Last updated on June 23rd, 2021
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You need a gazebo for shelter in your garden more than usual if you live in an exposed area, and that’s why we have reviewed the Best Gazebos for Windy Areas. These gazebos have features that make them extra stable and let the wind flow safely through, but you need to do your part by staking them down as much as possible. We review the pros, cons and features of wood, metal and pop-up gazebos that fit the bill before we make our recommendations. Our Buyer’s Guide identifies which features turn an ordinary gazebo into one for windy weather.
Best Pick – Metal Gazebo
Best Pick – Wood Gazebo
Best Pick – Pop-up Gazebo
Best Gazebos For Windy Areas Reviews
Permanent Gazebos – Metal
1. Outsunny 4.3 x 3.6m Patio Aluminium Gazebo with Mesh & Side Walls
Best Pick – Metal Gazebo
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The Outsunny 3 x 3 Meters Patio Aluminium Gazebo is an aluminium frame gazebo with corner posts and a hardtop roof. The brown frame is made from aluminium alloy that’s powder-coated for protection from weather and rust. The top is constructed from tan coloured polycarbonate panels. These hard, 7mm plastic panels are semi-opaque and let sunlight in while keeping UV rays and water out. Having some natural light from the above filter through to the gazebo is wonderful, especially at dusk. The hard roof is strongly attached and stays on even on blustery days.
Two options of side walls protect you from the weather, including wind, and bugs and neighbours. Your first choice is the mesh netting curtains that close all the way around the structure and seal with zippers in the centre of each wall, giving you four entryways. You can still look out and see everything, including all the mosquitoes and other irritating bugs trying to get in. The netting lets the wind blow all the way through the gazebo safely.
The second choice is an outer, opaque, beige polyester curtain that opens and closes in the same way as the netting one. This curtain is for privacy and to stop wind and rain from blowing into the gazebo in the first place. Both curtains are hung by hooks and run in separate tracks on one rail inside the perimeter of the gazebo. They’re easy to install and open and close separately.
For added stability, use the ground stakes to hold down the footplates into the ground below the gazebo. However, you only receive eight stakes and there are four holes for them in each foot.
Pros
- Permanent aluminium alloy frame gazebo (3m by 3m) with a hard roof.
- Roof constructed of 7mm polycarbonate panels that let the sunlight filter through, are waterproof and protect the interior from UV rays.
- Corner posts are brown powder coating while the polycarbonate boards are tan coloured.
- The aluminium frame is weatherproof and rustproof.
- All hardware for assembling the gazebo is included as are 8 ground stakes for anchoring the structure.
- Textilene mesh netting side panels zip up to enclose the entire gazebo and keep out bugs.
- Outer curtains, also fully enclosing and with zips, are beige polyester.
- Dimensions: 3m (length); 3m (width); 265cm (entry width); 2.60m (highest point) and 1.9m (entry height).
Cons
- Roof known to leak.
Our recommendation
If you feel more secure with a hardtop gazebo than with a soft canopy, the Outsunny 3 x 3 Meters Patio Aluminium Gazebo is a great choice. The polycarbonate roof keeps out the bad weather while letting some sunlight through. Having both a mosquito net curtain and an opaque one (usable individually or together) gives you comfort options (as well as privacy choices) depending on how windy it is.
The Outsunny 3 x 3 Meters Patio Aluminium Gazebo is our Best Pick for Metal Gazebos in this review. Its weight and anchored foot plates make it heavy enough to stay in place while the two curtain options deal with varying amounts of wind safely.
Other options for this model
Outsunny 4.3 x 3.6m Patio Aluminium Gazebo (hard roof)
Outsunny 3m x 3.6m Patio Metal Gazebo (hard roof)
2. Outsunny 3 x 3m Gazebo With Mesh Sidewall
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The Outsunny 3 x 3 Meter Gazebo Marquee Metal ticks the list of features that make a gazebo a great choice for windy areas. Plus its powder-coated alloy steel frame is decorative as the corner panels each feature a stem of delicate leaves above geometric bars. In contrast to our Best Pick-Metal, it has a soft canopy as its roof.
The gazebo roof is supported by four corner panels. The canopy is made of polyester that’s water-resistant and UV-protected to keep out 90% of UV rays. Your skin will stay unburned and your body will stay cool and dry.
