?
Not for UV. Every fabric we tested, from Ivory Mist to Midnight Navy, is rated UVE 99% and blocks more than 99% of UV radiation. What changes with colour is visible light, which is what the shade factor measures: Midnight Navy blocks 100% of visible light and Ivory Mist 88%, so darker fabrics give a deeper shade and lighter fabrics a brighter, softer one.
My umbrella has two colours. Are both tested?
Yes. Cactus Green, Desert Sand, Powdered Blush and Salted Butter alternate a coloured panel with an Ivory Mist panel, and Provence Blue will too. Every fabric in those canopies has been tested individually, and each one is rated UVE 99%.
Am I fully protected sitting under the umbrella?
Shade is one part of sun protection, not all of it. What you get under any umbrella depends on its height and angle, the time of day, where you sit in the shade, and UV reflected off water, paving and sand. Tilt the canopy towards the sun as it moves, and keep up hats and sunscreen on high-UV days.
Were the fabrics tested new?
Yes. As the standard requires, testing is done on new, dry, unstretched fabric. Our fabric is solution-dyed acrylic, with the colour locked into the fibre rather than printed on, so it holds its colour through Australian summers. Keep it clean and close it when not in use for the best long-term performance.
Can I leave the umbrella open in strong wind?
No umbrella should be left open in strong wind. Ours stayed upright at 18 m/s (about 65 km/h) on a 25 kg base in wind-tunnel testing, but real gusts are unpredictable. Close it when it’s unattended or strong wind is forecast, and add an Extra Weight Plate in exposed spots.