IKEA's Patio Umbrella Is A Cheaper Alternative To Pergolas

When it comes to UV protection for alfresco dining or other outdoor gatherings, a pergola with a canopy seems like an appealing solution — until you factor in the following: It's more of an architectural element that you can't easily move or put away for any reason; it takes up a heck of a lot of space; and perhaps most importantly to some, it can put a dent in your wallet. For instance, pricing for a full DIY kit can range from a few hundred to just over $1,000, while professionally installed pergolas can go for $3,000 to the five-digit zone. You can always build a cheap pergola on your own from scratch, but who has time for that? A conventional round patio umbrella is often cheaper and convenient, but its shape wastes space while shading less of the area it's meant to protect. Then there's IKEA's Tvetö Umbrella, a compact but space-maximizing rectangular product that comes in at just $34.99 (not including a base, however).

With a canopy measuring 70 ⅞ inches long by 57 ⅛ inches wide, this IKEA find has a slim white powder-coated steel pole that extends from 59 to 86 ⅝ inches high. The 90% recycled polyester fabric is a neutral beige and has a UPF rating of 25+ (meaning it blocks 96% of UV radiation). As mentioned above, its rectangular configuration covers a lot of ground while also minimizing the gaps that can occur between rounded edges and house walls. And it's tiltable, to boot, so you can adjust it as the sun's position shifts throughout the day.

Cost is the main reason why Tvetö is an attractive alternative to a pergola, but it's also because it's easy and fast to set up, it's adjustable, and it can be stashed away. However, like other patio umbrellas, this doesn't have the heft that pergolas do to combat the wind. At the time of this writing, the IKEA product page shows a 4.1-star overall rating based on over 450 reviews, but some reviews claim that the umbrella easily bent out of shape or tore under fairly weak wind conditions. So, heed or don't heed these warnings just as you would when researching other goods online. Also, you'll need to purchase a base. IKEA sells sandbag-weighted bases but since they've received low to mediocre reviews, you might be better off looking on Amazon or in a home improvement store. Once you find a suitable base, consider adding more weight to it to play it safe.

Something to note is that a tiltable patio umbrella with UV-blocking fabric can serve another purpose that pergolas can't: as a makeshift exterior window shade. Exterior shading reduces solar heat gain more than interior window treatments do because it intercepts and absorbs much of the UV radiation before it's entered the home via the window. This tactic can reduce the room's temperature by up to 15 degrees Fahrenheit — and, as a result, reduce reliance on cooling systems (that's why some homeowners invest in exterior window shades and retractable awnings). Try positioning and tilting the umbrella outside the window of a room that tends to overheat due to excessive sunlight. You might just see it help keep your A/C from driving up your electric bill. If you plan to keep using the umbrella this way, make sure you research and apply tips for securing the umbrella — such as finding and creating a good anchoring point — in case winds pick up. The last thing you need is an umbrella crashing through the window!