totes Blue Line Golf-Size Vented Canopy Compact Umbrella, Black, One Size

I love this umbrella. It was the only one I could find that checked off all my requirements: Long Handle, Wide Covering and Vented. I its not the golf-sized umbrella that I see that could cover an entire family, but it does have a nice sized canopy. You can feel the stability of this umbrella every time it opens. I live in NYC and it travels well. It wont fit completely in most everyday bags but I knew I wanted something with a longer rod. My handle sticks out the top of my bag and I dont mind. My one complaint is the wrist strap off the handle. It is elastic and makes it annoying to carry with the strap as it bounces too much when walking.

My husband researched umbrellas and landed on buying two of these. They seem like great quality! They aren’t too heavy, and they feel durable. We haven’t had any issues with the opening/closing mechanism. They are nice and large for two newlyweds to snuggle under—and now for keeping my baby bump well protected from the rain. :)

Update: 11 years later, we are still together and going strong! I work at a California prison, which means walking miles outside daily, in the middle of a nowhere valley, where the wind whips in every different direction & rain blows diagonally, not vertically. When it rains, the wind is worse and the average life expectancy of an umbrella is one or two wind bursts. I have gone through dozens of umbrellas. I have bought guaranteed umbrellas in the past but they still turn inside out and break. I finally decided to try a vented umbrella but prison regulations do not allow an umbrella with the long tip, like most vented umbrellas have. I finally found this one on Amazon and so far so good. This umbrella is BIG but not cumbersome. It is very sturdy and when the wind was whipping in every which direction, it handled it well and I wasnt worried it would flip inside out like every other one I have used. The first day I used my umbrella, I had 5 compliments -thats a really nice umbrella! which is goofy but just exemplifies how desirable a sturdy, functional umbrella is in our work environment. I gave several people item specs so they could also order this umbrella. I dont like having to spend this type of money on an umbrella when so many have failed in the past but if it makes it through one or two rainy seasons, it is well worth the money. One drawback - it is a bit heavy.

Its a pretty large umbrella that still can fit (just barely) inside my backpack, and it appeared to be pretty sturdy. Ive had it for about two months now. Ive mostly used it in light rain, and it would keep me dry for the most part. However, I began having issues with the water seeping through it on extended walks, or when I would use it, go inside, and use it again in short succession. I suspect that when I shake it off upon entering a building that, because it is vented, the water shakes down into the interior. Then when I use it a few hours later, this trapped water might get stuck in creases and form a sort of water tension bridge that allows water to wick through the material. This theory is giving the benefit of the doubt to the manufacturer, because the alternative is that it is just of inferior quality and soaks through after 20 minutes or so. Ive also just noticed significant amounts of rust forming at the joints that are causing rust stains to appear on the fabric and creaking at the joints. I may try to oil the dozens of joints to reduce this problem, but of course then Ill have oil on the inside of an umbrella that also has a dripping problem. Id be wary of buying this again. Id suggest giving the outside some additional water proofing if you get it, and be careful not to invert the umbrella to shake excess water off like you might with a non-vented type.

So Im not sure why this has to be a mens umbrella - Im definitely female and I definitely love this umbrella. It is very very wide and keeps pretty much all of me (plus bags, backpacks, another person, etc.) dry. I havent tried it in incredibly strong winds, but it has performed well in moderate to powerful gusts.

Ive actually purchased this twice because my first one was borrowed forever by my sister. This is a solid umbrella that when collapsed is just about 20.5 long. When opened the canopy is large and has a great handle with good grip. Here in NYC lots of people buy the cheap $5 street umbrellas but those things will disintegrate in a large gust or a collision. Dont lose or let people borrow this and itll last you longer and keep you dryer.

I am sick of disposable umbrellas. I wanted a sturdy umbrella that would hold up to wind and I could tuck into my briefcase. This is more convenient than a traditional golf umbrella in that it collapses, but as previous reviewers have commented it is on the large size. I have a nylon briefcase/bag and this does fit in it, but not discretely--it projects out the top. However, as I travel by foot among several buildings this is useful to have available. I am willing to trade length for functionality (the extra panel for wind) . I wear glasses and absolutely detest getting water on them, hence the desire for an umbrella (I never know when a rain shower will pop up). Also the pattern (blue and white) makes it obvious, which is helpful in the dark or reduced visibility situations. I was once almost hit by a car while in a cross walk because I was wearing a dark coat and they just didnt see me.

This is one of the largest folding umbrellas you can get...about 56 across, so you can walk with another person no problem. Its not as big as a full-sized golf or bellman umbrella, which is about 68, but I needed it to fold. Its auto-open, but manual close, which is fine. It has a wrist strap and a comfortable handle. The nylon/netted case it comes with is pretty useless, really, as it has no shoulder strap.

So I had a similar umbrella that worked very well. I got this one as my wife was using it. When this came home, sadly I inherited the old one, and that says a lot. To classify this as only a mens umbrella is sad. Very solid and sturdy umbrella. Fabulous for the winds we face in the Chicago area. It has allowed us to survive through a few storms. It will fit a couple of if needed. Now I need to go get another one of these, so waiting for the one to break...

Seemed to be okay, but I misplaced and before I had a chance to use it. I replaced it with a Totes 8709 X-Large, and am much happier with that.