Company Reviews

Got the brochure for Sunsetter, and it said that if I ordered by a certain time I could get $350 off and they would throw in some patio lights. After the first call, some guy came out quickly and then immediately put in the order. The one thing that was bad was the installation. A guy just showed up in a truck and dragged the awning into the garage. When the installers came out and unpacked the awning, there were spots all over the awning. Sunsetter agreed it was defective and sent a replacement (I had to pay to ship), but the whole thing took quite a while to get done. It does get cooler under the awning, but not anywhere near as much as the vendor claims it should.

Was really excited to get an awning with a wind sensor. Got a motorized XL Sunsetter and paired it with a wind sensor. It worked great for about ten days, but then it just started behaving very oddly. Sometimes it will come out halfway, and then just retract. I tried reprogramming the remote and the awning several times but with no luck. Customer service said to try replacing the batteries in the remote (but that seems really soon to be replacing batteries). So had to spend a few bucks on new batteries too. New batteries did not solve the problem and Sunsetter does not know what else to recommend so I guess I have to live with it as is. Totally disappointed!

I picked up a 10’x9’ Sunsetter Vista manual awning. Not many color choices were available. However, the sale price was the deciding factor. It took me most of a day to install, and I put up a wood plank to mount it to so it was secured to the wall better. The lateral arms extend with the crank, which was a lot more difficult to turn than expected. Hopefully, it gets easier with use. Sunsetter tells me it won’t. It also takes two people to adjust the pitch (using a manual pitch adjustment), and even then it’s not an easy task; not something I’ll be doing more than once. The fabric has a lot of sag when fully extended. I’m hoping it doesn’t get worse because it has already started to collect rain water. I was told by a representative at Sunsetter that the springs in the arms are from China which means they are definitely not the best in the industry.

My new awning is the Chinese made Sunsetter motorized retractable XL model. I needed an awning that opened enough to block the late afternoon – early evening sun. The XL is about 16-inches longer when open, which almost covers my patio. The acrylic fabric isn’t as bright as the sample we were shown by the Sunsetter dealer, so it doesn’t match the patio colors as nicely. The representative showed us one fabric and then installed another. The biggest issue is that the fabric leaks water – a lot of water so we can’t even use it in a drizzle. The aluminum frame is enameled beige, not white, which doesn’t go with my white trim and soffits either. The motor opens and closes the awning, but makes a grinding noise when retracting. The lateral arms can be adjusted to change the pitch, but you’ll need help and more time than expected. Not even close to perfect, but we’ll live with it as it’s paid for. I swear I will never buy another product made in China.

I was in a local box store, and they had Sunsetter manual awnings on sale, so I bought one. The instructions weren’t the best, but the DVD helped some, then we watched some on-line videos. Installation took about 4 hours. We mounted as close to the soffit as we could, so the fabric is protected. The 10-foot awning extends 8 feet, which covers most of my patio. The awning extends easy enough with the crank, but it is a huge effort to close, so I recommend buying motorized. I haven’t tried to adjust the pitch yet, it seems to be fine so far, but the instructions aren’t clear. The lateral arms work well, although they are too thin as one already got damaged from a very light wind. As they say, you get what you pay for, but the shade is appreciated.

I gave my widowed mom a motorized Sunsetter awning for her patio. I picked the laminated vinyl so she could sit out and listen to the rain, something she likes to do. I went with the motor since some of the reviews commented on the manual being difficult to turn. Installation into the brick was frustrating because it didn’t come with the bolts or the drill bit, so I had to buy them. The frame has started to rust after only 2 months. The fabric sags a lot, so we adjusted the pitch, trying to prevent the water from pooling – that didn’t help. Adjusting the pitch angle is a pain, and the water still collects on the vinyl cover – mom uses a broom to lift the canopy to dispel any water. The motor is noisy, but she doesn’t seem to mind. She’s somewhat happy with the awning, even though I’m definitely not.

