If you are looking for an outdoor umbrella stand you will probably be surprised at the variety of these items on the market. You can find umbrella stands for holding peoples wet ones when they come to visit your home on a rainy day. Or you could be speaking about the type of stand used to keep an umbrella standing upright. Most people would be referring to the latter so that is the type we will cover here. Before you take out your credit card you will need to make a couple of decisions about the type of stand you need and where you intend using it.

Are you looking for a portable outdoor umbrella stand?

If you plan on using the outdoor umbrella stand at the beach or at a football game you will need one that is easy to carry. You don’t want to be carrying cast iron stands in and out of your car. It is a good idea to buy a colored stand so that people will see it. This will help to prevent accidents particularly if you are going to use it in a busy area such as at your child’s school football derby. You won’t have to sit in the rain anymore cheering on your kids. Put up a beach umbrella using the original umbrella stand and you will soon be the envy of the other parents. You have probably already seen these in use at various sports events. They come in a variety of colors, cost less than 25 bucks and are suitable for use on sand or grass but probably not concrete. Some models come with thumbscrews and these ones tend to work better than those without. But for this price it is a great product.

You can also use this at the beach or at home if you are looking for something temporary. If you want to use an umbrella on a regular basis at home you will probably want a more permanent type structure made from cast iron or similar material.

How to choose a patio umbrella stand?

Before you go shopping for a patio umbrella stand it pays to think about what you are looking for. How big is your patio umbrella? Larger models will require a more secure heavier base than a small beach umbrella would need. If your umbrella sits in the middle of the patio table it already has a little support so will not need as much as the stand alone variety. It helps if you have decided where the stand will be located. If you fancy moving it around your garden then you will not be interested in buying a heavy cast iron base.

You can also find bronze bases which are great as they are very resistant to the impact of adverse weather. You fill them with sand which prevents them blowing over in high winds. The sand is not expensive. Don’t use sand you bring home from the beach as it can contain mites and other nasty things. You can buy sterile toddler sand i.e. what you would put in a toddlers sand pit from most local stores. This is very cheap and works really well.

No matter what type of umbrella stand you want to buy, it pays to shop around and compare prices. Obviously if you are looking for a cheap beach stand then just spend the $25 or less and don’t waste your time. But the heavier stands can cost a lot more cash so take your time to snare a bargain. The right outdoor umbrella stand is just waiting for you to come and pick it up.