admin Price: You get what you pay for when it comes to an umbrella. All the good things we laid out for looking for a good umbrella ultimately means you’ll be paying more than a fiver for a good water-repellent umbrella. Expect to spend at least $20 or up to $100 for something that will last you rainstorm after rainstorm.
The Best Umbrella, Overall: Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella
All that stands between you—a soon-to-be soggy mess—and the rain is this umbrella, the best $30 you might ever spend. It’s arguably the most popular umbrella on the internet according to its nearly 60,000 Amazon reviewers and a number of reputable publications, which tout this umbrella’s innate ability to get the job done. Its one-button auto open and close is great for not having to fumble around when all you want is to find some coverage, and a durable Teflon coating lets rain slick off like the umbrella is a non-stick pan.
The interior of the umbrella has nine reinforced fiberglass ribs, which is more than the standard six or eight, and while those extra ribs are meant to prevent the umbrella from turning inside out, it’s not going to completely eliminate those pesky flips. With a lifetime warranty to sweeten the deal, Repel’s umbrella won’t be the worst way to spend $30 (yes, just a wee $30).
The Best Budget Umbrella: AmazonBasics Automatic
There are a lot of $10 to $20 umbrellas out there, and honestly, they all stack up pretty similarly. In fact, if we had to make an educated guess, we’d say a lot of them are coming from the same factory. They’ll all beat your average umbrella sold on the street/corner store, but we like this one from AmazonBasics best. It’s not the ‘Zon’s best-selling automatic umbrella (that would be the Repel up above), but it holds up well against strong winds, has a pretty good surface area, and a wind-vent, which sets it apart from most umbrellas at this price. The materials feel a little flimsier and the pop up is less satisfying than what we’ve seen from our other favorites, but those sacrifices might be worth it if you’re just looking to save some money on a trustworthy umbrella.
The Best Collapsible Umbrella: Blunt Metro
Most people prefer a collapsible umbrella and this one right here is our favorite. These high-quality umbrellas from Blunt have a unique look—thanks to the blunt, rounded construction—that apparently confer some strength benefits. The company claims the umbrellas can resist winds of up to 55 miles per hour, but that doesn’t really actually mean much for real-world use. What’s more important is that they bolster that claim with a two-year warranty. This umbrella weighs less than a pound, packs up to the size of basically every other standard compact umbrella, and your friends will nod approvingly if you opt for one of the fun color options. Its large canopy actually spins 360 degrees in case some ding dong knocks into it with their cheap umbrella so that the core mechanism won’t break, according to the brand. Solidly built, not insanely expensive, and they look about as cool as an umbrella can look without being a full-on you’d-weep-if-you-lost-it fashion umbrella. Sold.
The Best Lightweight Umbrella: Davek Mini
The Davek Mini solves the actual biggest problem with umbrellas: You either need to have a backpack or large coat pocket to keep one on hand. The fact that it still holds sturdy is extremely impressive: It covers the same square footage as most fold-up umbrellas, but it packs up to half the size. Seven inches tall, honest-to-god back-pocket-able if you don’t wear rockstar-tight jeans. Its small 38-inch canopy might not cover your head as well as the Blunt umbrella, but for most conditions, it’ll serve you just fine—especially since the Mini is backed by an unconditional lifetime guarantee.
The Best Budget Lightweight Umbrella: Lewis N. Clark Travel Size
If you want a compact travel umbrella you can just toss into your backpack and forget about until you get caught under a February cocktail of rain, hail, and slush, you should get this water-repellent umbrella from Lewis N. Clark. It’s got the same sized canopy as the Davek Mini, which will ensure that you stay fully dry in such a downpour, but it comes in at a more affordable price. After it’s collapsed and folded, the umbrella measures 11 inches, and it weighs just 10 ounces. It also offers a great opportunity to get your neon on (we opted for a more neutral color in the pictured model), with a few more flashy colors.
The Best Classic Umbrella: Blunt
We lauded the Blunt Metro umbrella above, and this non-fold-up version is just as . It’s slightly more wind-resistant—72 mph, which is a wind speed for which we’d actually recommend remaining indoors if at all possible. But more importantly, it’s got a wider canopy, which makes sliding another person under it a little more feasible when disaster strikes. It’s solidly built, and again, the sheen and vibrancy of the canopy makes it an aesthetically-pleasing option, but without looking too fussy or designer. You’re gonna have this thing for a long time, so get a color you’re willing to stand by for the next decade.
