When I replaced the deck, I figured the time was right to replace the old version of this same patio shade set. We had the last one for 7 years and it held up through lots of rough weather. That one we paid for assembly, so I kinda didn't know how I'd get it back together if I ever took it down for the winter (hence, the reason it needed to be replaced). I have no handy person skills and limited dexterity, so I was nervous buying this. And yet, an hour into starting the project of assembly, I was enjoying lemonade in the shade. The base design (sold separately) are a huge improvement on the last version. 45 of the minutes I spent on this was loading fine sand into the bases. This would have taken a strong person, holding the 50 pound bag of sand working in tandem with someone to hold the funnel, about 3 minutes to complete, but I used a handheld garden scoop and it took me 45 minutes -- listening to Prince and Queen and enjoying an iced tea, it wasn't that hard. Assembling the base took about 5 minutes -- four screws and an included wrench. Popping the umbrella in and securing everything took another 5 minutes. Day #1 was very windy and it held up fine. Very excited. And now, I know how to disassemble and clean it, so I will take it down every winter and hopefully get years and years out of this one.

After researching umbrella options, I decided on cantilever/stand-alone vs in-the-table so that we could move it around the patio as needed and because you can’t use a tablecloth easily with an in-the-table umbrella. I chose this one as it seems to be the cheapest on Amazon while still having several thousand 4-5 star reviews. Unless you go for the top tier $500 umbrellas, it seems like all the cantilevers need an additional base to weigh them down. I went with this sand base as it was about $27 vs. the water ones which start at $60. Gravipod Duo Direct Detachable Umbrella Base Weight Bags - Up to 100 lbs. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089SBZJNK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_drW1yHk8YAB8i I had also read a review that the water ones could be hard to fill up. Also, this sand one can hold a full bag of sand without having to pour it out and has handles to really easy to move. Unfortunately I had some problems with the umbrella, but they have been resolved. First, it came with 2 “left legs” for the base so they couldn’t click into each other. I called the seller and they sent me a new whole umbrella a few days later. The new one had a crack in a plastic piece on top of the canopy (which didn’t impact anything) but because I had the other umbrella, I mixed and matched pieces from the 2 sets. The metal feels sturdy, the cloth feels thick. There are a few plastic pieces which make it feel a little cheap but not enough to stop me from buying it again. The raising and tilting mechanism isn’t as straightforward as you’d think; it basically only has 1 position it locks in at each height level. Hard to explain, but in essence it doesn’t have as many angle options as I thought it would, but still enough to provide the shade we wanted. Very happy with final product and it held up well in a light wind on my first day. The canopy sways in the wind which is a little annoying but I think that’s intentional so it doesn’t tip over. The sand base didn’t move at all, so overall it felt secure.

Let’s start with the cons: 1. Not “cream” or “ivory” but more a pale yellow, which worked for us but something to consider if you do want off-white. 2. Is not stable without adding weight to the leg base (we used concrete blocks). 3. Was missing the bolts that attach legs to main umbrella stem. They were easy enough to purchase from a hardware store, but a slight inconvenience. Was also a broken part, but again, easy to repair and much less a hassle to repair then send back. The company did give a partial refund for the missing/broken parts so kudus!!! Pros: 1. Easy to assemble - took about 15 minutes after we had gotten the screws for the base. 2. Huge and easy to open/move. Great shade. 3. Easy to clean with a hose/magic eraser. 4. Good value for the money. :-)

I bought this umbrella a year ago. I have been very pleased with it. It is very easy to assemble, I had it up and going in no time at all. Honestly it took longer to fill the base with sand than it did to have the umbrella up. I have not had any issues with raising this or lowering it by myself. I imagine some may be more stiff than others upon arrival. I enjoyed the shade for a year until the internal parts broke. The inside of the hand crank rusted and the bolt snapped in half. I contacted customer service and they were very helpful with replacement parts. Hopefully by next weekend I will be enjoying my patio shade again!

Ok so I bought this twice. First time I thought it was my fault it broke due to not lowering the umbrellas during a storm. HOWEVER, the second one broke even though it was lowered! So now I've wasted money and getting another... DIFFERENT BRAND. The pole is just not strong for a smal breeze. Oh and I have a enclosed patio, minimal breeze. Sorry wish they would refund me.

