diff --git a/src/spatialdata/_core/spatialdata.py b/src/spatialdata/_core/spatialdata.py
index bcd993d7..17d7b120 100644
--- a/src/spatialdata/_core/spatialdata.py
+++ b/src/spatialdata/_core/spatialdata.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 from geopandas import GeoDataFrame
 from ome_zarr.io import parse_url
 from shapely import MultiPolygon, Polygon
+from upath import UPath
 from xarray import DataArray, DataTree
 
 from spatialdata._core._elements import Images, Labels, Points, Shapes, Tables
@@ -584,10 +585,10 @@ def path(self) -> Path | None:
 
     @path.setter
     def path(self, value: Path | None) -> None:
-        if value is None or isinstance(value, str | Path):
+        if value is None or isinstance(value, str | Path | UPath):
             self._path = value
         else:
-            raise TypeError("Path must be `None`, a `str` or a `Path` object.")
+            raise TypeError(f"Path must be `None`, a `str` or a `Path` object, but is {type(value)}")
 
         if not self.is_self_contained():
             logger.info(
diff --git a/src/spatialdata/_io/_utils.py b/src/spatialdata/_io/_utils.py
index e1756d6b..f633d272 100644
--- a/src/spatialdata/_io/_utils.py
+++ b/src/spatialdata/_io/_utils.py
@@ -333,12 +333,12 @@ def _backed_elements_contained_in_path(path: Path, object: SpatialData | Spatial
     If an object does not have a Dask computational graph, it will return an empty list.
     It is possible for a single SpatialElement to contain multiple files in their Dask computational graph.
     """
-    if not isinstance(path, Path):
+    if not isinstance(path, Path | UPath):
         raise TypeError(f"Expected a Path object, got {type(path)}")
     return [_is_subfolder(parent=path, child=Path(fp)) for fp in get_dask_backing_files(object)]
 
 
-def _is_subfolder(parent: Path, child: Path) -> bool:
+def _is_subfolder(parent: Path | UPath, child: Path | UPath) -> bool:
     """
     Check if a path is a subfolder of another path.
 
@@ -357,13 +357,42 @@ def _is_subfolder(parent: Path, child: Path) -> bool:
         child = Path(child)
     if isinstance(parent, str):
         parent = Path(parent)
-    if not isinstance(parent, Path) or not isinstance(child, Path):
+
+    if not isinstance(parent, Path | UPath) or not isinstance(child, Path | UPath):
         raise TypeError(f"Expected a Path object, got {type(parent)} and {type(child)}")
-    return child.resolve().is_relative_to(parent.resolve())
+
+    # both UPath
+    if isinstance(parent, UPath) and isinstance(child, UPath):
+        try:
+            child.relative_to(parent)
+            return True
+        except ValueError:
+            return False
+
+    # both pathlib
+    if isinstance(parent, Path) and isinstance(child, Path):
+        return child.resolve().is_relative_to(parent.resolve())
+
+    # mixed: only valid if both are local paths
+    if isinstance(parent, UPath) and isinstance(child, Path):
+        if getattr(parent, "protocol", None) in (None, "file"):
+            return child.resolve().is_relative_to(Path(parent).resolve())
+        return False
+
+    if isinstance(parent, Path) and isinstance(child, UPath):
+        if getattr(child, "protocol", None) in (None, "file"):
+            try:
+                UPath(child).relative_to(UPath(parent))
+                return True
+            except ValueError:
+                return False
+        return False
+
+    return False
 
 
 def _is_element_self_contained(
-    element: DataArray | DataTree | DaskDataFrame | GeoDataFrame | AnnData, element_path: Path
+    element: DataArray | DataTree | DaskDataFrame | GeoDataFrame | AnnData, element_path: Path | UPath
 ) -> bool:
     if isinstance(element, DaskDataFrame):
         pass