Sunbrella Review
As the weather turns warmer, my mind is easily distracted to our yard and outdoor spaces. In the spring and summer, we practically live outdoors, and our patio becomes an open-air great room. We have almost every meal outside and over the years, I’ve slowly created a little oasis where we relax and dine. A few of our yard decor needs replacing, and when it comes to umbrellas, Sunbrella is the only option for this gal!
~ A Note About the Nester ~
We lived in Seattle for many years and made some great friends. Every summer some of them descend on us for a visit to sunny California. Most the time they hang out at our pool, and that appears to be their key focus. They love the sun and our outdoor rooms.
The following post contains Shopstyle Collective affiliate links, but this review is my own opinion.
If you are in the market for a new outdoor umbrella, you may be wondering if a Sunbrella umbrella is worth the extra money. Let me just say that we bought a patio dining set that supposedly had durable outdoor fabric and after the first summer the cushions were faded and torn. The poor quality convinced my husband we should invest in Sunbrella chair cushions. We had no choice but to replace the cushions since they had huge tears in them that were unavoidable. Now, three years later the rectangular umbrella is torn and needs to be replaced this spring. Do you see a pattern here, one of us only learns by experience?
On the flip side, we have a Sunbrella umbrella that is something like 20 years old, and it is still going strong. This umbrella has weathered many rainy Seattle summers as well as blistering hot California summers. The only thing that has fallen apart is the sewing, but the fabric is still in excellent shape!
If you are in the market for any outdoor Sunbrella items, the stores are all having sales. It feels like every spring they place everything on sale, probably they are trying to jump start the summer. If you are concerned about spending too much money and you already have the umbrella base and just need the fabric, buy the canopy. Pottery Barn sells only the canopy and price is significantly lower. Also, my little secret is to find Pottery Barn products on EBay, just make sure you purchase it from a reputable seller with a high seller rating.
Happy Spring! Let’s hope the warmer weather heads your way and you can start to plan your outdoor spaces. Here are some more post that you may enjoy, Outdoor Living Spaces Our Sunbrella Cushions
Cheers,
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Sarah
Good info to know Janine- I tend to want to save my pennies, but I’m happy to know that in this case, I’m better off to use Sunbrella Fabric! Your posts are always so informative. Thank you. ????
happyhappynester
Hi, Sarah!
Yes, Sunbrella is the best and worth all the pennies! You can also just buy a canopy if you already have an umbrella base. I found one on Ebay, and it was still in its Pottery Barn package! It was quite the deal at something like $50! Slowly but surely, we have all Sunbrella.
Bekah
I live in Seattle and every year I purchase the white cotton canvas umbrella from World Market. They look fantastic when new but mildew and shrink after getting rained on. Then they are almost impossible to open. I like to be thrifty but I think it’s time to jump in and invest in real quality! Thanks for the post. It was informative. 🙂
happyhappynester
Bekah, thanks for your comment. Yes, Sunbrella is worth the money. Since you have the umbrella base, just buy a canopy off Pottery Barn or Ebay. I bought a new PB canopy on Ebay for something like $50 and we just placed it on the base yesterday and it looks amazing. Good luck with you next umbrella and enjoy your Seattle spring. We lived in Seattle for 11 years and loved it!
Delena Lewis
I have just recently bought some Sunbrella cushions for my outdoor furniture. Can I just leave them outside for the season or do I need to put away when not in use? Like the other comments I don’t usually spend that much money on cushions but wanted to give them a try.
happyhappynester
Hey Delena,
You can leave your cushions outside unless it rains. If it rains, bring in your cushions. Have a great day 🙂