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The ultimate patio umbrella base guide – find the right weight and outdoor shade for you
If you're shopping for a patio umbrella, then you questions:
How big should my patio umbrella be?
How heavy should the umbrella base be?
How do I keep my patio umbrella falling over or spinning?
What type of base does my cantilever umbrella need?
We have answers! Please read this complete guide to patio umbrella stands so you know what to buy.
How heavy should a patio umbrella base be?
How do you find the right weight for a umbrella base?
If you’ve never owned a patio umbrella, then you might wonder what the big deal is about finding the right weight for its base.
But some of us have been hit by falling umbrellas or had to chase them across the yard, so believe us when we say it’s important.
So how heavy should it be to keep it where it belongs?
It depends on the size, position, and angle of the umbrella. We call this trio of factors SPA.
Let’s discuss, or jump right to our weight recommendations here.
Size, Position and Angle
Size
The simple rule is the larger the umbrella, the heavier the base.
Pro tip:If your umbrella falls over often or likes to go tumbling across the yard, then you may need a heavier base to secure it. You can buy a pre-weighted base or weigh the base down yourself with heavy blocks or weightbags.
Position
Where you want shade can make a huge difference.
The wind conditions in a backyard are much milder than the gusts experienced on a rooftop terrace.
Basically, the higher you go, the windier it gets. So you may need a heavier base than you think for your half patio umbrella if you’re on a 15th-floor balcony.
Angle
If your patio umbrella has a tilt function, that’s great for positioning shade exactly where you want it.
We even recommend making sure it can tilt. But keep in mind that, at a steep angle, your shade could become a sail!
Again, you may need more weight than you think if you spend most of your time outdoors when the sun is low on the horizon.
How heavy should a patio umbrella be?
Determining the weight of your patio umbrella base depends mostly on the size of your canopy. Generally, an 11-foot umbrella needs a 110-lb base, 10 feet requires 88 lbs and 9 feet needs 66. If you need more weight, you can buy extra weight bags to put on top of your existing base.
To find the perfect weight for your base, check out our super easy guide below.
Pro tip:The type of patio umbrella also affects how heavy your base should be. If you have one made with wood or steel, you’ll need a heavier base. You may want to consider lightweight aluminium or fibreglass. Check out our ultimate patio umbrella guide to get a better understanding of the differences in the materials so you can pick the best patio umbrella.
Get the weight right for your cantilever umbrella
A cantilever or offset umbrella is more wind sensitive than a regular one due to its hanging canopy. It can have a cross-shaped base that you can set weights on or a fillable base that you can put weight in. A 10-foot canopy needs 150-175 pounds, whereas an 11-footer needs 220 lbs or more.
To find the perfect weight for one of these umbrellas, you can follow our simple guide.
Pro tip:
To stabilize and weigh down your cantilever, we recommend either fillable weights such as sandbags or heavy blocks like concrete slabs.
How to choose the best patio umbrella base
Now that you know how much the base should weigh, you need to decide what type would suit your needs best. You need to think about both the canopy and the pole to answer this question. Make sure you get a base that fits your specific umbrella. You also want to think about mobility and durability when making your choice.
Pro tip: patio umbrellas come in many sizes, so it’s difficult to find a base that fits them all. To make sure your patio umbrella fits your base, find the minimum required weight and make sure the base can hold the pole snugly. Smaller bases fit poles up to 40 mm, medium bases up to 48 mm and larger bases up to 55 mm.
Mobility
If you need shade in different areas of your yard throughout the day, being able to move your umbrella easily becomes very important. Some bases come with wheels, and you can sometimes purchase wheelsseparately. Others have the base and the weight separate so you can make two trips rather than moving the whole thing.
Durability
You want your outdoor shade to last a long time, right? Then you need to pay attention to the type of material it’s made of. Rust or a loose tube can turn a nice base into rubbish in one season, so choose one that holds up against the weather and stays free of rust.
Pro tip:To choose the best patio umbrella, make sure that the base is heavy enough to keep the canopy stable and that the pole fits. patio umbrellas smaller than 9 feet across need a 66-pound base that adjusts to 1.5 inches. Larger than 9 feet needs a 110-pound base that adjusts to 1.2-2.2 inches.
