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

Best umbrella ever!

First, let me say that New York City is hard on umbrellas. I cant tell you how many times Ive gotten sprayed with the rain due to an upturned umbrella that couldnt handle the intense winds that often accompany our rainy days. That said, I took this umbrella on a test drive on a particularly windy, rainy fall day and no upturns! It held its own from the double layer design; this umbrella is sturdy! For a well constructed umbrella, its quite light, even with the wood handle. The balance of sturdiness and lightness is key for living in a walking city, and the dual open and close button makes this a God-send when trying to manage heavy outside doors, bags, and a soaking umbrella to get inside buildings. One of the better umbrellas Ive used, highly recommend!

I love the look of this umbrella! I have been traveling with it in Europe for 2 months now and it is fairly good for travel. It is lightweight enough and easy to strap to the side of my bag. On one of my first windy days, though, One of the arms did break though. It did not take too strong of a gust to break it. I havent had luck in poping it back into position, but it is still useable just not as aesthetically pleasing. Maybe dont buy this if you live in a windy city.

Updated review... The customer service was fantastic! I was able to get a full refund and replacement umbrella. Hopefully this next one will perform as expected. I have upgraded their rating from 1 to 4 stars because of the exceptional service. I would give 5 stars but I havent had an opportunity to test the new umbrella yet. I will update my review in the future based on performance (if warranted)! Previous review... I only used this umbrella two times and the third attempt was the last because it broke when I pressed the button to open it! I expected so much more than this and unfortunately I cant return it because Im outside of the return window. Epic let down!

UPDATE: Balios customer service is fantastic, leading to a revision of my review and increase in the product rating. They reached out the day after I posted this review, offering an apology, a full refund, and a heavily-discounted replacement -- far more than most companies would consider providing. I have not yet had the occasion to test the replacement umbrella under gusty conditions and will update again if it fails the challenge, but for the moment Im hopeful that it is more robust than the first unit. At the very least, with first-class customer service and return policies, the Balios is worth serious consideration as a low-risk purchase with polished design upside. ============================================== ORIGINAL REVIEW: An elegant umbrella at a surprisingly affordable price, the Balios largely lives up to expectations, albeit with one very fatal flaw. The quick-drying canopy snaps to attention at the press of a button and closes just as readily, while the fiberglass and steel construction seems to be an asset to prolonged durability. The sleeve adds to the convenience, offering a rare zipped side that makes it significantly easier to reinsert the umbrella after use. And although I would definitely prefer an option for a golf-size canopy to accommodate two people and/or shield packages being carried, its still perfect for the stated purpose of shielding a single person from the elements. Design-wise, its suitable for a quick run to the pharmacy or a trip to the board room. The classic navy/black canopy remains taut, with clean lines and an opaque canvas that easily surpasses that of other umbrellas in this price range. Moving to the signature element of the Balios, the handle is well-crafted, with a comfortable grip and a rich, wood grain finish that gives it a truly refined look. However, the fatal flaw present in the unit I received is its failure to withstand even moderate winds. Despite being described as windproof and possessing a vented design for just such occasions, it immediately and repeatedly inverted in 15mph winds with 30mph gusts, leaving me out in the rain without a usable umbrella. Others have reported better experiences in similar conditions, so Im being generous with my two-star rating in the hopes that I simply received a defective unit. No amount of design and longevity can overcome the inability of an umbrella to function should a rain storm present more than just precipitation. Unfortunately, I am just past Amazons 30-day return window to request a refund.

I have had this umbrella for nearly a year now and it was been a great umbrella to keep in my bag and use while Im out. The auto open and close is very convenient and I had no real problems with that mechanism. Last week the metal shaft of the umbrella broke as I closed the umbrella and there was no way to fix it. I reached out to the customer support team and they immediately got back to me with a code to get a new umbrella for 99% off. The new umbrella is working well and I hope the metal shearing off was simply a defect in my original umbrella. I will update with any developments. Overall, I would still recommend this umbrella.

Sturdy & really holds up in wind swept rain

No complaints, exactly as described. Very well made, looks polished, nice (navy) color. I wouldnt call this lightweight exactly, compared to other travel umbrellas. Its certainly not heavy, but it has a bit of heft. Very pleased with this purchase. I had it shipped to Hawaii as I didnt want to use precious suitcase space for an umbrella, and so far have mostly used it at the beach. It makes a nice sun shade and the handle is very comfortable to hold for long periods. No trouble with beach winds, either. The sand brushes right off when its dry.

I used to just buy the cheapest umbrella I could. My old one was turned inside out by the wind. So this time I thought I would invest in a quality bumbershoot. I looked at many on Amazon before finding this umbrella. The feel of this umbrella in your hand screams quality. Build: I chose this umbrella because it had two features I was looking for. One of which being heavy duty fabric to prevent it from ripping, especially along the ribs. The fabric is 300T which is almost double the 190T many ubrellas use. I has a very luxurious feel to it. Couple that with thicker ribs and you have a sturdy umbrella. The second feature was the double canopy to provide a wind proof experience that should in theory prevent this umbrella from turning inside out like my last one. Although I have used it int he rain and it rolled off like water off a ducks back, I havent used it in high wind yet. So I cannot attest to how well this feature will actually work. Other features that were not a must have but are a nice addition are open/close button, ergonomic handle and case. The push button both opens and closes the umbrella with a spring action. You still have to compress it, but the umbrella closes on its own. Nice feature. The handle has a nice soft rubber texture with knuckle grooves to make it ergonomic and comfy. It is not a tiny nub of a handle like some compact umbrellas, but yet not too big so the umbrella is still compact. Very comfortable to hold. Lastly the umbrella comes with a nice heavy duty sleeve case with a zippered side. I doubt I will use it, but nice addition. I usually just keep my umbrella in my truck on side of seat with ice scraper. I can honestly say I have never paid this much for an umbrella, but what a difference. This one is like a heavy duty tactical umbrella. The quality is apparent and the materials make it feel like high end. I am sure it will last for many years. I will update after testing it in the wind. Update: 6/30/17 So I have had the umbrella for a while and the material has held up well. The windproof design does not work as well as hoped. While walking into a store during a strong thunderstorm the umbrella still inverted. Also the automatic opening works great, but can be difficult to close at times. I still stand by the fact that this is a top notch umbrella that is made solid, but dont expect it not to invert during a strong wind. And it may not be ideal for someone like a child or elderly person who may not have the strength needed to collapse it back down after use.

Great umbrella. Compact and stylish. Seems very sturdy in the weather I have used it in.