There are three main tilt patio umbrella types available. They're distinguished mostly by the ease with which the canopy can be tilted, and by its available range of motion:
Push Button Tilt
Remember when "the push of a button" meant something was as easy as possible? That's not quite true anymore in the case of the push-button manual patio umbrella tilt. The push-button tilt is still easy to use: just stand up, find the button below the umbrella ribs, push it to "unlock" the canopy, and tilt to your desired position. As the sun moves, you tilt the umbrella to block it.
The one notable limitation of push button tilt patio umbrellas is that they only offer two or three pivot points. And you have to stand up to tilt them. We know. Life is hard.
Auto Tilt
If you don't like standing up to tilt your patio umbrella, then you'd better get cranky. An auto tilt patio umbrella is actually a crank tilt, but it's called automatic because it tilts in response to the crank instead of being moved manually by hand.
The auto tilt umbrella was a smart twist on an existing design: if some patio umbrellas already use a crank system to open and close, why not make the crank do a little extra work? When auto tilt patio umbrellas reach a fully open position, turning the crank further causes the umbrella to tilt. Unlike push button umbrellas, auto-tilt umbrellas adjust to any position. And if you can reach the crank from your chair, it's look Ma, no legs.
Collar Tilt
Yep, it gets even easier. Collar tilt patio umbrellas are the latest and greatest in umbrella tilt technology. The collar tilt is another form of auto tilt. It's named after the collar or ring that sits above the umbrella's crank housing. Just turn the collar, and the umbrella tilts. It's a smoothly working, infinitely adjustable design, and because it's distinct from the crank, you could even tilt a non-fully opened umbrella.
Offset Tilts
Did we say three tilt types? We kinda meant four. The offset umbrella is a cantilever umbrella used to provide shading in areas where an umbrella pole can't go (at least not without being a serious inconvenience), such as hot tubs or patio conversation sets. Offset canopies are big: nine to thirteen feet wide. Not all offset patio umbrellas tilt, but some do offer limited tilting, usually in combination with a 360-degree rotation capability.
