I purchased this umbrella almost 2 years ago now. I have taken it to many a soccer and baseball game, and have it in the car at all times now even when we are just going fishing or even to someone's house for a BBQ. It is that handy. It has worked to cover our coach of our team when it was raining (not raining heavily, but heavy enough to be getting the coach wet and the playbook wet...this joe shade stopped that) the coached loved it...since it can be expanded up for the standing position, he just kept under it when he could with the book and then ran out when the kids were back to batting and he was needed by the pen. We also belong to a pool club and they just recently added big umbrellas over some of the chairs...if you don't get one of those chairs though, you are SCREWED and are baking in the hot sun the entire time by the pool, which really is annoying. This gem has been our lifesaver. I take it with us EVERYTIME we go to the pool.... I never leave it at home. My husband and I never have to worry about beating someone out for a chair with shade anymore. And putting it in between two chairs keeps it pretty sturdy and it hasn't fallen over on us yet even with it just sitting on top of cement. Love that you can position it as the sun moves, plus it's easily movable. The ones at the pool club are on heavy stands that are hard to move around. This joe shade is absolutely awesome. Big enough to cover at least 2 people. Sometimes if my son shares a lounger with me, it covers all three of us at the pool. Everyone asks us where we got it every time we have it out. Be prepared to have people scoot up to you to try and "share your shade" when they see you came prepared and they didn't. After two years, my umbrella has a small tear in it and the bag strap did come off (I just used a safety pin to put it back on)...but the tear isn't big enough to interfere with the umbrella's purpose (yet). I plan on getting another of these when this one goes because I feel like we are getting our money's worth. Would I love it if it lasted 20 years? Of course...but the way things are made nowadays I don't have any false expectations. This thing has taken a beating over the time period I've had it. Thrown in the SUV with all kinds of sporting gear on top, etc and it's still going. I never leave home without it during the spring, summer or fall....now the winter, I don't really use it :)