GardenGazebos.org.uk had the pleasure of attending the Le Mans 24 Hour race last weekend which attracts over 150,000 motorsport fans, many of whom camp next the circuit. This of course means lots of Gazebos and one in particular caught our eye - the Coleman Event Shelter.

At first glance the ‘Event Shelters’ unique design is evident, The design uses thick curving steel poles to create a semi spherical structure unlike most of the other gazebos on the market.

The shape certainly appeared to be super strong sitting rock solid in medium strength winds where other gazebos on the site were looking a little unstable. Coleman being a supplier of camping products this shelter appears to be marketed towards the outdoor events and camping markets rather than simply the garden markets.

The pictures hear don’t really give a feel of the size of the shelter – it’s massive. The floor area measures a whopping 4.5×4.5m and gives a clear head hight of 7ft. Shelters can be joined together to provide even larger shelters if required.

One word of warning though – the shelter weighs a heavy 18KG – so it’s not something you could carry very far.

The Coleman Event shelter is available now from Amazon for £134.99 (click to got to Amazon.co.uk and find out more).

Sides and a groundsheet are also available separately.

So without further ado let’s see what B&Q have got for summer 2011.

Introduction

B&Q gazebos are some of the most popular listed on the site. They tend to strike a good balance between quality and price and this year is no exception. B&Q have launched with 5 different gazebo with an all new range for 2011. The Gazebos follow a similar range as last year but with a few changes and as with most goods and services at the moment, seem to be a little more expensive. This year we have a super budget ‘value’ offering, a ‘deluxe’ version, a pop up model, a large ‘party’ gazebo and a steel framed, more permanent offering. Prices vary from £17.00 for the value model up to £99 for the party version – not bad compared to other retailers.

Let’s have a look in more detail:

1. The Cheapest: B&Q 3x2m Gazebo - £17

The B&Q Value Gazebo was one of our bestsellers last year and one of the cheapest models around. The price has risen a few pounds this year however this is still one of the cheapest around priced at £17.

The Gazebo is of standard construction with a white powder coated steel frame and plastic canopy. The gazebo is 2m x 3m which is not huge but would be suitable for a small table or a few chairs.

All things considered at this price, even if you only use it a few times it’s a great buy.

Full Dimensions: (H)2400 x (W)1950 x (D)2950mm

2. A little more for your money: B&Q Deluxe Gazebo – £29

The B&Q Deluxe Gazebo offers a little more than the value model. With one meter extra space the gazebo allows a little more breathing room.

The frame is constructed from powder coated steel and the cover comprises a green fabric cover. Again the gazebo is of a standard construction so you’ll need a couple of people to erect the frame which should take somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes depending on your construction skills.

The Gazebo Retails this year at £29 with all guy ropes and pegs included.

Full dimensions: (H)2550 x (W)3000 x (D)3000mm

3. Easy to erect – B&Q Pop-up Gazbo

This gazebo is the same size as the deluxe model but has one major difference – it ‘pops’ up in a matter of seconds. Basically the gazebos is already together when it arrives in the box and you simply have to open the gazebo out and you’re good to go.

This is great for situations where you don’t have the time or the inclination to mess around with poles and just want to get on and use the gazebo. The frame is again powder coated steel and the canopy is finished in cream.

The Gazebo comes with the added bonus of side panels which can be a real bonus when there are cool breezes which can be blocked out.

The gazebo retails at £89 – a fair step up from the deluxe model, but well worth it if you want something simple.

Full dimensions: (H)2550 x (W)3000 x (D)3000mm

4. The Big One: The B&Q Party Gazebo – £99

This is the big one! Measuring nearly 9 meters across and 3 meters deep this gazebo is almost as large as 3 standard gazebos.

The gazebos is of standard construction so will need a number of people to erect however does include a number of side panels to keep the heat in and the wind out if needed!

Priced at only £99 it’s almost £30 cheaper than last year!

Full dimensions: (H)2660 x (W)8900 x (D)3000mm

Some great features on these gazebos include:

• Pop Up Frame - Concertina action pop up frame. Rather than having to connect a load of separate poles together the frame simple pulls open. While this adds to the size of the gazebo when stored it does mean that 2 people can erect the gazebo in around 60 seconds (as opposed to the standard 10-15 minutes erection time of a standard gazebo).
• Fully Waterproof Cover – The manufacturers claim a fully waterproof canopy made from 190g PU coated soft touch polyester fabric with all seams Tape Sealed – essential if you want to use your gazebo all year round.
• Gazebos Sides – Many manufacturers tend to sell sides as optional extras however these gazebos include 4 sides as standard - 2 with windows and two with zipped doorways.
• Robust Anchoring points – The Gazebos are manufactured with extra robust anchoring points to ensure better stability in light winds.
• Anti-puddling canopy – If you’ve ever used a Gazebo in the rain you’ll know that water can often puddle behind the frame if the rain weighs the canopy down. In order to combat this problem these gazebos feature eyelets that let the water drain.

