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Best pop-up gazebos
Matt has been putting products through the mill for more than a decade, from complex heating systems, to his true passion, bikes and bike accessories
We've tested pop-up gazebos from Argos, Amazon, The Range, Vonhaus and more, ranging in price from £35 to well over £200, including some gazebos with sides.
Over the past few years we've pitched them for a few days in winds that, at times, gusted above 30mph. Far too many of the gazebos we tested couldn't stand even a puff of light wind without releasing themselves from their pegs' grip and rolling across the field.
However, there's one pop-up gazebo we've tested that's streets ahead of the competition for durability and quality, and it gets our top recommendation.
How our tests find you the best
Wind resistance
Don’t be left chasing your gazebo down the road. Some handle a breeze with ease, while others take flight at the first gust.
Rain resistance
It's the UK - it's almost certainly going to rain. We test if the roof repels water and keeps you dry or if it turns into a leaky puddle collector.
Build quality
Flimsy poles and thin fabric won’t cut it. Check our build quality test scores so you don’t end up with a wobbly, weather-worn mess.
We also test...
How long each gazebo takes to pop up, adjust, and pack down.
The best pop-up gazebos
Only logged-in Which? members can view the pop-up gazebo test results below.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
| Gazebo | Price | Score | Ease of pitching/collapsing | Durability in light wind | Durability in strong gusts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations Unlock tableDigital Access for £8.99 a month, cancel at any time. Already a member? Log in | 94% | ||||
| 83% | |||||
| 82% | |||||
| 82% | |||||
| 78% | |||||
| 69% | |||||
| 66% | |||||
| 61% | |||||
| 61% | |||||
| 60% | |||||
| 43% | |||||
| 40% | |||||
| 28% |
Sign up to reveal
Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations
Unlock tableDigital Access for £8.99 a month, cancel at any time.
Already a member? Log in
Date tested: March 2024, March 2023 and March 2022. Page last checked: April 2025. Durability in light wind was tested in gusts up to 15mph. Durability in strong gusts was tested in gusts of more than 30mph, which exceeds the stated competence of every gazebo we tested. We're not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.
The pop-up gazebos we tested
All the pop-up gazebos we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best gazebos from our tests.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendation below.
All Seasons Gazebo
Most recently tested March 2023
Dimensions 3 x 3 metres
Colour options Beige, grey, white
Gazebo with sides No
Guy ropes Yes
Argos Home 3m x 3m Garden Gazebo
Most recently tested March 2024
Dimensions 3 x 3 metres
Colour options Green
Gazebo with sides No
Guy ropes Yes
Argos Home Weather Resistant Garden Gazebo
Available from Argos (£200)
Most recently tested March 2024
Dimensions 3 x 3 metres
Colour options Blue
Gazebo with sides Yes
Guy ropes Yes
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Dawsons Living Waterproof Premium Garden Event Shelter
Most recently tested March 2024
Dimensions 3 x 3 metres
Colour options Beige, grey
Gazebo with sides No
Guy ropes Yes
Gorilla Gazebo
Most recently tested March 2024
Dimensions 3 x 3 metres
Colour options Black, white, blue, grey, green, red, cream, brown
Gazebo with sides Yes
Guy ropes Yes
Master Canopy Durable Pop-up Gazebo
Most recently tested March 2022
Dimensions 3 x 3 metres
Colour options Grey, black, navy blue, blue, sky blue, beige, white, green, red
Gazebo with sides Yes, it has one side wall
Guy ropes Yes
Outsunny Pop-up Gazebo
Most recently tested March 2024
Dimensions 3 x 3 metres
Colour options Grey, cream
Gazebo with sides Yes
Guy ropes Yes
Outsunny Pop-up Gazebo Party Tent
Most recently tested March 2024
Dimensions 3 x 3 metres
Colour options Black, white, brown, blue, black
Gazebo with sides Yes
Guy ropes Yes
Sanheng Pop-up Gazebo
Most recently tested March 2022
Dimensions 3 x 3 metres
Colour options Grey, blue, green, white
Gazebo with sides Yes
Guy ropes Yes
Outsunny 2.7m x 2.7m Garden Gazebo
Most recently tested March 2023
Dimensions 3 x 3 metres
Colour options White, blue, green
Gazebo with sides No
Guy ropes Yes
Trail Outdoor Dome Shelter with Sides
Available from Trail Outdoor Leisure (£149.99)
Most recently tested March 2023
Dimensions 3.5 x 3.5 metres
Colour options Grey
Gazebo with sides Yes
Guy ropes Yes
Vonhaus Slate Grey Pop-up Gazebo Set
Most recently tested March 2022
Dimensions 3 x 3 metres
Colour options Grey
Gazebo with sides Yes
Guy ropes Yes
Vounot Pop-up Gazebo
Most recently tested March 2023
Dimensions 3 x 3 metres
Colour options White, green
Gazebo with sides No
Guy ropes Yes
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Which? Don't Buy pop-up gazebos
Our tests uncover the best and the worst. If a product performs so poorly that we think you should avoid it, we call it a Don't Buy.
