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.

Kept me cool in the Ca sunshine!

Well made and blocks the sun

I have an autoimmune condition that means I need to be very serious about sun protection, and I got this umbrella for days when I dont want to wear a hat. Its great! Its easy to use, sturdy, and copes well with wind. Its also compact enough to carry around easily and to not take up too much room when Im walking down the sidewalk. It also works well for rain, making it a versatile addition to the stuff I carry with me daily. Coolibar products do tend to be a bit more expensive, but the extra money is worth it for the quality you get and the sun protection the products offer.

It is very solid, good size umbrella but also very heavy to carry in the handbag.

This umbrella worked well just for a few days after arriving. Then, it started closing itself and now it cant keep open for use anymore. Money wasted. This would be the second time I suffer a similar situation with these umbrellas.

I have been using this umbrella for years, I wore mine and it is time to buy a new one. If you are not using this ladies...kiss your skin goodbye. Everyone who sees me asks me what is my secret to my beautiful skin, well... staying out of the sun is a big factor. By the way, I also ware the long sun sleeves. This umbrella is incredible, it has reversed hinges, so if it is too windy, it flips backwards & you flip it forward! I would not waste any money, trying to save money buying a cheaper umbrella...this is it :-)

I used this for about a week and loved every second of it, until the mechanism began to fail and it started collapsing randomly while in use. Thinking it was user error i was careful not to push the button accidentally and resorted to hats again. Last week I decided to give it another shot and it broke completely. Because of the nature of the mechanism it can’t even be opened and locked manually, so it is completely unusable. I got maybe 7-10 uses out of it so i cannot recommend the item at that cost-per-use.

Ive only used this once so far, so Ill update after I travel with it, but that first use was an amazing improvement over my other parasols. It reflects quite a bit of heat and I like that the dark color on the underside doesnt reflect the reflected light from the concrete back on my face. The real test will be how well it holds up to frequent use. Ill come back in a month or so and let you know.

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.