LifeTekPremium Travel Umbrella - Windproof & Compact for Men & Women, Automatic Open Close, Fits in Purse Laptop Bag or Backpack, Strong Frame for Heavy Rain & Sun UV Protection

I'm not an umbrella connoisseur, mind you: I don't have a collection. In fact, quite the opposite--traditionally, I haven't been a big user of umbrellas, except when motivated by necessity, caught in a sudden downpour while out and about. And when I account for those situations, it feels like I consume umbrellas like most people consume paper towels or disposable cups. I've bought so many crappy $15 umbrellas from various tourist destinations or museum gift shops only to have them blown inside out within twenty minutes of purchase, and I've also bought a fair-share of decent $10 Walmart umbrellas that, while acceptable, were larger and more awkward to store than a small hot air balloon. So, I decided to get one that lasts and is compact, and that's how I stumbled onto the LifeTek Traveler.At first, I was worried about the price. However, taking into account all of those desperate, spur-of-the-moment, "crap, it's monsooning!" umbrella purchases, it's really easy to justify the purchase of a more expensive umbrella, like the LifeTek Traveler. And I really feel like I'm carrying a solid, premium umbrella. It's light and narrow (don't expect to fit more than one person under this umbrella), but not at all flimsy. This thing dries out very, *very* quickly, and that's due to two factors. One is the fabric: the material feels markedly different than any other umbrella I've owned (much lighter, "breathable" like high-end athletic clothes), and the Teflon coating keeps it from absorbing water (keeping it lighter in your hand, too). Second is the automatic closing action. When you hit the button to close the umbrella, it snaps closed violently, shaking off any of the water that remains on the fabric. I've gone from downpour to bone dry in my backpack in less than 5 minutes.The only downside that I find with this umbrella is in that automatic closure, and that's only a minor complaint. Once the umbrella close button has been pressed, there's no way to re-open the umbrella (that I've found, anyway) without compressing the umbrella stalk down to its locked state and hitting the automatic opening button again. It's not like cheaper umbrellas where you can just re-open the umbrella by pushing the assembly upward; you have to close it all the way and trigger the opening button. This is a minor, minor complaint, but it does make it a little inconvenient if you're, say, temporarily ducking under a bus stop overhang and want to be ready to re-open your umbrella in a moment's notice.The biggest advantage of this umbrella is the company that stands behind it. As I mentioned, I've gone through a lot of umbrellas, but I've also gone through a lot of umbrella *covers*. I lose them, frequently. And, of course, I lost the umbrella cover for the LifeTek, too. So, I contacted the manufacturer to ask about getting a replacement cover, and within 20 minutes, a representative told me he'd located my Amazon order and had sent me a free cover via Priority Mail! I suspect that if I ever find a defect in the umbrella (very unlikely), they'd be similarly committed to making sure I'm happy.The only disadvantage to purchasing this umbrella is that you won't have a cool Smithsonian sun or Union Jack on your tourist umbrella, but at least you'll look less tacky, and you'll be much drier.

This umbrella is very sturdy and strong, made very well. I feel like it’s well worth the money.

I received this umbrella just in time for a rainy gusty day. It did not disappoint! Now I usually use a larger umbrella and I wanted to buy a more compact one this time. My first impression was that maybe I went too small; that's on me. I didn't consider that with a smaller width umbrella I also got a shorter shaft. As a 5'11" guy I feel like I have to hold the umbrella up pretty high which is a little uncomfortable. On the other hand the shaft seems pretty solid so this may make it more durable.The fabric of the umbrella is light weight and I thought it felt weirdly cheap at first but then I realized it was the Teflon coating making it feel odd. And the coating works. I was shocked to see after closing the umbrella it shed all the rain in just a minute or two making it easy to put in its sleeve and put away. In fact when you push the button to close the umbrella it sort of jumps and shoots the water in whatever direction it's pointed so watch out for that. I'm going to need Teflon on every umbrella I own from now on.It's a small umbrella yes, but the portability is outstanding. I was concerned the small handle might be uncomfortable but it is not! Whoever designed the handle was very thoughtful, it's an oval shape that grips easily in your hand and there are score lines that provide extra grip (pictured - sorry it's sideways that's Amazon's doing).The umbrella handled about 20 mph gusts the day I used it so far. I wasn't seeing umbrellas turned inside out so it hasn't been through a heavy stress test. However with the auto open and close function the ribs seem extremely heavy-duty so I would be surprised if this gets flipped; if it does I will update the review appropriately.Bottom line: if you want a sturdy and simply stylish sub-compact umbrella this is a great choice.