Other good umbrellas to consider
There is a lot of umbrellas that exist and we are always trying more. Here are a few others we like that didn’t make our top picks list.
Photography: Balios
Balios Double Canopy Travel Umbrella for $27: This is another great budget umbrella that costs a little more than the Prostorm. It can open and close automatically with the push of a button; As with most automatics, you will still have to manually pull the guide down the steel shaft to collapse it. About a foot long, it doesn’t take up much space in a backpack and the wooden handle is a nice touch; Its generous size offers a comfortable grip. The ventilated double-deck model did a surprisingly good job of withstanding New York’s gusty winds. there is a single canopy model too and Balios has more fun designs than Prostorm.
ShedRain Vortex Vent Pro for $80: The Vortex Vent Pro has a diameter of 54 inches and is another golf umbrella, although it is a little smaller than the Blunt Sport above (it weighs the same). Its materials are not so good: an aluminum shaft with a fiberglass frame. However, it is a double canopy, which helped it withstand high winds, especially when I took it to the beach. It’s also about half the price.
ShedRain Vortex V2 Vented Auto Open Umbrella for $48: this has the same lifetime warranty like Davek and a large 44 inch diameter. He has treated me well these last few years. He Vortex V2 It is made from 100 percent recycled polyester from plastic bottles. It has a fiberglass frame and a ventilated hood, and the rubber handle is comfortable to grip. It doesn’t have the style or luxury feel of the Davek, but it is a lot more economical.
ShedRain WalkSafe Reflective Umbrella for $60: This is a simple manual umbrella that opens and closes smoothly, has a circular handle that can clip onto things, and has a diameter of 41.5 inches that covers one person (or two) quite well. The reason to buy it is the reflective fabric – it will illuminate quickly when a car’s headlights land on it, so you can feel safe knowing that it is visible to motorists.
ShedRain Vortex V1 Umbrella for $25: This automatic opening and closing umbrella works well, although it is nothing to write home about. It’s fairly compact, with a diameter of 38 inches, and does a solid job against high winds, thanks to the ventilated canopy design. It doesn’t look or feel particularly good and the handle is too small for my large palms, but at least there’s a strap.
ShedRain Stratus Manual Umbrella for $100: I haven’t had any real problems with this umbrella, but it does require a little force to open fully (it’s completely manual). No need to extend it all the way, just a quarter of the carbon fiber shaft. I would have expected it to be even lighter than our Davek umbrella selection, but alas, it is a bit heavier. You get a spacious 42-inch canopy and a Teflon-coated twill fabric that does a pretty solid job of drying quickly. It also has a nice rubber handle.
Strong meter for $79: He The subway is compact. and features the same large blunt edges as the previous Blunt Sport. It opens automatically (closes manually) and the 39.4-inch canopy is large enough for one person. The cover rotates 360 degrees to supposedly prevent damage to the central mechanism. My only problem is that when you fold it all down and adjust the canopy with the velcro strap, it covers most of the handle, so you have to hold the Metro by the wet (thick) fabric or the wrist strap.
Repel Windproof Double Vented Travel Umbrella For $30: This one is sturdy, withstands high winds and provides good coverage when open, collapsing down to just a foot long. It comes in gorgeous colors and a single button opens and collapses the fiberglass ribs. But “it is. So. Damn. Hard. A. Close,” according to my fellow umbrella reviewer, Louryn Strampe. Fully closing this umbrella is a two-handed operation, and he got so tired during testing that he often simply used the ground as a lever to push the handle down. a problem throughout the lineup.
Photography: Julian Chokkattu
Original Duckhead umbrella for $40: The Duckhead is a very cute umbrella. There’s a duck head on the handle! This little head is made of wood certified by the US Forest Stewardship Council (ensuring it comes from responsibly managed forests). The company also has many designs you can choose from (I have a limited edition dachshund pattern!). However, while the umbrella itself works well (I haven’t had any problems yet), the build quality leaves a lot to be desired. The button you press to open it automatically is stiff and something moves in place. The frame and ribs are made of steel and when there are strong winds, you can hear the jingling of pieces in the frame, which is not very promising. I will report in case I have long term problems. At least the company offers a 2-year warranty.
