Company Reviews

I bought a 20 x 10 Aleko retractable Awning. First i could not find anyone to install it. Finally when i found an installer the job was supposed to take between 4mto 6 hours but there were some missing parts, which i had to buy on my own as Aleko’s phone lines were busy and the average hold time was about 45 minutes at which time the connection was lost. Finally the awning was assembled and installed and upon testing it broke and snapped because the roller, which is made of plastic broke. We were lucky as no one was close to it otherwise they would require emergency medical attention. The issue is that the awning is too heavy to be handled by one plastic roller. I showed this to an awning expert and he said that this type of installation would require 2 to 3 metal rollers so the weight is distributed. I called Aleko again and left a voice mail and 3 months later someone called me back telling me that they are aware of the problem and the only thing she can do is to give me a 15% refund. DO NOT EVER BUY ANYTHING FROM ALEKO

First I asked Aleko for installation instructions. They sent me the wrong ones that had a longer rail. I moved my sidelight due to this and it did not need to be moved so now I have a hole in the side of the rig. The “correct” instructions came in Chinenglish and also had the incorrect dimensions. Fortunately, I was smart enough to put together the pieces on the ground and adjust the rails as necessary. It was about 1 1/2″ off on the overall center to center. When I did get the Aleko retractable awning installed, the motor did not work. I have been going back and forth with customer service for 3 weeks with no resolution. I currently have a working manual shade but it is a workout. The customer service has been absolutely terrible. I understand having some delayed response with the current Covid19 situation but come on! Do not buy this c**p!

As a DIY guy for 30 years, I’m pretty handy. This Chinese Aleko awning, now nicknamed the devil, took me to the task and defeated my best efforts :( I called support and was told that the 24-minute video was edited down to 8 minutes by the higher-ups, but he agreed that the online and provided instruction are severely lacking. Most of the pieces did not fit without a mallet and smashing it on the cement, not how one assembles aluminium products. Overall engineering and quality are very poor and lacking. Should I have expected more from a product from China? Probably not! We decided to return this awning after the aluminium brackets broke and the awning hit my wife and me in the head as it fell on us. The customer service was severely lacking, and in addition, it could not make up for the deficits in the product itself. They also charged me a 15% restocking fee, but that’s cheaper than an MRI or a head CatScan. Avoid Aleko at all costs.

I didn’t expect a ton for the price we paid for our Aleko manual retractable awning, but am somewhat pleased with what we did end up with. The instructions for assembly are very confusing and are terrible. I managed to assemble the 8×10 half cassette awning alone and only needed my husband to mount it. The only real disappointment is how fast the fabric on the valance and main awning fabric is fading…..now the faded fabric does not come close to matching the blue patio furniture pillows and we have only had the Aleko awning 1 month. The frame is thin and light, but we don’t worry about that too much since we roll it in when it isn’t in use.

I bought a 16×10 motorized awning and just got it put up, I purchased through Wayfair and paid for the Handy Pro assembly and installation, what a nightmare that was, when the guy showed up I asked him if he ever assembled one of these and he had not, So it took him two trips to my house and 15 hours to assemble and install and he could not get it to retract right, he installed brackets upside down and had no idea how to adjust the arms, needless to say I sent him on his way and I ended up calling my buddy and we figured it out. The instructions are terrible and my remote control battery was dead . Now that it is up and working I realize how poor this China made product is. Tip watch videos and be patient as it is a nightmare to assemble and install!

Terrible service from Aleko. I purchased an Aleko retractable awning. Instructions were confusing but I managed to put it up. Within two weeks the awning fabric was completely faded. Calling doesn’t work they just disconnect the call on purpose. Emails are slowly returned at first and now after three weeks they just do not return any. Find a better awning company. Aleko is terrible!!! That money has been wasted because Aleko just refuses to honor their product warranty.

