A shady spot is key to enjoying the outdoors in the summertime. And there's no easier way to add shade to your yard, deck, or pool than a patio umbrella. With tons of choices on the market in a range of sizes, styles, and materials, we narrowed down a field of 28 umbrellas to our top five picks.

If you love an outdoor space like HGTV's Christina Hall, consider the five PEOPLE Tested winners to add some shade to your summer spot. We put all the umbrellas through their paces on a sunny day with a high of 91 degrees and detailed our findings, since not all outdoor spaces are created equal. You'll have to consider your own space, the number of people who will gather under the umbrella, and your personal style in making a selection.

The EliteShade Sunbrealla 9-foot 3-Tier Market Umbrella was our top pick overall, suitable for many different spaces and uses. That umbrella, plus four more, were named the best that PEOPLE Tested.

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Pros: Set-up, opening, and closing are all super-easy, and you can adjust the tilt of the umbrella one-handed. This umbrella provided great protection from both the hot sun and from water in our rain test. 

Cons: It's hard to knock this umbrella in any way, but it does come with a price tag that reflects its high quality, so be prepared to spend on this one. 

"Some assembly required" is hardly music to our ears on a hot summer day. So we were pleasantly surprised at just how quickly (37 seconds, to be exact) and easily we were able to set up the EliteShade Sunbrella model. To open, you simply place the umbrella in the base, untie the knot, and rotate the crank. The umbrella opened very easily, and the crank was quite smooth to operate. 

Tilting and closing were equally simple. All it took to tilt was the push of a button, and the same goes for returning the canopy back to its original, un-tilted position. To close, you just unwind the crank with one hand. It's truly that easy. 

We could cover a table and five chairs in the shade of this umbrella with ease, and the one-handed tilt made it simple to keep our seating in the shade as the sun changed positions overhead. In our rain test, no water came through the umbrella at all. "That was impressive," noted our tester. The inside of the canopy did not feel wet, and the water on the outside also dried very quickly. In less than 10 minutes the umbrella was fully dry and no water spots were noticed on the fabric.

The umbrella fabric is thick and waterproof, and we found no stitching issues. In our artificial bird poop test, the stain scrubbed off easily, so this model scored a perfect 5/5 for durability. 

We found the price to reflect the top quality of this patio umbrella, resulting in a good value. For reference, our tester has a deck with a table and six chairs and said the EliteShade Sunbrella "will perfectly take care" of that seating area. 

Pros: Our pick for a budget umbrella has an easy set-up and comes in eight colors and patterns, so there's likely one to fit any patio style.

Cons: There are no special features like wind vents or lights, but that's to be expected at this price point. The tilt feature can also be a bit heavy to maneuver.  

It only took 32 seconds for our tester to set up this patio umbrella. "There's a nice clicking sound as it opens, which slows and stops when it's at maximum spread," she added. The Mainstays 9' umbrella provided good shade, though the fabric is slightly sheer—you can see the position of the sun by looking through it. Still, our tester could easily view her laptop screen while underneath the umbrella, without having to adjust her screen brightness. 

Our budget winner is a little smaller than our overall winner. It could likely provide shade for the recommended 4-6 people, but we think they'd have to be gathered closely at a single table for good coverage. The umbrella tilts two ways by pinching a clasp, which can be heavy to maneuver, but it's not especially difficult to do so. In our rain test, the water beaded up and rolled right off the fabric, and the umbrella remained dry to the touch on the underside.

The polyester fabric felt durable, but the canopy was not described as weather-resistant, and does not have explicit UV protection. The steel rods and poles felt and appeared to be sturdy, and the canopy was stretched tightly over them. Our faux bird poop stains came right off when sprayed with a cleaning solution, with no soaking or scrubbing necessary. We just wiped it to dry. For times when the umbrella is not in use, it comes with a matching sheath that easily fit over the closed umbrella. 

If you're looking to dine al fresco or have a permanent shady spot in your outdoor space—all without breaking the bank—our budget winner checks all the boxes. 

Pros: This high-quality umbrella provided incredible shade and the materials were top quality.

Cons: Assembly was a bit tricky and time-consuming, plus it's pretty pricey. 

