Backyard Discovery Beaumont 16 ft. x 12 ft. All Cedar Pergola Kit + Kotap 25 Pack 9 in. Black Ball Bungee Cord Tarp Tie-Down

Why it's worth it

Backyard Discovery's Beaumont is a 16-by-12-foot cedar pergola rated to withstand winds up to 100 mph, with a removable power port offering three outlets and three USB ports. It's the wood kit to buy if you want engineering, not just lumber.

A 100 mph wind rating is the number that separates this from most wood kits. The Home Depot's buying guide notes that residential freestanding pergola kits are typically engineered to a 90 mph minimum when anchored to spec, so the Beaumont clears the usual bar. That matters most in open yards, on exposed lots, and anywhere your county's wind code has teeth. Dual beams and corbels do structural work here, not just decorative work.

The built-in power port is the feature we wish more pergolas had. Three outlets and three USB ports mean string lights, a fan, a speaker and two phones without an extension cord snaking across the patio. It's removable, so you're not committed to it. If you've ever run a cord out a window to power a backyard dinner, you know exactly why this is on the list.

From our review of 5 pergola kits, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +A 100 mph wind rating is the number that separates this from most wood kits
• +The built-in power port is the feature we wish more pergolas had
• +It comes in three footprints — 14 by 12, 16 by 12 and 20 by 12 — which helps if your patio isn't a standard rectangle
• +This listing bundles 25 heavy-duty ball bungees

What to know

• –It's still an open cedar roof
• –Cedar needs the same upkeep here as anywhere: a stain or sealer every couple of years to keep the color and slow weathering