Marygrove vs. Sunsetter
The Better Alternative to SunSetter
The perfect getaway doesn’t have to be so hard to get to. With life moving so fast, a Marygrove can give you the serenity you’ve been looking for - just a few steps away!
Schedule Today in 5 Minutes
Over 1,600 5 Star Reviews
A Full Service Experience At A Fraction of the Cost
Buying a product through a middleman only to be left on your own to figure out installation can be frustrating and risky. Poor communication, uncoordinated timelines, and unreliable contractors often lead to delays, added costs, and disappointing results.
At Marygrove, we do things differently. From start to finish, we handle everything in-house—from manufacturing to installation and post-install service. That means no third-party installers, no disconnected support, and no surprises.
We got our new awning installed in August, beautiful job and plenty of time to enjoy it before the season is over😊. The installers were great, very nice and did a great job! We can’t say enough good things about MaryGrove.
PS: we got the MaryGrove name from a bad Sunsetter review.
Compare Feature* |  |  |
|---|---|---|
Full Cassette Protection | ||
LED Lights Integrated | ||
Lateral Arm System | ||
Retractable Pitch | ||
10 Year Fabric Warranty | ||
Installation Included | ||
Serviced Directly From Manufacturer | ||
Smart Awning | ||
Open Recalls |
Don't Just Take Our Word For It
Feature Comparison
Warranty and Durability
Marygrove Awnings stands out with an industry-leading warranty ensuring your investment is protected over the long term. Marygrove offers:
10 Years of Coverage on Fabric
10 Year Warranty on Motors
1 Year Warranty on Accessories
In contrast, competitors often provide a more general “all-weather” warranty, which may lack specific guarantees on essential components, leaving you with uncertainties regarding long-term reliability and satisfaction.
Sunsetter’s warranty is pro-rated — and riddled with exclusions. After five years, fabric replacement is only discounted 50%. After year eight, just 25%. Motor coverage caps at five years. But the bigger issues are what the warranty excludes: labor charges for installing replacement parts are not covered, so a “free” warrantied part still comes with a $300 contractor bill. The warranty also does not transfer to new homeowners — if you buy a house with a Sunsetter, you inherit zero coverage. One customer on Consumer Affairs wrote: “A warranty without paper doesn’t mean anything” (Jan 2026).
Feature Comparison
Installation and Service
Our direct, professional installation by Marygrove’s award-winning service team guarantees a high-quality, efficient setup, recognized nationally for the fastest installation times. This approach contrasts sharply with many competitors, who may rely on third-party dealers or less experienced teams, potentially leading to variable service quality and longer wait times.
Choosing Marygrove ensures a seamless and expedient installation process from start to finish.
Sunsetter does not install their own awnings. They ship to your door and leave installation to you or a third-party contractor. Installation runs $300 to $1,000 extra. Even “certified” Sunsetter installers have drawn complaints: one Consumer Affairs reviewer described installers who “instead of finding the studs, started drilling and messed up a bit of the siding, and mounted the awning, but it was the wrong one” (Jan 2026). Another wrote: “Sunsetter is an excellent company, however they don’t put awnings up and that’s one thing the company ought to look into” (Consumer Affairs, March 2026).
Feature Comparison
Technology and Innovation
Marygrove Awnings leads the market in technological advancements, offering features such as a full cassette for ultimate protection, a proprietary retractable pitch for optimal shade and rain shielding, and a reinforced lateral arm system using durable cables over the more common chains found in competitor products.
Our smart awnings are designed to intuitively adapt to your lifestyle. Equipped with an Advanced Weather Alert System, they respond to real-time weather changes, automatically adjusting to protect against sudden shifts. This means whether the sun’s out or the wind picks up, you can relax knowing your awning is looking out for you.
Paired with integrated wind sensors and ambient LED lighting, Marygrove Awnings enhance every aspect of outdoor living, making each moment under our awnings safe, bright, and utterly enjoyable.
Sunsetter has faced serious safety issues. In 2019, the CPSC recalled 270,000 Sunsetter awning covers after one death and multiple injuries. Sunsetter knew about the problem as early as 2012 but did not report it to the CPSC until 2017. In April 2025, a federal court ordered Sunsetter to pay $9.25 million in civil penalties. Additionally, one Reddit user reported “the metal front arm connected snapping and having the arm jut out like a piston while I was standing on a ladder” (r/homeowners, 2025). The warranty on that unit had already expired — and Sunsetter’s warranty does not transfer to new homeowners.
