Purple Leaf vs Backyard Discovery: which louvered pergola suits you?

Both brands sell a 10×10 and a 14-foot-long pergola, so the table compares them at those two sizes. Purple Leaf’s Caesar starts a little lower at 10×10; Backyard Discovery’s Sarasota is about $300 more there and close to the Caesar at 10×14. Both sell hand-operated louvers, and neither sells a motorized one. Both brands also run sales, so check the price on the day you order.

Backyard Discovery lists steel anchoring plates with the Sarasota and sells assembly separately; its 12×10 page prices that at $670. Purple Leaf lists a crank handle, hardware and a hidden gutter with the Caesar, doesn’t say anchors are included and links a third-party assembly service. Neither price includes a concrete pad.

Owners rate the louvered pergolas of both brands well, with different amounts of evidence. Backyard Discovery’s Sarasota averages 4.8 stars from about 150 reviews on the brand’s own site and about the same on Home Depot. Purple Leaf’s louvered pergolas score between about 4.2 and 4.6 on the larger retail pages that carry them, from far fewer reviews. On Trustpilot, Purple Leaf averages 4.6 from about 850 reviews across everything it sells, furniture and umbrellas included, while Backyard Discovery has only 12 reviews and 2.2 stars, too few to say much.

The complaints differ in detail. Purple Leaf owners report parts that arrived damaged, instructions that could be clearer, and, in a few reports, water getting through at the seams; one independent tester noticed thin aluminum walls. Backyard Discovery owners report minor hole alignment issues, and some say the gutters don’t catch all the water, so a little spills over the edge. Both are built by two people in a day: an owner of each reports putting one up in about five or six hours.

Watch out: check every box against the parts list the day it arrives, and report any damage within a week, as Purple Leaf asks.

Purple Leaf builds the Caesar from a full aluminum frame with 4.53-inch columns, which it calls rust-proof. Backyard Discovery builds the Sarasota from powder-coated galvanized steel with thick-gauge posts. Aluminum doesn’t rust, which is why many buyers near the coast prefer it. Steel is heavier, and Backyard Discovery’s is galvanized and powder-coated to protect it. Rely on the rating for your size and how it’s anchored rather than on the metal alone.

Backyard Discovery says the Sarasota is tested to withstand 100 mph winds and 2,100 pounds, or 12 inches, of snow, but only if it’s anchored as the manual specifies. Purple Leaf says the Caesar withstands winds up to 70 mph and heavy snow loads, and gives no snow figure on that page. Both are the brands’ own figures, so ask each for the rating at your exact size in writing before you order. If your town wants engineering figures for a permit, our permit guide explains when.

Backyard Discovery’s listing says the Sarasota has a five-year warranty. Purple Leaf’s own comparison block lists one year on its Caesar and says every product is covered by its warranty policy, without giving the length elsewhere on the page. If you want years of cover, Backyard Discovery’s is the longer one that’s published.

Purple Leaf’s Caesar comes in many sizes, from 8×14 up to 13×30, so a patio between the steps is likely to fit. Backyard Discovery’s Sarasota comes in 10×10, 12×10, 14×10, 16×10, 18×10 and 20×10, all 10 feet deep, and its bigger Ridgeline in 14×12, 14×14 and 16×14. If your patio is 10×12 or 13×15, Purple Leaf makes it and Backyard Discovery doesn’t.

Purple Leaf takes back an unopened, unused kit within 30 days with no restocking fee, though you pay the return shipping. Backyard Discovery accepts a return if you contact it within 30 days of receipt, keeps a 15% restocking fee and leaves return shipping to you, and doesn’t take back kits you bought from a retailer. If you might change your mind, Purple Leaf’s policy costs less.

Both ship free in the lower 48 states. Purple Leaf ships within 24 to 48 hours and says delivery takes about 7 to 10 business days on average. Backyard Discovery lists average truck transit of 7 to 17 days, depending on the region. Neither guarantees a date, so ask for one in writing.

Purple Leaf sells mainly from its own website, and its louvered pergolas also appear at Wayfair. It is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and also makes aluminum hardtop gazebos, retractable canopy pergolas and wall-mounted models. Backyard Discovery is based in Pittsburg, Kansas, and says on its about page that its products are sold at large retailers as well as on its own site. It also makes cedar open-slat pergolas and cedar and steel gazebos. If you buy from a retailer rather than the brand, Backyard Discovery’s own return policy doesn’t apply, so read the retailer’s.