I picked up a manual SunSetter awning for my workshop shed. Just had to attach the brackets on a level line, and slide the awning into place. The crank is a bit stiff when closing, and the arms are noisy – some spray lube made them quieter though. The canvas fabric cover sagged in the first week, and I only use it for shade. I haven’t found any way to make it taut yet. I did adjust the pitch for more height. I had to watch some Youtube videos too since the instructions aren’t good. I wish I would have found better reviews online before making my Sunsetter purchase. I should have bought something of better quality.

Made a call to Sunsetter after having seen their ads on TV and the process was really easy. I have had it installed, and it seems to be working pretty well, although it does look a little skimpy. One gripe is that I never received the cover for the awning. After six weeks now there has been no contact from them as to when I am going to receive the cover. Really, really poor service!

The 14’x10’ motorized retractable awning I ordered from Sunsetter arrived in a rather thin packing tube. The tube was badly damaged from rolling around in the delivery truck, but everything inside seemed fine but was not after opening the tube – the frame and arms were badly scratched. The installation took about half a day. I had difficulty finding the studs behind the siding. The motor is far noisier than anticipated when it extends or retracts the woven canopy. The beige aluminum lateral arms support the front bar, but pitch adjustment isn’t easy. Also, the awning material sags more than expected when fully open. Our remote works fine through the window, but not through the wall, so has to be moved to use. The wireless wind sensor that came with our awning is overly sensitive, so we don’t use it as Sunsetter was of no assistance when we called for help

I ordered a motorized SunSetter awning to go over the rear doors of my catering business. The plan was to park the van beside the doors and then extend the canopy over the top of everything. Installation was difficult. Everything was done from ladders, so we’d have the height needed. The plan was a success, however, the arms are noisy and look flimsy, so hopefully, they won’t fail. The laminated fabric is waterproof, but it sags so water pools and I am very worried about it collapsing.

My burning hot Los Angeles patio faces west, and the sun bakes it and the house through the windows. I’d read testimonials about different awnings, and went with Sunsetter’s motorized XL model. Bad decision as it turns out and the frame is already pitting and the acrylic fabric is fading after only 10 months in use. It extends to 11’-8” which covers most of the 12’ deck but not all. The 14’ wide canopy is enough to cover the patio door and deck furniture. I picked the wall mount brackets due to the weight of the canopy and put it up as close to the soffit as I could. The frame which must not be aluminum since it is rusting is beige, which goes with the fabric but not the house trim which is dark grey. Sunsetter does not offer a grey frame – what a pity. The canopy extends and retracts with the remote, but the motor noise and squeaking of the frame are far louder than expected. I don’t suggest adjusting the pitch unless you have a couple of extra hands available; it’s not an easy process. BTW, the customer service manager as Sunsetter was not helpful at all and wanted me to pay for shipping the awning back to Malden, Mass. I have filed a complaint at the Better Business Bureau. Don’t buy Sunsetter – buy elsewhere!

I ordered a 16 x 10’2” Vista model by Sunsetter with acrylic fabric. The fabric has begun to fade after only being up for 3 months thus the 1 star quality rating. I am now concerned because the fabric Sunsetter offers is not a brand name like Sunbrella or Para that I have since determined have a 10-year warranty. The color choice was limited, but they had the color we wanted in stock. Sunsetter says fading of the fabric is not covered by their lousy 5 year prorated warranty! I went with the soffit bracket to give more headroom and to get more coverage on the deck. I would have preferred if the awning extended further though. It weighs more than 100 pounds, so installation was easier with an extra pair of hands. Have your helper available to support the front bar if you want to adjust the pitch….not something I’ll do again! The crank makes a squeaky noise, and it extends and retracts the awning with a lot of effort. Delivery works better where I live and saves a day of travel too.

It’s the end of the season, and we just purchased and installed our Sunsetter motorized retractable awning. The cost of the motorized model was out of our budget but it comes with a guarantee – hope that if we come across any issues the manufacturer will get us covered. I mention this as Sunsetters customer service is known to be poor. When the arms open, it is noisy. We should have shade on most of our patio. It supposed to work as the company and some reviews state. I think I’ll have to add more retractable awnings once the weather warms up. The quality does not look to be very good so I’ll most likely use a much better brand like RetractableAwnings.com for the additional retractable awnings.

