Comments on: Windproof Umbrellas

Question: Windproof Umbrellas

Vidiot — Wed, 17 Dec 2003 09:39:51 -0800

Do those "windproof" umbrellas actually work?

By: riffola

riffola — Wed, 17 Dec 2003 10:09:34 -0800

I don't know if those umbrellas work as intended, but growing up in Mumbai, where we 3-4 months of monsoon, and the occassional typhoons. I've learnt that the best way to avoid turning your umbrella into a crow is to point it into the wind, which is usually where the rain is falling from anyway, so it avoids breaking the umbrella and keeps you dry.

Also spending a little extra on a *good* sturdy umbrella is always wise. Don't bother with the 99¢ store ones. The best umbrellas I've owned were made by Stag or Sun brands. My current one is a tri-fold automatic close and open Sun brand umbrella. It's *great* it hasn't even come remotely close to turning crow.

By: Vidiot

Vidiot — Wed, 17 Dec 2003 10:14:48 -0800

Good to hear. Any good places in NYC to get Stag or Sun umbrellas? I'm tired of crummy umbrellas coming apart, even the ones that I do spend more than $5 or $10 on.

I do point the umbrella into the wind, but as you know, the wind direction can shift unexpectedly (especially in Manhattan) and you wind up with a wet piece of modern sculpture in your hand.

By: riffola

riffola — Wed, 17 Dec 2003 10:31:49 -0800

I get mine from Mumbai. I don't know of any places in NYC that sell them. You might be able to find them online. Rediff.com sells them, but I think the best thing to do is look for places that sell umbrellas here in the city, and pick the one that you feel is the best.

By: soyjoy

soyjoy — Wed, 17 Dec 2003 10:39:34 -0800

I have one of those umbrellas (it was given to me as a promotion) and have been very happy with it. It has never inverted yet, but I'm sorry to say that i haven't yet used it in one of those typhoon-like situations in which other umbrellas have. I'll let you know if one comes up.

By: soyjoy

soyjoy — Wed, 17 Dec 2003 12:45:24 -0800

Hey, I was just outside in miserable weather. At one point the rain let up and it was just windy. I turned the umbrella the wrong way around - such that one of the cheapos would have snapped inside out - and it held up fine. This wasn't gale force, but it convinced me, anyway, that these things are indeed "windproof." Mine is this kind, I think.

By: scarabic

scarabic — Wed, 17 Dec 2003 13:23:07 -0800

is it the ventilation or the strength that does the trick?

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Wed, 17 Dec 2003 13:48:35 -0800

Those umbrellas are fantastic. I have a Fulton, and it stands up to Boston's worst wind (the three block radius around the Hancock Tower). It was a really, really good thing to get. It's sturdy and the vent works just as advertised. Sharp looking, too.

I know-- it's just an umbrella. But it's cool to have something that works as well as advertised.

scarabic-- it's mostly the vents, that are secured to the rest of the canopy with stretchy shock cords. However, they're also better constructed than most umbrellas.