This Giant Umbrella Makes My Backyard Feel Like a Resort — and It's Up to 69% Off at Amazon Right Now

When my husband and I moved from a tiny apartment to a spacious three-bedroom home in North Carolina last year, one of the features we were most excited about was our new backyard. Luckily for us, the previous owners had left a beautiful set of string lights all around the space, but we quickly set to work on buying an outdoor furniture set, picking up a grill, and repainting our patio for the ultimate hangout experience. Yet one of the best additions to our backyard was something we didn't even purchase ourselves — a gorgeous 9-foot crank umbrella that two kind friends gifted us from our wedding registry.

Available on Amazon, the Safavieh Athens Crank Outdoor Umbrella is a stylish, sizable piece that's quickly transformed our patio into an resort-like area for us to enjoy. With its height and ultra-wide coverage, it effectively protects us from the sun's rays without taking up so much space that it overwhelms the rest of our backyard decor. Its base is sturdy enough to withstand even the windiest of days, the crank is super simple to use, and assembling it took hardly any time; all we needed to do was buy a matching stand, which we did at Home Depot without a problem.

To buy: amazon.com, from $103 (originally $331)

Plus, the umbrella is surprisingly attractive, designed in a chic navy color with navy and white stripes on the inside. It's added some major flair to our backyard, and we've gotten a number of compliments on it from friends who've come over to hang out. When we sit under it to have some drinks and snacks, it truly feels like we're at the beach on a luxurious vacation.

Although I love our navy and white color combination, the umbrella also comes in five other pretty patterns: beige and white, light blue and white, brown and white, green and white, and red and white. They're all available at Amazon, where the umbrella is currently on sale for as little as $103 — a whopping 69 percent off its regular price of $331.

We may have gotten the umbrella as a gift, but I definitely would have bought it myself, given how nice it looks on our patio and how helpful it's been on all those hot and sunny days. And with summer just getting started, I know we'll get even more great use out of it soon.

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