Why did I give the Aleko 10’x13’ retractable awning one star for Caliber/Quality, no stars for Assistance/Service and one star for Affordability? Caliber/Quality? I don’t know what that means because of what it took to assemble and mount. I won’t open it a second time because of how I felt after I opened it the first time. Assistance/Service? I didn’t need or request any so I have no idea why I would give it any but I couldn’t submit this until all the fields were filled. Affordability? It always costs a lot when you think you didn’t get much for your time and money. I was going to explain the problems with the assembly but it would take too long to write or read. Suffice to say the instructions were very poor and there were not nearly enough pictures — diagrams — given the complexity of the awning assembly. It was also really difficult to mount on the side of my house. I watched a couple of YouTube’s to see how others did it and I find it hard to believe they put it together and up as easily as it appeared. I will say that I didn’t think that the two wall mounts were enough to hold it up, given the size and weight of the boxes. I ordered two extra mounts and was glad I did. I’m still not convinced two mounts were enough but adding two more made it also made it more difficult; they have to be attached to the frame then lifted into place exactly where the pre-drilled mounting screws are embedded in the wall. With four you have to get up on a ladder and move them into place while someone else, at least two people, while you make sure the additional mounts are lined up correctly. Let’s just say it’s a lot easier with two than four, but I stand by my decision. When extended, the awning appeared to billow in a breeze in a way that made me uncomfortable, like it might come out of the wall or snap if too much pressure were put on it. And by too much I mean not much more than the breeze. I didn’t plan on only opening it when we were on our patio outside then rolling it back up every night but I can’t see any other way of handling it. BTW — I’m not incapable of this kind of thing. I’m a professional artist in the movie industry and know how blueprints for sets, props and all kinds of things are put together. I’ve assembled and built a lot of other complex things with my hands. But you would have to pay me thousands of dollars to install an Aleko retractable awning again. I suggest you read all the reviews but also find another product to suit any needs.

The good part of this awning is that it looks OK and is reasonably easy to install for someone that is at a minimum handy. I am a handyman. The only problems are that it does not stand up to the wind at all (very thin arms and frame), so I am constantly rolling it in. Another problem is that pockets of rainwater even with enough pitch or angle on the arms are causing issues with the fabric and now the hardware. I actually received the wrong size but doing a return was such a hassle I just decided to keep the one I got. All in all, my wife and I like how it works, even if it is not exactly what I hoped for or expected.

Even though this awning tends to hang a little low, overall, this was an acceptable purchase. The issue was solved by just making some poles to insert under the end of the awning. But the problem is that we have to disconnect from the poles every day when closing the awning. So far it has stood up to some light rain and a slight amount of wind. If things get a little rough, we just roll it up about halfway and it appears to hold up well. I doubt it would do the same if we left it rolled all the way out in bad weather.

I have a spring and summer market booth at our local Farmers’ Market. I wanted something I could set up easily to keep the sun off my produce and me. The low cost of the Asian made Aleko retractable awning made it the best choice for me. The reviews sounded ok. I picked the multi stripe red fabric to add a more modern zing to my booth. I mounted the 12’x10’ model on the side of my cube van and manually crank it open when needed. It not only shades the produce but also helps keep the truck cool too. Unfortunately, the fabric & frame have already faded and discolored after being up for about 2 1/2 months and the awning doesn’t travel well, so I’ll have to make a cover for it for next year if it survives this year. My advice it to stay clear and don’t buy Aleko

I have a small restaurant in the downtown area of our tourist town. I can seat up to 48 inside, but have been trying to get permission for a patio in the back. I finally got permission from building and zoning a month ago, but they shot down my retractable pergola plan. To accelerate opening my patio I bought two 16’x10’ Aleko motorized awnings. The price was right and combined they were the right size (except for the depth) although there is about a 6-inch gap between them that allows both sun and rain to enter. I’d only need the coverage for the lunch hour trade when the sun was really intense. Late afternoon and evening they wouldn’t be necessary unless there was light rain and customers were already outdoors. The two awnings have not been working so well as the fabric is cheaply sewn and has also begun to disintegrate, but patrons are enjoying the new space for the moment. It’s basically doubled my summertime seating and will boost revenue too. I just wish they were 14’ deep instead of 10’, and then they’d shade the outer edge of the patio better. Even though it is an expense, I am thinking about taking them down and instead installing the Roma model from www.retractableawnings.com that is available in either a 14 foot 3 inch or 16-foot projection. Also, if I upgrade, they offer one unit at 32′ feet wide thus having no 6-inch gap as I have now. That way, my patrons are taken care of by fully covering them during the hottest time of the day.

I operate a campus chip and burger truck operation at our local college. We’re allowed to set up almost anywhere as long as we don’t interfere with the pedestrian or vehicle traffic. I found the ideal location, but there is no shade at all. To attract customers and provide some shade I attached a bright yellow retractable Aleko awning. The aluminum arms support the canopy so there are no posts for pedestrians to walk into. It’s even water resistant if it’s light rain however it does not protect from heavy rain. The university kids love it since they can wait in the shade for their orders. It handles only a very light breeze but begins to flap if it’s slightly gusty. I’m worried it won’t survive any amount of wind since the frame and fabric are both thin and fragile, but so far it’s holding together. I will update this review in a few months.

Owned a Palermo Plus model a few years ago and it was a much better product because the Italian awning fabric was softer and the frame was far superior and sturdier. It was also far easier to crank in and out. The Palermo Plus was about two times as expensive as a new Aleko and well worth the extra cost. The main issues with the Aleko were that the holes to mount did not line up with the studs in my wall, so I had to install a 2×6 ledger in between the awning and my wall to install it and also the paint on the frame and arms has already begun to peel after only being installed a few weeks!

