This  umbrella is better than the amazon one
582855
This iumbrella is better than the amazon one. Its quite sturdy and looks better than the regular black one. Overall a good deal.
1717293
I have both this one and the larger 45" one. This one - the 30" one - has a problem, in that the velcro strips on the top of the umbrella are too far apart, and so it's very hard to fold back the fabric under tension - it simply peels off on its own. The 45" one has no such problem. It's a pity, because otherwise it's a pretty nice umbrella.
4252580
you wouldn't think it would be so hard finding an umbrella, but i went through dozens of them looking at reviews, this one had the best reviews. its hard to test an umbrella, you need rain and wind in this case, i tested in the rain, the wind is harder. the umbrella opens up with a click, don't point it at anyone, its not like the single click umbrella's. where you press the button, it slides up then opens. this opens and rises at the same time, which is good if its raining, but you could hit things if your not careful.

i'm in the middle of giving this a 3 or a 4.

the problems it has are:

1. the handle is solid, and a bit small to hold. my other umbrella's (all of them) have a hallow handle. meaning that i can close the thing and then slide those little ends into the handle, making it easy to hold and store. because the hand is small and solid, there is no place for the hinge to go. so when your holding it in your hands closed, the joint hits you in the hand. when you store it without the bag (the first thing i lose), the joint catches on the bag you put it in.

2. when you go to close it, the handle is too small, you have to pull this in yourself, and again those hinge joints are right in the way, making it uncomfortable to close.

3. when your inside again, and you want to dry it, you can't just force it open, there is no catch. so you have close it totally, then open it again. which means you hurt your knuckles closing it and then of course you spray water on everything when it opens again.

4. i find the cord a bit short.

5. the handle could be longer. it feels solid, but i do find i had to rest it on my head to walk with it. its not big enough for two people btw.

i do like the colors, it doesn't have a reflector, but being the colors it is, it makes it higher viz then a solid one.

4-4-17

updating this went from 3 stars to 2. as an umbrella it kind of works. but as a wind stopper, it totally fails. even in a slight breeze it inverts. further, i contacted the company, and they never got back to me.
1240300
This umbrella works very well.  I just realized that I was shipped the leopard print instead of the bohemian print, which didn't really matter although this print is $5 more!
3618016
I bought this umbrella just in case there is a rainy day. One thing to note is this umbrella is a big 2 person umbrella that does not fold. It withstands a lot of wind and rain. Previously living in the UK I have tried countless umbrellas that have always failed me and turned inside out and broken. This umbrella is very sturdy and has a grip that is soft. This umbrella is definitely a winner for me!
2501845
I've ordered this umbrella three times. The first umbrella broke after 1.5 years, maybe more, which to me is a sign of success for how much use it got. The second, I lost, so it doesn't count. It is a testament to how strong, big and sturdy it is that I've ordered it consecutively. The only catch (as other comments confirm) is that the open/close clasp is not the best in the world. The first umbrella had no issues, the second was impossible to close without doing it manually and tying it up, and the third umbrella has so far not shown signs of closing issues. You can be certain it will open without difficulty, will keep you dry (and probably two friends too), and will last a long time.
1874488
Amazing umbrella!  It is sturdy and much better than the T***s brand that it is replacing.  The other brand broke in wind gusts of 30 mph.  I returned it only to buy a larger umbrella of this brand.
332599
My husband will only purchase this umbrella now, and he does so regularly as he can't go 5 months without losing one.. So, this umbrella has been in the Amazon rotation regularly since 2011.  It's portable enough to fit in the backpack he takes to work, and yet opens to a full-sized golf umbrella.  Its construction is sturdy, and really I haven't heard any complaints except that now that we live in Canada we can't get it as easily (not available on Amazon.ca) so we have to have them shipped to relatives in the states and then pick them up when we go to visit.  A great umbrella!
2794069
I bought this after becoming way too tan at the beach. I needed to hide from the sun for a while and my previous parasol from Coolibar had gotten destroyed by the wind. I decided to avoid the travel size this time around because more joints/hinges means less sturdy. I'm pleased with this one - its held up in gusts of wind, works for rain (though I don't intentionally use it for that), and has a large diameter. The carrying case is great to prevent the silver surface from getting scratched/damaged. I also don't feel hot when using it - perhaps the vents allow the hot air to escape. My tan is fading and the umbrella (parasol) is holding up.
495707
I had previously purchased the cheaper offset umbrella offered by this brand at around $100-$150.  Big mistake.  I've since learned that quality cantilever umbrellas start at the $300 price range.  The ordering process didn't go too smoothly, as I ordered tan and got red.  Amazon as always, made it right, so no complaints there other than the inconvenience of packing the boxes back up and moving them.  At 75 lbs. a piece, these boxes are heavy - have help ready to move them.

