Sunchoice® Retractable Patio Awnings

Discover the Elite and Classic models, featuring advanced options and a wide selection of fabrics.

Product Overview

The Sunchoice® Retractable patio awning model is available in two distinct models: the Elite and the Classic. The Elite model offers greater flexibility with custom widths and is available in both manual and motorized versions. The Classic model is offered exclusively in a 19' 6" width and is motorized only. Availability for the Classic awning is subject to current stock levels.

Type	Standard Frame Colors	Standard Widths	Standard Projections	Recommended Applications	Recommended Fabrics
ELITE	Mocha, White	12' - 20'	10'	Deck, Patio Retractable	All Tempotest / Para, Stock patterns
CLASSIC	Cream	19'6"	10'	Deck, Patio Retractable	6 each Polyester patterns

Both models come with a 3 & 5 year limited frame warranty.

Sunchoice® Elite Model Details

The Elite model provides custom widths ranging from 12' to 20' with a 10 ft. projection. It features an aluminum roller tube and a powder-coated aluminum square bar. The design incorporates a double vinyl-coated cable arm system. It utilizes all Sunair stock Acrylic PARA fabric patterns. A hood is optional, adding 1 inch to the unit width. Manual operation is standard, with an optional Simu RTS Radio MO motor (18' cord and remote) available on the right side. A 5-year limited frame warranty is included. Optional accessories include a hood, wind sensor, ceiling brackets, and roof brackets. Frame colors available are White or Mocha.

Sunchoice® Classic Model Details

The Classic model is available in a 19'6" width with a 10 ft. projection. It features a steel roller tube and a powder-coated steel square bar, with a double vinyl-coated cable arm design. Customers can choose from 6 solution-dyed polyester fabric patterns. The hood is included and is two inches wider than the unit width. It comes standard with a Dooya MO radio motor (12' cord and remote) on the right side. A 3-year limited frame warranty is provided. Optional accessories include a wind sensor, ceiling brackets, and roof brackets. Frame colors available are Ivory/Cream.

*Available in two models and one width. *Pending stock & availability.

Measuring a Lateral Arm Awning

Width Considerations

Awning width is determined by the deck size. Ensure the mounting wall is free from obstructions like downspouts, chimneys, or electrical conduit, as these can interfere with the roller mechanism. The awning hood is always 1 inch wider than the awning frame. The fabric width is typically 5 inches less than the awning frame for units up to 20' wide, and 5.5 inches less for units over 20' wide. If the deck faces West, projection is a key consideration; if it faces South, width is more important.

The roller assembly of the SUNAIR® awning measures 8 inches high without a hood and 10 inches high with a hood. A minimum of 8-10 inches of unobstructed mounting surface is required.

Clearance Requirements: A minimum of 8 inches of clearance above the door to the gutter is required without a hood, and 10 inches with a hood.

Projection and Mounting

Determine the desired projection based on ground clearance above doors or windows. The pitch chart (see below) provides guidance for ideal mounting height and pitch. A steeper pitch results in less projection. When extended, the front bar should be at least 7 feet off the deck or patio for residential installations, and at least 8 feet for commercial installations (depending on local codes).

The "3/12 rule" suggests mounting brackets should be located 3 inches higher than the front bar for every 12 inches of projection.

Application Note: SUNAIR® Lateral Arm Awnings are designed for residential decks, patios, and commercial storefronts. They are intended for sun protection and are not designed to withstand wind or heavy rain.

Pitch Chart and Ideal Mounting Height

This chart illustrates the relationship between awning projection and the required mounting height for brackets. For example, a 10-foot projection awning may require brackets mounted at 9 feet 6 inches from the ground for a residential installation (calculated using the 3/12 rule: 10 ft * 3 inches/ft + 7 ft clearance = 9 ft 6 inches).

Key Guidelines:

Never install a Lateral Arm Awning with the top of the installation bracket below 8 feet.
If only 8 feet of height is attainable, do not install an awning with more than 10'2" projection.
If installation height is too low or desired projection is too great, consider roof installation (refer to the specific model's installation manual).
The ideal pitch is 3/12, but a 2/12 pitch is acceptable. A 1/12 pitch is the absolute minimum. The maximum pitch is 45°.