Fit
When shopping for your perfect shade, you’ll want a base that tightly fits your umbrella pole. Most patio umbrellas lock in one of two ways – with a tube and a screw or with a tightening ring, like with the Baser locking system.
Manufacturers have used the tube and screw system for decades because it’s cheap and easy to produce. However, no matter what adjuster they use, it never really fits the pole perfectly.
The tube can also loosen over time, especially if the screws or metal parts begin to rust or warp. At Baser, we created and patented a system that fits the pole tightly. It has an easy push-to-open setup, and because it’s fibreglass, it can never rust.
Pro tip: If you have a traditional patio umbrella and you want to keep your umbrella from spinning in the wind, then make sure that the screws are tight. If it continues to spin, add a wedge or two to tighten it.
Stability
Weight and stability go hand in hand for bases, and following our weight guide will help you make the right choice.
The construction of the parasol base can affect how well it stabilizes against wind. A base that weight guide than a concrete or granite base and helps ensure that the patio umbrella base does not tip over.
Pro tip: The best patio umbrella base is a durable one that can hold your canopy stable. Key points to consider are its ability to adjust to the pole and hold your umbrella in one place while still being easy to move. Look for materials that last a long time and remain free of rust, like aluminium or fibreglass.
Small patio umbrellas or half umbrellas
Smaller umbrellas often come with canopies from 4 feet to 9 feet and with poles between 0.8 and 1.7 inches in diameter.
The best type of stand for a small patio umbrella is a compact base or a flexible half-umbrella base that you can position against a wall or rail. This setup will keep your umbrella secure in the minimum amount of space.
To keep a patio umbrella safe on the ground, the base needs a weight of 44 to 66 pounds at minimum. To get the precise weight for your umbrella, see our guide to how heavy your base should be.
Medium & large umbrellas
Larger patio umbrellas can range between 9 and 13 feet with a pole diameter of 1.2 to 2.2 inches.
Medium or large patio umbrellas need heavy-duty stands, but what if you want to move them from place to place in your backyard? Look for an easy-to-lift or movable base that still offers great stability, made from a durable material such as aluminium or fibreglass.
If you often tilt your patio umbrella, then you’ll want either an extra-heavy stand or more weights to increase the stability.
Check out our guide on how heavy your patio umbrellas base should be to get the right weight or check out our 3 meter Baser patio umbrellas.
Cantilever umbrellas and offset umbrellas
Cantilever or offset patio umbrellas often have dramatically different designs from regular patio umbrellas. The pole may be square, oval or even have a curve to it. So this type often comes with its own base or simply a cross so you can pile on weight. Check out our weight guide for cantilever parasols to find the right weight and stability for cantilevers.
The best way to stabilize your cantilever umbrella is to add weight bags or sandbags on top of the cross. You can also use concrete blocks, but those take up more space. If your cantilever comes with a base, then use that and always fill it with sand instead of water, as sand is heavier.
Make sure you have enough sandbags or other weights to stabilize your cantilever.
Best patio umbrellas bases 2022
To make your search for the best patio umbrellas base on the market a little easier we collected some great choices for your patio umbrellas.
Best patio umbrellas base for patio umbrellas larger than 2.8 metres
Brand: DC America
Where to get it: Ebay
Price: 45.99 USD
Weights: 22 lbs
patio umbrellas size: <6 feet; must have table
Evaluation: Seems a little unstable and not the most beautiful choice.
Brand: US weight
Where to get it: B&Q or Wayfair
Price: 19.95 USD
Weights: 50 lbs
patio umbrellas size: Up to 7 feet
Evaluation: Offers 45 kg with wheels but lacks stability
Brand: Baser
Where to get it: mybaser.com and Amazon
Price: 79.00 USD
Weights: 66 lbs
patio umbrellas size: Up to 9 feet
Evaluation: Stable, easy to set up and moveable
Brand: Abba Patio
Where to get it: B&Q, Homebase, Ebay and Amazon
Price: 139.00 USD
Weights: 55 lbs
patio umbrellas size: Up to 7 feet
Evaluation: Must be filled with sand to get to 50 kg!
