SunSetter vs. SummerSpace: Which Retractable Awning Fits Your Deck?

20 ft

Widest SunSetter awning (SunSetter)

26 ft

Widest SummerSpace awning (SummerSpace)

2–3 hr

SunSetter’s stated DIY install time

20 yr

SummerSpace Performance Series frame warranty

“Is a SunSetter as good as yours?” is one of the fairest questions we get on the phone, and it deserves a straight answer instead of a sales pitch.

We don’t sell SunSetter, so we have no reason to talk it up, and we’ve chosen SummerSpace, so we have every reason to be careful not to talk it down unfairly. Everything below comes from the two companies’ own product pages and warranty terms, linked at the end. Where we add an opinion, we say so.

Who makes what

SunSetter sells retractable awnings factory-direct and through independent dealers. It calls its SunSetter Series the best-selling line of awnings for almost 40 years. There are two families: the SunSetter Series (opens in a new tab) (Motorized, XL, Pro, Manual and the freestanding Oasis) and the premium Platinum Series (opens in a new tab), which adds Sunbrella and Performance Acrylic fabrics and, on the Plus and Beyond models, semi- and full-cassette housings.

SummerSpace builds custom-sized awnings and screens in Auburn, Maine, sold and installed through dealers like us. Its range runs from open-roll models such as the Traditional 87 (opens in a new tab) to the semi-cassette Pro Series 97 (opens in a new tab) and the commercial-grade Performance 250 (opens in a new tab). We carry SummerSpace only, and we explain why in our retractable awnings guide.

Size and warranty, at a glance

The two lines overlap for an ordinary deck. They part ways at the edges: very wide walls, deep projections and long frame warranties.

For a 12- or 14-foot deck, both brands have a model that fits. Past 20 feet on a single awning, or when you need shade more than about 13 feet out from the wall, only one of them has a catalog answer.

SunSetter and SummerSpace, side by side

Sources: SunSetter product, FAQ and warranty pages; SummerSpace product pages for the Traditional 87, Pro Series 97 and 98, and Performance 150 and 250. Specs vary by model; check the exact model before you buy.

The chain-versus-belt myth

You’ll read that budget awnings use glued rubber belts that slip and stretch, and that’s true of some. It isn’t true of SunSetter: the company says its lateral-arm models use dual stainless steel chain systems to resist corrosion. SummerSpace uses stainless steel or leaf chain tension systems, depending on the model. On this point the two are closer than many comparisons suggest.

SunSetter uses Somfy motors with a manual override for power outages, and the SummerSpace awnings we install run on Somfy controls too. The real differences are size, warranty length, housing options and who installs it.

Installation: DIY or dealer

This is SunSetter’s strongest card. It says its awnings install in 2 to 3 hours over wood, stucco, masonry, aluminum or vinyl siding, with an installation hotline if you get stuck, and most dealers will install one for an extra charge. The motorized models plug into an outdoor outlet with an 18-foot cord, though you may need an electrician to add one within reach.

SummerSpace isn’t sold for do-it-yourself installation. A dealer measures, orders the awning to size and installs it. That costs more than a weekend with a drill, and it buys you a few things: someone who checks what’s behind the siding, roof and soffit mounts when the wall won’t work, and one company to call when something needs adjusting.

1. Measure the wallWidth, mounting height and what’s behind the siding. SunSetter needs at least 7 feet 6 inches of mounting height.
2. Pick the projectionDeeper than about 13 feet points you to SummerSpace’s Performance Series.
3. Plan the powerA motor needs an outlet or a hard-wired circuit near one end of the awning.
4. Decide who installsYou, a SunSetter dealer, or a SummerSpace dealer like us.

When a SunSetter makes sense

In our opinion, a SunSetter is a sensible buy when the wall is a standard height, the deck fits inside its sizes, you’re handy, and price matters more than a long frame warranty. Buy direct and it also comes with a 30-day home trial, less shipping and a 10% restocking fee, which no custom awning can match.

When SummerSpace is worth more

SummerSpace earns its price when the job is bigger or harder: a wall wider than 20 feet, shade more than 13 feet out, a roof or soffit mount, a modern house that calls for a full cassette, or a business patio that opens every day. The longer frame warranties, 15 years on the Pro Series and 20 on the Performance Series, matter more the more the awning gets used. For restaurant and winery patios, see commercial retractable awnings.

They did a great job of educating us to the pros and cons of retractable awnings, gave us a great price, and the delivery and installation went like clock work.

Notes for Portland decks

Whichever brand you choose, two Portland habits will make it last. First, bring it in when the wind picks up: both companies recommend it, and both offer wind sensors for motorized models that retract the awning for you. Second, don’t leave it out in steady rain. Retractable fabric sheds a passing shower; SunSetter, for one, says to retract once water starts to pool on the fabric.

Already own a SunSetter or another brand that needs help? We repair motors, switches, arms and hardware on awnings other companies installed, and we put new fabric on a sound frame. See Repair & Recover, and for what a new awning costs here, awning cost in Portland.