At £67.99 for the 2.5×2.5m gazebos and £79.99 for the 3x3m version these might not be the cheapest on the market however we thinks as general all-rounders these are some of the best out there.

2.5×2.5m Gazebos - £67.99
Click on your desired colour to buy from Amazon.co.uk

3x3m Gazebos - £77.99
Click on your desired colour to buy from Amazon.co.uk

Available from Homebase now for £499.89 – [Sorry - No Longer Available - link removed] A bit pricey? Check out our full range of Party Gazebos here.

Spring is on it’s way and we’ve been busy expanding our range of gazebos to make sue we have one of the widest ranges of garden gazebos on the internet. A newcomer to Gazebos, Garden Centre Online have just launched their 2010 gazebo range. Below is a summary of the highlights;

• Value Gazebo – A 3m x 3m basic Steel value Gazebo competitively priced at £24.99. The Gazebo has a polyester cover and is fully waterproof and comes in a classic blue and white design.
• Deluxe Gazebo – Another 3x3m gazebo. Similar to the value gazebo but with a higher quality cover which is also water resistant. This Gazebo comes in Green and White and includes Guy Ropes and Pegs.
• Large Gazebo/Party Marquee – A large steel framed ‘double’ gazebo. This a very neat well priced (£71.51) Party Gazebo with 4 sides. The sides feature windows which can be rolled up for access or brought down to form a fully enclosed Gazebo. The Gazebo cover is made from polyethylene which importantly makes the marquee fully waterproof. Another neat feature is the ability to join two of the Gazebos together to create a large marquee. This Gazebo measures 3m x 6m and has an internal clearance of 2.7m internally.
• Gazebo Awning – The first that we’ve seen of this type, this Gazebo is designed to be placed adjacent to a house or building and ‘but up’ to an exterior wall. The Gazebo is constructed from a heavy grade powder-coated steel frame which is designed to be left erected all year round. The cover is made from a PVC backed fabric which is fully waterproof. The Gazebo features side curtains which can be drawn across for extra shade. Garden Centre Online claim that this type of Gazebo can reduce temperatures inside the home by up to 15 degrees. Priced at £169.99.
• Pop up Gazebo – Garden Centre Online have priced this 3x3m pop up gazebo very competitively - priced at just £46.99 it is now our cheapest 3m Pop up gazebo. The Gazebo has all the features you would expect and pops up in around 60 seconds. Unlike some other manufacturers, this gazebo is fully waterproof.

Check out the full Garden Centre Online range right here.

The gazebo is available directly from Amazon.co.uk for £64.99 and is elegible for Amazons Super Saver Delivery. If there was any doubt to be ha about the quality of the Draper product, there are a number of positive reviews by purchasers with the product ranked (at the time of wrting) 4/5 stars.

Click here to visit the Amazon product page

The simple answer is yes! If you’ve not got a waterproof gazebo (read our post), you need a silicon based waterproofing product such as Fabsil. Fabsil is a waterproofing/UV protection treatment that can be applied to any type of materials for outdoor use, eg. tents, cusions, parasols, shades and of course gazebos. The waterpoofing product from Fabsil comes in two types; an areosol spray or in larger tins that can be ‘painted’ onto fabric.

While we’ve not tried the aerosol version here at Garden Gazebos, reiviews on the internet advise that the spray on product is much less effective than the ‘paint’ on version, and thats the version we’d recommend.

Fabsil comes in a varity of quanitities;

• Fabsil 2.5 litre ‘paint on’ - £18.99 | more info
• Fabsil 5 litre ‘paint on’ – £29.99 | more info
• Fabsil 400ml spray on – £5.99 | more info
• Fabsil 600ml spray on – £7.99 | more info

Let us know what if Fabsil has been successful for you in waterproofing your gazebo in the comments!

The gazebo is steel framed and comes with side panels to give extra protection against any unexpected british weather!

Available now from Focus for only £79.99 – click here for further information or here to see our full range of party gazebos.

I just come across these on Amazon and I think they’re a great idea if you don’t have a grass/earth area to peg in your gazebo or want to erect a gazebo on a patio or deck, perhaps next to a house.

Basically these are weights that sit around the legs of the gazebo to stop it blowing away. The weights are a really clever design; they a

re two semi-circular ‘barrels’ that you fill with water and then clamp around each leg of your gazebo.

The weights come in a pack of 4 and are available now from Amazon for £21.99 – click here for further information.