Why I Bought a Hanso Pergola Instead of an Expensive Custom Pergola

I was looking to buy a pergola for my yard because I like to barbecue in my backyard. I checked out having a contractor build a custom one, but the three quotes I received were all ridiculous. The materials they wanted to build it out of were not even that great, either.

It was mostly paying for a markup from a few different middlemen, I think. It certainly wasn’t because they were using high quality aluminum in the construction of it.

Anyway, a friend recommended me to check out a company called Hanso that makes some great pergolas. I visited the site and the price was about half as much as what the contractors quoted me and the materials used in them were far superior.

A Satisfied Customer

I was leery about buying a pergola online, but those fears were unfounded. The shipping was fast, the materials were sturdy, and it was easy to assemble. This article will offer a comprehensive review of my 13 x 19 foot Hanso pergola. If you want to purchase one, and you certainly will after be reading this review, then you can do so directly from Hanso.

Fast and Free Shipping

The first thing that impressed me with my Hanso pergola actually had nothing to do with the pergola itself – it was the shipping. The website said it would take 8 to 12 weeks to arrive. Thankfully, it arrived in half the time and the shipping was 100% free.

I knew the pergola would be good when I saw Hanso offered free shipping. And that made the purchase all the more appealing.

Heavy Wind Resilience

I live in a windy part of the country. We regularly get 40 mph wind with gusts as high as 80 mph during bad storms.

This was part of the reason why I originally planned on having a contractor install an expensive pergola in my yard. I just didn’t think I could find a pergola that could withstand that wind without custom building it.

I can say with certainty that my Hanso pergola can withstand some very high winds. Again, I live in a windy part of the country and have had no problem with the pergola in the wind.  It’s sturdy and barely even moves when it gets windy.

Easy to Breakdown

Another thing I really like is that my Hanso pergola is easy to break down. If I want to move it, then I can just take it apart in a few hours and move it.

This would be especially useful if I ever moved houses. I could simply take apart the pergola and move it to my new house.

That’s something I can’t easily do with a custom one. The contractors said those would basically be a permanent addition to the yard, so I better like the spot and not plan on moving out of my house any time soon.

No Maintenance Required

Another concern I had with a pergola is the maintenance. I have read about people having to maintain other pergolas to prevent corrosion or other problems with the aluminum from being outside.

I’m not one to do a lot of maintenance, so it would be a big problem if my Hanso pergola required maintenance. It requires no maintenance other than cleaning the dust off of it, which is about as much as I can handle.

The lack of maintenance is my favorite thing about owning this pergola.

Other Positives

Some other positives about the Hanso pergola include:

  • The frame is made of high quality aluminum.
  • Setting it up was fast (~2 hours) and easy enough for two people to do.
  • The roof can hold a lot of snow without collapsing.

Pros and Cons of a Hanso Pergola

Here are some pros and cons of owning a Hanso pergola based on my experience with it. These are pretty much universal, so you will likely notice the same things.

Pros

  • Easy Setup
    • Setting this up was easy enough for my wife and I to do on our own. It did not require any special tools and only required basic mechanical knowledge.
  • Free shipping
    • The shipping was free because I live in the lower 48 of the United States.
  • Durable
    • It’s durable enough to withstand the windy conditions common where I live.
  • No maintenance required.
    • The only maintenance I do, if you can even call it that, is cleaning the metal frame because it gets a little dusty. It’s only required if you want the pergola to look clean.
  • Always in-stock
    • I was shocked to see so many pergolas from other companies were out of stock due to supply chain issues from the pandemic. Every time I looked, Hanso had pergolas available for sale. You can view the current status of the inventory at this link – I assure you they will have some available for purchase.

Negatives

Admittedly, there aren’t a whole lot of cons about my Hanso pergola. The only real negative about it is it’s a little pricey.

However, it was about half the price of having a contractor build one with inferior materials. The cheap ones on Amazon are not an actual option because they are too flimsy.

I don’t even consider the cost a negative because it’s still far more affordable than a custom pergola and the quality is an order of magnitude higher than the cheap ones. Based on the research I did, it’s nearly impossible to find a pergola at this price that’s such high quality.

Final Verdict

I am pleasantly surprised with my pergola. It can withstand the wind, doesn’t require any maintenance, and is super easy to set up. I strongly recommend purchasing a pergola from Hanso if you are looking to add one to your backyard  – it’s a lot more affordable than having a custom one built and has even more benefits than the more expensive options.

Affiliate Disclosure:

The links contained in this product review may result in a small commission if you opt to purchase the product recommended at no additional cost to you.