Retractable awnings are a simple and effective way to make any outdoor space feel more comfortable by easily installing onto the exterior of your home and providing immediate shade. 

Awnings come in a wide variety of sizes and colors, so you’ll want to look for the features that fit your home and lifestyle the best. If budget is top of mind, look for manual retractable awnings—these don’t need electricity to operate, and you can easily open and close them with a hand crank. If you can afford a little more convenience, you may want to invest in a motorized retractable awning with a remote control to open and close the awning.

The best retractable awnings will protect your house from sun exposure, keeping your home more comfortable and reducing energy costs. It also extends the usable parts of your home, making your deck or patio a pleasant place to spend time during the heat of the day. While it may cost a little more upfront to purchase and install a high-quality retractable awning, it can make your home more enjoyable for more than 10 years. 

If you’re on a budget, we recommend considering a manual crank retractable awning, which doesn’t have a motor and relies on a hand crank to open and close. This helps lower the cost without impacting the quality of the awning and its materials. 

Excellent quality frames will last a minimum of 25 years, with low-quality frames lasting only one to two years. While excellent quality motors will normally last 10 to 15 years. 

You can expect high-quality fabrics to last 12 to 15 years before they need to be replaced, but low-quality fabrics may only last for a couple of years. The best retractable awnings will use fade-resistant fabrics, which allows your awning to stay bright and attractive through multiple seasons of use.