A lot of mesh for the money, at a density most food crops should not sit under.
Best for Propagation Areas rlsclngst 90 Percent Black Shade Cloth, 20 x 40 ft, Heavy Duty Mesh with Grommets
~$139
800 sq ft of HDPE mesh blocking 90 percent of sunlight, with reinforced taped edges, metal grommets every 39 in, extra corner grommets and bungee ball ropes included.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Size | 20 x 40 ft, 800 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Shade factor | 90 percent, passing about 10 percent of light |
| Material | HDPE mesh, breathable to air and water |
| Edges | Reinforced taped edges |
| Grommets | Metal, every 39 in, with extra grommets at the corners |
| Included | Bungee ball ropes for fastening |
Specifications above come from the manufacturer's published feature list for this product. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- 800 sq ft in one sheet at roughly 17 cents per square foot is a lot of shade for the money, and it is enough to cover a large tunnel or several benches without seaming panels together.
- Grommets every 39 in with reinforced taped edges is the specification that decides whether shade cloth survives a season. Cloth tears at its fixings, and closer grommets spread the load.
- HDPE mesh passes air and water rather than blocking them, so it shades without turning the space underneath into a still, sealed pocket and without shedding rain onto one line.
- Shading is the single cheapest and largest reduction in greenhouse temperature available. Heat that never enters does not have to be extracted, and no fan is as cost effective as excluding the radiation.
- Bungee ball ropes included means you can actually fit it on delivery rather than making a second trip for fixings.
Where it falls short
- 90 percent is too dense for fruiting crops. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and aubergines need high light to set and ripen fruit, and under 10 percent transmission they will grow leaves and set very little.
- It is also too dense for most leafy greens in anything other than extreme heat. Lettuce and brassicas usually want something in the 40 to 60 percent range, not 90.
- There is no published UV stabilisation figure or expected lifespan, which is the specification that separates cloth lasting a season from cloth lasting five.
- Black cloth absorbs the radiation it blocks and re-radiates some of it as heat. Fitted tight against the glazing it will underperform the same cloth held off the structure with an air gap.
- A 20 by 40 ft sheet is heavy and unwieldy to fit alone, and a large mesh panel in wind puts real load on whatever you fix it to.
What owners report
The consistent theme in owner reports on shade cloth is that people buy the wrong density, and the internet's habit of recommending the heaviest available makes it worse. Density is a crop decision, not a heat decision. Researched general guidance puts fruiting vegetables around 30 to 50 percent, leafy crops and lettuce around 40 to 60 percent, and propagation, cuttings and hardening off benches at 60 percent and upward. Ninety percent belongs over unrooted cuttings, over a shaded working area or over a resting bed, not over a crop you expect to harvest fruit from. Work out your own figure on the shade cloth calculator and check it against the shade cloth percentage chart before ordering.
The second point owners raise is fitting. Cloth fixed hard against glazing conducts and re-radiates heat into the structure, while cloth held off with an air gap lets the heated air escape between the two. The difference is real and it costs nothing but a few battens. Reports of shade cloth that made little difference very often describe it laid straight onto panels.
Third, order of operations. Shade before you buy cooling. Growers who shade and vent properly frequently find they do not need an evaporative cooler at all, and our evaporative cooler versus shade and venting comparison sets out the arithmetic. If you would rather paint the glazing than fit fabric, our shade cloth versus whitewash comparison covers that older method, which is cheaper still and much harder to remove selectively.
Who it suits
- Growers with a large propagation area, cuttings bench or hardening-off station that needs deep shade.
- Anyone shading a big tunnel or a run of benches, where 800 sq ft in one sheet saves seaming.
- Gardeners in extreme heat shading a resting bed or a working area rather than a producing crop.
Who should skip it
- Anyone growing tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers or other fruiting crops, who wants 30 to 50 percent instead.
- Growers of lettuce and leafy greens in normal summer heat, who want roughly 40 to 60 percent.
- Anyone who only needs to shade a single small greenhouse, where a smaller sheet at the right density costs a fraction of this.
Alternatives worth considering
Right Density for Greens Agfabric 70 Percent Sunblock Shade Cloth with Grommets, 10 x 12 ft
~$30
A far more useful density for most food crops and a size that suits a single greenhouse. Unless you specifically need deep shade over cuttings, this is the sheet most growers should buy.
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Budget Pick for Fruiting Crops BELLEBILL 50 Percent Shade Cloth, 10 x 12 ft
~$16
50 percent is the top of the range that still lets tomatoes and peppers ripen properly, and at this price it is worth having a sheet to hand for a heatwave even if it lives in the shed most years.
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Middle Size SUNNY GUARD HDPE Shade Cloth, 10 x 20 ft
~$31
200 sq ft covers a typical hobby greenhouse roof with something left over, which is a more realistic quantity than 800 sq ft for most gardens and a much easier sheet to handle alone.
Check price on AmazonKeep reading
- Shade cloth vs whitewash
- Evaporative cooler vs shade and venting
- Shade cloth calculator
- Shade cloth percentage chart
- Hessaire DC18 evaporative cooler review
- Quictent 25 x 10 tunnel review
- Best shade cloth
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.