Guide
Gibus vs KE vs Pratic: how to choose a bioclimatic pergola
There is no league table of Gibus, KE Outdoor Design and Pratic that holds for everyone: they are three Italian makers of aluminium bioclimatic pergolas, and the choice depends on what you need, such as louvres that stack away, integrated enclosures, photovoltaics, a fabric roof or colours. Michelessi, in Aprilia, resells and installs all three and shows them to you together in its showroom. Permits and tax deductions depend on the project, not on the brand.
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Gibus vs KE vs Pratic: how to choose the brand of your pergola
There is no league table of Gibus, KE Outdoor Design and Pratic that holds for everyone: they are three Italian makers of aluminium bioclimatic pergolas, and the right choice depends on what you need, such as louvres that stack away, integrated enclosures, photovoltaics, a fabric roof or colours. Michelessi resells and installs all three in Aprilia, between Rome and Latina.
We have worked in stone since 1976. Our technical office draws the pergola in the same 3D project as the stone outdoor kitchen, the paving and the pool, and our own team installs it. That is why we do not push one brand: we start from your space and how you will use it, then look for the model that suits it. Below are the real differences, with model names written as the manufacturers write them. The whole department is at Bioclimatic pergolas, awnings and bespoke covers.
Which are the best bioclimatic pergola brands? Gibus or Pratic?
No brand is the best for everyone. Gibus, KE Outdoor Design and Pratic make aluminium pergolas in Italy with the same basic functions, and they differ in range, enclosures, accessories and the technical data they declare. A sound choice starts from use, meaning where the pergola goes, how much sky you want to see and which enclosures you need, not from the name on the catalogue.
What the three have in common
- powder-coated aluminium structure, with a roof of movable louvres or of fabric;
- rainwater collected by gutters and discharged through downpipes inside the posts;
- motors, weather sensors and remote control;
- LED lighting, zip screens, sliding glass walls, and wall-mounted or free-standing layouts;
- production declared as made in Italy, with technical documentation supplied by the manufacturer.
The differences lie in the models and the solutions, and the sections below set them out.
The three manufacturers at a glance
All three are companies from north-eastern Italy, each with its own catalogue of pergolas, awnings and enclosures.
| Manufacturer | Headquarters | Bioclimatic pergolas | Other ranges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibus | Saccolongo (Padua); brand since 1987 | Movie, Velvet, Velvet Plus, Varia, Twist, Joy, Sway, Energy Pergola | fabric pergolas, sloping and at 90°, folding-arm awnings, zip screens, drop awnings, tension awnings, VEPA glass walls |
| KE Outdoor Design | Noventa di Piave (Venice); since 1987 | Kedry Neos, Kedry Skylife, Kedry Prime, Kedry Plus (with the A and T versions) | sliding-roof pergolas (Keplan, Isola 2, Isola 3), sloping-roof pergolas (Gennius Vega, T1), roll-up fabric pergolas (Xtesa, Hydra), awnings, roller screens, sails, the Sunlight glass garden room |
| Pratic | Fagagna (Udine); since 1960 | Opera, Vision, Sense, Brera P, Brera S, Brera B, Carrera P, Carrera S, Connect | aluminium pergolas with fabric roof (Phoenix Air, Nomo, Rialto, Level and others), outdoor covers (Tecnic, One, Veranda), folding-arm, drop and canopy awnings |
Each brand has its own page with every model: Gibus pergolas, KE Outdoor Design pergolas and Pratic pergolas.
Which pergola to choose: needs-based table for Gibus, KE and Pratic
For each need you will find the models and solutions that each manufacturer declares on its own website, read in October 2026. It is not a league table: these are three catalogues that give different names and constructions to the same needs.
