Outdoor activities can be a lot of fun when you take care of the finer details like comfort. For the protection of you and your guests at that lawn or poolside party, remember to take into account their comfort as well. Depending on the weather, your choice of market umbrellas or outdoor heating will be an important factor in ensuring the event is a success.

Umbrellas are fairly common in most countries and have evolved from singular, private use to almost purely commercial. From its very exclusive, royalty-only purpose, the umbrella has become much larger and less mobile to cater to its more commercial purpose. Today’s larger versions have been dubbed market umbrellas – probably due its original function as a commercial shelter for products on sale. Not just a commercial object, however, market umbrellas can also be seen at poolsides, patios, residential lawns and sidewalks for no other reason but to provide cool shelter.

There are a few varieties of market umbrellas:
- Lighted umbrellas. As their name suggests, these are huge shady umbrellas that come with powered lights. Variations of the lights are those that may or may not come with a dimmer so you can lower them to conserve energy.

- Thatched umbrellas. These are very ethnic-looking patio umbrellas that are perfect for the private backyard, beach restaurant, poolside or sidewalk eateries with an ethnic theme. For a little touch of class, the umbrellas may have fittings, pins and screws made of brass.

- Tilt umbrellas. Unlike normal umbrellas, these can be tilted at specific angles to shade their occupants from the sun. These are specially designed umbrellas that are made to tilt so tilting should be attempted on normal market umbrellas. These are practical as they give you more leeway to position your umbrella in any location without taking account the rising and setting of the sun.

- Wood umbrellas. These are perfect for surroundings that have a wooden or rustic theme. Made of hard wood, these umbrellas are strong enough to withstand harsh weather and are best suited for warmer climates. Through time, the wood’s natural weathered look will only contribute to its rustic beauty. They are perfect for beach use as the wood will not corrode with salt water.

- Steel umbrellas. These are made of steel and suit drier weather conditions and are often finished with very classy-looking poles to hold them up.

While mostly circular, some market umbrellas are square. In general, square market umbrellas look more commercial than round ones.

Aside from providing shelter, another way you can be more comfortable outdoors is to have appropriate outdoor heating. One way you can provide this is with outdoor heaters.

Outdoor heaters are upright structures that resemble standing lamps except they radiate heat more than they do light. These are done by gas burners on top of a post which will light up wires that emit warmth through a thin wire screen. Reflectors are often placed at the top to reduce heat loss through the top of the post. Reflectors may be positioned at strategic spots on the heaters to help direct the heat in a specific direction.

Another popular form of outdoor heating is portable propane heaters. These are often used in the real outdoors – when camping, for instance, as they are light enough to be carted around. Newer models of propane heaters come complete with automatic switches that double up as safety features. These switch the heaters off during specific times like when the propane gas is low or finished, when the heater is tilted dangerously and can even be put on a timer.

Patio heaters are another form of outdoor heating. These are stand-alone structures that have adjustable heat output and usually come with advanced safety features like tip-over switches and flame safeguard systems to maximize safe usage. It is also often mobile – patio heaters come with wheels to make moving them around a lot easier. These are so named as they are meant for patios and areas that have low ceiling clearances.

Quartz heaters are also effective and they may be more cost-effective as they suit both indoor and outdoor use. Perfect for places with a low roof, these resemble fluorescent lamps and can be set up easily. Aside from emitting heat, they also glow with light to further brighten up the area.