#Outdoor umbrella stand how to#

Gant explained to us that this process was what allowed Sunbrella fabrics to retain their color far better than polyester and other yarn-dyed goods: “If you take a radish and you expose it to UV and weather, you’re going to get to a white core. “You’ve colored that material at the liquid level,” said Allen Gant III, great-grandson of Glen Raven’s founder and a current company manager. Sunbrella fabrics are made of solution-dyed acrylic. In fact, Sunbrella fabrics are made by Glen Raven, a 150-year-old South Carolina textile company that makes materials for flags-including the one on the moon-and flame-retardant clothing for race-car drivers, as well as fabrics for marine-grade awnings and casual backyard pillows and umbrellas.

Several of them noted that customers are frequently confused, thinking Sunbrella is an umbrella manufacturer.

#Outdoor umbrella stand how to#

But we think a lot of people will appreciate having a passable option in that price range.Īll of the experts we talked with mentioned Sunbrella fabric by name when we asked how to identify a good-quality umbrella. Our budget pick, the Sunnyglade umbrella, is made from polyester, and we’re keeping an eye on how it ages. In more recent testing, in spring 2020, we tested five budget models in the $110-or-less range and found two that we liked, which we’ve added as picks here. In our first round of testing, in 2017, we largely dismissed umbrellas that cost less than $75, since models in that price range are almost always made of polyester fabric-which we know from personal experience tends to fade and rip quickly. You’ll encounter exceptions, such as umbrellas made of marine-grade fabric or sailcloth, but those are outside the scope of what we think most people want.

High-end umbrellas from designer brands often cost hundreds, if not thousands, more, and you’re typically paying for beauty rather than added function. We knew after talking with store managers and landscape designers that it’s possible to get a high-quality umbrella that will last a long time within this price range. We decided to focus on umbrellas that cost less than $350 (though our top pick, configured with Sunbrella fabric, has gone up in price since we first published this guide). If you close your umbrella between uses, you should be able to get away with less weight. A sufficiently heavy base is extra important if you plan to leave an umbrella open and unattended. For maximum safety, some experts recommend buying a standalone base that weighs 10 times the size of the umbrella (so a 9-foot-wide umbrella would require a 90-pound base). If you’re planning to use the umbrella without a table, you should get a base that weighs at least 75 pounds. But if winds unexpectedly pick up, that umbrella could easily be lifted from beneath, fly through the air, and crash-land-potentially injuring someone, damaging property, or breaking spokes or tearing fabric (the latter has happened to us). Yes, an umbrella will typically stay fairly steady if you simply slide it into the hole in the center of a patio table and let the tail end of the pole rest on the ground. The most common mistake people make with umbrella bases is not buying one at all (they are almost always sold separately) or choosing one that is not heavy enough. However and wherever you plan to use your umbrella, you’ll want a sturdy and heavy base to keep it in place. The push-button tilt frame carries a one-year warranty and both fabrics have great warranties-the Sunbrella fabric is guaranteed not to fade for five years, and the O'bravia version is guaranteed for four years. The quick-ship configuration we suggest for our umbrella pick offers the best value within the Treasure Garden line, including just the right features to make it functional-like a push-button tilt system and crank lift system-and omitting the extras that drive up the price. Beyond offering Sunbrella fabric, the Treasure Garden brand has the most style options we’ve seen-including dozens of colors and patterns, rare double wind vents, and a choice of models with a push-button or crank tilt. Another fabric option, O’bravia, costs about $100 less, and is still a nice option, but it’s not as durable or fade-resistant as Sunbrella. This is especially true if you opt for Sunbrella fabric, which our experts recommended for its resilience outdoors. Durability separates an okay patio umbrella from a great one, and the 9-foot-wide Market Aluminum Push Button Tilt Umbrella should last longer than any of the other umbrellas in our test group. When we asked landscape designers and patio-furniture experts which umbrellas they recommended, the name they gave us again and again was Treasure Garden.