Customer Reviews

Southern Patio UMB-440425 9-Inch Solar LED Market Umbrella - Sage Green

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I took a shot in the dark when I ordered this umbrella, and was pleasantly surprised!
The positives:
-The color is a beautiful TRUE sage.
-NO wires or plugs to bother with for the lights!
-Two light settings- one switch for the lights ON the pole (small disc that sits where the "spokes" meet the pole) and one switch for the lights on the "spokes". OR have them BOTH on!

The ONLY negative:
-The solar panel on the top is a little big and odd looking. BUT how do I expect it to work so well! Besides, you cant see the top when the umbrella is up!

IT'S WORTH IT!

I Purchased the 10' Solar Umbrella as a Christmas present we had some 65 decree days so I assembled the umbrella only to find out that the most important part the Solar panel was missing. I tried to reach the company (Southern Patio) at 0805 on Monday only to get a recording I left my name and number and did not get a return call. I called the company again in the afternoon and after holding for over 15 minutes I was told that they had the panel in stock but I would have to pay for shipping!. I considered that so outrages since I never received the panel in the first place that I decided to return the item back to Amazon.

I love this umbrella! I bought the same umbrella 2 yrs ago @ my local Lowe's home improvement store. After 2 yrs, it had some damage due to wind but everything including the lights still worked great! Never had to replace any of the bulbs after 2 yrs! After contacting Lowe's, they told me they no longer carried this umbrella. Well, I was devastated. So, I went on-line and found out that Amazon.com had it! Wow, was I a happy camper! And...it was priced even less than what I paid for the first one 2 years ago! I love my umbrella and I love Amazon.com! They always have what I can't find in a store AND I don't have to drive all over town searching for it and hauling it home!

I've owned this umbrella for three punishing Phoenix, Arizona summers and will buy another when this one dies. As with other reviewers, my purchase was made at Lowes which no longer carries the umbrella.

Likes: The fabric has held up very well despite the desert sunshine and some punishing winds. I believe the vented top has probably saved the umbrella several times when the infamous desert monsoons sweep through with 50 mph + winds. The LED lighting runs all night so no worries about losing some of the patio decor during a long party or supper. The separate switches for lights in the 'hub' and the arms are nice for dialing in the amount of illumination needed but most will just flip both switches on. The solar panel (which sits out of the way atop the pole) has worked flawlessly and the original rechargeable batteries are still inside. The aluminum pole has held up very well and is immune to weather.

Issues: In year two, the rope (operated by a crank)that pulls the umbrella up and down somehow got in a fight with the wiring inside the aluminum tubing. The rope won and the wire broke while cranking the umbrella up. The fix took about ten minutes (solder the wires back together) and I've had no issue since. The decorative lenses over the LEDs have yellowed which blocks quite a bit of light. I've simply removed them.

Cheers

I LOVE this umbrella! I bought it before our Labor Day BBQ and was hoping it would make it in time, which it did (party started at 3, umbrella got here at noon -- score!)

The umbrella itself is very nice. I love the sage green color. It will go with any neutral or brown/black colored table and chairs (in my opinion). Others have commented and said that the umbrella's tilt mechanism is cheaply made. I don't find this to be the case. It's just like any other umbrella I've ever seen or owned. I think it works very well.

I also read a review where someone said the pole bent in the wind... well, I don't know about you, but if I'm not sitting at my patio table, I close the umbrella... and if there's a storm I'm not sitting outside, so there shouldn't be a reason for this umbrella to bend. I think it's made just fine.

For those who are curious (because I was) The pole itself is not silver, it's a beige color, which I think is great because it won't show scratches or fingerprints!

As far as providing shade and protection from rain, this umbrella does a good job. We sat under it through a rain/drizzle the entire night on Labor Day and people weren't getting wet unless they were sitting where the water drips off ;)

The solar lights are awesome! The umbrella has 2 switches. YOu can either light up all the lights (hub and spokes) or either one or the other. There is definitely enough light to play a game or cards or whatever. It's a lot brighter than what I thought it was going to be. THe solar panel on top is not too large as others have mentioned... I think it blends in well. And besides, you only see it when the umbrella is closed!

My friends and family were all very impressed with this umbrealla and a few of them even said they were going to order it!

For the price you really can't get a nicer and more functional umbrella -- believe me, I've looked.

Get this one... You won't be disappointed!!!!

Purchased the umbrella this summer and it worked fine. Love the lights at night, which are solar so no electricity needed to enjoy it. Nice and big as well and true to color on the website.

I wish it had more than one "tilt" degree.When you squeeze the button to make it tilt, it tilts quite a bit and theres no option to stop it sooner than that one spot. Not a biggie but it would balance better I think if it did not tilt quite so much.

I forgot to close it once, the wind and rain came and broke the pole in half. So, I bought a dowel rod from Lowes and had it cut to fit and inserted into the pole between the broken top and bottom and it works fine again.

I suggest that you measure and purchase a dowel rod BEFORE you put it up so that if you do forget to close it and it rains, you might not end up with a broken pole.

Love this umbrella! Was thrilled to find it at Amazon since Lowe's has discontinued this item. First one we bought at Lowe's 4 years ago and had to replace it this year after crank mechanism broke. Very good construction, much better than product offered at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Nice umbrella but only the center hub lights worked. The lights on the six arms didn't work. I called the manufacturer's customer service department as recommended in the included paperwork only to have to leave a message as there was no live customer service agent. My call was returned ONE week later and I was told to return the item to the place of purchase. In the meantime, the shipping box had been discarded so I had no way to return the umbrella. Still have the umbrella. Nice looking if you don't mind the lights not working.

This umbrella is a true Sage Green (lighter color not anywhere close to forest green) so don't expect a darker green color. The solar panel works perfectly and there are ample lights for dining, gaming, or whatever after dark. You can choose to have either the lights on the umbrella ribs on or the lights around the pole on or both, depending on how much light you want. I thought the white LED lights would be too bright for a nice ambient light but it works perfectly. I use this umbrella at our cabin where we don't have electricty so having the solar panel is a must. However, I wish I bought one for home too. At home I have one that plugs in and dealing with the power cord is a pain and seems to always be in the way. I definately recommend this umbrella.

If you have forest/dark green cushions or chairs, this umbrella won't match. The color is a washed-out, yellowy green, quite unpleasant and not at all as depicted in the pictures or description. I'm so disppointed.