| Need | Gibus | KE Outdoor Design | Pratic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tilting louvres, to balance light and shade | Movie (0° to 115°), Varia (0° to 120°), Twist, Joy | Kedry Neos (up to 115°), Kedry Prime (up to 135°), Kedry Plus | Opera and Vision (0° to 140°), Sense (0° to 110°) |
| Louvres that stack away, to free the sky | Sway; Velvet and Velvet Plus, whose louvres either tilt from 0° to 85° or stack away completely | Kedry Skylife, with tilting and retractable louvres | Brera P, Brera S, Brera B (retractable louvres); Carrera P and Carrera S (movable louvres that slide over fixed ones) |
| Retractable fabric roof (pergotenda) | sloping pergolas (Quadra, Viva, Jeans, Luce) and 90° pergolas (Azimut, Zenit, Lani) | Keplan, Isola 2, Isola 3, Gennius Vega; roll-up fabric Xtesa and Hydra | Phoenix Air, Nomo, Rialto, Fusion, Meta, Level, Mito and others |
| Cover without posts, or over an existing structure | fabric covers adaptable to existing structures; Nivo, a tension awning hung under or resting over a structure | T1, a canopy with a retractable awning that fits into existing structures | Brera B, Tecnic, One, Veranda (covers without posts) |
| Side enclosures built into the structure | Varia (side enclosures that disappear when rolled up) and Velvet Plus (vertical screens built into the structure) | Vertika Prime vertical screens on Kedry Prime, which retract into the structure | Raso, a vertical screen that disappears into the profile, for example on Opera and Brera P |
| Zip screens and sliding glass walls | Click Zip zip screens with Mag Lock technology; VEPA glass walls in 10 or 12 mm toughened glass | Vertika vertical screens; Line Glass sliding glass walls in 10 or 12 mm toughened glass | perimeter screens with zip guides; Glass Series glass walls: Slide Glass 60 sliding, Fix Glass fixed, Door Glass hinged |
| Solar energy | Energy Pergola, a bioclimatic pergola with integrated photovoltaic panels; optional solar panel for zip screens | the Sunlight glass garden room, with a glass roof available in a photovoltaic version | solar cell to power the motor of some vertical awnings (T-Zone, T-Box Zip) |
| Controls, home automation and sensors | remote control and the Gibus Connect app; sun, rain and wind sensors; Movie natively connected | app for smartphone and tablet with programmable timings; wind, snow and rain sensors (for example on Kedry Plus); home automation can be integrated on Kedry Prime | remote control, app or voice command; rain, snow and wind sensors that close the louvres; Connect with declared integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Home |
| Wind and salt air on the coast | aluminium painted in Qualicoat plants with Seaside pre-treatment; Blade Seal gaskets between the louvres | wind resistance (EN 13561): Kedry Skylife, Kedry Prime, Kedry Plus, Keplan, Isola 2, Gennius Vega and Xtesa: class 6 declared; Kedry Neos class 5; Hydra class 3 | Qualicoat Seaside pre-treatment and Qualicoat Class 2 approved powders; painting done in the company's own plant |
| Colours | thirty colours in the range, also customised | wide range, RAL on request | over thirty shades in the colour chart, plus RAL on request |
| Awnings | folding-arm TXT, Nodo, Spazio, Duck, Segno; drop Click Cable and Tolo | folding-arm Quad, Obliqua, Victory, Venezia Gold; cassette Qubica Flat, Qubica Light, Qubica Plumb; recessed Inca | folding-arm T-Hide, T-Code, T-Way, Flex 375; vertical drop T-Zone; canopy awnings Capri, Grado, Selene, Ischia |
For many pergolas the wind resistance class does not appear on the manufacturers' web pages: for the model you choose we ask the manufacturer for it and write it in the quote, before you order. They matter most on the coast, where wind and salt air test the structure and the paintwork; how to look after a pergola over time is in bioclimatic pergola maintenance: wind, snow and winter.
To go further: photovoltaic pergolas, folding-arm, drop and cassette awnings and bioclimatic pergola or pergotenda, gazebo, canopy, veranda.
How to choose between Gibus, KE and Pratic in five questions
- Where does the pergola go? A terrace, a garden, the side of a pool or the outdoor area of a restaurant or café (a dehors): anchoring and load capacity depend on it. The two layouts are compared in wall-mounted and free-standing pergolas; for venues see pergolas for restaurants, hotels and beach clubs.
- Open sky or adjustable shade? Louvres that stack away free the sky, tilting louvres balance light and shade, a fabric roof covers continuously. The differences are in bioclimatic pergola: what it is and how it works and in retractable-fabric pergolas.
- Which enclosures do you need? A zip screen shelters from sun and wind, a sliding glass wall also from rain and noise; the choice affects permits, which is why we discuss it in the project (pergola enclosures, glass walls and zip screens).
- Which controls and accessories? App, sensors, lights, home automation: each maker has its own catalogue, and we add only what you will really use.
- Which rules apply in your case? The condominium, landscape restrictions and the municipal building regulations weigh more than the brand, as explained below.
With the five answers the field usually narrows to a few models, and those we look at together in the showroom.
Permits and tax deductions: the rule does not change with the brand
Permits depend on the type of structure, not on the manufacturer. In many cases a pergola with movable louvres or a retractable fabric roof, attached to the building, falls under free building activity (edilizia libera) provided it does not create a permanently enclosed space; if part of the roof is fixed, or if the pergola is permanently enclosed on all sides with glass, it must be checked with the municipality. The condominium, landscape restrictions and the municipal building regulations still have to be checked: we tell you at the design stage, before you order. The full picture is in permits for pergolas in Italy; for a terrace in a condominium there is the guide pergola on a condominium terrace.
