Very few gardens have power near the seating. The usual answers are candles that go out in the wind, or an extension lead running out of a window and across the paving for somebody to catch a foot on.

A solar panel on the arm charges all day and drives 32 beads down the ribs plus a brighter light at the hub, for about 6 to 8 hours on a full charge. One button on the post turns them on. Nothing is wired and the light points straight down at the table.

Where the beads run

In the top down view the LED strips are easy to follow: one along each rib, running out to the corners of the square. The small dark rectangle at the crown is the solar panel. Everything else in the picture is structure, and it all stands to one side.

A hundred square feet of cover

Over a rectangular table the canopy reaches past the end chairs, which is the point of square corners. Ten feet by ten feet is the size guides pair with a six to eight seat table. Underneath, the rim sits 7 feet up and the crown 8.6 feet, so nobody ducks at the edge.

Two ways to move the shade

The stepped ghost canopies are the six tilt positions, locked by a push button. The insets at the bottom show the foot pedal that lets the whole canopy swing around the post. Between them there is very little of the afternoon they cannot cover.

Two layers at the crown

The top is built as a smaller square raised over an opening in the main canopy. That opening is the vent: air pushing up from beneath escapes through it instead of lifting a hundred square feet of fabric. It is what keeps a big canopy calm on a gusty evening.

A hundred square feet with real corners, which is what puts shade on the end seats of a rectangular table.

The rim clears 7 ft and the crown 8.6 ft, so walking in under the edge does not involve ducking.

Beads follow the ribs with a brighter light at the hub, rated at roughly 6 to 8 hours from a full charge.

Press the button, lean the canopy, release. It holds at the setting you chose instead of easing back.

Step on the pedal and turn the canopy a full circle around the post. The filled base stays exactly where it is.

Four fillable plates sit on a 40 inch cross frame, with a stated capacity of up to 220 lb between them.

Eight ribs spread the canopy from the hub out to the corners, which is what keeps a big square cover taut.

The gap between the two layers lets a gust climb out of the canopy rather than lifting the whole of it.

Ships from our United States warehouse. Delivery to Canada usually takes 8 to 14 business days, with no customs charges or duties to pay on arrival. Free shipping on orders over $150, a flat $18.90 below that, and tracking by email as soon as it leaves.

Return within 14 days of purchase, unused, in original condition and packaging.

Covered directly by the manufacturer under their warranty terms for material and manufacturing defects.

Found it cheaper at a Canadian retailer? Send us the link and we will match that price. It has to be the same item, in stock, sold and shipped inside Canada, and compared like for like on what comes in the box.

Square corners cover the end chairs, which is exactly where a round canopy of the same width gives up.

The base plates and the lighting are part of the product rather than two more things to order afterwards.

Thirty two beads and a centre light give roughly 6 to 8 hours off a day's charge, with nothing plugged in.

What we stand behind

• The 32 bead count, the centre light and the 6 to 8 hour runtime are the manufacturer's own published figures.
• Canopy size, clearance and base dimensions were read off this product's dimension drawing.
• Ships from our United States warehouse, free shipping over $150, and 14 day returns unused in the original packaging.
• 14 day returns, unused and in the original packaging.

How long do the lights stay on?

Roughly 6 to 8 hours after a full day of charging, which is the manufacturer's figure. Thirty two beads run along the ribs and a brighter light sits at the hub, all controlled by one button on the post. A dull stretch of weather gives you a shorter evening.

What does it shade, and how high is it?

Ten feet by ten feet, a hundred square feet with square corners, which covers a six to eight seat rectangular table or a corner sofa. The rim is 7 feet off the ground and the crown 8.6 feet, the most generous clearance in this range.

What holds it down?

A 40 inch square cross frame with four plates that sit around the post, five inches thick, with a stated filling capacity of up to 220 lb. Fill them on site rather than trying to move them loaded. That is a lot of ballast next to a centre-pole umbrella of the same width, and it is what a cantilever needs, because the canopy hangs entirely to one side of the post.

What should I do with it over winter?

Crank it closed, let the canopy dry right through and store it somewhere dry with the post wiped down. Canadian umbrella care guides keep returning to the same two failures: snow load on an open canopy, and fabric folded away while it is still damp.