The last post talked about outdoor patio enhancements and one of the key items was market umbrellas.  I thought this item deserved a post of its own as I’ve recently gone through the search for the perfect umbrellas for my patios, I have three in my house.

When looking at umbrellas, consider how mobile you want them to be.  Will it go in the center of a table and be fairly fixed or do you want the option to move it around the yard or patio?  It’s a good idea to invest in a couple bases, one that is more sturdy and fixed and one that has wheels.  You can also find one that provides both options, but this can be more costly. Costco has great bases for about $60 but these are heavy so make sure you have some help carrying it to it’s final destination. You can also get water or sand filled bases for about $40 and while these are easy to lift and move, they are not as secure, so if you live in a windy area, go for the sturdier kind.

Now for the umbrellas themselves, make sure you get a good quality fabric like Sunbrella that is UV protected and limits the amount of fading.  For shape you can get round or square in various sizes.  For my patios, I mixed them up.  Upstairs I have smaller 6′ square umbrellas for each balcony patio and downstairs I have two 9′ round umbrellas, one in a table and one next to some chaise lounges.