The 10 Best Outdoor Umbrella Bases
Editor's Notes
June 01, 2020:
During this round of updates, while the majority of our previous selections managed to maintain their positions, we did wind up removing the Sunnydaze Round due to availability issues. Our new inclusions are the Original Umbrella Stand Blue — a great choice for sporting events on grassy areas or lunch at the park with a picnic basket, the Christopher Knight Home Berywn — a solid granite-and-stainless-steel option, and the Beachr Sand Anchor — a portable option designed for days on the beach.
A few things to think about for this category:
Capacity: Most of these bases have support rods equipped with set screws, which allow them to clamp down on poles narrower than their inner diameter. However, large patio umbrellas are liable to come with poles wider than some support rods, making them incompatible with these bases, so make sure the base you select jives with the umbrella you’ve got in mind.
The Original Umbrella Stand Blue, for example, has an inner diameter of 1-1/2 inches, so it’s unable to accommodate umbrellas with two-inch poles. Other models have made provisions for the opposite problem, like the Christopher Knight Home Berywn, that comes with a spacer to help it effectively clamp down on poles significantly narrower than its inner diameter.
Weight: Once you’ve shortlisted a few bases you like that can properly accommodate your umbrella’s pole, the next thing you’ll want to think about is each base’s weight, as it speaks directly to how well they’ll do their job. While models like the EasyGo Half – which is anchored down with up to 18 liters of water, weighing just under 40 pounds – are known to be unstable in windy conditions, others – like the 50-pound Abba Patio and 55-pound Christopher Knight Home Berywn – weigh a bit more. For frequent use in blustery conditions, consider an option like the Rhino BaseMate, that can be filled with up to 90 pounds of sand, or the Sundale Outdoor, which is intended for use with cross-base cantilever umbrellas and weighs 120 pounds.
Portability: Most people shopping for umbrella bases are generally looking for fashionable ways to furnish their outdoor living space at home, but there are plenty of opportune moments to take an umbrella with you for an outing. With that in mind, perhaps you’d be interested in a choice like the Beachr Sand Anchor, which is intended for use with beach umbrellas, or the Original Umbrella Stand Blue, which is easy to install and remove, great for time spent lounging on grassy areas and can even alternatively accommodate fishing poles. Models like the Shademobile Rolling and GDF Hercules aren’t intended to come with you on a day trip, but they do haver built in casters that make maneuvering them around your patio a pretty forgiving task.