An umbrella designed using aerodynamic theory to withstand 100km/h winds
senzumbrellas.com
senzumbrellas.com
Unfortunately, it has two other problems that hamper any recommendation. The first is, as another commenter mentioned, it won't stay closed when collapsed without a fiddly velcro tie. You have to wrap it around the entire umbrella body, which is keen to spring open whilst you struggle with it. With cold, wet fingers this can be tricky.
The second problem is the build quality. Whilst generally OK, within 6 months mine had developed two flaws. It won't stay fully extended, as one of the little clips that pops out on the telescopic handle failed. It thus loves to collapse down to a size suitable for a toddler at any opportunity. The second is one of the canopy support structs popped out and bent, so it doesn't quite hold rigid.
It's a pity that what is otherwise an excellent design is hampered by one poor choice, and some shoddy construction. I don't know if the flaws on mine are isolated, but if that were the case, I'd have expected one flaw at most - not two orthogonal failures. Moreover, given the price, I scoured their website to find support and customer services when it broke. I had no luck whatsoever in finding after sales service, and couldn't return it to the store (it was a gift).
Do you program often?
In everyday use, there's a pretty major issue: it won't stay closed. When you fold it and hold it upright like you would any umbrella when you get indoors, it just falls open, getting your pants went and making you (and others) trip on it.
You can try to hold it shut, but the sticks are all different lengths, you need to individually grab each one, and you won't have any spare hands to open the door or get your keys. You can try to wrap it up, using not one, but TWO straps, which will get your hands all wet. And it's annoying as hell to have to do all the time.
It also won't stay closed when you prop it up against a wall, it will just fall all over the floor and make everything wet.
As if that weren't enough, the shape is odd: it makes it hard to cover yourself completely. I've tried. It is always too narrow in one direction. It also makes you look like a dork.
To be fair, it is solidly built and can hold its own in strong wind. The handle smells slightly but is comfortable to hold. Watch out though, because it's made of two parts that join as you open the umbrella, and it's quite easy to pinch yourself.
To sum up: bad design. Looks good on paper, terrible in actual use.
We have all your awards. If you want them back, you will have to pay us one MILLION dollars!
But seriously, what a strange thing to put in your marketing. Surely you haven't won every design award there is.
Gee, if they'd have just given me a call, they could have stood in the back of my pickup and saved a bunch of money on wind tunnels and airplanes...
I hope that's a typo. It's one thing to round up 69mph to 70, but quite another to round up 62 to 70. For starters, that gives you over 110kph!
http://www.euroschirm.com/intro/index2.html
EDIT: Here it is on Youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3oyTyWq9_I (don't bother unless you are _really_ passionate about umbrella's. I can't believe I've actually put this much effort into this comment...)
I almost don't use umbrellas, when I get the chance, anymore.
I've been thinking about different ways to solve this exact problem for quite some time. The damage is largely caused by high shearing forces on the spurs that hold the umbrella up, so allowing those forces to be relieved by something in tension (I used 200lb test fishing line) should work pretty well -- but it tends to get in your way.
I'm tempted to order one of these just to see if it stands up to Boston weather. I've tried other commercial "inversion-proof" umbrellas before, and they were... not, but I don't think I've ever seen one that did this using a flexible aerodynamic design.
Clearly if the winds were a steady 60mph or so you'd never bother to open the brolly or if you had it open you'd close it to save struggling against the wind.
The problem, though, is that fabric is removed from the front of the umbrella to create the wing shape, and the result is less coverage than an un-aerodynamic umbrella of the same handle-length. So your feet and pant-bottoms almost always get soaked in any situation where you would actually need an umbrella.
This umbrella solved two problems for me! I'm seriously thinking about ordering one. My only concern is that would one side of the umbrella be significantly heavier than the other side? That'd be a pain to hold it up all the time.
The story behind it all makes for much more HN-worthy fare: it was started by students as a spin-off from a University project and is now a successful, profitable company: http://www.senzumbrellas.com/en/how-it-all-started/
The handle is small though, so it's a bit uncomfortable when used for a long time.
In a strong enough storm, you'll just be like Mary Poppins.
If I have enough warning, I will actually wear a lightweight version of the same waterproof pants used by highway workers over my jeans.
There are a lot of comments here: http://www.woot.com/Forums/ViewPost.aspx?PostID=4074424
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/02/11/080211fa_fact_...
My father got another one though and I must say it really works, you automatically lean into the wind with the umbrella. Can't say I use it a lot though, I mostly travel by bike and if it's really raining a poncho is much easier than holding up an umbrella.
Now to make my big idea webpage do that...