When we talk about garden parasols we are really talking about two distinct things –the parasol itself and the base. You cannot just buy a parasol as it won’t be weighted down if it gets windy, and it won’t stand straight either. You need the base to make sure the whole thing is secure.
So what kind of base should you be looking for?
Price will be an important consideration because they can vary a lot. The cheapest type you can get is plastic, which you fill yourself either with water or sand. These are perfectly good but the trouble is that they look cheap. You can sometimes get better quality ones that look a bit better, but they are not as good as stone ones or ones made from other materials.
A lot will depend on the price you want to pay as well. For example one website recently had a metal base for sale for £75. You may not want to spend that much on a parasol base, so consider your budget before doing anything else, so you can gauge whether or not £75 or so is a good figure.
Some of the heavier bases will have a weight listed with the details. The heavier the base is the better the quality will be, but you also need to think about how you will get it home. Delivery could be expensive for something like this, which of course will add to the cost. But some websites offer a standard charge that won’t affect what you order. You might even be able to get a more expensive base delivered free of charge, so do shop around before deciding what you want.
As far as colour is concerned it should always match the parasol you have in mind. Either that or the other choice you have is to match it to the table. For example you could have a brown wooden table and a brown base with a green material parasol.
Cast iron bases are good because they aren’t solid but they are still heavy. They also have a nice design that looks good, which makes a change if you don’t want a plain base.
As you can see you have a lot to choose from. But the weight is definitely the biggest point to remember, as this makes it sturdy and capable of keeping your parasol on the ground.