The Best Wind-Resistant Umbrella: Lifetek Double Canopy Traveler 45 FX2
If you must leave the comfort of your home during a hurricane-like storm, you’ll need an umbrella with a double canopy. The design of these umbrellas incorporates a wind-vent (a space between the stacked canopies) that allows a gust to pass through your umbrella instead of getting caught inside of it. It might sound counterintuitive, but this helps make sure the umbrella almost never inverts, preventing you from the awkward experience of trying to shake your umbrella back to its normal shape in a crowd of people watching you do so. We’ve found that this LifeTek model is well-built and sturdy, even after years of use: Its automatic open close mechanism is still speedy and hasn’t started to break down or malfunction at all. It comes in a few nice muted colors, and even boasts a two-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.
The Best Budget Wind-Resistant Umbrella: Shedrain Vortex
If you’re looking for a small, inoffensive-looking umbrella that you can keep in your bag whenever it threatens rain, Shedrain is another name to know. With the heft of a flimsy $10 umbrella, but excellent construction keeping it together, you’re looking at an affordable but seriously windproofed option. Like the LifeTek umbrella, Shedrain’s Vortex features a double-canopy design, which helps it withstand those super-strong gusts you’d normally associate with a tropical storm. The Vortex is virtually “flip-proof,” according to the brand, and it can withstand winds up to 75 miles per hour (though if you’re experiencing 75-mile-per-hour gusts, you should absolutely not be outside, to be clear). The Vortex has a nice grippy handle, too, that’s accented with a wrist strap so those aforementioned NASCAR winds don’t knock this out of your hand.
The Umbrella That Will Make Someone Stop You to Say, “Cool Umbrella:” Certain Standard
None of the umbrellas we’ve collected so far look bad, but you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who’d refer to them as a fashion flex. You could pretty easily say that of the Certain Standard umbrella. The umbrella’s advantage is its cork handle, which feels really nice as you’re gripping onto it for dear life in the middle of a downpour. The umbrella also comes in a few lovely colorways, each of which includes an antique white accent patch. It’s the kind of umbrella that gives off stick umbrella credentials without forcing you into the company of people who want to spend all of their time talking about stick umbrellas.
The Best One-Button Umbrella: Totes Titan
For too long, people have fumbled with finicky mechanisms just to get their umbrella to open. Thank engineering for the one-button-operated umbrellas, like Totes’ Titan. The thing shoots open like a cheetah and snaps shut in an instant, all at the push of a button. The generous 43-inch canopy can keep you and a partner out of the rain, while it folds down into a neat 11-inch package. And just for good measure, the Titan withstands winds up to 70 miles per hour.
The Best Bubble Umbrella: Shedrain Bubble
Clear bubble umbrellas have a unique shape that allows you to leverage their see-through canopy to see where you’re going in a sea of umbrellas and peak sidewalk traffic. That means you can fully duck your head under the umbrella’s canopy and be able to maneuver the streets without poking an eye out or crashing into oncoming crowds. A lot of times these clear bubble umbrellas lack any structural integrity, but this one from Totes manages to withstand gusty winds and, of course, it’ll keep your head dry during the worst downpours, courtesy of its generously sized dome.
The Best Expert-Designed Umbrella: Weatherman
Who would you trust to design a good umbrella? A meteorologist might come to mind, and that’s exactly who founded the Weatherman brand of umbrellas. One of the brand’s most popular options is this collapsible umbrella, which you can keep in your bag at all times so you’re protected from an inclement weather if you’re just hitting the town or going on your daily commute. It features an ergonomic handle, so you won’t cramp up from having to fight those strong winds—which this umbrella can withstand, up to 55 miles per hour—and its fast-drying fabric ensures you don’t end up with a mildew smell in your bag. And in the case of a sun shower, the umbrella is rated to be UPF 50+ for sun protection.
The Best Umbrella on Amazon: G4Free
With nearly 30,000 reviews on Amazon, the G4Free umbrella is one of the most popular among the thousands of options that the ‘Zon offers. What sets this umbrella apart from others is its double-vent design, which makes it more durable against strong winds by allowing gusts to pass through the design to prevent inverting or difficulty with holding it during harsh conditions. The fiber glass construction also helps with the durability of the umbrella while keeping it lightweight. Oh, and its 47-inch canopy will allow you to command the whole sidewalk in a very Kendall Roy-esque manner (foot traffic, be damned!). As one Amazon reviewer writes: “This umbrella is a great size allows for a lot of coverage, is easy to hold, and is durable. (A great) grab for the money.”
