So you just bought a pop up canopy for your backyard BBQ this weekend, but you’re a bit concerned with the heavy wind gusts outside. After all, without a set of canopy weights strapped to the legs you’ve basically just purchased a massive ground kite. So you quickly hop on the web and are pummeled with the hundreds of available options. Do you use sand or water and what about velcro do I need that? It can be a bit of a struggle to choose the right set of weights for your canopy. But fear not, we’ll walk you through the top choices available, going over features, recommendations, sizing, and more so you can keep your canopy on the ground and your shrimps on the barbie.
For quick reference, we’ve compiled the below table so you can quickly see our top choices for the best canopy weights.
Best Sand Canopy Weights – Ohuhu Canopy Weight Bags
The Ohuhu Canopy Weight Bags are the perfect addition to any pop up canopy. Made from rugged double stitched 600D fabric and measuring in at 14” long and 3” wide, these sand canopy weight bags are built to last. They have incredibly robust dual reinforced zippered compartments together holding up to 30 lbs of sand or gravel in each of the four units. Not to mention they have extremely sturdy anchor points and come with severe weather stakes to ensure your canopy is grounded in even the most severe winds. To top it off they use extra long Velcro straps for maximum adjustability and are usable on legs up to 4” x 4” in diameter making them perfect for even larger gazebos. Overall these are an excellent set and a great buy which, in our opinion, make them the best canopy weights around. Read more reviews
Quick Tip: Use an 8 gallon bag to line the inside compartments so you can keep them clean and prevent accidental sand loss.
Best Solid Canopy Weights – US Weight Tailgater Canopy Weights
If you’re looking for a set of canopy leg weights that requires no sand, no filling and no hassle, the US Weight Tailgater Canopy Weights are a perfect choice. The four individual plates are made from a recycled, rust proof plastic interior and a durable cement core that’s built for year after year of use. Plus, at only 9” in diameter and 2” thick they are extremely portable. Each of the four canopy tent weights measures in at 7.5 pounds for a total of 30 pounds in the set. If you have a larger canopy or live in a windy area you might want to consider a second set for safety. These canopy weights have a unique interlock design and a handy no pinch zone you don’t have to worry about your fingers when slipping them on. Before picking these up make sure that your canopy legs are 1-¼” wide or less as these are not adjustable and are primarily for lighter weight, portable pop up canopies. Overall, these are a great set of solid canopy weights that are easy to use, don’t require filling material and will last for years to come. Read more reviews
Budget Solid Canopy Weights – Quik Shade Canopy Weight Plate Set
The Quik Shade Canopy Weight Plate Set is ideal to stabilize your canopy against a small breeze or on a nice day at the beach, especially if you’re on a budget. Weighing in at five pounds each, the set of four weights for canopy tents is on the lighter end of the scale. If you’re planning on extended use you might want to grab the set of eight for added security. Similar to the US Weight Tailgater, these are made from a black corrosion resistant polyester plastic coating and a heavy cement core. They also have indentations that allow the pop up canopy weights to interlock with each other and prevents them from falling off. We were however disappointed to note they lacked a no pinch design and like most fixed width canopy weights, were only usable on legs up to 1-¼” thick. Overall though they are a great budget set of canopy weights and get the job done. Read more reviews
Best Heavy Duty Weight Bags – Eurmax Weight Bags for Pop up Canopy Outdoor Shelter
When it comes to weights for canopy tents, you’re looking for stability, versatility, and reliability. The Eurmax Weight Bags bring all this to the table and more. With a set of four bags and the ability to hold up to 35 pounds of weight per bag, they are some of the highest capacity canopy weights on the market. At 16.5” tall and with an extremely versatile Velcro strap they are able to stabilize canopies that have up to a 4”x4” leg. Made from 600D PVC back polyester they are very durable and can easily take the strain of heavy filler without ripping. They are also usable on both straight leg and slanted leg canopies for maximum compatibility. We did note however, they had no ground anchor points or zippers to restrain the filler, if those are must have features the Ohuhu Canopy Weight Bags will make a better choice. Even lacking a few features the Eurmax Weight Bags make for excellent canopy tent weights and are quality products. Read more reviews
Biggest Canopy Weight Bags – Lifestyle+ Large Canopy Weight Bags
The Lifestyle+ Large Canopy Weight Bags are the largest set of fillable weight bags on this list. Short of plastic containers and drums that aren’t nearly as portable these hold about as much weight as possible before conventional fabric begins to tear. With a whopping 40 pound capacity per bag, this will secure all but the largest of canopies and gazebos in strong winds. Made from Oxford weave material with a water resistant lining they are just at home on the beach as they are at a game. We loved the rugged carry straps as they made transporting these much easier, especially if your hands of full of kids and coolers. Plus the included hurricane straps made staking down the bags a breeze for that little bit of extra security in high winds. Overall these are a great set of weight bags, from the high quality material to the massive filler space. The only issue you might face with such heavy weights is a premature failure, even the strongest of double stitched seams are bound to loosen over time. Read more reviews
Ultra Heavy Duty Canopy Weights – Eurmax Universal Upgraded Canopy Water Weight Feet
So you’ve gotten past the point of considering sand or concrete canopy leg weights, you need something even more robust. It’s in areas like this the Eurmax Universal Upgraded Canopy Water Weight Feet shine.With a maximum weight of 124 pounds for the four included bottles, these are incredible when it comes to stabilizing canopies. With a specially designed Velcro locking system you can rest safely knowing that short of a freak hurricane, your pop up canopy is going nowhere. The only downside to rigid bottles is they take up a bit more space and aren’t as portable as the bag or plate type systems. However, because they are rigid bottles they have a very small footprint with their tall and narrow silhouette. Overall, the Eurmax Water Weight Feet are well thought out, well designed and extremely affordable making them a great choice for canopy weights. Read more reviews
Drum Canopy Weights – AbcCanopy Outdoors Gazebo Tent Weight Feet Drum
Last on our list, and the only drum type weights we’ve reviewed are the AbcCanopy Weight Feet Drums. Made from heavy duty plastic, these drums can be filled with water, sand or pea gravel for a total of 101.4 pounds. We really enjoyed the circular design as it eliminated the possibility of crunching our shins into hard edges and was very easy to clean. While these canopy weights can’t be stacked easily on top of each other, the high weight capacity virtually eliminates the need for a second set. The heavy duty commercial Velcro strap also securely attached these pop up canopy weights to nearly any size pole and help on tightly. Unfortunately, we found that in some cases repeated uses caused the threads to fail which cause a bit of an issue during transport, especially if liquid filled. Unless you really need a drum type design and are accident prone, I’d opt for any of the other options above. Read more reviews
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