What You Should Know Before Buying a Sunsetter Awning
We believe in letting the facts speak for themselves. Before making a decision, here is what federal agencies, third-party review sites, Reddit discussions, and real customers have to say about the Sunsetter buying experience.
Federal Safety Recall and $9.25 Million Penalty
In 2019, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled approximately 270,000 Sunsetter vinyl awning covers after one death and multiple injuries from impact and fall hazards. A 73-year-old man died after falling from a ladder while attempting to remove the defective cover.
What makes the recall especially troubling is the timeline. Sunsetter first learned about the problem in 2012 and completed internal testing confirming the hazard in 2015, but did not report it to the CPSC until October 2017 — a five-year delay. That delay is what triggered the federal penalty. In April 2025, a federal court ordered Sunsetter to pay $9.25 million in civil penalties for failing to timely report the defective product.
Marygrove has never been subject to a federal product safety recall. We engineer and manufacture our awnings with safety as a foundational requirement, not an afterthought.
A Pro-Rated Warranty That Doesn’t Transfer and Doesn’t Cover Labor
Sunsetter’s warranty is pro-rated: full coverage for five years, 50% in years six through eight, and just 25% in years nine and ten. Motor coverage caps at five years. But the bigger problems are the exclusions that most buyers do not discover until they file a claim.
First, the warranty is non-transferable. If you sell your home, the new owner inherits zero coverage — a significant issue for anyone considering resale value. Second, the warranty does not cover labor for installing replacement parts. A “free” warrantied part still comes with a $300 contractor bill to install it. Third, the warranty is voided if water pools on the fabric — yet the manual pitch adjustment is described as “clunky” by users, making proper drainage unreliable.
One Consumer Affairs reviewer wrote: “A warranty without paper doesn’t mean anything. I’ve contacted the company and they responded, but I have not received the warranty that they promised me” (Jan 2026). Another on Retractable Awning Review put it bluntly: “Sunsetter guarantee is not worth the paper it is written on” (2024).
Marygrove offers a lifetime frame warranty, 10 years on fabric with full coverage (no pro-rating), up to 10 years on motors, and labor is included. Our warranty transfers with the home.
Third-Party Installer Roulette
Sunsetter does not install their own awnings. They ship the unit to your door for DIY installation or connect you with an independent contractor at $300 to $1,000 extra. The quality of that contractor is a gamble Sunsetter leaves entirely to you.
One Consumer Affairs reviewer described the experience: installers “instead of finding the studs, started drilling and messed up a bit of the siding, and mounted the awning, but it was the wrong one” (Jan 2026). Even a satisfied customer wrote that Sunsetter “don’t put awnings up and that’s one thing the company ought to look into, putting them up” (Consumer Affairs, March 2026).
When a third-party installer causes damage, Sunsetter corporate refuses responsibility. You are left negotiating between the installer and the manufacturer with no one willing to own the problem.
Marygrove uses our own certified installation crew on every job, every time. If something goes wrong during installation, there is one company to call — and we make it right.
The Costco Price Is Not What You Think
Sunsetter is widely sold through Costco, where the starting price is approximately $6,000. But that price does not include installation. One Reddit user in r/Costco reported that the “Costco vendor was generally higher priced than quoted from other local vendors — it’s just a markup that makes its way back to you via a shop card” (Sept 2025). The shop card feels like savings, but you are paying retail either way.
A Reddit user in r/arizona compared directly: “Sunsetter via Costco is $6,000 with DIY install, while another brand at the same price includes professional installation” (2024). Once you add $300 to $1,000 for a contractor, the true cost of the Costco package starts at $6,300 to $7,000 — without any guarantee of installation quality.
Higher-end Sunsetter models cost even more. A 16×11’8 motorized unit with remote runs $6,500. The Platinum Plus XL with cassette housing pushes close to $9,000 (Reddit r/Awnings, 2025). One buyer wrote: “I was not expecting an awning to be so expensive.”
Marygrove includes professional installation in every quote. No hidden contractor fees, no Costco markup loops, and no surprises on install day.
Replacement Parts That Take Months — Or Don’t Exist
Getting replacement parts for a Sunsetter awning is an exercise in patience — or futility. Customers on Consumer Affairs report ordering parts and waiting six or more weeks with no delivery. Parts are frequently listed as out of stock with no estimated return date. Multiple contractors refuse to service Sunsetter awnings specifically because replacement parts are unreliable.
Replacement fabric alone costs approximately $700 plus shipping. One Houston homeowner had to replace theirs after winter freezes destroyed the fabric (Reddit r/Awnings, May 2025). Key components including shoulder parts are sourced from Asia, contributing to extended lead times and availability gaps.