Options and Accessories

Roof Brackets

Optional AU18 aluminum or stainless steel roof brackets, or AU16C ceiling brackets, are available for installations on roofs or soffits.

Optional Hood

An optional hood is available for the Elite model. The hood is approximately 10 inches high. The Classic model includes a hood as standard.

Fabric Selections

Classic Model Polyester Fabrics

The Classic model offers 6 polyester fabric patterns:

#5846 Forest Green
#5822 Khaki
#59-443 Natural Cabernet
#59-360 Desert Sand
#59-140 Khaki Beige
#59-362 Summer Green

Note: All fabrics feature standard 8" wave valances. Binding is available to complement the fabric. Fabric colors may appear different due to print variations.

Elite Model Acrylic Fabrics (Tempotest® / PARA)

The Elite model features Sunair stock Acrylic PARA fabric patterns, stitched with Tenara® thread. A wide selection is available, including:

Solids: 5 Forest Green, 7 Moss Green, 8 Medium Green, 11 Red, 12 Yellow, 13 Ocean Blue, 14 Toast, 15 White, 24 Black
Stripes/Patterns: 33 Forest Green / White, 35 Red / White, 37 Yellow / White, 47 Brown / Stone, 52 Tan, 53 Pale Peach, 73 Burgundy, 75 Navy Blue, 79 Grey, 81 True Brown, 84 Dark Terracotta, 87 Fancy Blue, 101 Elite Toast, 102 Cappuccino, 106 Toffee, 107 Textured Dk. Grey, 242 Grey / White, 426 Terracotta, 439 Dark Grey / White, 809 Cream / Green, 878 Beige / White Speckled, 926 Taupe Classic Solid, 931 Green / Cream Wide, 969 Grey Fancy Stripe, 1101 Beige / Stripe Fancy, 1120 Brown/ Beige Fancy, 1150 Rust / Green Multi, 116/15 Medium Blue / White, 1243 Yellow Multi, 1302 Sage Tweed, 1330/512 Carbon Stitch.
Tweeds & Other: 15/1 Beige, 15/14 Raw, 15/79 Stone, 4015/91 Raw Speckled, 407/11 Burgundy Tweed, 407/13 Blue Tweed, 407/14 Toast Classic Tweed, 407/16 Moss Classic Tweed, 407/3 Green Classic Tweed, 407/6 Green Tweed, 407/79 Pepper Grey, 407/926 Grey Classic Tweed, 4215/15 Textured Tan, 5000/57 Cocoa Stripe, 5001/1 Green Graduated, 5001/13 Blue Graduated, 5001/7 Moss Graduated, 5001/73 Burg/Grey Graduated, 5009/1 Beige / Tan Stripe, 5009/14 Brown / Tan Stripe, 5011/11 Brick/Natural Fancy, 5011/57 Tan / Brown Fancy, 5011/7 Tan / Green Fancy, 5071/7 Natural/Moss Graduated, 5072/86 Brown/Stone Fancy, 5118/62 Yellow / White Fancy, 5144/14 Pastel/Natural Fancy, 5167/11 Red / Grey Fancy, 5167/2 Blue / Grey Fancy, 5167/5 Green / Grey Fancy, 5173/12 Yellow / Grey Stripe, 5304/15 Rose / Grey Fancy, 5347/58 Grey Wheat Multi, 5347/79 Platinum Grey Multi, 5348/58 Beige / Wheat Multi, 5348/79 Grey / Slate Multi, 5349/106 Brown Cream Stripe, 5349/930 Beige / Brown Classic, 5369 Charcoal / Brown, 5370 Beige / Grey, 5371/727 Grey / Black Stripe, 5374 Smoke / Grey Stripe, 5396/78 Green Tweed Stripe, 5396/930 Hazelnut Stripe, 5396/97 Charcoal Tweed Stripe, 5397/97 Grey / Black Graduated, 5398/107 Carbon Blue Blend, 5398/930 Dune / Brown Stripe, 5399/107 Dark Grey Tweed, 5399/15 Light Grey Stripe, 5399/52 Sesame Tweed Stripe, 5399/94 Stone / Grey Tweed, 633/79 Grey/ Black Fancy, 634/51 Grey / Natural Fancy, 634/97 Green / Tan Fancy, 635/11 Cranberry/Natural F., 636/10 Grey / Blue Graduated, 636/12 Yellow Graduated, 636/14 Brown Elite Stripe, 636/5 Green / Beige Fancy, 636/84 Terracotta Graduated, 638/5 Green Grey Fancy, 639/99 Tan / Natural Fancy, 641/10 Blue / Beige Fancy, 727/15 Textured Med. Grey, 739/701 Sage / Beige Fancy, 769/75 Cream / Blue Fancy, 782/14 Beige Classic Solid, 873/151 Dune Tweed, 873/2 Textured Cocoa, 939/94 Grey Elite Stripe, 940/5 Green Elite Stripe, 947/14 Pale / Beige Classic, 949/91 Brown Beige Classic, 950/24 Grey / Charcoal Classic, 951/92 Grey / Navy Classic, 967/926 Grey/Charcoal Elite, 968/426 Terracotta Cream Fancy, 97/84 Plum, 986/106 Textured Beige, 986/15 Textured Lt. Grey, 986/727 Textured Pebble Grey.

