I have had two 9' umbrellas set up with tables and stands. One, for over a year and the other for several months. The one, somewhat protected by trees all summer and fall while being pelted by sticks, pine cones and nasty spike balls has never been taken down while the other one on my porch has been up over a year. I've only closed it twice, when Nor'easter gusts push 55mph, just to not push my luck. To handle wind, the top has to be cranked tight! A heavy or staked base is necessary to hold down the umbrella while gusts sometimes try to lift it straight up. The problem that I had with each of them was that the Allen wrench hinge bolt wiggled out of both umbrellas. It was a cinch to fix though. It's a good bolt and snugs down tight! All colors quickly fade, so I choose tan which quickly turns beige. These are tough, fabric and all !