UKH

Thinking about buying a big golf umbrella for a day at the zoo but everyone has a name like “wind-proof! Face the storm! Unbreakable” then the reviews say “broke in first gust of wind”. 
 

I bought my wife an umbrella from Debhenams a few Christmas ago and it too disintegrated within the first few outings. Since then I’ve decided waterproof trousers and are the way to go, but not sure if that’s gonna cut it with a toddler at the zoo!

I have found the Fulton umbrellas to be the best, nothing is “extreme wind” proof but they seem to cope/last better than most. I have one for my work bag which has last a number of years.

this is the large/golf sized one I have in the car

https://www.millets.co.uk/15995034/fulton-stormshield-golfing-umbrella-1599...

Are you going to the zoo in a hurricane? If not, buy a £4 golf umbrella from sports direct. 

I have never find umbrellas to be success in the UK, where we rain almost never falls vertically thanks to the inevitable accompanyment of wind. Even if they don't break, you inevitably end up to staged from the chest down anyway.

In Europe I have found with heavy vertically falling rain they are excellent and generally keep you dry from the knees down. Fantastic when it's too hot to layer up in sweaty waterproofs.

Yeah, Fulton are the bees knees. I keep one in my car, rarely use it but it's never failed.

If you want to spend ... have a wee look at Senz umbrellas ... 

I got one years ago and it's served me well and the "stealth" design has been admired many times

Good umbrella?

Such does not exist if you are a Yorkshireman.

Have a look at Harrods umbrellas. One of them is 450 quid. Good grief:

https://www.google.com/search?q=harrods+umbrellas&rlz=1C1CHWL_enGB838GB...

They look good and not crazy £400 etc. In fact for around £60 compared to all the money wasted on shitty sub £9 ones again and again, I'd be prepared to shell out! And they do look cool. Have you got a full size or a foldable?

My record was late Nov 2018, a work trip to Portugal, I didn't realise the weather would be so rotten. Bought some junk 8E thing at the airport or maybe a late night shop. It self-destructed as soon as I opened it, around 8pm in the dark wet wind in Porto, full Basil Fawlty moment as I stuffed it straight into a bin, witnessed with rightful amusement by two smirking young women nearby  

Good point. I have definitely got through about 40 umbrellas in my life, most of which didn't last long 

Over a year ago I bought a 20 quid one from Next... still going though a bit shaky now..... much better value. Next time I'm going to buy an even better one somewhere 

I have a Fulton Stormshield and swear by it. I’ve used it regularly for the last few years and it can handle some reasonably strong winds. One of my favourite bits of kit! 

They were, and still are, quite expensive for a brolly but, given the number of failures in the past, mine has been used for about 7/8 years now so has just about averaged out on cost ... 

I swithered for a while on sizing but eventually went for one which, when folded, is 30 inches long. This meant it didn’t have the additional worry of hinged spokes (often a failing with folding brollies) but was still relatively compact.

They do look good and the design has been “wind tunnel tested” to 60mph if I remember correctly. Good customer service too, I lost the storage sleeve and they sent one free of charge when I enquired about a replacement 😁

If you want some brownie points, get one of these:

https://www.johnlewis.com/give-a-little-love-heart-shaped-umbrella-red/p517...

Alternatively, I've noticed that my local Waitrose has a selection of free green and white ones available at the door, but have never needed one owing to the waterproof trousers etc.

Edit: also, there is this cautionary tale:

youtube.com/watch?v=Pe5eL8LQdY0&

The only good umbrella is a dead umbrella.  Goes doubly for golf umbrellas.  Goes 10! for golf umbrellas used on the high street - which might not be your original intention, but you just know that's how it'll end up being used at some point.  Unless your expectation is for it to be a single use purchase, which brings its own set of issues.

Have you considered a hat, or visiting on a non rainy day?

I await your (and many others) displeasure.

In the brave new world you have to book everything in advance (Pen y pas car park, the zoo, etc.) so unfortunately I’m committed come rain or shine!

Ya gotta book in advanced! 😭 

Errrr thanks, and sorry, but have you been out in a total downpour / cloudburst? A hat is absolutely useless then. And we usually can't choose when to be out 

Anyway here's one good true thing that happened to me re rain. My wife and I got caught right outside in a terrific prolonged rainstorm on the way to Heathrow to catch a 12-hour longhaul flight. By a fluke it wasn't possible to shelter anywhere. We, and all our luggage were totally and I mean totally soaked through when we checked in for the flight, oh yes that was a fun flight

Try Blunt.

