Balios Travel Folding Umbrella with Real Wood Handle Auto Open Close Vented Windproof Canopy - Designed in UK

Somehow, I lived my entire adult life up to very recently without owning an umbrella. That changed when I moved to Bogotá, Colombia. Compared to what you might imagine about Colombia, this mountain city is cold and the only thing tropical is the rain. It rains just about every day, although usually only for an hour or so. The reason for that weather change is the wind coming off the mountains that the city butts up against. My first ever umbrella was hastily purchased in the street and needless to say, it was not the most sturdy piece of equipment. It seemed to have a confused identity, thinking it was some kind of reversable jacket or something. It took every gust of wind as an opportunity to show off its perceived abilities, however its frame was not quite up to these acrobatic feats. As my first umbrella was slowly dying, having flipped inside out more times than a contortionist at Cirque du Soleil, I decided it was time to order a replacement. This, my second ever umbrella has been a much drier experience. It feels solid in hand and the wooden handle looks great. The wood is a stained a little darker than in the pictures, but I dont mind. Im not sure what kind of three-fingered being the handle was designed for (I guess a British one), I would have preferred a plain round handle, but its still comfortable enough to hold. Ive owned this umbrella for about three months now, I wanted to wait before writing a review. It holds out in both light & heavy rain & whenever Ive felt that familiar tug from a gust of wind, its never flipped inside out. It doesnt have a huge diameter, so any sideways rain might still be a problem & its probably not a two-person umbrella unless you really want to cuddle. That said, its very portable & easily fits in my backpack, along with everything else. When holding the umbrella at an angle, I sometimes get a few drips coming through due to the nature of the double canopy, however that definitely beats having it turned inside out. The button to launch the umbrella open is kinda fun, I could maybe distract a potential robber for a couple of seconds, giving me an opportunity to run if I had to. Pulling it back in is no easy task though. I can bicep curl 70 lbs for 4 sets of 10 and this is still a challenge. Definitely dont give this to kids. Its really just the last bit, locking it back in, if you try to grab the small metal part that comes in close to the handle, it can be difficult & your fingers can get pinched, however if you push from each end, its not actually that hard. Overall, a really good umbrella. I think its good value for money and should last a long time.

I was initially concerned when I saw that the umbrella was made in China, but when I opened the case I saw that the handle was carefully wrapped in brown paper. When I unwrapped it I noticed a beautiful, polished, engraved handle. This is the nicest thing Ive seen come out of China. The material looks to be of the highest quality. A great deal of thought has gone into the design, (designed in Britain), it is elegant...and the product is lacking the distinct acrid stench of plastic chemicals found in many Chinese products. There was no new product odor. I see only two issues that I may have. One, it takes a great deal of strength to retract the umbrella. Second, it is somewhat cumbersome to fit it back into the original case. I look forward to using this umbrella for many years, and will find excuses to take it out and show my co-workers.

This is a nice looking umbrella for sure, but it is missing an important feature which is the wrist strap. There is one on the case but not one on the umbrella itself. This makes the umbrella prone to flying away in windy rain conditions as well as not being able to let it hang on your wrist if you are commuting on a subway train without having to put it back in its case.

After finally getting to test this out in the rain, this is an awesome umbrella. It was shipped in a protective plastic case and has its own umbrella holder to put around it. It looks super classy with its really nice wooden handle. The best part is that it has a button to open AND close it (it took me a few minutes to figure out the button was used to close it as well, but I wouldve realized it sooner if Id read the words on the actual button). As for keeping the rain off me, it has a large radius and the edges turn downward to make like a bowl over you so the rain doesnt drip off the edges and onto you. Oh, and theres a cute tag with a quote on it - When it rains, look for rainbows. I thought that was a nice touch; it made me smile. Id definitely recommend this umbrella.

Great small compact sturdy umbrella for traveling. Very light weight & comfortable to hold. Opening & closing is just awesome! Makes getting in and out of the car very possible in the rain. Wishful thinking if only it could close all the way closes half way for you to push it close. Overall great product for the price. I had bought 4 different colors with no knowledge for my family as it was really appealing to me from the start. My judgment didn’t fail me for sure….great buy!!

A very well made product. A tad on the heavy side and a little longer than makes for easy packing into a purse but excellent performance -- would work well even in heavy wind and rain. And the open/close feature is very good -- helpful with arthritic hands.

I am so happy that I chose this travel umbrella! The quality is outstanding, seriously.... outstanding! I needed a size that collapses small, but still has normal coverage and this is exactly that. The actual umbrella itself is a very high quality thick waterproof material and it has the double canopy for those extra windy days. It also has a gorgeous wooden handle with grip. There is a button near the handle that releases and expands with a spring loaded mechanism, so opening and closing is a breeze. There is also a waterproof case with handle that comes with the purchase and to my surprise it was actually easy to get it back into the case after use! This is one of those purchases that I am patting myself on the back for buying because I know this umbrella is going to stand the test of time!

Great umbrella! It fits nicely in my back back, and when I need it, it flips open with a push of a button. I love that feature. I also keep one in the car. It fits nicely in the pocket behind the driver’s seat, and it’s great when you need to get out of the car. You can open the door, use one hand to open the umbrella outside of the car before you get of of the car and thereby minimize getting wet. It is also very sturdy, comfortable to hold and has a nice wooden handle. The only thing I wish was different is the rope for easy carrying. This thin rope is attached to the case and not to the umbrella itself. In previous brands I have owned, this rope has been attached to the umbrella itself, and I find that more convenient in case I want to carry the umbrella without its case. But this is not a big deal for me. The benefits far outweigh this minor isssue. The Brits have done a great job in designing this classy, sturdy umbrella. Absolutely top notch, I’d say. Cherio!

A spoke broke after a couple of months of use. I had to manually fix by hand upon every use.

I ordered and returned 3 different umbrellas based on description and reviews. All showed signs of poor construction and no quality control. This one is different and is definitely a keeper. The outer cover has a zipper that doesnt stick and is easy to use. This is one area is where many manufacturers cut corners. The strap that keeps the umbrella closed is large and sturdy and works well. The entire mechanism including the spines are beefy and not likely to collapse or break in a strong wind. I just returned from a vacation in a rainy place. Every trash can we came across had at least one umbrella. Clearly there are many cheap umbrellas out there that will fail when you need them most. Im glad I was persistent and was able to find at least one umbrella that is made to stand up to the elements and keep me dry.