The canopy is vented, that is, it has a vent at the very top that’s covered by a second canopy. This is a huge bonus for ventilation and, should gusts of wind get into the gazebo and up under the roof, it lets them out the top safely. Eight drainage holes in the canopy let water through to stop rain from building up there and, potentially, making the canopy sag.
Adding to your comfort, and to wind resistance, is the layer of see-through mosquito netting that forms the sidewalls. This completely encloses the gazebo –but has zippered entrance ways on each side– and keeps the bugs out without obstructing your view. This lets the wind blow through the gazebo without getting trapped inside.
This Outsunny Gazebo Marquee comes with 8 pegs to anchor the base into the ground, adding extra stability to the structure.
Pros
- Permanent gazebo (3m by 3m) with a powder-coated alloy steel frame and a beige polyester canopy.
- Powder-coated steel is rust-resistant as long as the coating remains.
- The frame has reinforced corners for strength and extra stability.
- Canopy is water-resistant and UV-protected, with holes to drain excess water through.
- Vent on the roof and a second canopy help air circulation and wind release from within.
- Corner panels have open leaf and stem decorations.
- Netting side walls easily attach to the frame with hook-and-loop fastening and have zippered openings on every side.
- Pegs provided to anchor the corner bases to the ground.
- Dimensions: 3m (length); 3m (width); 185cm (entry width); 2.65m (highest point) and 1.9m (entry height).
Cons
- Rusts quickly.
Our recommendation
The Outsunny 3 x 3 Meter Gazebo Marquee Metal has many features that add to its stability in windy conditions – steel frame; double canopy vented top; netting side walls; anchored base; rain vents; and reinforced frame. This is a decorative as well as a stable gazebo.
Looking for a more hexagon-shaped gazebo? – Check out my review of the best hexagonal gazebos in this guide
Permanent Gazebos – Wooden
3. Yardistry Cedar Gazebo with Aluminum Roof
Best Pick – Wooden
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The Yardistry Gazebo with Aluminum Roof (3.6m by 3.6m) provides for windy weather through its weight and solid construction. This square gazebo is made from cedar wood certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council to be from a sustainable source. So you’re doing your bit for the environment as well as having a natural-looking structure in your garden.
The cedar wood of this Yardistry gazebo is pre-treated and comes stained in brown by a water-based product. The manufacturer states that you can also paint it in whatever colour you choose to match your garden décor. Bear in mind that this is a large building and quite visible in your garden landscape, even without being painted a bright colour. The curved pieces that project from the corners soften the geometric look of this gazebo.
The aluminium roof of this gazebo has all the advantages of the metal. Its lightweight, durable and waterproof. It reflects away all the UV-rays that can harm you and the structure. It’s also rustproof so you don’t need to worry about treating it with any appropriate protective covering on a regular basis.
The sheer weight of this wooden gazebo makes it windproof – it won’t blow away, especially with the broad feet on the legs. And you also have the option of using bolts (not provided) to anchor it into the ground. As with any wooden building, it takes some effort and multiple people to put it together. Online reviewers remark that the written instructions and the accompanying YouTube video are useful, so make sure to read and watch.
If the 3.6m by 3.6m gazebo isn’t large enough for you, your family and all your patio furniture, check out the 3.6m by 4.3m version.
Pros
- FSC certified cedar wood square gazebo (3.6m by 3.6m) with arched corner pieces to soften its appearance.
- Wood is pre-treated with a water-based mocha-brown stain and is ready for painting if you wish.
- Posts are 17.75cm square to withstand any weather and have classic feet for extra stability.
- The roof is made of aluminium that’s lightweight, strong and waterproof.
- Written assembly instructions and video are very useful.
- Dimensions:
- (external): 3.6m (length); 3.6m (width) and 3.2m (highest point).
- (internal): 3.4m (length); 3.4m (width) and 3.2m (highest point).
Cons
- No track for installing curtains/side walls.
- Doesn’t come with curtains/side walls.
Our recommendation
The Yardistry Gazebo with Aluminum Roof, Cedar Wood (3.6m by 3.6m) is a great mid-size gazebo for those people who have to live in windy areas. The sheer weight of this wooden gazebo keeps it grounded and the aluminium roof won’t lift off the structure if the wind gets underneath it.