Valance Styles and Binding

A variety of valance styles are available, denoted by letters A through H. Style "A" offers a straight valance and can be ordered with or without binding at the bottom. All other valance styles (B-H) require binding sewn at the bottom. If no specific valance style is chosen, the standard style "E" will be used.

Binding Colors: A wide range of binding colors are available to complement the fabric choices.

Motorization and Smart Control

SUNAIR® / Simu 50 Nm RTS CMO Awning Motor

For the Elite model, Sunair offers the economical Simu 50 Nm radio RTS motor. This motor kit includes an 18-foot plug-in cord and a one-channel hand-held remote. It is compatible with all Somfy remotes and electronic controls. Technical specifications include 50 Nm torque, 12 rpm speed, 250 W power, and 2.1 A current.

Somfy Remotes and Controls

A selection of Somfy remotes and controls is available for the Elite model, including 1-channel to 16-channel hand-held or wall-mounted options. These include Situo 1 & 4 hand-held remotes, Telis 1 Chronis RTS Timer, DecoFlex WireFree™ RTS Wall Switches, Telis 1 Patio, Smoove® 1 RTS Wall Switch, and Telis 16 RTS Hand-held Remote. These systems offer convenient operation and allow for organized control of motorized applications.

Automatic Sensors & Controls (Elite Model)

SOLIRIS RTS 24V KIT (Sun & Wind Sensor): Automatically controls RTS motorized products based on current weather conditions.
ONDEIS® WIREFREE (Sun & Rain Sensor): A solar-powered sensor compatible with Somfy RTS motorized exterior products.
EOLIS 3D WIREFREE™ RTS (Wind Sensor): A wireless, battery-powered wind sensor for lateral arm awnings that automatically retracts the awning. (Classic model may have a similar Dooya sensor option).
Sunis & ThermoSunis Indoor WireFree™ RTS Sensors are also available.

Somfy TaHoma® RTS Smartphone and Tablet Interface

The Somfy TaHoma® gateway and smartphone app provide convenient and customized control of Somfy powered motorized shades, blinds, and other solutions. It can control up to 40 RTS channels and supports multi-zone control. The app allows remote activation, UP/DOWN/MY/STOP commands, incremental control, ON/OFF commands, and integrates with systems like Control4® and Somfy Synergy™ API. It is compatible with smart home platforms including Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, SmartThings, Philips Hue, and Brilliant.

Smart Home Integration

Bond Home / Smartphone and Tablet Interface

The Bond Bridge and Bond Bridge Pro act as bridges between Wi-Fi and your remotes, enabling control of Sunair shades, awnings, pergolas, ceiling fans, and fireplaces via the Bond app. They work with Somfy and other motor manufacturers.

Bond Bridge: Works with Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings; offers remote control via Bond Home app; compatible with iPhone/Android; requires no installation; provides smart home functionality.
Bond Bridge Pro: Includes added features like Ethernet port & PoE technology, smart home integrations, and ceiling/wall mounting.
Optional: Sidekick for Shades: A 5-channel shade and awning controller.

Bond Remote Switch: Sidekick for Shades/Awnings

The Sidekick is a wireless, flush-mount shade remote that communicates directly with the shade. It features a 10-year battery life and allows for setting shade limits without a manufacturer remote. This version does not support Scene Keypad functionality. It can be installed with or without a workbox and offers 5-channel control.