Recently the weather here has gotten very wet, and an umbrella is a necessity. But as with most people the quality of an umbrella isn't something I've ever given much thought to; why would I when they're relatively cheap and easily available at most places?
Well that changed last week when the cheap umbrella I picked up to replace the previous one that met an untimely fate from a rogue tree branch, and I learned the hard way not all umbrellas are created equal, when I discovered the canopy size of the replacement was a smaller than I was expecting during a recent downpour.
That's when I started looking elsewhere, and I was surprised at the sheer variety of styles, designs, qualities, and canopy sizes.
What does everyone here look for when selecting their umbrella? Do you prefer the stick type or the collapsible travel umbrella? Are you fine with a small canopy or do you like something bigger, all the way up to a golf course umbrella? Do you prefer a single canopy with a lot of ribs for strength against high winds, or are you fine with the standard 8 ribs and a double canopy with wind vents? Or do you just prefer to go with a cheap $5 umbrella that's easily replaced in the event it gets lost or damaged?
Well that changed last week when the cheap umbrella I picked up to replace the previous one that met an untimely fate from a rogue tree branch, and I learned the hard way not all umbrellas are created equal, when I discovered the canopy size of the replacement was a smaller than I was expecting during a recent downpour.
That's when I started looking elsewhere, and I was surprised at the sheer variety of styles, designs, qualities, and canopy sizes.
What does everyone here look for when selecting their umbrella? Do you prefer the stick type or the collapsible travel umbrella? Are you fine with a small canopy or do you like something bigger, all the way up to a golf course umbrella? Do you prefer a single canopy with a lot of ribs for strength against high winds, or are you fine with the standard 8 ribs and a double canopy with wind vents? Or do you just prefer to go with a cheap $5 umbrella that's easily replaced in the event it gets lost or damaged?
