California Umbrella GSCUF118117-F77-DWV Patio Umbrella, Bronze Pole, Granite

We wanted a large patio umbrella that could tilt easily to help block the evening glare when the sun is low in the horizon. This works great. It’s held up well for us but we store it in the garage when not in use. I question the durability if left outside all the time since so much of the umbrella is plastic which shows signs of stress, hence four stars and not five. But it looks nice and is easy to use and was a better price than anything else comparable we could find.

We purchased this umbrella in April 2016. We live in sunny northern California, so the summers get hot here: into the 100s on several days. We store this umbrella inside during the winter months, and during fall and spring, it has a cover that we bought for it. So, I'm going to go out on a limb and say, we have "typical" ownership.1) After the first year, we noticed a "fungal" smell coming from the fabric, despite the care listed above. Spraying down the fabric with water did not alleviate this smell. Storing the umbrella properly during rainy times did not help.2) After the third year of ownership, the fabric started to rip at the top of the umbrella. You'll notice from the design (see pic) that the fabric at the top was not made to withstand the test of time, as the fabric itself is forced to rest on the ribs with no support. As of right now, the fabric is "hanging on by a thread" and will need to be replaced soon.3) After the second year of ownership, we noticed some slippage in the internal operation components. Others here have mentioned the plastic parts inside, and no doubt, ours have started degrading. The umbrella still works, but sometimes needs an extra push or pull to get it to properly function.Overall, it's been functional. However, for $250, I want better fabric that can last longer than 4 years, and not stink.

The umbrella is well made and the fabric seems durable (2 months). My concern is that the tilt mechanism (a collar around the pole and just above the crank) can be hard to turn if you do have have pretty strong hands/forearms. It certainly is more convenient than a button up at the top that would be hard to reach. But I think this collar could be a problem as the unit ages and/or for a weaker person. I have another "high end" umbrella whose tilt process is to simply continue turning the crank beyond the point of full extension. This avoids this problem.

Good product. Only things I would change is the quality control when it comes to some of the plastic pieces. Mine came with a badly damaged plastic piece. I emailed the company and they mailed out a new piece to me. Also where the top part of the umbrella connects to the bottom pole, this should be a little deeper in my opinion. It only sticks in a inch or two and seems to not be as sturdy as I would like it. Overall it is a good product that should last awhile if properly taken care of (closed during windy days, stored inside for winter, covered when not in use).

Umbrella blew over the second day due to gust of wind, taking the table with it and against the house wall. I use the umbrella for my patio to provide shade from the sun. The 11 ft. rectangular shape adequately shades the six chairs around my rectangular patio table. Umbrella fabric seems sturdy and I hope it cleans and wears well.

There are really no user serviceable parts in this umbrella. We had this umbrella in use for two summer seasons. At the end of the second season the lifting cord broke. For $213 I would expect the cord to last more than two seasons.I being a maintenance mechanic in a large hospital decided to repair this umbrella.First thing I do is look on line for repair parts from California Umbrella.No luck they don’t list any. Well lets search the web well guess what nope no parts to be found.Ok found some parachute cord lying around the house seems to be the same diameter cord.Then I start taking this thing apart started at the top and found the culprit of the broken cord.Instead of a good pulley made of some sort of metal we found a plastic pulley imbedded in the plasticTop which was not molded correctly the flashing was not even trimmed on the pulley or the plastic top.So the pulley stopped rotating, broke the shoulders off the pulley and cut through the cord.Taking the crank apart we find more short cuts a nut with a small hole drilled through it instead of a crown nut. A nail used to hold the nut in place instead of a cotter pin.Now the good the twist and tilt great little design will be hard to break. But it does almost make the restring the cord nearly impossible. But with 4 lbs test fishing line, 25 lbs test fishing line, 2 plastic bags, electrical tape, a vacuum, replacement cord, patience of a saint and 4 to 6 hours. It can be done.What is so bad is if they spent less than $3.00 more on the manufacture of this umbrella my rating would be 5 stars.

A couple of things to be aware of. Tilt mechanism on the umbrella requires a bit of strength to turn but no real problem. You will need a stand that holds 110 lbs minimum. Do not think you can use any stand. It will blow over. This is a huge "sail" in essence when you open it up and tilt it. Make sure you find a stand you will like before you buy otherwise you will be disappointed. We tried several that did not rate at 110 lbs and no worked and it is not that windy in my yard. So heads up on that.

We got this umbrella because of the tilt function, and we were not disappointed! It is well worth the money. Although I think the crank to get the umbrella up is a bit stiff, it is lifting an 11 ft. covering, so I won't complain about it. Overall, we are very pleased with this purchase!