This Yardistry Gazebo is our Best Pick – Wooden Gazebo for Windy Areas. We like its metal roof, its sturdiness and that it comes in two sizes.
4. Dunster House Wooden Garden – Utopia 200
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The Dunster House Wooden Garden Gazebo Utopia 200 provides a smaller wood gazebo for those with limited space in their garden, although it’s also available as the Utopia 300 3m by 3m if you do have more room. The manufacturer states that, in most cases, you don’t need planning permission to put up this gazebo in the UK. That’s great news, but perhaps check out the rules anyway, just in case.
This Utopia gazebo is made of spruce wood that’s been fully pressure treated and stained a rich brown colour. This process makes it low maintenance and less resistant to rot and fungus, and to insects making their homes in it. There’s a 10-year warranty against this happening and you don’t need to apply any treatment during this time. You may, however, want to apply a water repellent treatment before you start using the structure.
The Dunster gazebo is unique among those we review in that it has a tall entranceway. The roof looks like it is perched on tall, spindly legs. This leaves ample room for tall people to enter or you to comfortably move really tall pieces of furniture in. It also helps those who don’t like the closed-in feeling or regular height gazebo roofs.
The roof is made of shingles on a 15mm shiplap. A shiplap is a form of wooden panelling originally used on ships to keep them watertight. Some online reviewers report that this is difficult to install, especially as the instructions to do so were somewhat lacking in detail. However, we do like that the manufacturer is upfront in stating that the assembly time for this gazebo is a couple of days with several people working on it.
Pros
- Small wooden gazebo for those with limited garden space.
- Shingles roof (black) tops a fully pressure-treated wood frame.
- The wooden frame is resistant to rot, fungus and insect damage.
- Planning permission not usually needed in the UK for this size of the gazebo.
- Posts are 7cm by 7cm for strength and have a wider base for stability.
- Taller than usual posts raise the roof to a new height.
- Ten-year warranty for the frame against rot, fungus and insect infestation.
- Dimensions: 2m (length); 2m (width) and 2.4m (height).
Cons
- Poor instructions for installing shingles.
- No track for installing curtains/sidewalls.
- Doesn’t come with curtains/sidewalls.
Our recommendation
The Dunster House Wooden Garden Gazebo Utopia 200, although a smaller wood gazebo, still has the heft to be windproof. The shingles on the roof are attached to a shiplap that holds them securely in place. This gazebo is wind resistant and weatherproof too.
We recommend the Utopia 200 for those who want shade and shelter in small gardens in windy conditions.
Pop-up Gazebos
5. MasterCanopy Heavy Duty Pop-up Gazebo
Best Gazebo – Pop-up
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The MasterCanopy Pop-up Gazebo is designed as an easily assembled temporary structure. Put it up in your garden as needed or even take it on the road with you, perhaps to a craft fair. It comes with everything you need to make this lightweight gazebo as windproof as possible.
All parts of the frame are made of sturdy steel and have reinforced stress points. The canopy is a 600D heavy-duty fabric that’s coated with a PVC treatment. It’s waterproof and has a 50+ UPF rating – that’s the highest protection rating from UV-rays. The vent on the roof of the gazebo allows air to circulate easily and also lets any wind that’s caught under the canopy exit safely. Velcro attaches the canopy to the frame in several places keeping it firmly in place.
The simple assembly system lets you pull on the canopy, extend the roof struts and then extend the four legs that adjust to three heights. And you’re good to go. If you’re on sloped land, you can have the legs at different heights.
For safety, put a weight bag (included) around the base of each leg and fill them with water to hold the gazebo down. Attach the guy ropes and stake them down with the pegs (all included), and your pop-up gazebo is held down in several different ways.
Taking down the gazebo is just as easy and quick. Remove all the stability supports and fold down everything else. You don’t need to take the canopy off, saving you time in bad weather. It all fits handily into the carry bag that comes with your purchase. The bag has wheels so you can pull it along behind you as you return to your car or to your storage shed.
You have a choice of nine colours to mix or match with your garden furniture.
Pros
- The pop-up gazebo comes with a waterproof canopy and everything you need to make it as weatherproof as possible.
- Assembly is very easy with a system that doesn’t require tools.
- The frame is powder-coated, heavy-duty steel for rust resistance and strength.