The same goes for the tax deduction: the ENEA requirements count, not the brand, and a bioclimatic pergola may qualify only if it meets them, so it is not automatic. Requirements, rates and limits are in tax deductions for awnings and pergolas in Italy; we ask the manufacturer for the documentation of each product.
Kitchen, paving and pool: the pergola is chosen together
Whichever brand you choose, the pergola has to be drawn together with what sits beneath it: the height of the posts in relation to the barbecue or firebrick oven, the position of the downpipes, the stone paving, the edge of the pool. It is the trade of a marble maker, and that is why the choice of brand comes after the drawing, not before. If the pergola is later permanently enclosed on all sides, the kitchen also becomes part of the check with the municipality. A full example is in outdoor kitchen under a pergola; our stone kitchens are in outdoor kitchens.
The price of a Gibus, KE or Pratic pergola
The price depends on many items: size, model, structure and roof, anchoring and installation, enclosures, motors and sensors, accessories, after-sales service. To compare two quotes, even from different brands, you need the same drawing and the same dimensions; we do not write figures on the page because, without a survey, they would be mere guesses. The items are explained in how much does a bioclimatic pergola cost.
Where to see Gibus, KE and Pratic in Aprilia
We show them to you together in our Aprilia showroom, on Via Pontina km 45.350, between Rome and Latina: catalogues and finishes from the three manufacturers beside the stone slabs of the kitchen and the paving, and the 3D project of your pergola. The route from the survey to installation by our own team is set out in bespoke pergolas: survey, design and installation.
We work in Rome, Latina, Aprilia, Pomezia and Ardea, Anzio and Nettuno, the Castelli Romani, Frosinone and along the Lazio coast, and across Lazio.
Michelessi SRL, Via Pontina km 45.350, Aprilia (Latina); phone and WhatsApp +39 06 9275383. The survey and the quote are free of charge.
How to choose between Gibus, KE and Pratic in five steps
- Say where the pergola goes
A terrace, a garden, the side of a pool or the outdoor area of a venue: the place determines anchoring, load capacity, exposure to sun and wind, and the choice between a wall-mounted and a free-standing pergola. - Choose the type of roof
Louvres that stack away for an open sky, tilting louvres to balance light and shade, fabric for continuous cover: each manufacturer has its own models for every type. - Decide on the enclosures
Zip screens, sliding glass walls or no enclosure at all: the choice affects permits, so we discuss it in the project and, if the pergola would be permanently enclosed on all sides, we check with the municipality. - Check the rules for your case
The condominium regulations and owners' meeting, landscape restrictions, municipal regulations and the tax-deduction requirements apply to every brand. We tell you at the design stage, before you order. - Look at the models together with us
In our Aprilia showroom we show them to you together, with catalogues and finishes beside the stone slabs of the kitchen and the paving, and the 3D project of your pergola.
More from the pergolas department
- Pergolas: the main page
- Tax deductions for awnings and pergolas in Italy 2026: the rules
- Pergola Enclosures: Sliding Glass Walls and Zip Screens
- Outdoor kitchen under a pergola: stone and shade, one design
- Bioclimatic pergola maintenance: wind, snow and winter
- Bioclimatic pergola: what it is, how it works, how to choose
- Bioclimatic pergola or pergotenda: differences, canopy, veranda
- Pergola on a condominium terrace in Italy: rules and neighbours
- Wall-mounted or free-standing pergola: how to choose and install
- Pergolas in Anzio and Nettuno: Bioclimatic Pergolas & Awnings
- Bioclimatic pergolas Aprilia, Pomezia, Ardea: sales and fitting
- Pergolas in the Castelli Romani: Bioclimatic, Awnings, Screens
- Photovoltaic pergolas: Gibus Energy Pergola and KE Sunlight
- Bioclimatic pergolas in Frosinone: snow loads and winter use
- Gibus Pergolas in Lazio: Models, Awnings and Installation
- KE Outdoor Design pergolas in Lazio: Kedry, Isola, Gennius Vega
- Bioclimatic Pergolas and Awnings in Latina and Cisterna
- Bioclimatic Pergolas on the Lazio Coast: Terracina to Gaeta
- Bioclimatic Pergolas for Restaurants, Hotels and Beach Clubs
- Pratic Pergolas in Lazio: Opera, Vision, Brera and Awnings
- Bioclimatic Pergolas in Rome: Installation and Stone Kitchens
- Bespoke pergolas: survey, 3D design and installation, Lazio
- Retractable fabric pergolas (pergotende) in Lazio, Italy
- Pergola Permits in Italy 2026: Edilizia Libera and Its Limits
- How much does a bioclimatic pergola cost: what drives the price
- Folding-arm, drop and cassette awnings in Aprilia and Lazio
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Gibus or Pratic better?