Marygrove manufactures in-house and stocks our own parts domestically. When you need a repair, we have the parts on hand and the crew to install them — no six-week waits, no out-of-stock notices.
Customer Service That Disappears After the Sale
After the sale, reaching Sunsetter can feel like shouting into a void. Customers report 20-plus-minute hold times with no answer. Emails go unanswered. One Consumer Affairs reviewer summarized: “Basically there is no customer service with Sunsetter.”
When a warranty claim is filed, customers report being told their issue is “normal.” One owner of a 20-foot awning described it sagging several inches in the middle — Sunsetter told them it was expected behavior. Motor failures after just two years are met with responses that amount to “the warranty is useless.”
Marygrove answers the phone at 800-442-9646. A real person picks up. We follow up after every installation, and if something is not right, we come back and fix it — no hold music, no runaround.
Water Pooling, Wind Damage, and the Pitch Problem
Sunsetter offers a “waterproof” laminated fabric option — but the warranty is voided if water pools on the fabric. The manual pitch adjustment that controls drainage is described as “clunky” by users, making it difficult to get the angle right. A Pennsylvania buyer who wanted rain protection noted they “must be careful in windy conditions” (Sunsetter Reviews, 2025).
With no wind sensors or automatic retraction on standard Sunsetter models, you are entirely on your own to decide when to retract. Leave it out during an unexpected storm, and you risk structural damage — damage the warranty likely will not cover.
Marygrove awnings feature adjustable pitch engineered for natural rain runoff and our Advanced Weather Alert System with calibrated wind sensors that automatically retract the awning in high winds — even when you are not home.
What Real Customers Say
Do not just take our word for it. Here is what verified customers have to say about their experience with each company.
Marygrove Awnings Reviews
“From an inquiry response callback at 8pm to an install just two days later, I could not be happier with the Marygrove service or product.”
Brandon Williams, Verified Customer
“This is my second Marygrove awning. The first one lasted over 10 years. When it was time for a new one, there was no question who I was calling.”
Nancy Koulder, Verified Customer
“The installation was quick and easy. The crew was very knowledgeable of the product and kept us informed every step of the way.”
Mike and Debra L., BBB Review
“The installation team worked through extreme heat and still finished ahead of schedule. They were professional from start to finish.”
Diana von Glahn, Verified Customer
“Marygrove provides the awnings and installs them through the same company, giving it complete control over product quality.”
Sunsetter Customer Reviews
“Basically there is no customer service with Sunsetter.”
Customer Review, Consumer Affairs
“The arms are thinner and somewhat flimsy. Don’t buy one unless they can prove inventory of parts.”
Customer Review, Consumer Affairs
“Ordered in July. Told parts may take 4 weeks. Six weeks later, still nothing.”
Customer Review, Consumer Affairs
“My 20 foot awning sags several inches in the middle. Sunsetter says it is normal.”
Customer Review, PissedConsumer
“Motor failed after 2 years. The warranty is useless.”
Customer Review, PissedConsumer
“Instead of finding the studs, they started drilling and messed up a bit of the siding, and mounted the awning, but it was the wrong one.”
Customer Review, Consumer Affairs, Jan 2026
“Sunsetter guarantee is not worth the paper it is written on. The best I could get was the name of the Sunsetter contractor in the area.”
Customer Review, Retractable Awning Review, 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
Was your question not answered? You can reach our team directly at 800-442-9646
Our warranty goes beyond typical offerings by providing long-term protection for specific components like fabric and motors, focusing on customer satisfaction and performance. Your Marygrove comes with a 10-year warranty for fabric, a 5-year warranty on the motor, and a 1-year warranty on accessories.
Marygrove Smart Awnings enhance outdoor living with features like weather-responsive sensors, an advanced weather alert system, and ambient LED lighting, all designed to adapt to your lifestyle seamlessly.
Choosing Marygrove means investing in quality, innovation, and reliability. Our comprehensive warranties, direct installation services, and advanced features deliver long-term value that surpasses the initial savings offered by cheaper alternatives.
Yes. In 2019, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled approximately 270,000 Sunsetter vinyl awning covers after one death and multiple injuries from impact and fall hazards. Sunsetter first learned of the problem in 2012 but did not report it to the CPSC until 2017. In April 2025, a federal court ordered Sunsetter to pay $9.25 million in civil penalties for failing to timely report the defect. Marygrove has never been subject to a federal product safety recall.
