The umbrella is larger than I thought, which I love. The stand works fine but once it’s extended, you really need a counter weight to hold it properly. We had a 50 lb bag of play sand we were able to use to anchor the base down. Works like a charm! The only down side is it’s tough to use on a windy day as the large cloth acts like a sail. Not too many windy days here, so not a problem but may not be ideal for a beach town.