TriBlocker Triangle Shade Sail

British summers give you about six usable weeks and full sun for perhaps half of them, which is why a shade sail beats a parasol: it covers a whole seating area rather than one table, and it stays up. The TriBlocker is a triangle, available at 3 x 3 x 3 m, 4 x 4 x 4 m and 6 x 6 x 6 m, in beige or grey.

The fabric is a coated, waterproof weave rather than an open mesh, so it blocks UV and sheds a shower instead of dripping through it. Triangles are the easy shape to work with outdoors: three fixing points are quicker to find than four, and two sails overlapped at an angle will cover an awkward patio that no rectangle fits. Reinforced, stitched corners take stainless D-rings so tension is spread rather than concentrated in the fabric.

Rig it with a slope so rainwater runs off one corner rather than pooling in the middle, which is what tears a sail over a season. Fix to solid anchor points, a wall plate, a sturdy post or a mature tree, and take it down in high winds and over winter rather than leaving it up year round. Hose it off and dry it fully before storing.

• Product type: triangular garden shade sail
• Material: coated waterproof polyester weave, UV blocking
• Sizes: 3 x 3 x 3 m, 4 x 4 x 4 m, 6 x 6 x 6 m
• Colours: beige, grey
• Features: reinforced stitched corners, stainless D-rings
• Use: patios, decks, seating areas, play areas, hot tubs
• Care: hose clean and dry fully before storage
• Safety: fix to solid anchor points only and take down in high winds