It's a sturdy, quality piece.  The canopy is huge.  Enough to provide shade for a 72" table.  It's also nicely tall.  Up to a 6'8" person can walk under them without bending down.  If you're wondering what the difference is between models like this and ones that go for $500 to $1000, it's the canopy.  The high end ones have Sunbrella fabric, which is costly.  You get polyester here, which probably won't last long before it fades.  You can extend the lifespan by covering it whenever it's not in use with the included cover.  They have built in sticks to help you get it on the umbrella, which stands at nearly 9' tall at the tip.  The umbrella tilts, but does not rotate - a huge omission for those who need to adjust it as the sun moves.  It isn't as much an issue for me in my setup because my house provides shade from eastern sun, so I only need them for afternoon western sun.  But I docked it a star because that feature ought to be standard for cantilever umbrellas.

My only other complaint is that these don't come ready to use out of the box with the required weights for the stand.  You can either purchase pavers, or you can buy the triangular ones specially made by Abba Patio.  If you go with pavers, they have to be much heavier because only half of each square will rest on each of the four  triangular areas of the stand.  The special made weights need only contain 30 lbs of sand for each of the four corners.  The failure to include the stand makes this not the greatest buy.  You can get the same size and quality umbrella with weights and LED lights included for the same price at a certain big box store.  I went with this because I already had the Abba Patio weights from my previous umbrella and I didn't want to go through the hassle of filing another stand with sand again.  My only other complaint is the "tan" isn't really tan at all - It's more of a brown.  The photos on this site are a misrepresentation.  Look at the customer photos, which are more accurate.  However, the red shown on this site is a true color representation of what you will get.  Overall, I  recommend this - but be aware you can get more features for your money elsewhere.
4060110
I just received this and haven't used it at the beach yet, so I'll update later if it doesn't perform well. This umbrella is VERY sturdy, with thick ribs and double sewn pockets to hold them. The canopy fabric is heavy duty and vented. The pole is strong and tilts two directions. There is NOT a crank handle for raising and lowering, and I have informed amazon that that bullet point is incorrect in the description. There is no height adjustment. If you want it shorter, you'll have to dig a deeper hole for it. You will need a sand anchor to keep the umbrella in the sand when it is windy. I bought the Ammsun metal auger type one in white to match the umbrella.

EDIT 8/21/16:  Used this for a week at the beach and it was GREAT. Some wind and a few big gusts and it held up fine. It was NOT a very windy week though. Someone sitting next to me was impressed with the big ribs and asked where I bought it. :)
497281
This is a nice umbrella.  It looks like it is well made and feels solid. The materials are solid.  The fabric is strong and the seams also seem very sturdy.  The handle has a rubberized surface on it that feels really nice in the hand.  The auto open feature seems to work fine.  I have other auto open umbrellas and comparatively this one opens REALLY fast and strong.  I think that is good because I think it has a strong mechanism that will last well.  The other ones open all the way up.  This one closes the umbrella at the push of a button, then you have to manually close the rod the rest of the way.  One thing I have found is that it doesn't work to manually close the umbrella.  Just to test it out and run it through its paces, I tried to manually close it.  I stopped because it felt like I might damage the mechanism.  It isn't a negative or anything, but it might be relevant to know, especially if you are used to closing the umbrella manually.