Perhaps the shadiest of all the umbrellas we tested, the Hampton Bay umbrella provided "complete shade," noted our tester. "Sunglasses don't feel needed and I can easily use electronics." The fabric and hardware quality was top notch, and the solar powered lights were a fun feature. 

The base is rather large and it takes up a good amount of space while in use, but when closed, it would easily store in a small space. The umbrella is able to rotate 360 degrees, so shade is available in a large radius. In our testing, water rolled right off the canopy and dried almost instantly. 

We believe this model would withstand frequent use over multiple seasons so it earned a top score in durability from our tester. Cleaning was very easy and did not impact the material or the color whatsoever. 

While we ultimately loved this umbrella, it did not make a good first impression. Assembly was not intuitive and fairly difficult, taking our tester 40 minutes to compete. The instructions, however, were clear, and the manufacturer-provided video aided in set up. Opening the umbrella was a little tricky at first, but once figured out, it's easy to operate. 

If you've got the budget to splurge, and the patience for a set-up that takes longer than 30 or 40 seconds, this is a nice option for your outdoor space. 

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Pros: We loved the waterproof fabric, complete shade, and the canopy's air vent to prevent excessive movement with the wind. 

Cons: The main knock for us with this model is its value—the price feels rather high for what you get (though we'd likely still buy it on sale). 

This stylish umbrella was extremely easy to assemble—in just 33 seconds, to be exact. Opening and closing the canopy was also easy, and very intuitive. ​​The framing is super sturdy with the added bonus of an air vent which keeps the canopy from moving too much in the wind. 

The Safavieh Milan was as useful in our testing as it is good-looking. It provides complete shade, and the size of the shaded area is large for the size of the umbrella, plus it can tilt to follow the sun. Once broken down, it takes up very little room and could easily be stored in a small area. 

The waterproof fabric allowed rain to bead and roll right off the canopy, which also didn't absorb any water. As for durability, the materials seemed a little more budget-friendly on this particular umbrella. It showed very little fading in color and was easy to clean.

Pros: It's a great deal and an excellent value when you compare the quality to the low price point.

Cons: You have to purchase the base separately, so that's an added cost.

Assembling this three-part umbrella took just one minute, including the solar-powered LED light on top. Opening and closing the umbrella was simple, and the handle is labeled for reference. 

The Best Choice model provided a great amount of shade, and very little light filtered through the fabric. Our tester noted how "comfortable" this umbrella was to sit under. It provides an ample amount of shade for the size, which is nice, but it is on the larger side so if you don't have a lot of storage space, this particular umbrella wouldn't be ideal.

Water beaded and ran off of the umbrella nicely. Tilting the umbrella was easy enough, but you tilt it from quite high up, so this model might not be the best option for shorter people. It's a very sturdy product overall, with an aluminum base, and we imagine the polyester canopy would hold up for several seasons. 

With the added feature of the built-in lights, our tester expected a higher price tag. Buying the base separately is, of course, an added cost, but the umbrella itself, noted our tester, "seems like a great deal." 

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As with all products that we test, we encourage readers to consider how much use they'll get out of the product when comparing price points. 

Every outdoor space is different, so consider your table and seating configuration when choosing a patio umbrella. Also note how compact (or not) each model becomes for storage. 

Some of our winners feature built-in, solar-powered lights. Evaluate the lighting in your outdoor space at night when deciding whether a lighted umbrella is for you. 

Take note of whether a base is included or not with the purchase of each umbrella. 

For many buyers, the look of a patio umbrella is just as important as its shading ability and rain protection. Take note of the different color options for each one.

Our testers tried out a total of 28 patio umbrellas. As with all of our products, testers are not aware of the price until after all tests are completed. Once they know the price, they are able to rate the value, which is factored into scoring. The other factors for the patio umbrellas were: design, effectiveness, size, protection, and durability. We tested the effectiveness of each umbrella by setting it up outside on a sunny day, and sitting down underneath it to work on our electronics. We also tested the umbrellas' performance in rain by wringing out a wet dish towel over the canopy multiple times while a tester sat underneath it to observe how the water interacted with the fabric and, later, how it dried. Finally, we rounded out our testing by smearing a blob of artificial bird poo on the canopy (yes, really), allowing it to dry, and then evaluating the ease of cleaning. 

We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs.

But we don't stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we've awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square.

In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.

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