Outdoor Living Guides & Tips

What good is a beautiful shaded patio if you stop using it at sunset? The Apollo Night Series™ Arm LED Lighting option answers that question by building warm, ambient LED lighting directly into the folding arms of the Apollo Shademaker Retractable Awning. Instead of stringing bulbs or mounting fixtures under your awning, the light source is integrated into the awning itself — no exposed wiring, no add-on hardware, no harsh glare. For Tampa and Florida homeowners who live outdoors year-round, it turns a daytime shade system into a true evening living space.

What Is Apollo Arm LED Lighting?

Apollo Arm LED Lighting is a factory-integrated lighting upgrade for the Apollo Shademaker retractable awning, sold by 1800Awnings.com, the Tampa, Florida–based factory-direct awning dealer. LED strips are seamlessly built into each articulated arm of the awning, casting warm, comfortable light downward across your patio or deck. The system is part of the Apollo Night Series™ upgrade platform, which is designed to extend your awning's usability well past sundown. Because the LEDs ride on the arms, the light travels with the awning: extend the awning and the lighting covers the full projection; retract it and everything tucks away cleanly.

The kit is sold in two configurations matched to your awning: a 2 Arm Kit at $789 and a 3 Arm Kit at $1,091. Wiring is fully concealed within the awning structure, and the lighting is remote-controlled with optional dimming and smart-home integration.

Key Specifications

Why Apollo Arm LED Lighting Stands Out

The Lighting Is Built In — Not Bolted On

Most patio lighting is an afterthought: string lights zip-tied to a frame, a clamp-on fixture, an extension cord run across the deck. The Apollo Night Series™ approach integrates the LED strips into the arms during assembly, so the finished awning looks exactly as clean at night as it does during the day. There are no visible wires, junction boxes, or fixtures — the same minimalist architectural design philosophy that defines the Apollo Shademaker itself.

Light That Follows the Shade

Because the LEDs are mounted on the folding arms, illumination automatically spans the awning's full projection — up to 13 feet deep on the largest Apollo units. Your dining table, seating area, and grill zone get even, overhead ambient light wherever the awning extends. When the awning retracts, the lighting retracts with it, protected inside the cassette rather than left out in the weather.

Warm Ambiance, Not a Floodlight

The Night Series™ lighting is tuned for evening comfort — warm, ambient light designed for dinners, conversation, and relaxing, rather than the blue-white glare of a utility floodlight. It is the difference between a patio you can technically see in and a patio you actually want to sit on at 9 p.m. in July.

Remote Control, Dimming & Smart Home Integration

The system operates from a handheld remote, with optional dimming so you can take the patio from bright dinner lighting down to a soft late-evening glow. Smart home and app integration is available, and the lighting can be synchronized with the awning's motorized operation — the same automation ecosystem that powers the Apollo's Somfy® motorization.

Florida-Ready, Like the Awning It Rides On

The Apollo platform is engineered for Florida heat, sun, and coastal exposure, with premium powder-coated frames, Sunbrella® fabrics backed by a 10-year warranty, and Somfy® motors backed by a 5-year warranty. The arm LED system shares that engineering: concealed, protected components rather than exposed aftermarket parts baking in the Tampa sun.

2 Arm Kit vs. 3 Arm Kit — Which One Do You Need?

The kit simply matches the number of folding arms on your Apollo awning. Narrower Apollo units are built with two arms; wider spans require a third arm for structural support, and the 3 Arm Kit lights all three. You don't choose arm count for the lighting — your awning's width determines the arm count, and the LED kit matches it. When you configure your Apollo with 1800Awnings, the correct kit is matched to your awning specification.

How It Compares: LED Options Across the ShadeMaker Line

Each ShadeMaker awning at 1800Awnings has its own lighting path, so you can add evening light no matter which model you choose:

The Apollo's arm-mounted approach spreads light across the entire covered area rather than concentrating it at the front edge, making it ideal for dining and entertaining directly under the canopy.

Pricing

Pricing is current as of publication at 1800Awnings.com and is added to the cost of the Apollo Shademaker awning itself (Apollo units start at $5,639 for an 11' × 8'-2" semi-cassette).