We've tested three pop-up gazebos that we've named Don't Buys. These gazebos were harder to put up than the best in our test - and we shouldn't have bothered anyway, because they were quickly taken down by the wind.
To find out which they are, and which pop-up gazebos earned our Best Buy and Great Value recommendations, log in or join Which?.
How we test pop-up gazebos
As well as being a doddle to put up and take down, a good gazebo should be able to handle a bit of wind and rain. Manufacturers recommend that gazebos should be taken down in anything more than light wind, but we know most people don't do this.
We pitch our pop-up gazebos for a week to put them through their paces. Over the years we've tested, we've consistently seen wind gusts around 30mph.
We regularly revisit the gazebos on sale to see if there are any more popular ones and test them.
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Wind resistance
Nearly all the pop-up gazebos we have bought came with a warning: 'Don't use in high winds'. Over our years testing gazebos we've seen which will topple in a light breeze and which can stand up to wind speeds of more than 30mph.
Rain resistance
Poor gazebos can get saturated roofs that will eventually sag and leave pooled water on top. During our testing week it regularly rains heavily. We rate each pop-up gazebo on how well they stand up to the elements.
Build quality
Each pop-up gazebo is rated for build quality. There's a noticeable difference between the strength and quality of the fabric of different gazebos, as well as the robustness of the poles that make up the frame.
Ease of use
We time how long it takes to put up and take down each gazebo. We also rate each one for how easy it is to adjust the height and tighten the fabric roof.
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How to put up a gazebo (and keep it up)
- Grab a friend. Although you can certainly put a gazebo up on your own, it's easier and quicker with two people.
- Before the gazebo frame is fully extended, put the fabric cover on. If you extend the frame before putting the cover on, you'll find it very difficult to stretch the fabric over the frame. Put the fabric over the frame first, and you'll open the frame and find a nice, taut fabric cover on top.
- If working on your own, the action of unfolding a pop-up gazebo is a bit tricky, you'll need to work your way around each corner of the gazebo, teasing the structure out until it's fully extended. If you're working in a pair, you can simply grab two corners each and pull apart.
- If it's even a little bit windy, you need to use the provided pegs to secure each corner to the ground. Better still, attach a guy rope to each corner too and peg down firmly at a 45-degree angle.
- Buy better pegs. Most gazebos we tested come with cheap pegs that bend easily and don't do a good job of securing a gazebo on a windy day. A set of power pegs will secure it much more robustly than the pegs provided. We use this £12.95 set from Amazon to secure the gazebos we review overnight at our testing field, so that they wouldn't blow away and scare livestock when we weren't around to chase after them.
Is a pop-up gazebo worth it?
Yes. Our testing has shown you can get a decent garden gazebo for less than £100, if you pick carefully to take on your next camping trip, or provide shade and shelter in a back garden for your next at home get together.
Can you leave a pop-up gazebo up overnight?
Yes, but it would be wise to check the weather forecast first. You should only leave one up overnight if you're confident that winds won't gust over 15mph and you've pegged it down, or weighted the legs down properly.
Our testing has shown that in even light winds, some gazebos are prone to flipping over and the frame breaking.
Can you use a pop-up gazebo in the rain?
Yes. The covers of all those we've tested are rainproof. However, some provide better protection from the elements than others.
The best covers go on tightly and don't noisily flap throughout the day. The worst have ill-fitting covers that allow water to pool in puddles on the roof, and they're really noisy in the wind, too.