If you have just finished installing a patio in your backyard, you are probably looking forward to buying the furniture and other accessories to make it feel like an outdoor room. There are many considerations to make, including the size and shape of the table you want, how many chairs you can fit, whether you want potted plants for decoration, etc. One of the most important elements of a typical patio is being able to sit in the shade during the day, and a patio umbrella is a popular way to provide that shade. The options for outdoor umbrellas is staggering, and once you begin your search you will find out just how much variety is available. One type of umbrella you might not consider before you start shopping is a lighted umbrella, since you might not have known they exist, or maybe you just can’t see the benefit. After all, the umbrella is for shade, so why does it need lights?
Well, it might not. It all depends on how you plan on using your patio. If you are strictly going to use it for daytime relaxing or grilling, then there probably isn’t much of a need to have lights on the umbrella, or anywhere else on the patio. A porch light or other outdoor light will be necessary to prevent accidents if someone does happen to walk through the patio at night, but other than the basic safety concerns you would have no need for lighting.
On the other hand, if twilight meals or late nights relaxing in the cool summer air figure into your plans, you would be doing yourself a favor to decide on functional, and possibly decorative, lighting as you furnish your patio. Buying an outdoor umbrella with lights can save you some trouble in that area, since the lights will already be installed on the umbrella and you won’t have to worry about attaching them yourself. The lights on these umbrellas usually resemble string lights, which is a kind of umbrella light that can also be purchased separately if you don’t want the added expensive of having them pre-installed. Depending on how much light the individual bulbs give off they might be only useful as decoration, so be sure to take that into consideration before depending entirely on your umbrella to provide all the needed light on the patio.
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