First, so there is no confusion: we have not built, anchored or stood under the pergolas on this site. You will not find a hands-on test or a "best buy" badge here. We show you which numbers we use and how the score comes out of them, so you can check every score yourself.
Where the data comes from
- Maker websites: size, height, frame and louver material, how the louvers turn, wind and snow ratings, what comes in the box and the warranty.
- Amazon.com listings: the price, the specs the seller lists, and the buyer reviews (stars and number of reviews). When a model is not on Amazon, we use the price on the maker's own store. Prices change often, and the store always shows the current one.
- Missing figures: when nobody publishes a value, we write "not published". We never estimate a figure or fill one in.
- Ranges: when a listing gives a wind rating as a range, like "50 to 80 mph", we use the bottom of the range.
The score: up to seven parts, 2 points each
1. Build
| Frame and louvers | Points |
|---|---|
| Aluminum frame, aluminum louvers | 2 |
| Aluminum frame, steel louvers | 1.5 |
| Steel | 1 |
Aluminum does not rust, even where a scratch goes through the coating. Steel does. More in aluminum or steel.
2. Price per sq ft
We divide the price by the shaded area in square feet.
| Price per sq ft | Points |
|---|---|
| up to $10 | 2 |
| up to $15 | 1.5 |
| up to $22 | 1 |
| more than $22 | 0.5 |
Without a price or a size, this part drops out.
3. Wind rating
| Maker wind rating | Points |
|---|---|
| 80 mph or more | 2 |
| 70 to 79 mph | 1.5 |
| below 70 mph | 1 |
If the maker publishes no mph figure, this part drops out. "High-wind resistant" without a number does not count. Read the wind rating guide for what these figures mean.
4. Louver control
| How the louvers turn | Points |
|---|---|
| Motor | 2 |
| Hand crank | 1.5 |
| Pole, handle or lever | 1 |
| Sling or rope | 0.75 |
5. In the box
- Drainage through the posts: 1 point
- Side curtains or screens: 0.5 points
- LED lights: 0.5 points
6. Warranty
| Written warranty | Points |
|---|---|
| 10 years or more | 2 |
| 5 to 9 years | 1.5 |
| 3 to 4 years | 1 |
| less than 3 years | 0.5 |
| none we could find | 0 |
A warranty nobody puts in writing is not one you can count on, so it scores zero instead of dropping out.
7. Buyer reviews
| Average on Amazon.com | Points |
|---|---|
| 4.6 or higher | 2 |
| 4.3 to 4.5 | 1.5 |
| 4.0 to 4.2 | 1 |
| below 4.0 | 0.5 |
Only with 20 or more reviews. Many sellers share one review pool across every size of a listing, so the reviews often speak for the family, not one size.
From points to the score
We add up the points and divide by the maximum of the parts that apply. A model with four known parts is scored out of 8, not 14. Then we scale that to 10 and round to one decimal.
What we do not do
- No maker pays for a place or a better score.
- We earn a commission when you buy through some links. That never changes the score. See our disclosure.
- We do not score looks, color or brand name.