Full Cassette vs. Open Roll Retractable Awnings: What's the Actual Difference?

When you're shopping for a retractable awning, you'll run into two main designs: full cassette and open roll. Extended, they look about the same. Retracted, they're very different — and that difference matters more than most people realize before they buy.

Here's what you need to know.

What "Full Cassette" Actually Means

A full cassette awning has an aluminum housing that completely encloses the fabric and the motor mechanism when the awning is retracted. Everything disappears inside the box. From the outside, you see a clean aluminum case mounted to your wall or soffit — nothing hanging, nothing exposed.

Our Advaning Prestige Pro is a full cassette design. When it's fully retracted, the only thing visible is the housing itself. The fabric stays protected from UV, rain, bird droppings, and debris even when you're not using it. That's the main practical argument for cassette: you're protecting a fabric that costs real money, and you're not looking at a rolled-up bundle of cloth on the back of your house.

The Prestige Pro also has LED lights built into the retractable arms — not clipped on afterward, but integrated. They're dimmable. When the awning is extended at night, you have controllable overhead lighting without running new electrical.

What "Open Roll" Means

An open roll awning (sometimes called semi-cassette or open-frame) has a tube that holds the fabric, but the fabric itself is exposed when retracted. It rolls up around the tube and sits visible on the exterior of your home. The motor and drive mechanism may have partial coverage, but the fabric does not.

Our Advaning Premier Series is open roll. It's motorized, includes a sun and wind sensor, and comes with a winter storage cover. It's a solid awning. The trade-off is fabric exposure — over time, UV and weather do more work on an open-roll fabric than on a cassette-protected one.

Which One Should You Buy?

Full cassette (Prestige Pro) makes sense if:

• You want the cleanest look when the awning is retracted
• The awning will be installed permanently and you're not pulling it down seasonally
• You want the integrated LED lighting in the arms
• You're building a setup designed to last — the 10-year ENDURACOLOR fabric guarantee only matters if the fabric stays in good condition

Open roll (Premier) makes sense if:

• Budget is a consideration — the Premier starts around $1,000 less than the Prestige Pro at the same size
• You plan to use the included winter cover to protect the fabric when it's stored
• You don't need integrated lighting
• You want a simpler, more serviceable mechanism

Sizing: Both Lines Go Up to 16 Feet Wide

Both the Prestige Pro and the Premier Series come in widths up to 16 feet, with 10-foot projection depth at the larger sizes. A 16'x10' awning covers a substantial patio — roughly the footprint of two standard dining tables side by side.

For most patios, the 12' or 14' wide option is the right call. The projection depth (how far out it extends) stays the same across sizes — 10 feet — so the width is really about how much of your patio you want shaded side to side.

A Note on Installation

Both awnings require wall or soffit mounting and are bolted into your home's exterior. The Prestige Pro weighs more (it's a heavier unit), so professional installation is the right call for both — but especially for the full cassette model. Advaning includes hardware for wood-frame and masonry surfaces.

If you want to understand more about how the Prestige Pro fits into a full outdoor setup, we wrote about why we added awnings to the store — and how they work with projector screens.

Bottom Line

If you're building something you want to look good for ten years, get the full cassette. If you're looking for solid coverage at a lower entry point and you're willing to manage seasonal storage, the open roll works fine.

Questions about sizing, installation, or which fabric color suits your space? Email us — we actually answer. Or browse the full outdoor shade collection.