Durable Folding Canopies Thanks to High-Tech Materials

At Pro-Tent, innovative high-tech materials come together in perfect harmony

When we manufacture a folding pavilion, our attention to detail is reflected in every single component. Every material is thoroughly tested, and every manufacturing step is precisely executed and monitored. This is the only way we can guarantee the Swiss premium quality that our customers value so highly.

01. Durable polyester tent fabrics

All side walls and tent canopies are made of polyester fabric with a PU (polyurethane) coating on the inside. This PU coating is also commonly used in functional outdoor clothing. It is a durable waterproofing treatment in which a thin film is applied to the fabric, making it 100% waterproof. At the same time, this coating makes the polyester fabric tear-resistant, crease-resistant, and abrasion-resistant. This ensures that our tent fabrics are both flexible and durable.

The advantages of Pro-Tent tent fabrics at a glance

• Tear-resistant, crease-resistant, and abrasion-resistant thanks to PU-coated polyester
• Lotus effect thanks to silicone wax
• 100% waterproof with a water column of 10,000 mm
• Lightfastness rating 7 according to DIN 53952
• UV protection factor UPF 50+
• B1 flame-retardant according to DIN 4102

Weather-resistant and waterproof design of the folding tent fabrics

Pro-Tent manufactures exclusively weather-resistant folding pavilions. In addition to the PU coating on the inside of the polyester fabric, this is also achieved by sealing the fabric’s surface with silicone wax on the outside . This creates a lotus effect. Thanks to this layer, dirt particles and water droplets have only a few points of contact with the polyester fabric and therefore cannot adhere; the water droplets roll off in spherical droplets, carrying dirt and dust particles with them.

The seams are often a weak point in tent fabrics. In Pro-Tent tent fabrics, these are additionally welded with a seam-sealing tape using waterproof thread. This turns a potential weakness into a real strength. As a result, our folding tents are 100% waterproof—and even exceed the requirements of ISO 811 (DIN EN 20811:1992) with a water column of 10,000 mm, more than double the required performance.

Our tent fabrics are lightfast and protect against the sun

The high-quality Pro-Tent tent fabrics are characterized by a lightfastness rating of 7 (excellent). Lightfastness indicates how long colors will remain vibrant when used outdoors before they fade. Sunlight, in particular, with its high UV content, has a highly degrading effect. For fabrics, the degree of lightfastness is measured using the Blue Scale according to DIN 53952 and rated on a scale of 1–8. With a lightfastness rating of at least 7, our tent fabrics guarantee exceptionally high lightfastness—another hallmark of quality.

In addition, they also protect users from the harmful effects of UV light. All Pro-Tent polyester fabrics feature the highest possible sun protection factor of UPF 50+ (according to Australian/New Zealand standards) and thus offer nearly 100% UV protection.

When side walls are attached, reflective sun rays are blocked from the sides as well, ensuring maximum UV protection. Light-colored fabrics also reflect a large portion of the sun’s heat radiation, causing them to heat up significantly less than dark-colored fabrics. Especially when the side walls are frequently closed and air cannot circulate, it’s worth choosing a light color for summer use to take full advantage of the tent fabrics’ performance.

Flame-retardant fabrics according to B1

Our tent fabrics are certified as flame-retardant according to B1 (DIN 4102). This means that while the tent fabrics are technically combustible, they are also self-extinguishing—that is, they will go out on their own once the source of the fire is removed.

In most cases, country-specific regulations govern the use of materials permitted at public gatherings, events, and trade shows. Since visitor safety is a top priority, a test report or manufacturer’s certification must be available for the materials used.

The stringent safety requirements typically stipulate that only materials that do not contribute to the spread of fire in the event of a fire may be used—a criterion met by Class B1 “flame-retardant” materials. Thanks to the high-quality tent fabrics, you can use your Pro-Tent folding pavilion without any problems at a wide variety of events.

02. Folding Tent Frames Made of Anodized Aluminum

Unlike many conventional folding tents, which rely on steel, we use aluminum with an alloy specifically designed for frequent use, which gives all our folding tent frames ideal stability and strength while remaining relatively lightweight. Overall, aluminum folding tents offer many advantages over steel folding tents.

The Advantages of Aluminum Folding Tent Profiles at a Glance

• Stable and sturdy aluminum folding tent profile
• High material thickness combined with low weight
• System groove as a true innovation

The Unique Folding Tent Profile Cross-Sections

Our sophisticated profile cross-sections are designed for maximum strength and stiffness using FEM analyses. The strength and stiffness of the profiles are determined using two parameters: the moment of inertia and the section modulus.

The moment of inertia quantifies a profile’s resistance to bending or torsion and is thus a measure of stiffness. The section modulus is a unit of measurement for a profile’s resistance to the internal stresses generated under bending or torsional loads and thus provides information about its strength. In addition, we perform load case analyses and use all these results to optimize our aluminum profiles.

High material strength with low weight

Thanks to our precise testing and meticulous design, our profiles achieve high material thickness with low weight. This guarantees ease of use combined with durability, ensuring an exceptionally positive user experience overall.

03. High-Quality Design Connectors Made of High-Tech Plastic

All connectors in our folding tent frames are made of high-tech plastic reinforced with fiberglass. This material is also commonly used in aircraft and is synonymous with exceptional premium quality.

It stands out for its light weight, has ideal sliding properties, and is nevertheless very stable and durable. This gives it clear advantages over aluminum connectors, which would scratch the aluminum profiles due to close material contact and would not slide smoothly.

Three folding tent series for various customer-specific needs

All Pro-Tent folding tents are designed for maximum durability through the use of high-tech materials and exceptional Swiss engineering. All of our folding tents continue to impress with every use, even after many years. However, since customer-specific needs can vary, we offer three different folding tent series that differ in material thickness, profile shape, and available tent sizes.

While the basic Pro-Tent 2000 already offers exceptional stability yet can still be carried under one arm, the Pro-Tent 5000 is optimized for maximum durability but is correspondingly heavier. The Pro-Tent MODUL 4000 strikes the perfect balance between versatility and stability, falling right in the middle.

Due to its maximum stability, our extra-large tent sizes can only be achieved with the Pro-Tent 5000. If you’re looking for a folding tent for a large area, you’ll find what you need in this series.

So you can decide for yourself which tent size and which features are most important to you in your folding tent and choose the appropriate folding tent series to suit your specific needs.