Umbrellas.  We all have one or two–nine or ten if you’re my family!  Of all of the umbrellas I have to choose from when it’s raining or I just want some shade on a walk, this is the one I grab every time.  The ease of use was initially what attracted me to this baby.  The extra feature I didn’t really notice until we had a particularly windy day.

Have you heard of an umbrella with a wind vent? These have one. I had never heard of a wind vent in an umbrella before. When wind kicks up, it doesn’t flip inside out and break!  We all know that pain at some point. As an added bonus water does not leak in from the vents.

The automatic open/close feature means that you unwrap the little strap that secures it closed, then press a button on the handle to open it.  You also press the button on the handle to release the tension and pop it closed.  No more pinching fingers trying to press in a little tab while standing at your car!  Afterwards you just collapse it down, give it a few hard shakes (to remove extra water) and re-secure the strap.  Unsecure it and give the petals a good wipe when you are done with it for the day.  Actually, do this on any umbrella.  Maintenance is important!

Pros:

• Huge size when unfurled. This baby is 4 and 1/2 feet across. Perfect to keep all to yourself, or share with a loved one.
• It closes up small enough to fit in a tote bag. Note I mention tote bag, not a regular purse. See below. It’s close to the size of a large water bottle when closed and secured.

Cons:

• This is not a totally compact umbrella. It will not just be slipped into a small handbag. If you have a regular purse, there is a carry strap for your wrist.  Personally, this isn’t a con for me, but it is a concern for the majority out there.
• The price might put people off a bit. I paid $25 for mine. It’s down to $22 this year at Target. After years of destroyed umbrellas, I considered the old addage:  You get what you pay for.
• The models this year are much less colorful than they were last year. Chalk it up to general fashion trends.

Would I recommend this product?  Absolutely.  You should have two–one for your person and one for work (if you have a locking storage area at work.)  This is the 3rd year I will have my umbrella.  That’s a long time for something to still function correctly these days.

This post is not sponsored and reflects only the opinions of the reviewer.