I have had this umbrella for almost a year now and it has held up well in Southern California weather.  It is left outside year round.  The crank mechanism works smoothly.  The umbrella itself is in great condition, even after a few extra gusty wind days lifted it out of its holder and it got tossed on the ground.  Even with this, it still operates perfectly.  The fabric is in great condition, but the blue stripes have faded pretty significantly.  It still looks good but there is an obvious difference between the color on the top of the umbrella and underneath.  A good umbrella for the price