Brand: California umbrella
Where to get it: Qubox.co.uk
Price: 129.00 USD
Weights: 75 lbs
patio umbrellas size: Up to 10 feet
Evaluation: Offers great moveability, stability is okay, but its expensive.
Brand: Garden Market Place
Where to get it: Amazon
Price: £99.99
Weights: 30 kg
patio umbrellas size: Up to 2.8 meter
Evaluation: Seems sturdy however tupe slowly loosen over time.
Best stands for umbrellas larger than 9 feet
Brand: King fisher
Where to get it: Ebay and Amazon
Price: £34.99
Weights: 9 KG
patio umbrellas size: <1.6 meter must have a table!
Evaluation: Light weight, not sturdy enough for large or free-standing patio umbrellas. If wish to use it free-standing or with a large patio umbrellas - ensure to weight it down with weight bags for stability.
Brand: Suntime
Price: £29.99
Where to get it: British Garden Centers
Weights: 15 KG
patio umbrellas size: <1.6 meter must have a table!
Evaluation: Not stable enough for larger umbrella! Easy to move. If the patio umbrella base is too unstable you can also add sandbags as weight.
Brand: Greenmotion
Where to get it: Ebay and Amazon
Price: £22.73
Weights: Up to 14 KG
patio umbrellas size: <1.6 meter must have a table!
Evaluation: Not stable enough with water. To achieve 14 kg, it must be filled with sand! If the patio umbrella base is too unstable you can also add sandbags as weight.
Brand: Baser
Where to get it: mybaser.com and Amazon
Price: From £69.95
Weights: 25 kg or 50 kg
Parasol size: Up to 2 meter
Evaluation: Easy to move and flexibale construction. Can be positioned up againt the wall or rail.
Brand: C-hopetree
Where to get it: Ebay and Amazon
Price: £69.95
Weights: 15 KG
patio umbrellas size: Up to 1.6 meter
Evaluation: Half patio umbrella base design for flexability. Consider more kg to add on such as sandbags or weightbags to achive more stablity.
Brand: Greenmotion
Where to get it: Homebase, B&Q, Amazon and Ebay
Price: £39.95
Weights: 20 KG
Parasol size: Up to 1.8 meter
Evaluation: Can be positioned towards the wall. Design could be improved.
Best cantilever bases and weight bags 2022
To make your search for the best cantilever base on the market a little easier we collected some great choices.
Brand: Blooma Tivano
Where to get it: B&Q
Price: £23 per piece (4 is needed)
Weights: 15 KG each
patio umbrella size: up tp 2.8 meter cantilever
Evaluation: Light weight, not sturdy enough for above 2.8 meter cantilevers. A hassle to move when setup and a little expensive.
Brand: Divine Style
Where to get it: Amazon
Price: £61,97
Weights: 25 KG each
patio umbrellas size: up to 3 Meter cantilever.
Evaluation: Must be filled with sand (water is not stable enough in the wind). Build and made in Britan. Fells stable.
Brand: Baser
Where to get it: mybaser.com or Amazon
Price: £34.99
Weights: 25 KG in each bag total of 100 KG
patio umbrellas size: up to 3 meter cantilever
Evaluation: Easy to move, easy to fill and made of durabel materials that are weather resistant.
Brand: Lyxihap
Where to get it: Ebay or Amazon
Price: £17.98
Weights: One bag filles up to 20-25 KG
patio umbrellas size: A minimum of 80 kg is recommended.
Evaluation: Effective, however, a little annoying to fill and it's not particular beautiful.
Brand: Schneider Schirme
Where to get it: Wayfair
Price: £219.99
Weights: 25 KG each in pack of 4
patio umbrellas size: Up to 3 meter patio umbrella
Evaluation: Good as it works with cantilevers that has a pedel. The filling and assembly is a hassle - use sand NOT water!
Brand: King fisher
Where to get it: qubox.co.uk
Price: £119.99
Weights: In Ground.
patio umbrellas size: up to 3 meter cantilever umbrellas.
Evaluation: Stable but you will need to dig it down in the ground.
Brand: Glatz
Where to get it: Hayes Garden World
Price: £799.95
Weights: 90 KG
Patio umbrellas size: 2.8 to 3 meter umbrellas
Evaluation: Very expensive but high quality and it has wheels for mobility.