Product Review: Home South Bali Gazebo

Gazebos are a great way to create an outdoor living space that is protected the sun, the rain, and the bugs. My family recently purchased the Home South Bali Gazebo because we wanted to be able to be outside at night without getting bit up by the mosquitoes. The gazebo is 126 inches tall, 120 inches wide, and 120 inches deep. It is roomy enough to fit the family of five comfortably inside with chairs and tables. The canopy is made of weather resistant polyester and does a good job of keeping the rain out. We have never had a leak. The walls are mesh so if it is raining hard and blowing sideways the water will come through the walls. The metal frame is charcoal colored. There are metal anchor stakes included to support the gazebo.

We purchased this product for $250 from Target but I do not think it was worth the money. The frame is not very sturdy at all. When we first set it up, it was very wobbly. The problem was very bad especially where the top meets the legs. I was worried about what would happen when the wind started to blow. We bolted the bottom of the legs onto the deck but there is nothing to keep the top from blowing off in the wind.

After being outside full time for about a month, the legs became very wiggly because the wind had managed to strip the bolts from them rubbing against the poles so much. There is now no way to tighten them back up. I was able to wrap the joints very tightly with duct tape and that has seemed to help for the time being.

Another major problem I have is that the water pools up on the canopy when it rains and causes I to droop. The only ways to get the water off are to poke it from the inside (but I am not tall enough) or to pull the lower edge taught and get soaked. I am afraid to know what would happen to the canopy if there was a long rainstorm and all of the water was simply allowed to collect.

Overall, this is a nice looking canopy that may do well in a dry, wind-free climate but for people who live in New York it is not ideal. If you like having projects to work on to continually reinforce your gazebo, this is the product for you.