Replace Gazebos And Shade Sails With A Retractable Find From Walmart

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With the popularity of outdoor living growing over the last decade, you might be pondering how to enhance your own backyard. Maybe you've browsed luxe lounge chairs, a cozy fire pit, or an outdoor grill. Whatever you choose, there's one update you shouldn't overlook: adequate shade. There are numerous options, from affordable shade sails to elegant, free-standing gazebos. But have you considered a pergola, such as the Lausaint Home brown retractable pergola? Selling for $189.99 at Walmart, it's an attractive garden feature that can boost your home's value while turning your yard into a resort-like oasis.

Perhaps you picture a traditional, open-slat pergola, maybe seasonally shaded (eventually) by leafy vines growing along the slats. Shade sails and gazebos have had something of an edge when it comes to providing sun protection, but this 10-foot by 13-foot brown pergola from Lausaint Home replaces open-air slats with a retractable textile canopy providing full or partial coverage whenever you want it. A modern, four-post frame is constructed of powder-coated heavy-duty aluminum designed to withstand the elements and, if anchored down correctly, up to level 7 winds (roughly 32 to 38 mph on the Beaufort wind scale), according to the manufacturer. This particular option might be considered something of a bargain as well, as similar sized pergolas (with metal louvered roofs) run $800 or more, as can similarly sized gazebos. Even this same model costs $229.99 at Target, or $40 more than at Walmart.

This Walmart find can help you define a 10-by-13-foot outdoor activity area for your personal enjoyment or small-group gatherings. The retractable canopy — secured using hooks and magnets — is made of fade-resistant, UV-blocking, and waterproofed polyester to not only protect against sun but also rain. When retracted, the canopy itself is protected from sun and rain by a short, sloped roof. However, as it's designed to be budget-friendly, the canopy isn't motorized and instead slides along tracks in the frame using a manual pulley. According to the brand, construction is "simple and hassle free," but keep in mind that there are currently no reviews on this product to help gauge how accurate company claims might be. Also note that it's imperative the structure be properly mounted — embedded or bolted down into concrete — to provide the stated wind resistance when the canopy is extended.

At this price, a pergola can finally give shade sails — which typically run $20 to $60 apiece — a run for their money. A well-anchored shade sail might provide the same level of coverage and weather protection as this product, but a pergola's structural frame is more permanent and gives you the ability to accessorize the defined area more easily. For instance, when working with a pergola, you automatically have the framework to hang outdoor curtains. This is not only a smarter and less costly way to add privacy to your outdoor space, but it can also give off resort cabana vibes. Or take the pergola from day into night for a dinner party by hanging string lights along the upper part of the frame, winding them around the posts, or both. And because this Walmart find's canopy is retractable, you can fully open the top in the evenings for night-sky ambiance and a little stargazing.