Best Pop Up Gazebo for 2022. Buyers Guide and Full Reviews.

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Choosing the best pop up gazebo needn’t be too difficult if your objectives are clear.

A wide choice of manufacturers offering a huge range of outdoor gazebos means without a clear, or semi clear vision of what you need then it can be a little overwhelming. 

In this Best Pop Up Gazebo review guide we have simplified the process of choosing a pop up gazebo kit with tips on what to look for before buying, and top product recommendations.

There are plenty of soft top gazebo manufacturers to choose from, many of them are very good, some not so good and others that just need avoiding.

Of course In our review recommendations we have only included manufacturers with a pedigree of proven build quality, and outstanding customer support.

Why A Popup Gazebo

Well everyone has their own reasons to purchase a soft top gazebo.  But a couple of thing are for sure, a hardtop gazebo or pop up is always going to add a little extra style, and a whole lot of functionality to your garden or patio.

The popular portable canopy tent variety of gazebo is versatile and quick to build. A way to claim sheltered outdoor space, anywhere, fast.

Instant extra living space is always a good thing, and building a pop up gazebo kit on your patio, or around the pool is just a brilliant, stress free way of getting it quickly.

With a whole range of uses:

Your gazebo can really turn into anything you want it to be. A family focal point, or a quiet place for contemplation. 

Of course a soft top gazebo canopy is mostly used as shade for a seating area. It not only protects friends and family from the sun, but also reduces bleaching and fade on expensive garden furniture and cushions. A hot tub gazebo will protect and prolong the life of the inflatable fabric.

And best of all the pop up gazebo kits we have chosen to review here have price tags that aren’t going to make your eyes water.

Choosing A Pop Up Gazebo

No one I know at least has a garden like the one pictured above, but we all still have own priorities and check lists when choosing our gazebo.

Fortunately there are a whole vast array of styles, sizes and price points to pick from.

But unless you are blessed with a real clarity of vision and purpose, too much choice in anything can some times be a little bewildering and overwhelming.  That’s why we have concentrated on just one or two specific first class manufacturers.

So let’s look at just a few key points to keep in mind before buying your perfect soft top gazebo.

Peripheral

Tucked away and unobtrusive perhaps, or maybe a gazebo playing a secondary part in the overall symmetry of a garden.  They are obviously easier to place.

It could be a working gazebo used as a plant nursery or a quiet gazebo for yoga practice or meditation. What ever it’s use will easily dictate its placement. 

Permanent or Temporary

We tend to think of a soft topped gazebo as a temporary outdoor shade structure for summer use only. In general that’s true.

The best pop up gazebos are easy to erect and just as easy to pull down and store. But you don’t have to.

Depending on where the soft top gazebo lives, it’s usually recommended to remove the canopy for winter storage.

The structure can remain in place, outside, throughout the cold months. So that makes it super quick and convenient if the canopy is required to be put back on for any autumn winter events.

See our guide on winterising a gazebo >>

All the products reviewed here are rustproofed and powder coated so will withstand the rigours of many winters left outside.

Recommended 12’x 12′ Pop Up Gazebo

EliteShade Titan 12′ x 12′ Sunbrella Gazebo

At a Glance

It costs a little extra to go first class. The brilliant EliteShade Titan gazebo offers what we consider to be the bench mark for gazebos in its class.

A compelling combination of elegance and durability. This gazebo is not simply style over substance. The quality of materials and build excellence puts this gazebo way out front of lesser offerings.

Top of the class? Certainly, and by some margin.

The frame is made from rust free, heavy gauge, extruded aluminium that’s been powder coated to add an extra element of protection from the elements. 

Then it’s wrapped in coffee bean coloured wicker which gives it its beautiful aesthetic appeal.

Of course it’s topped off by no ordinary canopy! 

The EliteShade Titan uses only high end Sunbrella fabric, so it’s fade proof and waterproof.

It’s the best money can buy if fact. It will withstand the elements, and give very many seasons of use.

The canopy is also generously vented to ensure stability in high wind conditions.

Easy to build, and easily secured to patio or decking.

An Elite gazebo by EliteShade.

Recommended 10’x 10′ Gazebo

Sunjoy Marquis 10′ x 10′ Gazebo

At a Glance

An eye catcher. The Sunjoy Marquis pop up gazebo will give your garden or patio an elegant makeover in minutes.

Made from durable tubular steel, and powder coated in an elegant black satin finish.

Fast and intuitive to erect, it needs no special tools, just an assistant and a pair of steps. Once erected the gazebo can be easily secured to a wooden deck through the three screw holes located on the leg base. Alternatively Sunjoy have provided stakes to hammer secure into soil or grass if preferred.

For hanging featured plants or lighting a centre hook is fitted that can hold up to 30 lbs. So strong enough to hold up a good size planter or your crystal chandelier!!!

Rails are also provided in the kit to hang privacy curtains and bug netting. The curtains and netting are included with the canopy.

We particularly like the tension hooks that secure the cover to the rails so the rain water doesn’t pool.

Suntime Outdoor Pop Up Gazebo 10′ x 10′   

A really convenient option for instant shade without a permanent presence.

Suncrown Patio Gazebo 10′ x 10′ 

At a Glance

We like this understated gazebo from Suncrown.  Clean lines and elegant functionality. 

This gazebo won’t dominate your outdoor space, it doesn’t dazzle with fancy features and wrought iron work details.

What it does offer is a comfortingly excellent build quality and the complete gazebo package which includes mosquito netting and privacy curtains.

Lightweight and easy to assemble the aluminum frame has a tan powder coat to enhance looks and add protection.

Everything you need to build it is included in the box and it shouldn’t take two people more than a couple or three hours.

