Our pick
Treasure Garden Market Aluminum Push Button Tilt Umbrella
This reliable umbrella will resist sun and wind damage more effectively than cheaper models and will likely last four times as long. It comes in dozens of color and finish combinations.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $219.
When we asked landscape designers and patio-furniture experts which umbrellas they recommended, the name they gave us again and again was Treasure Garden. 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. This is especially true if you opt for Sunbrella fabric, which our experts recommended for its resilience outdoors. 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 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. 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.
Also great
If our main pick is out of stock, or you’re looking for a less expensive option, consider the Hampton Bay 10 ft. Aluminum Auto-Tilt Patio Umbrella from Home Depot. This model opened and closed more smoothly than other similarly priced umbrellas we tested. It also comes standard with an auto-crank tilt mechanism to angle the canopy—an upgrade feature you have to pay more for with our top pick. The canopy is made from Olefin fabric, which is not as weather- or fade-resistant as Sunbrella, but it is still known for durability and colorfastness. The umbrella comes with a two-year limited warranty from Home Depot, where this is an exclusive (Hampton Bay is the company’s in-house brand).
Budget pick
Sunnyglade 9′ Patio Umbrella
The Sunnyglade umbrella is an affordable option that gets the job done.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $51.
Not everyone needs an umbrella that will last in the wind, rain, and sun for several years. 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.
Our pick
Article Paima Umbrella Base (55 pounds)
This compact concrete base is streamlined, sturdy, and pleasant to set up and move around, with smooth edges, generous hand-holds, and two screws for added security.
The Article Paima Umbrella Base is a smooth, solid disc of molded concrete with rounded edges that won’t snag, and its cast-in handholds make lifting and maneuvering the 55-pound weight more intuitive and pleasant than the other stands we tested. The base, a smooth mix of concrete, sand, and stone, has been cast with a slight texture and is easy to wipe clean. Two screw knobs in the base’s neck tighten the umbrella pole in place after you insert it. Compared with other market umbrella bases of this weight class and material (concrete and steel), the Paima base falls on the lower end of the price range, while the quality and attention to detail do away with common pain points we encountered with more expensive bases.
Upgrade pick
The Abba Patio Round Steel Market Patio Umbrella Base is the most unobtrusive and elegant base we tested. It is a single, heavy—but thin—disc of powder-coated steel and robs the least amount of footroom if used under a table. The design’s simplicity means there is less to break over time. And like our top pick, this base uses two screw knobs, rather than just one, to hold the umbrella in place. While it seems like a small detail, the knobs were the biggest and smoothest of any of the bases we tested, which made securing the umbrella pole easier and more pleasant. However, this is by far the most expensive base we tested within the 50-pound weight class; you are paying for the solid steel disc and aesthetic more than function (you’ll still have to close your umbrella if using the base without a table). But for some people, the aesthetic upgrade and lower profile may be worth it.
Also great
Shademobile Rolling Umbrella Base
This rolling base is worth the price if you need a heavy base and want to easily move your umbrella during the day for optimal shade.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $176.
The Shademobile Rolling Umbrella Base is unusual among bases because of its ability to roll and pivot across a smooth deck or patio—a crucial feature for anyone who may not be strong enough to easily lift 50 pounds or more. The practical, no-nonsense plastic resin base comes empty, weighing only about 20 pounds, also making it the easiest to tote around before committing to a location. You fill the volume with bricks, sand, or a combination of both for an extremely stabilizing maximum weight of 125 pounds; this weight is well beyond what any of our umbrella picks would require, but it’s nice to have the option of a heavier base if you live in a windy area. And you can definitely use this base at that weight without a table. As of June 2021, this base was experiencing stock issues across most retailers, but we’re hopeful this is just a seasonal glitch due to high demand. We’re planning to test more rolling bases and higher weight classes in our next update.