When I review a product, whether at a seller's request or just because I want to, I always provide the best review I can. When I have a problem with a product, I often try to resolve the problem with the seller or manufacturer before giving a negative review. I have found that often I have a problem with an item that is not representative of the overall quality (or the problem is my lack of understanding). I personally rely on product reviews so I hope my reviews are helpful to anyone trying to decide whether a product is right for them.
3881931
If you want a huge, sturdy patio umbrella this is the one to buy. Very nice color and materials. Pulley design is good and i have no problems pulling the wood frame when I open it. I would have given it 5 stars but the green color started fading. Otherwise its a very good buy. The wooden frame is relatively sturdy compared to its aluminum counterpart. Be prepared to buy a real heavy base for the umbrella because of its size and weight. I recommmend this umbrella.
3306929
It's a little heavier than I expected, but that's a positive and only supports my view of this umbrella as sturdy and well-built. When you press the button, the umbrella opens up quickly and smoothly; and once open, you'll be glad that denser materials were used in the handle as the weight seems well-balanced (i.e., it's not as top heavy and unruly as other umbrellas in the wind).

The canopy definitely accommodates 1 person and is sufficient for two people. I think it's a good width in that respect. If it was larger it might narrowly be better for 2 individuals or even 3, but then I would feel silly using it just for myself. It accomplishes the difficult task of being large enough for two, yet appropriate for one, without knocking other people off the sidewalk.

When rained on, it sheds the water very well without absorbing the moisture. The shaft is also sufficiently long enough to keep you from holding it up to your face - which is impressive for a travel umbrella. Pressing the button again effortlessly collapses the stretchers and the runner glides down the shaft.

In every aspect, this umbrella feels well-made and dependable and despite great feature, it's the subtle details that really won me over: it glides up and down the shaft instead of feeling like there is some resistance; the weight of the handle is a perfect counterbalance to the weight of the canopy; and the material feel like they could handle years of abuse without losing steam. I don't doubt that there is a better umbrella out there somewhere, but I did not want to perform a literature review on features and performance and test multiple umbrellas when the gain would be so small above what this umbrella is able to provide. If you are like me and value quality over quantity and aim to purchase one quality product (even if it's more expensive) over something mid-tier that you would have to replace much sooner, then I highly recommend purchasing this one since you are already here reading this.

Happy VDay!
1981814
This is a beautiful umbrella. And it seems to be strong and sturdy as well. I love the spring loaded umbrella that you can handle it with one hand. For both opening and closing. Only with a push of the button. It has been raining non-stop here. So it is perfect timing to get this umbrella. The umbrella has been holding up with the strong wind as well. It handles the strong rain and wind combination pretty well. There is no problem to open it in the strong wind. And it is still holding up to keep the rain out. I am only using this for a few days now. Looks like this will be an umbrella holding up with time as well.
The only down side is after closing, if you want to open it up again, you will have to push the handle back. Which will require both hands and a very strong push. Other than that, this is a lovely umbrella. My girl love the colors so much, I am not sure I can keep it only for me for long.
2037974
It is a sturdy umbrella, compact when folded but quite spacious when opened. And it can withstand nasty winds. It does the job. It is pricier than the usual umbrellas, but with its strength, I think I'll be saving money in the long run as I won't have so many cheap umbrellas getting destroyed on me.
1880267
Ace Evert Offset Umbrella is outstanding. The box came in two days. the cross bars at the base can only connect one way. The mid upright base is attached via four bolts and washers. Do not open the umbrella without a weighted base.
I purchased the Southern Blowmolded  base when the Ace was ordered. Came at the same time.

The base with water is 200 pounds. If filled with sand - 300 pounds. The umbrella will turn inside its base.here is a locking knob to secure from rotation. Ten feet and the upper bow provides flexibility to placement.

I am very pleased as the $156 compares to a system much more cost. I tie the umbrella down when not in use. I live on Tampa Bay and open to the wind. Will update as to water resistance?

UPDATE 2/2/2013
The umbrella broke today. I had changed from a water base to four 20" concrete pavers purchased at my local Home Depot. The Umbrella does seem more stable with the concrete stones than it did with the Southern Blowmolded.

See the two pictures of the broken (LIGHT) metal connection that raises or lowers the frame. Amazon has sent a "new" replacement. Amazon wants to follow up to ascertain if the Ace Evert Offset is a design flaw.