There’s no real features to admire on the legs, so this gazebo has been designed to have privacy curtains permanently secured to them. The curtains and roof fabric are made from the same quality polyester material.

The vented roof helps stability in blustery conditions and the gazebo can be secured to the ground using grass stakes or bolted to decking if preferred.

There’s ample shaded space for outdoor furniture set or for a six person lunchtime or evening dining event. All in all an excellent, economical shade solutions from Suncrown.

Recommended 10′ x 12′ Gazebos

Manufacturers are trending towards slightly larger gazebos this season so we have included a number of 10 x 13 feet models in this section as well as the legacy 10 x 12 foot sizes.

Grand Patio 10′ x 13′ 

At a Glance

Its striking good looks mean that this is definitely a feature gazebo.

This soft top gazebo is not one to tuck away on the peripheral of your outdoor space. It needs to be the star of the show.  It’s a show stopper,  it could do with plenty of space around it to look its elegant best.

We like its low profile roof and the way the vent has been artfully incorporated into the design. Because of the low pitch eight water escape outlets have been machined into it to reduce pooling.

Manufacturer claims it to be water resistant, while owners find it to be pretty much waterproof.

The fluted round steel legs has a thick powder coating to ensure they are rust proof. If you want to stow the curtains for any reason then the legs add a real touch of elegance to the gazebo when they’re uncovered.

Grand Patio is one of our favourite manufacturers and this gazebo showcases some of their best features. That’s brilliant design and fine build quality, but what you can’t see is the attentive after sales support you receive with the purchase.

The gazebo is supplied with privacy curtains and mosquito netting to fully enclose the inside space. So a bug free environment whenever it’s needed, and that’s pretty much always!!

Regency II Gazebo 10′ x 12′  

Sunjoy Parlay Gazebo 10′ x 12′

At a Glance

This graceful pop up gazebo includes a number of interesting design features.  The “L” shaped legs are constructed to include curved pattern trellising around the top. A simple railing design on the lower leg completes the understated elegant look.

Built into the interior angle of the four legs are triangular shelves. They are really useful to add extra decor accents to the gazebo.

The featured photo shows lantern lighting being placed on them, which is brilliant. But they can be used to equal stunning and colourful effect for cascading or climbing plants.

Like most quality soft top gazebo kits the Sunjoy Monterey has a vented roof for better stability in windy conditions.

A built-in centre hook below the vent is a great place to hang additional plants or your outdoor lighting. It has maximum weight capacity of 30 lbs, so is easily capable of hanging the most ambitious planter or feature light.

We found the beige coloured canopy very appealing to the eye. The manufacturer claims the polyester fabric of the canopy is fade free.

We can’t find any evidence from long term users to contradict that. Fade is a slow process though. If a replacement canopy is required for whatever reason they are available from the manufacturer or third party vendors.

Durable, low maintenance mosquito netting is included to complete a great gazebo look. The bug nets are zipped rather than just stuck with velcro. A small detail, but it is attention to detail like this that turns a good product to and excellent one. 

This gazebo really is style and function combined. An excellent gazebo kit at a great price.

Recommended Barbecue Gazebos

Master Canopy BBQ Gazebo

At a Glance

Don’t let the weather interrupt your barbecue grilling plans. Full sun or cloud, this elegant sort top gazebo offers protection and security from changing weather conditions.

A barbecue pit is always going to be the focal point of your party, and this gazebo will add to its attraction.

A specialist BBQ gazebo from MasterCanopy, it’s fitted with two really handy shelfs for plating up your grill servings, or as a salad and condiments bar.  Add a couple bar chairs around the gazebo and they become a useful place too rest drinks while chatting around the pit.

If your BBQ pit doesn’t come with a space for cooking utensils there is a hook rail fitted under the shelf to hang them. Easy access when grilling.

Grilling at night?  At the time of writing the gazebo ships with LED lighting included in the list price.

Of course the canopy is vented, and made from heavy grade UV protected PVC. The vented canopy makes it especially stable in blustery conditions, and the side shelving also adds to the overall rigidity of the gazebo.

ABCCANOPY BBQ Gazebo

At a Glance 

This really striking soft top grill gazebo comes in nine colour choices. 

Red is our particular favourite.  A real visual statement we think but if you are looking for understated elegance, then the the forest green colour option is a brilliant choice too.

As with all ABCCANOPY products this comes with attention to detail and a high quality finish.

Specially designed just for barbecue grilling. Two shelfs adjacent to the grilling area and a hook rail for hanging your grilling tools conveniently located under one of them. Nice touch !

For barbecue grilling a vented canopy is of course a given. But the ABCCanopy is also fitted with energy-efficient LED lighting for evening grilling.

Its powder coated steel components are robust, and rust resistant, so a low maintenance soft top grill gazebo.

It’s been built to last, and should only need the canopy removing in the winter months rather than a complete pull down.  It is made to give many years of rust free service.

If the canopy ever needs replacing at the time of writing it can be easily ordered from the manufacturer, or their third party vendors.

BEST CANOPY TENTS

At a Glance 

A portable canopy tent is a versatile and useful method of creating some fast and mobile protection from the elements whether sun or rain.

Light weight, fast and easy to erect and pull down, they’ve a huge variety of applications.

These gazebo tents are an in dispensable piece of kit for many kinds of outdoor activities and pursuits.

From the beach to garden and wedding parties these mobile workhorses claim instant covered space.  Go to any camp site, or tailgater and there they are. Weekend markets?, well that’s a given.

Portable canopy tents are by some margin the most popular members of the gazebo family. Coming in so many size and colour combinations there is one for any occasion, or colour palette.

These guys are the foot soldiers of the soft top gazebo world.  

10′ X 10′ Canopy Tents With Sides

Canopy Tents Indispensable Extras

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