Im not sure what it is about living in NYC, but umbrellas always seem to meet their deaths here much faster than when I lived in upstate NY. I ordered this umbrella because once again, on the last rainy day that we had here, our small umbrella stopped working properly at the most inopportune time. I was thinking this umbrella was going to be the same size as our other small travel umbrella, and did not read the description closely since I was just happy to find what looked like a reliable umbrella, ready to order. This umbrella arrived, and I would say its in between sizes - small enough to carry in a tote or backpack and still provide better coverage that smaller umbrellas, but not so big its inconvenient to walk through the city with it open. Looking forward to having a fully functioning umbrella again on the next rainy day.

My granddaughter loves it

Great umbrella for the price! Sturdy, large, and pretty easy to use!

The good: good-looking black umbrella that has a nice large canopy to keep the rain off and folds down to the size youd expect for a full-size umbrella. The product description doesnt highlight this but it has a gusseted, vented design so the top part of the canopy has a vent flap running around to help the wind pass though without turning it inside out on a windy day. The wind can be strong where I live so I appreciate this in a bigger umbrella. The not-so-good: two things primarily. One, after closing this umbrella, I found it much more difficult to neatly fold and wrap it with its Velcro strap and put it back into its storage sleeve, compared with many other similar umbrellas Ive used. Im not sure why - perhaps its the wind vent that takes away some of the form and shape, but I found I had to do a lot of folding and shaping by hand, where a lot of other umbrellas seem to fall into place and shape much more naturally when you go to wrap the keeper strap around them. Two, the handle has a smooth, almost slick black plastic grip. I guess I prefer something that has either a foam cover, a tacky soft rubber or silicone grip, or just a more grippy satin or matte finish. The grip feels slippery in my hand and I could see it being difficult to hold onto when my hands are wet, cold, or both.

I wasted my money buying this umbrella! It broke the first time I used it and there is no way of fixing it! Do not buy this!

Seems the manual type of umbrella is near extinction but this auto open works well.

Was a rainy day and used this right away when I got it. Its a very well made, sturdy umbrella, not like the flimsy ones people sell on street corners here in NYC. This one has two layers of overlapping fabric and sturdy spines that help protect the umbrella from turning inside out in the wind. Its a bit heavier than the more flimsy umbrellas, but worth it for the extra coverage (the canopy affords a bit more coverage than most portable umbrellas) and the fact that it feels sturdy and stable in your hands. Probably the best portable umbrella Ive ever owned.

With this umbrella you press the button to open and press the button to collapse the ribs and then press down on the top of the umbrella with the palm of your hand while holding the handle with your other hand. Press together until you hear a click. The fabric holds around the umbrella easily and the strap has plenty of length to wrap around to secure the fabric. The cover goes on well by twisting. This is a very nice umbrella with wind flaps to help keep it from turning inside out when it is windy. The fabric is on the thicker side and the umbrella is constructed well. The handle is comfortable to hold and has a wrist strap for easy carry when not in use.

Very pleased

Love my new umbrella