LifeTek New Yorker Umbrella for $40: This is a beast of an umbrella. The 54-inch canopy is large enough to keep you and another person dry, and its fiberglass shaft and wind-resistant frame withstand gusts large and small. The handle has a rubber grip and a single red button to open and expand the canopy. A Teflon coating ensures it dries quickly after the storm has passed. But between its awkward handle, 1.5-pound weight, and 3-foot length, my coworker Louryn Strampe felt the umbrella was too heavy for her 5’1″ frame.
Original Senz umbrella for $88: The first time I took out this umbrella, I heard someone say, “That’s a very attractive umbrella.” Is! It looks like a kite shield and the aerodynamic design can withstand winds of over 60 mph. On a windy day in New York, the Senz just bobbed up and down. Unfortunately, it is difficult to collapse the canopy unless using both hands, which are not always free. The narrow shape also provides less coverage, although it allows you to store the open umbrella in your backpack and walk covered. and hands free.
Avoid these umbrellas
Photography: Julian Chokkattu
Not all umbrellas are worth your time and money. We didn’t like these options, so stay away.
Gilley umbrellas for $63: The point of the Gilley is that you get a hard case that you can store the umbrella in to keep you and your space dry when you go inside in the rain. No need to leave your umbrella open at the door! This is not a new idea, but I have some problems with Gilley’s implementation. First, putting the umbrella back into the water bottle-like plastic case isn’t as easy as the company suggests. You have to stick the velcro around the 34 inch canopy and tighten it tightly or it won’t fit properly. When the umbrella is open, you are supposed to attach the plastic sleeve to the bottom to serve as a handle, but this is not a comfortable handle at all because it is very thick. yes, that does Keeps you dry when wet umbrella is inside the case. But I returned to Gilley after several weeks and found it still wet because I forgot to take it out of the container to dry when I got home. Rough.
Amazon Basics Automatic Open Travel Umbrella for $17: Yes, it’s cheap. Yes, it has a ventilated hood to improve wind resistance. Yes, it opens and closes automatically with the touch of a button. But it’s also the worst built umbrella I’ve ever tried. After over a year of use, parts of the interior frame are rusting and the velcro on the canopy strap is starting to fray. There’s no fiberglass here either: the flexing of the material helps the umbrella control the wind. The Balios or Prostorm we recommended above are much better for the price.
ShedRain E-Motion electric umbrella for $150: Er, you read that right. This is an electric umbrella. Yes, I know the irony. I honestly didn’t want to venture out into a storm with a piece of aluminum and fiberglass mixed in with a battery. The few times I did it, the E-Motion did its job pretty well. The Teflon-coated fabric feels durable and the nearly 40-inch canopy is spacious, but the motor is noisy and doesn’t sound pleasant. This also means that you need to recharge the umbrella and I just don’t think we need other thing to recharge. Better yet, I already lost the proprietary charger and now have no way to recharge it. If you have a family member who has difficulty opening and closing an umbrella, this might be a good option, but otherwise it’s a bit also high technology.
Compact ShedRain AOAC for $36: I have used this umbrella maybe three or four times and one of its ribs has already broken. Sure, ShedRain has a lifetime warranty, but that doesn’t hold much promise if it breaks down with such limited use.
ShedRain Vortex V2 Umbrella for $40: I liked and used this umbrella for several monthsthen one day it stopped closing properly and I couldn’t fix it. I have another model to try and I’m still having problems. Despite it being an umbrella that opens and closes automatically, I still need to push the canopy and snap it into place manually to keep it open. The locking mechanism is simply defective because I can already see it starting to fail again. It is relatively bulky for its size, but compact enough to store in the side pockets of the backpack. It has a nice strap and a comfortable rubber handle. The canopy is made of 100 percent recycled polyester fabric and the structure is steel with nine ribs. Unfortunately, its automatic functions keep failing.
ShedRain Stratus Chrome Umbrella for $90: I found the auto-open/close umbrella to be flimsy when I first tried it, and my instincts were right. After months of use, the shaft has not held up very well – it is jittery when opening and closing.
ShedRain Mini Manual Umbrella For $38: This is one of the smallest umbrellas I’ve tested (it’s just 6.5 inches long when closed) and the canopy is 100 percent recycled polyester from plastic bottles. I just hate the handling of this thing. It is wide, short and not at all comfortable to hold.