Coolibar UPF 50+ 42 Inch Sodalis Travel Umbrella - Sun Protective

I received this umbrella in April but delayed writing a review until Ive actually used it. Its been really hot lately but its cool under this umbrella unlike the ones without UPF. Unfortunately 2 ribs have broken off & poked a hole in the material. I contacted Coolibar & they will send me a replacement. Its on back order until 8/15/13 but Ill wait - its worth waiting for.

I have admired the sun umbrellas that I have seen used by travelers in the tropics, so finally ordered one myself for our next trip to Thailand. The Coolibar travel umbrella arrived today - just in time for the trip. But unfortunately there are two problems. First, the umbrella does not open properly. Pressing the push button, only partially opens the umbrella. To get the umbrella to fully open and to stay open, you must force the center mechanism up and down several times pushing it firmly against the end stop. Once it stops sliding backward, you must then pull down the sides of the umbrella, so that it is not partially inverted. This process is too cumbersome to open an umbrella. Second, it is difficult to hold the open umbrella because it is very top heavy and poorly balanced. It requires an awkward force to hold it at any angle other than completely upright. While the concept of this umbrella is a fine one, the problems with not opening properly and the poor balance lead to my rating is only 1 star.

This really helps to stay shaded when i forget my hat.

Perfect size, light

The umbrella functions but is a bit bulky. It almost looks home made to tell you the truth. BUT it does keep you cooler watching the baseball, soccar games and running meets, so I do not mind it’s look that much. Some might like the look. Quite industrial looking.

I wish I had something good to say, but I dont. I was so looking forward to using this umbrella, the summers here in Las Vegas are brutal. The problem with is umbrella is it flips inside out in a breeze and I not talking about a heavy duty breeze. I had to hold the strap to keep it from flipping, to no avail, it flip and broke the spine or struts or whatever their called, one of them just snapped, no support no good. I could try to super glue it, but that wont solve the main problem it flips constantly. I want to return it, but Coolibar.com wont except it, third party and Amazon wont pass 30 days, now I stuck with a piece of useless junk. I did read the reviews and I didnt see this issue, so I just say buyer beware.

Covers very well keeps you cool. For the price its not very strong I used it when it was raining and the wind just turned it upside up and it just broke. $50 gone.I wont purchase again.

I liked this umbrella for sun protection, but the quality is just not there. I used it for less than three months before the open/close mechanism fell apart and the umbrella went in the trash. With such a short life span, this is definitely overpriced. As others have said, it also does not withstand wind of any kind. Pretty disappointed, but still gave it 3 stars since it does a good job of protecting from sun and heat.

This is the first umbrella I have purchased for shade protection. It really does help! I live in Arizona, so I was skeptical that it would make much of a difference, but it does! I also love that the silver exterior makes it feel a bit less odd walking in the sunshine with it. :) The handle has a comfortable grip, and it closes small enough to stash in your purse or briefcase. I only wish that it was a bit easier to close, as it takes strength to compress the metal rod back to its smaller size (which is required to then activate the button to open it again). Even with that downside, I would purchase this again or recommend for friends and family, as it really does help counteract the intensity of the sun. Coolibar is one of the few companies endorsed by the Skin Cancer Foundation. Be wary of cheaper imitations, as they are often made of subpar materials that dont truly block UVA and UVB rays.

Overall, good product. Large enough to cover all parts. Giving it four stars because it is VERY hard to close—the spring mechanism requires a lot of pull down force and is not easy.