Hannah and I bought a house in a new subdivision. The back yard is about 20’x20’ and has an 8-foot privacy fence around it. There really isn’t any privacy as everybody’s second story looks into everyone’s yards. The sun also reflects off all the houses and bakes everything. We have a 16’x 8’ BBQ deck but it’s too hot to use when the sun’s out. We bought a 16’x10’ Aleko awning discounted by 25%. It was fairly easy to mount to the wall even though it was shipped without English installation instructions and a warranty. The only instructions in the box were in Chinese. Banged my arm the first couple of times I cranked it open, and it only cuts a little of the sun and heat off the deck and French doors. Not sure how it will stand up to Florida’s intense sun and ultraviolet UV rays and the grill smoke, but it makes my weekends better although the supposed aluminum frame has already begun to pit and rust. Hannah called Aleko for a replacement but they said pitting and rusting of the frame is not covered under warranty. I advise you don’t buy Aleko

Our condo has a westward exposure and the sun beats in 2 double patio doors making it too bright and hot. We like the view out the windows and didn’t want curtains, so we read up on some awnings and checked ratings. We lucked out when a big box store flyer announced a sale. The discount price was the tipping point. The 16’x10’ Aleko awning was big enough to cover the two patio doors and even shade outdoor living furniture. We tucked it up under the overhang to protect from the weather, even if the fabric is water resistant. Plugged it in, pushed the button, and the electric motor extended the canopy automatically. The angle isn’t quite right, and there’s no adjustment option – poor design. Also the fabric is cheaply made and let’s tons of heat come through it. Guess the best retractable awning price doesn’t mean the best retractable awning product. Next time, I’ll buy a custom made retractable awning with Sunbrella awning fabric from an online manufacturer like RetractableAwnings.com

I purchased a second-hand RV recently. It was in need of an awning replacement, among other repairs. Several neighbors said I should buy the Venezia model from RetractableAwnings.com as it is designed for RV’s but I didn’t listen to them. I wanted a retractable awning and did some research. After reading some reviews I bought the 12’x8’ Aleko RV awning. I picked the white/black shade canopy as it matched my color scheme. Installation was a bit of a challenge as it was a replacement, but it does look good once it opens up. The manual crank takes some getting used to, especially as it is very difficult to both open and close and I am a young guy. The fabric has begun to mildew after only 3 months and is not water and UV resistant as it states. I am not at all happy and would return the awning if I could but Aleko said I am not able to return it as I purchased it “as is” which is not true. I purchased a brand new awning. Can’t and won’t recommend Aleko ever! In fact, I am filing a complaint at the Better Business Bureau.

Had a wooden canopy behind our ol’ house. Had it there ever since we bought the house. It provided nice shade during summer and a wee bit of protection from drizzles. But it has seen better days and became rickety so we had to tear it down. I saw the Aleko motorized patio awning which was big enough to cover the area of the previous canopy. I ordered the 20 ft by 20 ft black model. It’s a wee bit slow to retract, but I’m in no hurry. The aluminum frames appear nicely painted but don’t seem strong enough…I hope it can last a few storms even if I forget to retract it especially since the fabric is sewn with polyester which I know deteriorates easily – the mind wanders sometimes. Lastly, I wish it could have been a couple of feet longer since it doesn’t cover the whole patio. Next time I’ll go for a custom awning of much higher quality.

The plus of these awnings is that they are some of the cheapest you will find on the market, though the problems started right away with the installation instructions, which were absolutely lacking in any meaningful detail. Had to just trial-and-error the whole thing. Once it was up, I realized that you get what you pay for. The materials used are pretty cheap, and on another note, the pitch is really steep. That is probably my fault for paying so little. Called Aleko and customer service said “Our products are priced to reflect the quality”

Aloha! Living in Hawaii, we needed something that will stand up to 20 to 30 mph winds constantly. We have tried using umbrellas, but they just do not work that well, as they fall over constantly so we bought a 12 foot Aleko. Not a good decision as we found out after purchase it can’t handle more than 15mph as it bent when we left it out. The directions were hard to follow, and it took two of us to put it together, and we needed a large rubber hammer. After we put up the brackets, we put the retractable awning up on the back of my house. It looks just ok – nothing great!

