It’s a tricky one. You’ve decided on your size and colour of big umbrella but you’re not sure whether to have a valance or not. The valance has traditionally been the pre-requisite requirement of large parasols in the UK. Aside from providing that little extra shade, it also provides a further area for printing or advertising. There has been a decisive shift though in buying behaviour as increasing numbers of customers opt for non-valanced models. Valances do flap around in the wind and apart from being irritating, the constant rubbing of the flap against a nearby object can wear them down faster. The other thing is more and more people are liking the more modern and contemporary look of the non-valanced model.