- The canopy is black in colour (also in seven other colours), has a PVC coating and a 50+ UPF rating for protection from UV rays.
- Comes with four adjustable height leg poles, four weight bags for the legs, four guy ropes and eight° ground stakes.
- Everything folds down and fits into the included travel bag that has wheels for easy transportation.
- Dimensions: 3m (length and width); 2.1m (entry height); and 2.5m (highest point).
Cons
- Stitching on canopy seams sometimes leaks.
Our recommendation
The MasterCanopy Pop-up Gazebo Tent (3m by 3m) delivers everything a pop-up gazebo needs for windy weather in one travel compact bag (with wheels). The canopy is waterproof and has a top resistance to UV rays. One person can assemble it in a few minutes without tools.
This is our Best Pick for Pop-up Gazebo for Windy Weather. We like that it comes with several items to secure it to the ground and that it’s quick to take down if a very strong wind suddenly starts to blow.
6. All Seasons 2.5 x 2.5m Heavy Duty Gazebo
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The All Seasons Gazebos 2.5 x 2.5m Heavy Duty, Fully Waterproof Pop up Gazebo is a premium pop-up structure that comes in a wheeled travel bag that includes everything you need to feel secure in windy conditions in your temporary abode. It’s a premium model as the walls are the same heavy-duty polyester as the roof, ensuring protection from all the weather elements including rain and wind.
This gazebo is like a little house, with transparent windows in two side walls and a structure that Velcros and zips together. The walls, however many you choose to use, zip together and Velcro onto the frame. The wide door in the front wall zips open and rolls up for entry. You can get yourself and some wide equipment easily into this structure. The 24 metal struts in the framework fit together and provide stability. It’s easy to close up the door and shelter behind the walls if a wind storm picks up.
Of course, anchoring down this pop-up gazebo is key to waiting out windy times. The legs and feet are made of metal, and the feet can be staked into the ground. This kit also comes with guy ropes and tent pegs to hold the gazebo earth-bound. Make sure you also use the included leg weights as further security from the wind.
And if you do have to take the gazebo down quickly, this model lets you leave the roof on as you take off the weights etc, fold everything down and pack it all into the travel bag.
Pros
- Square pop-up gazebo constructed from 260g/m2 polyester that comes in a choice of five colours.
- All four side panels and the roof are made from this heavy-duty, waterproof material.
- The frame is of alloy steel that’s powered coated (in matte black) for durability and weather resistance.
- The frame has 24 metal support struts for strength and stability.
- Legs are 3cm by 3cm tubular steel and the feet are also 100% metal.
- The roof attaches to the side walls by Velco fastenings, and the side walls to each other with zips.
- Windows in two side walls let you see out.
- No assembly is required and you can leave the roof on the structure when you pack it away.
- Comes with 8 guy ropes, 4 leg weight bags, 8 tent pegs and wheeled travelling bags
- One-year frame parts warranty included.
- Dimensions: 2.5m (length); 2.5m (width) and adjustable heights.
Cons
- Windows are a little flimsy.
Note: All Seasons sells a less expensive model in this same style and size. The main difference is that the walls are of lighter weight material than the premium model. The roof, however, remains in the same heavyweight material. You also have a choice of eight colours (not five) with the less expensive model.
Our recommendation
The All Seasons Gazebos 2.5 x 2.5m Heavy Duty, Fully Waterproof Pop up Gazebo is for you if you want a fully enclosed temporary gazebo. You’re not in the dark as two side walls have windows. This gazebo is easy to assemble and take down – you don’t need to take off the roof – and fits into the wheeled travel bag, along with all the included wind security features.
We recommend the All Seasons Gazebos 2.5 x 2.5m Heavy Duty, Fully Waterproof Pop up Gazebo if you want to stay snug and securely out of the wind.
Buyer’s Guide
This Buyer’s Guide focuses on what you need to look out for when buying gazebos for windy areas or conditions. Please see our Best Gazebos review for general advice on buying these garden items.
Having sent you elsewhere for general gazebo info, we start by repeating the best piece of advice from there – size.
Size
Be very sure how much space you have in your garden for this, usually large, structure. And also be clear how much space you’re getting inside the gazebo, especially if you already have furniture to fit into there. Most of the measurements given are external/outside measurements. Depending on the style of the gazebo frame, the inside dimensions may be quite a bit smaller.
