On Either Side of the World: the Quality of European and Asian Retractable Awning Lines

Retractable awnings are getting attention. From green initiatives to historical renovations to downtown retail centers, property owners are hearing that retractable awnings are a terrific, inexpensive method to save money on energy and create a striking exterior feature.

The rise in popularity for retractable awnings in the US means that there is a flood of new retractable awning options available, both in new styles and in new companies. It’s tempting to look for the best deal alone, but there is such a variance in quality that customers can end up losing much more with short-lived and poor-performing awnings than they save upfront. It is possible to ascertain the quality of a retractable awning in a surprisingly succinct way: find out where it was made.

The Different Levels of Retractable Awnings

Retractable awning companies usually draw distinctions between the different levels of quality which they sell. The highest quality level is for commercial grade retractable awnings. Commercial lines have high-grade manufacturing and use extremely durable, heavy duty materials to increase their lifetimes. The other common designation is residential awning, which are usually less expensive to produce. The less expensive, lower grade materials mean many residential awnings have shorter life spans.

One important thing to recognize: The difference between commercial and residential awnings is not because of different styles, sizes, or options. There’s nothing special about a commercial awning that makes it too grand for homes. The difference that sets apart commercial awnings is their superior quality of workmanship and materials.

Usuaally, then, when a company advertises a “residential awning,” they’re signaling that this is a budget line, while “commercial grade awnings” represent high-end lines.

Manufacturing Regions and Differences in Quality

There are three important manufacturing regions for retractable awnings: Europe, North America, and Asia (mainly China). Each of these manufacturing regions corresponds almost directly to the awning quality: The highest quality retractable awnings are manufactured in Europe, midrange awnings in America, and budget lower quality awnings in China. Most awning companies in the USA sell either commercial awnings from Europe or budget lines from China.

European lines have the highest quality, partly because awnings have been used in Europe for thousands of years and are tightly integrated with building design concepts. This long history has led to the best designed and manufactured awnings available:

·        Tight manufacturing standards

·        Internationalized, rigorous QA testing standards

·        Certification processes for materials

·        Durable material quality for frames, fabrics, and threads

·        Continuously evolving styles, features, and development

On the other hand, most budget (residential) retractable awnings tend to be made in China, an area plagued by consistent complaints about poor quality control, poor materials, and poor labor. With budget lines, product quality, sometimes even product materials, varies significantly between lots.

·        Lower quality materials

·        Lack of testing or certifications

·        Limited styles

·        Inconsistent manufacturing quality

Specifically for retractable awnings, most Asian-produced lines are imitative rather than original, meaning they use standard designs done on the cheap without any engineering design or engineering drawings. In addition, almost all Asian vendors lacks TÜV or Eurolab certifications.

That’s not to say that every budget line is bad. Obviously, price is a factor (though it becomes less of a factor when the usable life of a budget awning is about a quarter of a commercial/high-end awning). Also, a few companies focusing on residential lines put the effort in meeting with Asian manufacturers at trade shows, even touring their facilities. Even with budget lines, the quality of the company is reflected in their service agreements, return policies, and customer service.

Consider whether the additional cost for a high end retractable awning is worth the additional quality. The functional distinctions between high and low quality retractable awnings are significant:

·        Commercial (high quality) awnings have non-prorated frame warranties of 25 years and fabric lifetimes as long as 12-15 years, while residential (budget) lines have frame warranties and fabric lifetimes of five years or less.

·        Commercial grade retractable awnings come in custom sizes, down to an inch measurement, while many residential lines have only a few standard sizes.

·        Commercial retractable awnings have hundreds of fabrics available, while budget lines usually have much fewer color and pattern options. Additionally, high quality awnings use a woven fabric called solution-dyed acrylic which resists fading, mildew, and rot, while budget awnings use cheap materials such as canvas (which fades quickly) or vinyl (which absorbs the heat and does not breathe).

·        Although any retractable awning style is used on homes, most budget lines are limited to a single design. High quality awning lines can offer a half dozen styles or more.

·        High quality lines offer support for years for parts, even for additional options. Budget lines, particularly at big-box chains, only offer add-ons for a single season and service can lapse within a year, if it’s even available.

When buying budget, the quality of the company becomes much more important.

There are some dependable budget retractable awning manufacturers and retailers out there, with solid support, good products, and attractive awning styles. You just have to look.