The folded brolly is a neat little package that’d slip easily into any handbag and it has a cute matching cover too, although we did find this a little bit tricky to put onto the umbrella once it had been used. However, size isn’t everything; durability, weight, opening mechanism, windproofing and overall design will all play a part in ensuring you don’t arrive at your destination looking like you swam there. It's sturdy, thanks to its fiberglass ribs and shaft, and the Teflon fabric hasn't shown any signs of wear (it dries quickly!

Featuring a classic black UV design, it has a rubberised handle, making it comfortable to hold and there’s even a silicone finger pad for increased ergonomics. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Packed with high-grade steel, fibreglass and aircraft-grade aluminium, we found that this little brolly was exceptionally reliable, even in stormy conditions. We absolutely loved the incredible choice of canopy patterns (made with 100% recycled bottles) and both the auto-open mechanism and steel ribs feel really well made, standing up well to even strong winds. This is purely anecdotal, but whenever I've used a more expensive umbrella, I've always been more conscious about grabbing it before leaving a party or restaurant than the cheaper ones.

However, it's a double canopy, which helped it fare well in high winds, especially when I took it to the beach. Make sure you don't get caught in unexpected showers with a handy telescope option that fits comfortably in your bag. The high-density polyester fabric will keep you dry in sudden showers and even though the feather-light carbon ribs are a little shaky in a breeze, their flexible design will withstand inversion without damage. Coverage is a comfortable 94cm when open, which just about kept two of us dry, and the high-grade steel, fibreglass and aircraft-grade aluminium frame was rock steady. Firstly, if you’re on the lookout for an umbrella that’s small enough to stash away in the bottom of your handbag, stuff down the side of your backpack or even pop into a pocket, you’ll need to consider the folded size of your canopy.

With its temper hardened steel joint connectors, reinforced shaft and hexagonal hardened steel ribs it stays in shape in strong winds. We love that this umbrella also offers UPF50+ protection, which makes it a lovely parasol for sunnier days too. So far, no automatic umbrella provides the finishing touch of cinching the canopy with the strap, and it’s hard to imagine one ever will.I've wasted a lot of cash on cheap umbrellas, and I'm here to warn you not to make the same mistake. This umbrella was easy to use, and that put it ahead of other similarly sturdy but more expensive stick models, such as the GustBuster Classic (which felt considerably more top-heavy).

Despite its size, we found it surprisingly robust in all but the strongest winds, making this brolly a worthy handbag staple. Its automatic open-and-close mechanism is quite satisfying: Pressing the button forcefully snaps the umbrella to attention. I, honestly, did not want to venture out into thunderstorms with a piece of aluminum and fiberglass mixed with a battery.Another of our testers, Wirecutter’s Christina Colizza, noted that the Repel expanded with more energy than she’d expected. The canopy itself is made from recycled polyester and big enough for one, and the telescopic handle slides out nicely, however the tiny size does mean there is a slight compromise on strength and we found this one a little shaky in high winds.

when folded and easily packs into a rucksack, it opens up to a diameter of 108cm, which kept us completely dry even in squally rain.Regardless of an umbrella’s size, no model will keep you dry from head to toe, especially if there’s a breeze. The handle is a little uncomfortable to hold with its bulbous size and foam texture, and it’s also on the heavy side.