What Is a Smart Pergola?

A smart pergola can give you some precious shade on a hot day with the touch of a button

Pergolas are a popular garden feature with a long and storied history. You’ve probably enjoyed a gin and tonic or two under a pergola at a garden party, even if you didn’t know the name for it.

While they were around in the times of the ancient Romans, pergolas, as we know them today, were popularized in the mid-18th century in England and Italy.

Pergolas are used in gardens or other outdoor spaces to create shade. They are usually long and narrower passageways, made up of columns supporting trellis-style roofs. Typically, trained vines or other plants also cover these columns.

Smart pergolas aren’t that different from traditional pergolas. What distinguishes them from the pack is, well, their intelligence. Smart pergolas can be adjusted using a remote control. Sudden downpour spelling doom for your outdoor game night? With a smart pergola, all you need to do is hit a button, and the moveable louvers adjust to shelter you from that rain.

How Does a Smart Pergola Work?

While traditional pergolas can be hard to enjoy on rainy or overly hot days, smart pergolas are an easy way to make your outdoor space enjoyable in almost any kind of weather. Traditional pergolas and smart pergolas are both topped with louvers—slats that provide partial coverage from the elements.

But with a smart pergola, you adjust those louvers using either a remote control, or in some cases, using an app on your phone.

When the rain comes down, a click of a button can direct the water to built-in gutters. The next time a hot day threatens your tanning session, click again to redirect the smart pergola’s louvers and send a gust of much-needed wind your way.

What are the Pros and Cons of a Smart Pergola?

While investing in a smart pergola might seem like a no-brainer, there are some reasons people opt to stick with a traditional pergola in their outdoor space. Here’s what you should know:

Pros of a Smart Pergola

• Enjoy an outdoor space in any weather: Traditional pergolas or uncovered overdoor spaces are lovely, but they don’t make your garden or backyard accessible in all types of weather. Smart pergolas do.

• Protect your deck or patio: Bad weather isn’t just bad for your social life, it’s bad for your deck and patio. Even the sturdiest stones and most well-treated wood can warp in the water or bleach in the sun. Smart pergolas provide coverage, and that equals protection.

• Lower energy bills: The angles made possible by the remote-controlled louvers can create a channel of wind. Turn off that AC on those in-between days and open your deck doors—let the tunnel of air directed by your smart pergola keep you cool.

Cons

• They can be costly: With an average price tag of between $60 and $65 per square foot, smart pergolas can be expensive, which can be a major deciding factor for many people considering them.

• Options are limited: Smart pergolas are not as customizable as their ancestor, the traditional pergola. While providers do offer ranges of colors, they do not come in as many hues as you might hope.

• Can lead to clutter: Because smart pergolas are more expensive than traditional pergolas, many people may choose to cut back on the size of the area they would like to cover. This can lead to a more crowded feel, no matter how well the louvers redirect airflow.