I bought the 12’x10’ Vista from my local home box-store Costco – the service at Costco was terrible. The Sunsetter awning came with laminated vinyl fabric which is supposed to be waterproof but is not waterproof after being up during the rainy season. The green striped canopy goes with the cottage atmosphere; I just hope it doesn’t fade because it looks cheaply made. The aluminum frame is beige enamel which doesn’t look as good with our white window frames, but I guess we’ll get used to it and it won’t show that much dirt. The attached crank is much harder to turn than expected, and I’ve scraped my knuckles almost every time I’ve used it. I won’t have to worry about the kids playing with the crank until they get taller and stronger.

I have a small cabin and was told by the local homeowners association I couldn’t build a roof over my porch, so I ordered a Sunsetter awning. I wanted to cover as much of the porch as possible, so went with the XL model. It almost covers the porch when open. We got the red brick fabric. It attracts lots of attention and makes it easier in the summer to sit on the deck. We even leave it open in light rain and sit outdoors although mist and rain do come through the fabric. We do get wet some depending on where we sit. The remote works if you can find it as it is very small. However, the motor is louder than I expected, and not as quick to open or close the awning as I thought it would be. The fabric also has a sag in it that collects rainwater in, so we will be replacing it with Para Tempotest fabric that I am told will not sag.

Our camper RV needed a new awning. I wanted something removable, easy to use, and inexpensive. We decided on a ten-foot manual SunSetter unit. Installing the 3 brackets was the difficult part. I made plates to go on the RV wall to take the strain of the awning. The awning is not lightweight and does not slide into the brackets easily. I use custom wingnuts instead of the supplied retaining bolts. The crank and arms are noisy when opening, and my wife has difficulty closing it. I tried some lube, but it didn’t do the job. The arms and frame don’t look strong, and I hope they’ll last since it’s only weekend use.

I ordered a motorized Sunsetter awning from a local supplier. After about 9 months the arms started to separate from the main awning frame. Sunsetter told me that they are not responsible as the dealer is “independent” and he installed it. Apparently, Sunsetter does not have vetted dealers that are trained and certified as I found out this guy is a local sanitation worker installing “on the side” for extra money. The woven fabric selections all seem to complement the beige aluminum frame, so don’t expect whites. My wife picked the Merlot color, her favorite wine too. Our deck is 24’x14’, so we picked the 20’x10’ model as Sunsetter does not offer a larger width than 20’. I would have liked the protective aluminum hood, but the cost was getting a bit much, especially when other awnings have it included. The remote operates from inside or out, which is good, as long as it doesn’t get misplaced as it is very small. The motor extends the fabric at a reasonable speed, however, it sounds loud when extending and retracting. I would have appreciated a canopy that covered the full 14-foot deck depth but Sunsetter does not offer it that large.

My deck was really hot, so I decided I would like an awning to cover the area. Saw the ads for SunSetter awnings, and figured to give it a try. Phone help was not very good but anyway I bought one that was a blue and white striped and that went so so with the colors of my house. I thought it was a bit pricey, but I am not really sure if there are awnings that are any cheaper. Had it installed, and it seemed to go pretty quickly. I have not had the awning for very long, but so far it’s just ok.

I live in a mobile home and was thinking of getting a carport but that costs more than ten grand, so decided to try an awning that was much cheaper. It really has not worked out very well. The sales rep said do not leave it open in winds higher than 10 mph, but here in Florida, that is a pretty common occurrence especially with storms which is the whole reason I wanted something to cover my car in the first place. One day it was about 15mph and one of the arms got bent. It does not work well when it goes in and out with a press of a remote control button. Unfortunately, a Sunsetter is all I could afford.

We just moved into a new house with a deck but no privacy or shade, so we got an awning from SunSetter. It’s motorized since my wife doesn’t like the manual models. Installation wasn’t easy. We had to add a plank to the wall to secure the mounting brackets to, do some flashing, and install a receptacle. I guess the pros might be able to do it in the advertised 2-1/2 hours. The motor works well, but the arms look frail and are noisy when they open. The cover also began to sag after a week. Sunsetter was of no help when we called. Hopefully, we’ll get a couple of years of use out of it. At this point, I’m not quite sure I can recommend Sunsetter for a purchase.