Advice for Patio Umbrella base?

[mystang52]

We just had our backyard patio redone, ordered a patio dining set and 9 foot umbrella. The umbrella will fit into the table's hole. So many choices it's confusing. Our first inclination is to get a base that does not need filling with water or sand. Is a 30 pound base sufficient?
We live in NJ so the umbrella will be used from May through early October. Any recommendations for specific base or at least what features/weight I should be looking for?

 

[Lawrencewendall]

I took a 5 gallon bucket and a pipe that would fit the umbrella and poured in an 80 pound bag of mixed concrete. Once cured, popped it out of the bucket. It's not going anywhere soon.

 

[OldShooter]

Umbrella bases are a PITA, wasting space where I want to put my feet. If I had this problem I would drill a hole in the concrete pad and stick the umbrella post in the hole. Carbide-tipped hole saws are not that expensive. I would also add a couple of screws, one in the pole and one in the concrete holding two ends of a piece of light chain to keep the umbrella from blowing away. Again, cheap and easy.

 

[Mmm Rrr]

I have a granite base that I got from Home Depot. I looked it up online and it weighs nearly 57 lbs. It has wheels if you do need to drag it around. I had it in place for nearly 10 years being used like yours, through a patio table. I just moved to a place without a patio and have the base and umbrella on my deck and, even without the extra support of the table, the umbrella on the base feels very sturdy.

 

[EastWest Gal]

We bought a cantilever umbrella which uses 4 paver stones on the base. Since we’re needing the most shade in the afternoon, the table isn’t under the umbrella which is nice. No need to go through the hole in the table. It plugs in and has LED lights for night use. I’ve been pleased with it. We haven’t moved the umbrella since we got it.

 

[Katsmeow]

I don't think 30 pounds is enough at all. My base took over 200 pounds of sand.

I got a Cantilever umbrella which I like as I can set it off by the side. It came with a base and you just put in sand (in bags provided). I like it because it makes it far easier to move the umbrella should I want to do so. We just open it and take out bags of sand. Anyway it takes a lot of sand. So a 30 pound base is not....good.

 

[Aerides]

I really depends on what wind you expect, 30 lbs for an umbrella inserted in a table might be ok, but probably needs to be a bit heavier, especially if your table isn't heavy/metal, and performing some anchoring to begin with.

And of course don't leave it up/open until it's needed, so some random gust doesn't create an issue when you least expect it. You don't want the umbrella taking off with your table attached.

We have a heavy base on ours, at least 50lbs, and even the base goes into the garage for a possible hurricane. The umbrella comes down for a T Storm.

 

[MichaelB]

We have a heavy base on ours, at least 50lbs, and even the base goes into the garage for a possible hurricane. The umbrella comes down for a T Storm.

Same with us. Not sure how heavy ours is, probably 35-50 lbs, but the umbrella goes to the garage for a T-Storm and base joins it for a hurricane.

We first tried a heavier base but found it took too much leg room. The one we use now fits nicely and doesn’t bother.

 

[mystang52]

Thanks all. We decided on a base that fills with water = 50+ pounds. Umbrella will be closed most of the time; we likely will eat out there maybe twice a week. And, of course the umbrella will come out completely for any forecasted storms.

 

[O2Bfree]

I wanted something inexpensive that I could store easily up on a shelf or in the rafters of the garage or anywhere else I wanted. Opted for one that you fill with as much water as you need for weight. Got it from Walmart online:

 

[Bamaman]

I'm using a base for a large umbrella that looks like above, and it came from Costco. Ours has a heavy steel base.

But this time of the year, you'll find what you're looking for on Walmart.com (online.)

 

[dfarr]

I've got a granite base with roller wheels similar to what Mmm Rrr has. I think mine came from Lowes. Works good and very easy to move when you need to. It is lower profile than most others I've seen and extremely heavy. On windy days I tie the umbrella rope to the upwind deck railing as an extra measure to avoid disaster.

 

[rk911]

We just had our backyard patio redone, ordered a patio dining set and 9 foot umbrella. The umbrella will fit into the table's hole. So many choices it's confusing. Our first inclination is to get a base that does not need filling with water or sand. Is a 30 pound base sufficient?
We live in NJ so the umbrella will be used from May through early October. Any recommendations for specific base or at least what features/weight I should be looking for?

don’t discount a water filled base. easy to move and store.

 

[Winemaker]

DW just bought one that had a heater that blows heated air on your feet. I haven't installed it yet, as the yemps here are still in the upper 70's in the evening.

 

[38Chevy454]

I have a couple that are cast iron. Nice because they are closer to the ground, don't stick up as high to interfere with your feet. Probably around 30-40 lbs, but I do not keep the umbrella in there all the time. I put umbrella in when needed and then remove and store the umbrella(s) inside when done.

 

[Montecfo]

I have a couple that are cast iron. Nice because they are closer to the ground, don't stick up as high to interfere with your feet. Probably around 30-40 lbs, but I do not keep the umbrella in there all the time. I put umbrella in when needed and then remove and store the umbrella(s) inside when done.

Same. I also have a 9 foot umbrella. Never had any problems during windstorms etc. The cast iron base tapes up little room.

Umbrella is out there probably 8 months of the year, but I make sure it is down when rough weather is expected. That's probably the most important element.