Neither is better in every respect: they are Italian makers of aluminium pergolas with different ranges. Gibus has, for example, the Energy Pergola photovoltaic bioclimatic and the Varia line with integrated enclosures; Pratic has the tilting louvres up to 140° of Opera and Vision and the covers without posts. We choose according to use, project and local rules, and we show them to you together in our Aprilia showroom.
Which are the best bioclimatic pergola brands?
There is no league table that holds for everyone. We resell and install three Italian manufacturers, Gibus, KE Outdoor Design and Pratic, because they meet different needs: louvres that stack away, tilting louvres, fabric roofs, integrated enclosures, photovoltaics. The right brand is the one that suits your space and your use; in our Aprilia showroom we show them to you together.
What is the difference between Gibus, KE and Pratic pergolas?
The basics are shared: aluminium, louvres or fabric, sensors, lights and enclosures. What changes is the model names, the louvre angles, the integrated enclosures, the accessories and the declared technical data: for example Gibus's photovoltaic bioclimatic, the wind classes KE declares for several models, Pratic's covers without posts. The table in this guide sets them side by side by need.
Which brand should I choose for a pergola near the sea?
On the coast wind and salt air matter, not the name: ask for the model's wind resistance class, the paintwork and the sensors. Gibus and Pratic declare the Seaside pre-treatment of the aluminium, KE declares the wind class for several models. For the model you choose we ask the manufacturer for the wind class and write it in the quote, before you order.
Which brand has louvres that stack away?
All three. Gibus has Velvet, Velvet Plus and Sway; KE has Kedry Skylife, with tilting and retractable louvres; Pratic has Brera P, Brera S and Brera B, as well as the Carrera models, whose movable louvres slide over fixed ones. Stacked louvres leave the sky open: the choice of model depends on size, layout and the enclosures you want.
Which brand has a photovoltaic pergola?
Gibus has Energy Pergola, a bioclimatic pergola with integrated photovoltaic panels that connects to the home system. KE has the Sunlight glass garden room, with a glass roof available in a photovoltaic version. The electrical system must be designed and connected by a qualified technician. The full picture is on the page about photovoltaic pergolas.
Does the brand change the permits needed?
No: permits depend on the type of structure, not on the brand. In many cases a pergola with movable louvres or a retractable fabric roof, attached to the building, falls under free building activity (edilizia libera) if it creates no permanently enclosed space; if it is enclosed permanently on all sides, it must be checked with the municipality. Condominium rules, landscape restrictions and municipal regulations still apply: we tell you at the design stage, before you order.
Does the brand change the tax deduction?
No: the ENEA requirements count, not the brand, and a bioclimatic pergola may qualify only if it meets them, so it is not automatic. Requirements, rates and limits are in the tax guide; we ask the manufacturer for the product documentation and a qualified technician provides the certification.
Does the price change from one brand to another?
The price depends on size, model, structure, installation, enclosures, motors, accessories and after-sales service. To compare two quotes, even from different brands, you need the same drawing and the same dimensions. We do not write figures on the page because, without a survey, they would be mere guesses: the survey and the quote are free of charge across Lazio.
Where can I see Gibus, KE and Pratic pergolas before choosing?
We show them to you together in our Aprilia showroom, on Via Pontina km 45.350, between Rome and Latina: catalogues and finishes from the three manufacturers beside the stone slabs, and the 3D project of your pergola. We carry out the survey first, so the choice starts from the real measurements and exposure of your space.
Who installs the pergolas and services them over the years?
Our own team installs them, the same for all three brands, and it also provides the service: louvre adjustment, sensors, motors, fabrics and glass walls. For spare parts and warranty each manufacturer has its own system, with a product code or serial number, and we handle them. We state the manufacturer's warranty in the quote.
Can a pergola of any brand be combined with a stone outdoor kitchen?
Yes: the pergola is drawn in the same 3D project as the stone kitchen, the paving and the pool, and the drawing comes before the brand. Post height, the position of the downpipes and of the firebrick barbecue are all defined. If the pergola is permanently enclosed on all sides, the kitchen also becomes part of the check with the municipality.