Customer Reviews

ShedRain WindPro Mini Umbrella Auto Open & Close, Black, One Size

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Here on my campus, it seems to always be very windy, probably due to the flat land surrounding it. If you carry a $5 umbrella with you on a rainy day, you'll find yourself tilting it this way and that way, just to make sure the wind doesn't caught inside of it. With the ShedRain umbrella, this effect completely disappeared. The ShedRain doesn't seem to have any trouble dealing with wind. Plus, the automatic open/close feature on the umbrella really makes life a bit simpler.

Overall, if you're in need of a good umbrella, this product is the way to go.

This is a very nice mini umbrella, and does auto open AND close. It has a very thick sturdy shaft, and is made with semi-flexible spars that bend in the wind and prevent the umbrella from becoming a sail. It also has a vent hole on top, so in all it is quite stable in high winds. It is not the lightest umbrella ever, due to its sturdy construction, but it is light and small enough to carry around all the time in a backpack or briefcase no problem. I'm quite satisfied with this product. My only complaint would be that the button is kind of hard to push for auto-close, so if you have a weak grip you might want to try an umbrella with a more sensitive mechanism. On the other hand, this does effectively prevent accidental closures.

I bought this umbrella for the "heavy duty" -- the gusty, stormy days of NYC. And it arrived just in time for the storm that's flooding the east coast right now. While it does a damn good job of standing up to the wind gusts, it doesn't do as great of job of repelling the heavy rain. The fabric saturates in a heavy squalor and then starts to drip down.

Not a big deal since it stops the bulk of the wet, I'll probably just add a layer of scotch guard to it or something.

I live in New York City, where we're constantly walking, and in need of good umbrellas that can handle wind. I used the GustBuster before, which was great, but wanted a more portable option. I thought this wood be good.

The reality is that it doesn't protect from wind much better than a regular umbrella. At winds where a typical umbrella might turn upside down, this one does as well.

I'll keep it as a regular umbrella, as the automatic open and close is very convenient and works well. But when I know there's going to be wind, I'll break out the gustbuster instead.

Pros:
Opens and closes easily, compact design.
Cons:
Seams leak, blew inside out on the first good wind gust, build quality not worth money paid.
I wouldn't buy this model again.

I lose umbrellas. I leave them everywhere. I have left them in cabs, on trains, and on buses. I leave them at restaurants. Actually, any public place where the chance of recovering a lost item is slim - that's where I tend to leave my umbrellas. For this reason, I typically purchase cheap umbrellas. Disposable umbrellas. Ones that would inevitably end up in an umbrella graveyard: jammed into a garbage bin with other umbrellas suffering the same fate...torn material, broken ribs, rusted wires, worn-out handles. Those disposable umbrellas were ones that I wouldn't be upset to leave as a 'gift' to the next commuter occupying my seat on the train.

A couple years ago, I embraced a new approach. I bought an expensive umbrella. This ShedRain WindPro one, actually. It was a navy blue colour called Heather, but despite the feminine name - I still felt manly whilst using it to shield myself from the elements. I paid around $40, so I figured that losing this umbrella would be more difficult. I would pay attention to its whereabouts, because it was something of value to me. No longer disposable. It is a great umbrella. It's not huge, and is insufficient to fit two people underneath, but it fits nicely in a backpack, not taking up much space, so I can always have it with me. Together with this umbrella, we fought storm after storm. No gust of wind or spray of precipitation could defeat us... Sadly though, Heather met her demise. True to her strengths, she stayed open to the end...but that was her defeat. Her closing mechanism had malfunctioned, and she would not collapse. I was gutted.

I sent an e-mail to ShedRain to try my luck with the lifetime warranty. I had since moved from the US to Australia, so I prepared myself for the anticipated polite, but negative response to my query about a replacement. I expected that the warranty would be void overseas. To my surprise, after describing what had happened, ShedRain indicated that they would replace Heather at no cost - not even shipping to Australia. Phenomenal! They indicated that they understood international shipping was expensive, so I wouldn't need to send my broken Heather to Portland. They'd just send me a new one. ShedRain's warranty policy was excellent. Well today, I received the replacement and I can't wait for it to rain. Seriously Mother Nature, if you're reading this review...Bring it.

Like other people, we finally decided to "invest" in a compact umbrella after getting tired of buying cheap ones that inevitably broke after a short period of time. I bought both this umbrella (the ShedRain WindPro Mini) and the GustBuster Metro, not knowing which was better. As it turned out, the GustBuster was broken (it wouldn't stay collapsed) and appeared to be flimsier and of poorer quality in general, so I returned it. We now have two ShedRains and use them regularly in a city where gusty wind is common--they're holding up great. Also, the ShedRain has a great feature whereby you can push a button to have the umbrella instantly collapse--a fantastic way to keep the umbrella open until the very last second, just before you need to go through a door.

I live in the DC area and do a fair bit of walking, so a good portable umbrellas is a must. This umbrella is pitched as a WindPro, however, it does not perform any better than a typical umbrella. In fact it turnsover with relative ease in the wind.

The only redeeming quality of this umbrellas is that the materials used and the construction feel solid. I wouldn't have been disappointed if this product wasn't marketed as a WindPro!

I bought this umbrella as a Christmas gift for my husband to replace all of the cheap, broken, and bent "throw away" umbrellas he had amassed over the years. So far, I'm happy with it. The construction is sturdy and appears quality made. The best part is the vent at the top of the umbrella that allows wind to pass threw. I don't see why this wouldn't be the last umbrella my husband will ever need.

I've now replaced all my umbrellas (home, car, office, and suitcase) with four umbrellas of this model. I started with one and gradually swapped them all out. It's tiny and light, but windproof even on gusty Florida days.