The Best Gazebos to Enjoy the Outdoors in Style

Our top pick is the Better Homes & Gardens Gilded Grove Gazebo

Theresa Holland The Spruce By
Theresa Holland
Theresa Holland The Spruce
Theresa Holland
Theresa Holland is a freelance writer specializing in home improvement, cleaning, and bedding. She shares her favorite life hacks on her blog The Taboo Textbook.
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Updated on 07/05/22

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Best Gazebos

The Spruce / Chloe Jeong

A gazebo is a freestanding structure that provides shade, shelter, and style to your outdoor space. We spent hours researching residential gazebos to find the best ones on the market, evaluating ease of installation, quality, design, and overall value.

Here are the best gazebos. 

Our Top Picks
Best Budget:
Better Homes & Gardens Gilded Grove Gazebo at Walmart
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Best Hard-Top:
Palram Martinique Gazebo at Home Depot
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Best Fabric-Top:
Outsunny Aluminum Gazebo at Wayfair
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Best Screened:
Hampton Bay Holden Gazebo at Home Depot
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Best Pop-Up:
Symple Stuff Hartin Pop-Up Canopy at Wayfair
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Best Grill:
Sol 72 Outdoor Bayamo Grill Gazebo at Wayfair
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In This Article

Best Budget

Better Homes & Gardens 12' x 12' Gilded Grove Gazebo

4.3
Better Homes & Gardens 12' x 12' Gilded Grove Gazebo

Courtesy of Walmart
View On Walmart

This budget-friendly option from Better Homes & Gardens has a heavy-duty steel frame and a  weather-resistant polyester canopy top. Its double-roof design allows for plenty of light and fresh air into the structure. And those who are planning to bring it with them to their next tailgate will be pleased to know it weighs just 50 pounds and comes with a carrying bag.

Price at time of publish: $294

Best Hard-Top

Palram Martinique Aluminum Frame Rectangle Gazebo

Martinique Gazebo

Courtesy of The Home Depot
View On Home Depot

The Palram Martinique is a rectangular gazebo with a sturdy aluminum frame and a hard-top roof with a powder-coated finish. It's designed to offer year-round protection from rain, hail, snow, and blazing-hot sun.

This structure is available in three sizes: 10 x 12 feet, 10 x 14 feet, and 12 x 16 feet. It comes in a ready-to-assemble kit with pre-cut and pre-drilled pieces and can be set up with two people.

Price at time of publish: $2,019

Best Fabric-Top

Outsunny Aluminum Patio Gazebo

Aluminum Gazebo

Courtesy of Wayfair
View On Wayfair View On Walmart

If you're looking for a fabric-top design, you can't go wrong with this gazebo from Outsunny. This tent-style structure has a powder-coated aluminum frame and a polyester canopy over the roof. It also has curtains on each wall, allowing you to adjust the level of lighting, privacy, and weather protection.

Price at time of publish: $460

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Best Screened

Hampton Bay Holden Hard Top Galvanized Steel Gazebo

Holden Outdoor Patio Black Hard Top Galvanized Steel Gazebo

Courtesy of Home Depot
View On Home Depot

The Hampton Bay Holden Gazebo boasts an ultra-durable galvanized steel construction and an all-weather roof with an air vent at the top. It comes with zippered insect netting on all sides, which you can be opened and closed as needed. This structure measures 10 x 10 feet and comes with all the parts and hardware needed to assemble it.

Price at time of publish: $1,299

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Best Pop-Up

Symple Stuff Hartin Steel Pop-Up Canopy

Hartin Pop-Up Canopy

Courtesy of Wayfair
View On Wayfair

Looking for a pop-up gazebo? Check out the Symple Stuff Hartin Canopy. This portable, collapsible structure has a lightweight steel frame, a polyester roof, and mesh walls for full visibility and insect protection. It weighs just 29 pounds and comes with a storage bag, making it ideal for on-the-go use.