These are nice, but they have plastic joints which can break easily, so be careful handling them and be sure to put them down before heavy winds!

The umbrella is easy to assemble and provides great shade. However, you cannot swivel to a different area or tilt the umbrella to block the sun as it moves, like a table umbrella. Once it is placed, it is very heavy and has to remain in that position. Also, I cannot attest to the sturdiness because I do not know how long the interior cord that operates it will last. As other reviewers have pointed out, it definitely needs a heavy base in order to use.

06/18/2022: I was pleasantly surprised at how large and sturdy the umbrella is, well worth the money. The base is heavy metal and the top easily adjust. I could see it moving with a lot of wind, because it is so large. I will be using it in a few days and will add more input later. 06/22/2022: Well, the umbrellas were a bust. The steps in the pool, that I was trying to shade, didn't go over big. I had to angle the umbrella sideways to block the sun, which unfortunately allowed the wind to blow them over. Lowering them helped, but actually, the guest wanted the sun. At the end of the day, at 78, I'm too old to handle these. If you are willing to invest more money for weights, these umbrellas should work fine, and at the current cost, you will still come out ahead. 06/22/22 Well it pains me to do it, but I had to reduce the number of stars down to 3. You are free to return it and you will get a refund. However, it’s cost prohibitive to return it. The USPS, which is the cheapest route to go in my area, cost $227 for each umbrella. So why would I pay $227 to return a item that cost me $70. Shame on you Amazon, for allowing these vendors to take advantage of your customers like that. At least give us a warning up front, that returning this item could be $$$. After hassle of breakdown repackaging, and taking to post office, I’m disappointed.

This is my first offset umbrella. It's something that I wanted to get for a long time because my center pole umbrella only shaded half of the table. But now I'm not so sure it was a good idea. A center tube umbrella will tolerate a little bit of crosswind before things get dangerous. Not so with an offset umbrella. The large umbrella is very susceptible to the wind and if the wind is not directly coming from the tube side then the umbrella will twist the frame to try to follow the wind. It quickly turns up sideways like a big sail. This is a little scary because the plastic connectors that hold the frame to the tube seem like they could bend or break easily. The umbrella seems very heavy for the tubing frame. I didn't trust the base alone to do the job so I added a support bracket to my deck rail to keep it from falling over. Hopefully that helps some. It's easy enough to crank the umbrella open if you want it on an angle but if you want to hang it directly over the table you have to slide the side bracket up the tube. This is a bit of a challenge because of the weight of the umbrella and it tends to jam up. All of these umbrellas appear to be made the same so I don't want to fault this one over the others. It looks great and it was good price compared to others I looked at. I'm just not sure how well an offset umbrella is going to work out for me as I live in a windy area. Time will tell I guess. Update: I am not happy at all with this offset umbrella. If there is a gust of wind it will flip sideways to follow the breeze, swinging wildly and almost hitting people at the table. I have it bolted to the deck and the upper part is strapped to the deck rail but that still won't stop it from swinging. We have only been able to use it twice all summer because it is too dangerous. I noticed that one of my neighbors has taken theirs down and another house down the street put one out to the curb for scrap pickup. That's probably what I'll be doing as well. What a waste. Next year the old fashioned center pole umbrella will be back in play. Glad I saved it.

To be very clear - the product cannot be used without the base or at least securing it to a foundation with hardware that you will need to purchase (and I'm not convinced this is a lasting solution, although there are plenty of buyers on here that can tell you how to do it). The pictures insinuate that it can work without a base, but that is absolutely incorrect. Once you buy the base and fill with water (filling with sand would take an entire day - the outlets are half-dollar size), it is fine for my needs. My yard is somewhat protected from wind, and as long as the umbrella is in it's closed position, there is not a lot of pressure on the base. I could see a real problem with just a slight breeze if the umbrella is expanded. One caveat that I have not seen mentioned by anyone - it is very easy to remove the umbrella portion from the base and lay it on the ground or store away during a storm or even a season. This is the saving grace for me. Overall, it will now do what I need it to, but it is twice the listed price due to the addition of the base.