we had been looking for this style of umbrella for quite some time and were not at all pleased with the prices of some of the comparables.  this one looks great with our patio furniture and works well. we skipped the optional weighed base and made our own with concrete pavers and it looks pretty cool on the patio and makes a good place for a flower planter also!  5 stars so far, i'm hoping that it holds up well and doesn't make me a five star liar :-)