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Best Grill

Sol 72 Outdoor Bayamo Steel Grill Gazebo

Bayamo Grill Gazebo

Courtesy of Wayfair
View On Wayfair

Need a dry, shaded place for your barbecue grill? The Sol 72 Bayamo Gazebo is an excellent solution. This ready-to-assemble structure has a rust-resistant, powder-coated steel frame and a canopy-style roof designed to ventilate smoke. We also like that it comes with handy built-in shelves and hooks for all your grilling utensils.

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Final Verdict

Our budget-friendly pick is the Better Homes & Gardens Gilded Grove Gazebo (view at Walmart). It has a heavy-duty steel frame, weather-resistant polyester canopy top, and is also portable. If you're looking for a hard-top gazebo with a screen, your best bet is the Hampton Bay Holden Hard Top Gazebo (view at Home Depot), which has built-in zippered insect netting that easily opens and closes.

What to Look for When Buying a Gazebo

Type

When purchasing a gazebo, you'll have a few different materials to choose from: wood structures, which are often made of weatherproof cedar with aluminum roofs, along with metal structures and steel or polyester canopy roofs.

Then you've got gazebos with drapery or insect netting or added privacy and protection from the elements. You can also find pop-up structures that are easy to set up and conveniently portable. If you're looking for something to use year-round, make sure to select one with weatherproof materials that can withstand snow and rain.

Shape

Gazebos are traditionally round, hexagonal, or octagonal. But most of the kits you can buy and set up at your home are square or rectangular. The choice of shape is mostly a matter of preference, but rectangular structures are often bigger and better suited for entertaining or dinner parties.

Size

Particularly if you have a smaller property, size is definitely something to consider. You'll want to make sure you have plenty of space to set up your gazebo, so it won't obstruct (or be obstructed by) anything else in your yard. Also think about what you're going to use it for: Will you be using it mostly for entertaining, hoping to place a picnic table, grill, or even an entire outdoor living room underneath? Or are you just hoping to have an enclosure for your hot tub or smaller seating area? Be sure to measure carefully and select one that can accommodate all of your needs.

FAQ
  • Do you need a building permit for a gazebo?

    Laws vary from state to state, but in most cases, gazebos aren't considered a building since they don't have actual walls. For this reason, you probably don't need a building permit. That being said, it's always a good idea to check with your local building department to make sure you're in the clear.

  • Where should you place a gazebo?

    Gazebos can be placed almost anywhere outdoors, as long as it's on a flat surface. This includes lawns, patios, large decks, and gardens. However, certain styles of gazebos might be better suited for specific areas; for example, canopy-style gazebos are generally designed to be used on a deck or patio, while grill gazebos should be placed wherever your grill is (no surprise there).

  • Do gazebos hold up to wind?

    Most gazebos are designed to resist not only wind but rain, snow, and other inclement weather. They can also help block the wind when you're underneath. However, if you're concerned about your structure flying away or topping over in heavy wind conditions, you might want to anchor it down for good measure.

  • Are gazebos waterproof?

    Many gazebos are waterproof and can hold up in rainy and even snowy weather. They're typically made of all-weather materials, like steel, powder-coated aluminum, cedarwood, and resilient polyester. If you're concerned about potential water damage, be sure to read through the product description and warranty information carefully.

  • Can you use a fire pit under a gazebo?

    In short, yes, but you must follow your local fire safety laws and guidelines and make sure you're buying an appropriate fire pit for your area. Once you've done this, then you can consider your gazebo. Your gazebo must be well ventilated, made of materials that won't catch fire from loose embers, and be at least 10 feet high to avoid incurring heat damage and stains on the roof. It's not recommended to have fire pits in screened or enclosed gazebos that do not have proper ventilation to filter out the smoke and fumes.

Why Trust The Spruce?

This roundup was written by Theresa Holland, an experienced commerce writer specializing in home improvement and outdoor spaces. She is seasoned in the world of patio furniture, exterior home accents, and weatherproof materials. You can find more of her work on MyDomaine.