No. Sunsetter ships the awning to your door and leaves installation to you or a third-party contractor. Installation runs $300 to $1,000 extra depending on your area. Even “certified” Sunsetter installers have drawn complaints — one Consumer Affairs reviewer described installers who started drilling without finding the studs, messed up the siding, and mounted the wrong awning (Jan 2026). Another satisfied customer still wrote: “they don’t put awnings up and that’s one thing the company ought to look into” (Consumer Affairs, March 2026). Marygrove includes professional installation by our own certified technicians at no extra charge.
Yes. Sunsetter’s warranty provides full coverage for five years, then drops to 50% in years six through eight, and just 25% in years nine and ten. Motor coverage caps at five years. The warranty is also non-transferable — new homeowners inherit zero coverage. Labor charges for installing replacement parts are not covered, meaning a “free” warrantied part still comes with a $300 contractor bill. Additionally, the warranty is voided if water pools on the fabric, yet the manual pitch adjustment is described as clunky by users. Marygrove offers a lifetime frame warranty, 10 years on fabric with full coverage, up to 10 years on motors, and labor is included.
Availability is inconsistent. Customers on Consumer Affairs report ordering parts and waiting six or more weeks with no delivery. Parts are frequently listed as out of stock with no estimated return date. Multiple contractors refuse to service Sunsetter awnings because replacement parts are unreliable. Replacement fabric alone costs approximately $700 plus shipping. Components including shoulder parts are sourced from Asia, contributing to extended lead times. Marygrove manufactures in-house and stocks our own parts for fast turnaround.
No. Sunsetter’s warranty is non-transferable — it applies only to the original purchaser. If you buy a house with a Sunsetter awning, you inherit zero coverage. One Reddit user in r/homeowners discovered this the hard way after the metal front arm snapped while they were standing on a ladder (2025). The warranty had already expired, and even if it had not, the new homeowner would not have been covered. Marygrove works with homeowners regardless of whether they were the original purchaser.
Not necessarily. One Reddit user in r/Costco reported that the Costco vendor was “generally higher priced than quoted from other local vendors” — the markup comes back as a Costco shop card, not actual savings (Sept 2025). The Costco price of approximately $6,000 does not include installation. A Reddit user in r/arizona noted that a competitor at the same price point included professional installation while the Sunsetter Costco package was DIY only (2024). A 16×11’8 motorized Sunsetter with remote runs $6,500, and the Platinum Plus XL with cassette pushes close to $9,000 (Reddit r/Awnings, 2025). Marygrove includes professional installation in every quote — no hidden extras.
Unlike competitors who may use third-party services, all Marygrove installations are performed by our in-house, award-winning team, ensuring consistent quality and the industry’s fastest service.
Marygrove’s premium fabrics are engineered for durability and weather resistance, ensuring they remain vibrant and intact in various environmental conditions, unlike many competitors’ fabrics which may only offer basic fade resistance.
We are comparing our standard model awnings versus the Sunsetter Series Pro awnings. While Sunsetter does sell a Platinum series, we felt a fair comparison would be to compare the two stock models of each company.
Retractable awnings can weigh over 100 pounds and must be anchored into load-bearing structure. Improper mounting can cause wall damage, bracket failure in storms, and water pooling from incorrect pitch. Many manufacturers also void warranty coverage if the awning was not professionally installed. Marygrove handles installation with our own trained crew so your warranty stays intact and the awning performs the way it should.
Look for warranties that cover each component separately: frame, motor, and fabric. Watch out for pro-rated coverage that reduces your protection over time. Also check whether the warranty covers labor for service calls or just replacement parts — a “free” warrantied part is not much help if it costs $300 in labor to install. Finally, check whether the warranty transfers to a new homeowner if you sell the house. Marygrove offers a lifetime frame warranty, 10 years on fabric with full coverage, and up to 10 years on motors.
Yes, especially for larger awnings. Industry research shows homeowners use a motorized awning up to 10 times more often than a manual crank model. Motorized systems also allow you to add smart features like wind sensors and remote control operation. Every Marygrove awning is motorized and includes our Advanced Weather Alert System that automatically retracts the awning in high winds.
Cable-driven arms use reinforced steel cables inside the arm mechanism. Chain-driven arms use linked metal chains. Over time, chains can stretch, develop slack, and cause uneven extension — this is the mechanism behind the sagging that high-volume retail brand owners frequently report. One Sunsetter owner described a 20-foot awning sagging several inches in the middle, with the company calling it “normal.” Cables hold their tension longer and require less maintenance. All Marygrove awnings use a reinforced cable system for smoother operation and a longer lifespan.
Get a Free In-Home Quote
Your estimate is only a few steps away. Fill out the form and we will call you promptly to set up an appointment.