Who Is This Best For?

• Outdoor entertainers — families who eat dinner, host friends, or unwind on the patio after dark
• Florida & Tampa Bay homeowners — where the most comfortable outdoor hours are often after sunset
• Design-conscious buyers — anyone who chose the Apollo for its clean architectural look and wants lighting that matches it
• Smart home households — users who want lighting, awning, and sensors on one integrated control ecosystem
• Restaurants & light commercial patios — extending revenue-generating outdoor seating into evening service

How to Order

1. Visit the Apollo Arm LED Lighting product page at 1800Awnings.com.
2. Select your kit — 2 Arm ($789) or 3 Arm ($1,091) — to match your Apollo awning configuration.
3. If you're ordering a new awning, configure your Apollo Shademaker Retractable Awning first (width, projection, cassette style, fabric, frame finish), then add the LED kit.
4. Not sure which kit fits? Call 1-800-AWNINGS (296-4647) and the Tampa-based team will match the kit to your awning spec.
5. Check out online — your lighting ships as part of your awning order.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Apollo Night Series™ Arm LED Lighting?
It is a factory-integrated LED lighting upgrade for the Apollo Shademaker retractable awning. Warm LED strips are built into the awning's folding arms with fully concealed wiring, providing ambient overhead light across the shaded area. It is sold as a 2 Arm Kit ($789) or 3 Arm Kit ($1,091) at 1800Awnings.com.

How does arm LED lighting work on a retractable awning?
LED strips are mounted along the awning's articulated arms, so light spans the full projection of the fabric whenever the awning is extended. The system is remote-controlled, supports optional dimming, and can synchronize with the awning's motorized operation. When the awning retracts, the arms — and the lighting — fold away with it.

How much does Apollo awning LED lighting cost?
The 2 Arm Kit costs $789 and the 3 Arm Kit costs $1,091 at 1800Awnings.com. The price is in addition to the Apollo Shademaker awning itself, which starts at $5,639.

Can I control the lights from my phone?
Yes. The Night Series™ lighting is remote-controlled, and smart home / app integration is available, letting you operate lighting alongside the awning's Somfy® motorization from one ecosystem.

Can I dim the awning lights?
Yes, optional dimming capability is available, so you can adjust from bright task lighting for dinner down to a soft ambient glow later in the evening.

Do I need the 2 Arm Kit or the 3 Arm Kit?
It depends on how many folding arms your Apollo awning has, which is determined by its width. Standard-width units use two arms; wider spans use three. The 1800Awnings team matches the kit to your awning configuration when you order — or call 1-800-AWNINGS to confirm.

Is the wiring exposed to the weather?
No. The system is fully concealed — there is no exposed wiring or fixtures. Components are integrated into the awning structure and retract with the unit, rather than remaining outside in the elements like aftermarket string lights.

Can I add LED lighting to a Zeus or Hercules awning instead?
Yes. The Zeus Shademaker offers arm LED kits in warm or cool color temperatures ($753–$1,506 for 2- to 4-arm kits), and the Hercules Shademaker offers a Front Bar LED option ($682) that includes an outdoor receiver and Situo 5 Soliris remote.

The Bottom Line

The Apollo Night Series™ Arm LED Lighting kit solves the biggest limitation of any shade system: it only earns its keep while the sun is up. For $789–$1,091 on top of your Apollo Shademaker, you get warm, dimmable, remote-controlled lighting integrated invisibly into the awning's arms — covering the same footprint as your shade, with zero exposed wiring and full smart-home compatibility.

In Tampa and across Florida, where evenings are when patios truly come alive, that turns a daytime shade investment into an all-day, all-evening outdoor room. Paired with the Apollo's Sunbrella® fabrics (10-year warranty) and Somfy® motorization (5-year warranty), it's a system upgrade — not an accessory bolted on as an afterthought.

Ready to light up your evenings? Explore the Apollo Arm LED Lighting Options or configure your Apollo Shademaker Retractable Awning at 1800Awnings.com — or call 1-800-AWNINGS (296-4647) to speak with the Tampa-based team.

Written by Corey Courtright | 1800Awnings.com | Tampa, FL