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

Its a good quality umbrella, but what good is it if its too heavy to carry? If manufacturers are going with this size, they need to switch to more exotic materials - aluminum and steel simply wont do the job without being too heavy. I have never used this umbrella, in the past few months, because I cannot carry it for extended durations. Id rather get a bit wet, that end up with carpal tunnel syndrome.

My old umbrella is at least 20 years old, but finally starting to show some wear. I opened it up to see what brand it was and it was a Totes. Bought some other designer umbrellas at T-Maxx or Marshalls and they fell apart quickly. I was initially concerned with the size being huge or the weight. I like that it is vented, the grip is rubber and has a nice feel and the color combination matches my cars interior. Like the design and everything about it. I hope it last 20 years like my last one.

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.

The umbrella comes off as a little big; I feel a little bit out of place when I open up my umbrella in the streets of Seattle and my umbrella could probably fit two or three rain-ridden folks, while other folks umbrellas are smaller, which sometimes makes me feel like Im overcompensating for my small car. When closed, the umbrella would definitely not fit in a small-to-medium-size purse, but it could partially fit in a backpack, a satchel, or other carries. In any case, I really like the blue colour. The handle is a bit on the heavier side; if it storms with much wind, a weak hand may not be able to hang on the heavy frame. But if it storms with much wind, you should not really be walking outside anyway. Unless you are in New York City, in which case you probably already own an umbrella or two.

If I could give this umbrella TEN STARS, I would. Its definitely the best Ive ever owned and Im writing this review several years after my purchase. This thing will endure all but the strongest gusts of wind with no problems. Even on the rare occasion that it flips, it has always gone right back into place with no visible or functional damage. Its very large, so it will work for two people or give full complete coverage to one in most conditions (obviously when the rain is coming down at a sharp angle your legs will get wet). You definitely have to sacrifice in terms of portability to get such a high quality umbrella, but I can actually fit this into some of my larger handbags. The only possible negative is that its too big for super crowded streets. However, I rarely have a problem in Philadelphia, so most people should be perfectly fine. I stand away from the crowd at the busiest bus stops or whatever, but I can still easily pass people on the sidewalk just by moving aside or tilting it slightly for a moment.

Tote products are awesome. This umbrella fits me and one extra person perfectly . Does not break easily when heavy winds hit

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.

Somewhat heavier and bigger than expected, but it keeps the rain out and I dont feel like its going to invert in a heavy rain.

A few reviewers said that their umbrella performed a self-destruct the first time it was opened. I decided to give it a chance since Amazon has a good return/exchange policy. Sure enough, right out of the box, first time, it flew apart -- a very effective, somewhat startling self-destruct mechanism -- this is a bit beyond planned obsolescence! Okay, give them a second chance. Easy exchange using UPS labels provided by Amazon. Second one is great (so far). Either bad quality control or a bad batch got through. I dont know if I would have had the patience for a third go at it, but as it is I have a nice umbrella acquired in a mildly inconvenient manner.

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.