9 Best Umbrellas (2022): Windproof, Cheap, Tiny, and 'Unbreakable’ | WIRED

After testing a few Weatherman umbrellas for more than a year, I think the brand offers the best quality for the money. The Travel Umbrella is my favorite—an umbrella that can automatically open and close is especially helpful as you enter a building while juggling groceries and a cup of coffee. It's sturdy, thanks to its fiberglass ribs and shaft, and the Teflon fabric hasn't shown any signs of wear (it dries quickly!). I haven't noticed any issues with the open and close mechanism either. 

It's one of the most compact umbrellas we've tested (save the Davek Mini below) and weighs less than a pound. That does mean the canopy is small—a smidge under 38 inches in diameter—making this a strictly one-person umbrella. It comes with a great strap, there's a lifetime warranty for any defects, and it has a little zipper pouch so you can store a Bluetooth tracker.

★ Also great:  I like Weatherman's The Stick Umbrella ($74), which is much bigger (44-inch canopy), only opens automatically, and has a vented canopy to allow strong gusts to flow through. It has one of the biggest arced domes to shield you from droplets too. If you're in an area with high winds, consider The Collapsible Umbrella ($84). It's more compact than The Stick, with a 40-inch canopy, but does the same great job of resisting such conditions. 

Having bought my fair share of $20 umbrellas, I wasn't expecting much from Balios, but I was pleasantly surprised. This umbrella can automatically open and close with the push of a button—like most automatics, you'll have to manually pull the runner down the steel shaft to completely collapse it. At about a foot long, it doesn't take up much room in a backpack, and you'll need a place to store it, as it doesn't come with a strap. The sleeve it comes with does have a strap, but as with most sleeves, I've already lost it. (Alternatively, if you get the single canopy version, you'll get a strap embedded into the handle.)

What surprised me most is how well the double-canopy model handled New York wind gusts. It has a fiberglass and stainless steel frame, and the top layer of the canopy has vents that let the air out from the inside. The ribs won't flip as often as they might on other umbrellas. That's not to say the Balios will never turn upside down; it once flipped during a particularly windy rainstorm, but a simple press of the button will correct the ribs back to normal (just open the umbrella quickly again so you don't get drenched). The wooden handle is a nice touch too, and its generous size offers a comfortable grip.

★ Also great: The Prostorm Vented Travel Umbrella ($20) is even more affordable and just as impressive as the Balios. The fiberglass and steel frame feels slightly more robust, especially since it has one rib more than the Balios. I like the deeper dome that offers better coverage. The open/close mechanism works well, but you sometimes have to shake the umbrella to let it fully extend out. It's double vented with a similar 38-inch canopy that feels spacious for one person. My only gripe is the handle—the rubberized material feels nice (it comes with a strap!), but it's tiny in my large hands. This might not be an issue if your paws aren't as ginormous as mine (I'm 6'4").  

The Davek Solo is exquisite. It automatically opens and closes via the push of a button. (It requires some effort to slide the runner down the steel shaft to close it completely.) The 37-inch-diameter canopy is nearly identical to the Weatherman Travel umbrella, the frame is reinforced with fiberglass, and there are nine ribs (the more the better against heavy winds). The handle feels really nice—it has a clip and a top-grain leather strap—but I wish it was a little longer. Davek also has a lifetime warranty for any repairs the umbrella might need, and if you lose it, use the special code that comes in a box to redeem a replacement for up to 50 percent off the regular price (it can only be redeemed once). Downsides? It's heavier and quite expensive.