Made for Wellington (NZ) wind conditions:

https://bluntumbrellas.co.nz/pages/blunt-design#made-for-the-extremes

One of the few times I've been in a Rolls Royce I was shown to the ones concealed in the doors. Absolute class and as fitting with the rest of the vehicle as you'd expect.

Available without the rest of the car apparently, at a price pretty much what you'd imagine.

https://euroschirm.com/

These are VERY good. 

HANDSFREE UMBRELLA! Like having your own room every where you go!

I've taken a punt on the Fulton Stormshield people have recommended so I'll let you know if we come back from the zoos dry or with minus one umbrellas.

When I bought my Skoda someone had left a Senz Mini in the umbrella compartment under the passenger seat. That thing has stood up to some serious wind.

I used one of the hiking umbrellas on a long-distance hike and it was great. This was before they had the hands-free options but I made mine hands-free easily with a couple of bungee cords on my backpack straps. 

Really light and bomber. The ribs are made of flexible plastic and not metal so never any issues with it inverting or immediately breaking at the first gust of wind. 

A proper, gentleman's umbrella comes from Swaine Adeney Brigg.  A silk cover is about £350 more than a nylon one though.  Just in case you had run out of things with which to alarm your bank manager (not that they have such things these days).

Their golf umbrellas are £120-ish.  Rock shoe sort of price.

And also on the Skoda Superb. Available without the vehical for about 15 quid. 

These are worth a look  

https://leehasdell.com/unbreakable-umbrella/ 

https://gustbusteruk.com/

I hate umbrellas and the people who use them.

If you've got it at lower than my head height (I'm over 6ft) and not looking where your going I will push it and maybe you out of my way. I do not care if it breaks.

If it jabs me I will break it.

No. 

My dad reckons that nobody under 6'6" should be in allowed to carry an umbrella for that very same reason.

Your father is a very smart man

I'm only 5'11.5" and I like umbrellas, very handy sometimes.

I hate people who don't know the difference between you're and your and push them over at any opportunity. 

I use an umbrella all the time (I need it). I always look where I'm going when I'm using one, and I have never not looked where I'm going or jabbed anyone with it

I've kept other people dry with it

No need for hate

Check out Blunt Umbrellas. I've had mine out in storm force winds.

https://bluntumbrellas.co.uk/

I have a collapsable Fulton I bought in 1985. Reasonable size and still functioning well.

Caveat: Umbrellas in wind are a nightmare. Even the senz which I bought for my wife has its draw backs (narrow front means rain blows under).

I use mine on light wind days (when its raining obviously) and if rain is heavy I wear waterproof trousers as rain will still hit the lower quarters

Just face it, there is no such thing as a wind proof umbrella in anything more than about Force 1 on the Beaufort scale, so carry on with the waterproof clothing or wait until the little on is older, or better still chose a nice day for the zoo on the spur of the moment?

Sadly you can no longer take the  Debenhams' brolly back any more....  

you have to book the zoooooooooooooooooooo....

just like Pen-Y-Pas car park (and you can't even book that <24hrs in advance) so no more spur of the moment "weather looks good" fun for the time being.

I do voluntary work at an English Heritage site, and although we operate an advance booking system, we find that we are not always fully booked and we do get "no shows", so if people contact us on the spur of the moment on the day, we can often accommodate them. Similarly we went for lunch at a pub on a nice sunny day earlier this week. They too were operating a booking system, but when we rang them on the spur of the moment, they said they had capacity. During lunch we decided to see if we could visit the gardens at the nearby Great Dixter that afternoon. Again they operated an advance booking system, but confirmed there was availability due to no shows, so we booked on line immediately and went there too.

So its always worth a phone call to check spur of the moment availability. Good luck!

Yes really impressed with the EH booking website and its ability to let you make last minute bookings (availability dependant) even in the day.

Much better than the NT one which I think required all bookings to be made before close of business on the previous day.

Surely this is an excuse to visit that Umbrella shop in Holborn and pretend you live in a different age?  https://www.james-smith.co.uk/

Rolls Royce Pah! My Skoda has two  concealed in hidden door pockets - one in the drivers door and one in the front passenger 

Not the four door umbrella model then?