Frame material
Wood is a much heavier material for gazebo frames than metal. And with metal, iron is heavier than steel, steel is heavier than aluminium. Wood gazebos are generally heavy enough to be stable on their own. Metal ones, however, need extra help to remain stable in windy conditions.
Roof material and design.
Gazebos generally have either soft or hard canopies/roofs. Soft canopies are made of durable fabric, usually polyester, and are generally coated to make them resistant or completely protected from rain and UV rays.
Hard roofs may be of polycarbonate material which is a plastic board. This is usually semi-transparent and also with a UV-protective coating. It’s also waterproof and may be tinted. Hard roofs may also be made of metal or, as in one of the gazebos in our review, of wood panelling and shingles.
Soft roofs may billow with wind gusts beneath them and have been known to take off across the garden. Hard roofs are generally more fastened down and can withstand more wind pressure.
Gazebo roofs may have a vent that helps to circulate air and let any wind that gusts into the gazebo out safely. Most vents are covered with a second, much smaller, canopy to stop rain from getting in.
Curtains
Curtains that totally enclose the gazebo protect you from windy conditions. There are usually four curtains that drawback to each corner of the structure and draw together completely enclosing the gazebo. They fit together with zips in the middle of each side.
Mesh netting keeps bugs out while letting you still see out. These let any wind flow through the gazebo without harming anything. Opaque curtains, again usually polyester, are for privacy and stop the wind from getting in at all.
You can use these two types of curtains individually or together.
Securing features
Make sure to incorporate as many of these features as possible when putting up your gazebo – whether it’s a pop-up gazebo or a metal permanent one. The best ones come with some or all of these options, and we give you our recommendations in the Best Gazebo Leg Weights For Stabilising Your Gazebo review.
Leg weights
One kind of leg weights are bags that fit around the legs of the structure which you then fill with water or sand. They add weight to the frame which makes it more difficult to fly away. These are convenient if you transport your gazebo as you empty them out before packing everything away.
Some metal weights are designed to fit around gazebo legs to keep them on the ground. Alternatively, place sandbags on the gazebo feet to add as much weight as the number of sandbags in the pile.
We’ve also seen buckets of set cement or sand used as weights.
Pegs and ropes
Many pop-up gazebos come with guy ropes and pegs or stakes to pound into the ground. Attach the ropes to the corners of the gazebo and pull each one out at 90° to the other. Stretch them tight and then put the stake into the ground at the end of the rope. You can’t have too many guy ropes.
Anchoring kits
The feet of many gazebos are flared and have holes through which to put stakes (for grass) or bolts (for concrete) to fully anchor down the structure. It takes quite a bit of wind to pull up any stake or bolt that has been corkscrewed down into the ground. Don’t be stingy with the number of stakes or bolts that you use on each corner.
Final Conclusion
Just because you live in a windy area doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the shade and shelter of a gazebo. We present the best gazebos, pop-up and permanent, that have the features that blustery conditions require. Bear in mind, though, that we expect you to use all the wind-friendly extras (such as guy ropes and weight bags) that come with these gazebos and to add more of the ones we highlight in our Buyer’s Guide. Enjoy your time outside even when the leaves on the trees are blowing fiercely.
Our Best Pick – Metal Gazebo for Windy Areas is the Outsunny 3 x 3 Meters Patio Aluminium Gazebo. This hard top gazebo (polycarbonate roof) comes with two sets of curtains, mesh and opaque polyester, to protect you and your guests from the wind (and bugs).
Our Best Pick –Wooden Gazebo for Windy Areas is the Yardistry Gazebo with Aluminum Roof, Cedar Wood. This large (3.6m by 3.6m) gazebo is very solid and is unlikely to move in most windstorms you experience.
Our Best Pick – Pop-up Gazebo for Windy Areas is the MasterCanopy Pop-up Gazebo. We’ve been using this for one year now in our own garden and are impressed with its stability in windy conditions as well as its quality features.
Just a reminder that we’ve reviewed the Best Gazebo Leg Weights For Stabilising Your Gazebo. We’ve also reviewed other speciality gazebos. Check out our Best Gazebos for Hot Tubs no Matter what the Weather Brings and Best BBQ Gazebos reviews.
Last update on 2024-04-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
