We considered the stands’ relative size, recording which ones easily fit beneath our favorite patio furniture sets and which ones were more suited to standalone use. In our second round of base testing, in May 2021, we considered 20 new stands and tested five. We focused on bases in the 50- to 55-pound weight range that cost less than $130 but offer a sleeker aesthetic. Poorly executed details can take the fun out of setting up and maintaining your outdoor space, and turn an umbrella base into a mortal enemy. No matter who you are, or who you’ve asked to help you lift, moving 50-odd pounds of concrete and steel is never easy, and poorly cast plastic, sharp steel, and rough concrete edges can dig into hands, scratch skin, and test patience.
The umbrella’s eight-spoke construction also makes it more durable than competitors that have only six spokes. Its crank lift and push-button tilt worked smoothly in our tests, and the Treasure Garden simply stood more elegantly than any other umbrella we used, both open and closed. In August 2020, Ellen Airhart updated this guide to include a wider variety of umbrella picks in different price ranges. We evaluated 22 new models, chose five, costway patio furniture and set them up one by one on a windy balcony in San Francisco, which made the experience of hoisting the umbrellas up and down more like operating a sailboat than enjoying a leisurely backyard barbecue. We spent about eight hours cranking each of the umbrellas up and down, measuring the canopies, and getting the fabric dirty and then cleaning it. Aluminum Auto-Tilt Market Outdoor Patio Umbrella and the Sunnyglade Patio Umbrella.
But our top umbrella pick, the Treasure Garden, is now entering its fifth summer and has weathered two coasts, first in Los Angeles and now in Portland, Maine, and there is still no noticeable fading. In May 2021, Katie Okamoto updated this guide to include more umbrella base options. Katie evaluated 20 models and tested five 50- and 55-pound bases on their second-floor apartment balcony in Los Angeles. We spent a sun-blasted afternoon setting them up with our top pick and budget pick umbrellas, moving them around the space, stepping on them and dusting them, and two weeks observing how they held closed umbrellas in the wind, sun, and dust. After these tests, we added a new top pick, the Article Paima Umbrella Base, and the Abba Patio Steel Market Patio Umbrella Base as an upgrade pick. Since then, we’ve been testing how these models last with continuous outdoor use in the Los Angeles area, where winds can exceed 50 miles per hour.
Sunbrella manager Allen Gant III explained that red umbrellas, due to inherent qualities of the dyes, can be more susceptible to fading than other colors, particularly in places with notably harsh year-round sun. Once the neck was secured to the base, our initial tester found it easy enough to use the neck as gentle leverage to turn the base onto its side. When it was on its side, they rolled it easily into position and lowered it horizontally once again.
If you’re looking for a light, serviceable option to use for a few seasons in your backyard or on your apartment balcony, our budget pick is the Sunnyglade 9′ Patio Umbrella. The canopy is hard to get dirty and simple to clean, and the whole umbrella easily fits into an included reusable plastic sheath for simple storage. This umbrella doesn’t come with a warranty, but for the price we think that’s not a terrible gamble. If you’re looking for a replacement umbrella canopy for your existing stand, we’ve got those, too. When the season changes and you don’t need to use one, a patio umbrella cover will come in handy for storage.
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. 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. 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 costway patio umbrellas five years, and the O’bravia version is guaranteed for four years. In 2017, we examined the specs of 12 popular bases, after which we narrowed our list to test five that ranked among the most highly recommended, offered excellent value, or both. Kalee unboxed all the stands and set them up on the same day in a sunny Los Angeles backyard. Most of the stands required modest assembly, and we timed those efforts and noted how difficult the bases were to move around and tighten around our umbrella posts.