I operate a small lunch counter with an outdoor patio. My 5 tables had umbrellas, but every time a patron wanted two tables close together the umbrellas got in the way. Even when closed, the umbrellas got in the way. I bought the 20’x10’ Aleko model four weeks ago to replace the umbrellas. Color selection was very limited, since these are pre-made in China but the special clearance price was good. Installation went so so, but there’s no protection for the awning fabric if it’s on an exposed wall. The arms/cover opens and closes automatically with the push of a button, so it’s easy and simply to use when needed. The canvas is water resistant for light rain, but that’s no help for heavy rain and also when the rain angles in at the side or front. However, it works for a drizzle, which is better than the umbrellas. It only has a very short warranty so let’s hope it lasts more than 1-2 years.

Got to say that for the most part, this awning is OK but then again it has only been up for 6 days. Did not have too much trouble putting it up, and it actually looks pretty nice. One complaint is how low the thing hangs at the end. I am only 5 ft. 8 and have to duck under the front bar to get under it. In fairness, my roof is not that high, but still, it does not seem like an awning should drop this low.

I purchased my Chinese Aleko retractable motorized 10×16 patio awning online. The price was quite low as is the quality. It was delivered to my door, saving me a drive to town but unfortunately, the cheap box was damaged. I did some research online, and read average consumer testimonials and reviews about company service. I watched a couple of videos for installing awnings too since print instructions don’t translate what to do. I also had to do some adjustment to the angle so I can walk under the front edge. The awning keeps the sun off the deck, and the motor extends and retracts the awning – hope it won’t fail in a month or two as the quality doesn’t appear to be very good.

I bought a retractable Aleko pergola about a month ago and we placed it our backyard. It’s not holding up to the East Coast weather and it is a bit small. I thought the 9 feet x 9 feet dimension would be large enough but it provides little cover from the late afternoon sun. The angle of the sunlight completely engulfs everyone beneath the Pergolas. I think maybe I should place it near a tree or something. Anyway, the canvas material was not as advertised – it is polyester, the metal frames were fresh out of the box but got chipped when transporting from China. Although I would have wanted it to be bigger, for the cost I would say you get what you pay for. Cheap price = cheap product.

Bought this Chinese made Aleko awning about two months ago. Upon opening, I realized it only came with two brackets which I do not think is enough. Aleko said they don’t sell brackets only so I bought a couple of extra brackets that were slightly different than the original ones, and after some tweaking, got them to work. Installing the awning was difficult as no installation instructions were included in my package and Aleko does not have them online. If you want to adjust the drop height, you will need someone else at the other end to release the tension so you can adjust the bolts. Do yourself a favor and get a motor because hand-cranking is no fun. Not too happy with the pathos and style of this product – cheaply made! I should have bought an Italian retractable awning instead. Never again will I buy an awning from China!

For the price you pay for this awning, the quality is not that bad. But looking closely at the product, the quality is not very good and I don’t think it will last more than a year or two at most. One of my biggest gripes is that the bolt for the center support can rub on the fabric of the awning. I figured over time this was going to be an issue, so I just added a small roller wheel, so the fabric is supported without rubbing on the bolt. I should not have had to do that. I think the metal and fabric quality is low, but like I said, for the price. If you are renting and can use this for a year or two, I think it will be a good purchase but if you want an awning for a long time, stay away.

When the awning first arrived it looked great and it seemed pretty well-built. Was a little disappointed that it appeared to have some scratches on it and one of the end-caps was missing, but that is not so bad as to be a deal-breaker for me. My other complaints are that the motor does not always work well, and the thing really droops down. One suggestion is to make sure you are installing it at least four feet above the height where the awning will pitch down to.

Last summer we had a pool put in. The package included an 8’x10’ pool house for the pump and stuff, with enough space for a change area. Unfortunately, there is no shade and not enough space for a pergola, plus the budgets a bit tight. We considered a permanent sail, but we don’t always want the shade, so we opted for a retractable 10’x8’ Aleko awning. I wish they had a 10’x10’ model available. The price was the deciding point as it was more budget friendly but unfortunately we now know the quality is not very good as the striped fabric has completely faded to white in less than 9 months. It opens and closes with a remote. You don’t have to open it fully, so you can be partially sit in the shade and the sun. It’s no longer working smoothly, makes a lot of noise, and there’s no protection for the rolled up awning fabric on the wall. I’ve had to discourage a couple of persistent birds from nesting on top of it. Next time, we will buy a completely enclosed cassette unit to prevent those pesky birds from nesting! Can’t speak highly of Aleko – it’s just not a good product period!

Got this awning for a great price but it was not exactly as it was described. One thing is that if you are in a wood-framed house, you will need wood lag bolts because mine only came with hardware for masonry. If you have any common sense, this should be pretty easy to install despite other reviews I have seen to the contrary although I must say I am a licensed contractor. It was a bit of a chore to adjust the pitch, but it is doable. I talked to customer service, and although they were nice enough, they were not much help. Once I got it set up the way I like, I really like how the awning looks and operates but it does appear to be low quality and probably won’t last very long.