You can soak up every minute of the warm summer weather—without getting sunburned—with the help of a patio umbrella. To find the best patio umbrella, I tested seven popular models, and after weeks of ...

While it does feel nice to lay out and catch the sun’s rays for a little while, it’s not safe or enjoyable to do it for hours on end and that’s why a beach umbrella is essential to provide shade.

The basic umbrella design is one that has stood the test of time. And why not, it’s simple and it keeps you dry. But once the wind picks up, the limitations of the design quickly become apparent.