Best Choice Products 16ft Extra Large Outdoor Patio Market Umbrella with Cross Base and Crank Review

If you need to have an extra-large shaded area out on your patio or backyard, you can consider getting yourself the Best Choice Products 16ft Extra Large Outdoor Patio Market Umbrella. All in, this beautiful 16 ft outdoor umbrella can provide you with up to 200 square feet of shade. That’s mighty impressive!

With such a wide coverage, you can easily pair this up with your favorite outdoor furniture such as conversation sets, dining tables, or use it as shade for your outdoor sofas when lounging.

Let’s dig a bit deeper into what this bad boy has to offer, where you can get it, and if there are alternatives to it.

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Product details and specifications

The Patio Umbrella Frame

Outdoor umbrellas can be seen as a form of shelter that provides protection from sun, rain, snow, and other elements that would otherwise make the outdoor experience unpleasant.

To be able to enjoy the experience outside, the patio umbrella frame needs to be well built to at least withstand light winds and rain.

In this case, the Best Choice Products 16 ft Extra Large Outdoor Patio Umbrella is made with an aluminum frame, with corresponding ribs to support the entire structure.

The pole has a diameter of 2.25 inches, which I feel is the bare minimum for an umbrella this size. It is also coated with powder that helps prevent rust build-up, a nice feature that is not found in all patio umbrellas, even though I think it should be the case. They are always outdoors!

That said, aluminum is a pretty good material to use as it can withstand corrosion well and is quite lightweight when compared to steel or wood. It lets you move it about easily in case you wish to.

Long-term wise, you may have to deal with the metal warping, which is a common problem patio umbrella made of this material face. You could of course invest in a higher quality umbrella that can last longer, but you will have to weigh the price difference.

I would say that this extra large umbrella needs a steel pole if the area you live in faces strong winds often. Although this model is quite sturdy, it is not built to deal with strong winds and such weather conditions.

The same goes for the ribs. Aluminum is a good material that will hold up decently well for regular use, and as this model has 8 ribs, you can be quite assured of them holding the canopy in place.

The Patio Umbrella Canopy

When looking at the canopy of a patio umbrella, you would want to see a couple of things in place.

Firstly, it must be waterproof. There really is no reason a manufacturer does not offer that.

For this model, it comes with a 210 gsm polyester canopy, which is very commonly used to make outdoor umbrellas.

They are quite thick and can block out both the rain and sunlight effectively. I would not buy one that has a lower gsm than this.

This particular umbrella also offers UV (ultraviolet) protection, a nice extra benefit that keeps you protected against harmful rays.

One common issue that patio umbrella owners face is the fade resistant capability of the canopy. A lot of times, you will start to see the canopy colors fade after a few months out in the sun. With this model, it does come with a fade resistant canopy, but based on reviews online, it does not seem to perform that well.

You can either search for a replacement canopy if that happens or invest in a patio umbrella that has a canopy made of Sunbrella (acrylic) or Olefin (synthetic fabric). These will cost more, but they are proven to last.

Features of the Patio Umbrella

Patio umbrellas are pretty simple objects, but they do come with a few different types of features to improve its usability.

First up, how does the patio umbrella open?

For this BCP model, it features a pulley-assisted hand crank mechanism that opens and closes the umbrella quite easily. The way it works is that you turn the handle clockwise (kind of like reeling in a fish) to open or close the canopy. Continue doing so until it is deployed completely.

Secondly, at the top of the canopy, you will find a single vent opening that facilitates airflow. This is really great for ventilation as canopies are mostly made of waterproof material, which means air can barely go through. Great for hot summer days! Since hot air rises, you wouldn’t want the canopy to trap all that warm air and make the outdoor experience unbearable.

Thirdly, some homeowners will look out for patio umbrellas with a tilt function. In this case, it does not have this feature, but it is not a deal-breaker. The canopy is really huge and mostly does not require any kind of tilting to provide full shade for the people using it.

And lastly, this large patio umbrella comes with a cross base. This is pretty smart as you can now fit this into a cantilever cross base weight. Otherwise, it will be quite difficult to find a base strong enough to hold this patio umbrella in place. Take note that the weight is sold separately, and I highly recommend that you get one if your outdoor area consistently experiences strong winds. Here is a compatible model:

Best Choice Products 4-Piece Cantilever Offset Patio Umbrella Stand Square Base Plate Set w/ Easy-Fill Spouts

Pricing of the Best Choice Products 16ft Patio Umbrella

I think this is a popular model out on the market right now. It always seems to be sold out, especially when it approaches the summer months. You could try finding it on various online retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, and Home Depot.

The list price is around $400, but it mostly sells at $230, which is a fair deal for its size and quality.

What area can this patio umbrella cover?

As a general rule of thumb, the patio umbrella canopy should extend beyond the area that needs to be shaded by 2 feet. Here is a handy guide to determine the size of the patio umbrella you should use:

In Conclusion

Considering the quality, size, and pricing of the Best Choice Products 16ft Extra Large Outdoor Patio Market Umbrella with Cross Base, it is certainly worth considering it for your shading needs.

It provides a really wide area of coverage and can easily accommodate large dining or seating sets.

As discussed earlier, you should add on the base plate in order to make it a more solid structure, but avoid using it when there are strong winds blowing. Long-term usage in this condition will weaken the frame considerably.

And if you do get this, be sure to conduct basic maintenance such as brushing off dirt on the canopy and give it a good wash before keeping it in storage.

Get it from Walmart now!

Before you go, consider checking out these articles about patio umbrellas too:

• 6 Of The Best Half Patio Umbrellas To Keep You Shaded And Cool
• Best 4 Foot Patio Umbrellas Reviews: Get Shaded!
• Best Choice Products 81lb. Heavy Duty Concrete Umbrella Base Stand w/Wheels Review
• Obravia vs Sunbrella: Which Fabric is Better?
• Shop Patio Umbrellas Here

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