Durable umbrellas

Properly choosing a quality umbrella for yourself, you should focus not only on beauty and successful matching with the image. The upscale accessory has many years of stubborn resistance to rain, wind, snow and scorching sunlight. Only the most durable model will allow you to rely on yourself in any situation.

When choosing an umbrella, weight and size should be considered, otherwise the “protector” will be too bulky, heavy and uncomfortable. Especially seriously, the selection of the optimal material and suitable finish should be approached by people suffering from allergies to fabric, paint.

Among a really wide variety of countries, manufacturers, originals and fakes, you can easily find a reliable umbrella of your dreams. It is enough to clearly formulate the final request for yourself and understand the basic technological concepts.

Having decided on the proposed ideal umbrella, you can proceed to the selection of a suitable model. It is worth starting from the type of construction: this is the basis that determines all other parameters.

Umbrellas are divided into two main categories:

• Umbrella cane;
• Folding.

The cane is fully consistent with the basic rule: the less parts in the system, the higher its reliability. The simplicity of the design ensures maximum durability: high-quality non-folding umbrellas are capable of faithfully guarding the makeup and hairstyles of their mistress for 10 years or more.

Another significant advantage of such products: when opened, the umbrella cane creates a wide dome that better protects from oblique rain. A minimum of moving parts is a guarantee of stability: with such a design, the risk of becoming a shapeless pile of knitting needles and fabric with a strong gust of wind is much lower.

For the many advantages of a cane, you have to pay with bulky dimensions: such an umbrella has a considerable length, it clings and causes a lot of inconvenience in conditions of lack of free space. The umbrella is quite heavy (300-500 g). He will have to keep it in his hands all the time, which will seem very uncomfortable to the owner, prone to some distraction.

The popularity of a folding umbrella is due precisely to its compactness and practicality. Decreasing if necessary by 2, 3 and even 5 times, such a product can easily fit even in a handbag. The modest diameter of the protective dome is offset by ease of use and a minimum of problems when opening or drying in cramped conditions.

The more movable joints are involved in the design of the umbrella, the faster it becomes unusable. The points responsible for folding become the most vulnerable areas. Reliability also reduces the use of fragile aluminum alloys for the frame, knitting needles and fixtures.

Otherwise, the product would be too massive and expensive. Lightweight materials tend to bend under load (for example, under the influence of wind) - thereby disrupting the normal functioning of the entire device.

The way in which the opening and closing of the umbrella is carried out largely determines its durability and resistance to stress. When choosing a quality product, it is worth remembering: the more complex the automation, the higher the risk of malfunctions.

The following types of umbrellas can be distinguished:

• Completely mechanical - you can open and close the dome exclusively with your own hands. Losing convenience and speed to more modern options, the manual method allows the umbrella to last longer.

• Semiautomatic device - the most common mechanism in most umbrellas, the optimal ratio of comfortable use and frequency of breakdowns. Minus - the rod still has to be folded manually.

The automatic system involves the full opening of the dome with the push of a button, and the double automatic machine also closes. Such an umbrella has a very important advantage: instant reduction in combat readiness. It can be opened even with one hand (which becomes important when you carry a dozen packages). This is a good choice for an active pastime, but it is worth monitoring the condition of the joints of the spokes. They usually need repairs after frequent use.

There is a widespread opinion: the more spokes in the design, the more reliable the umbrella. Indeed, it makes no sense to take a model in which there are less than eight pieces, and hope for a long service. If the owner is not too interested in the flawlessly rounded shape of the dome, it is enough to stop at 16 needles in the frame.

It is much more important to pay attention to the material and fasteners:

• Aluminum is a budget and extremely fragile option. Its only advantage is its low weight. Usually he loses shape too easily and wears out. The wind resistance limit of the aluminum frame is 8 meters per second (for comparison, the gust is considered stormy after 20 meters per second), after which the umbrella is guaranteed to turn inside out.

• Steel is a strong and durable material that can withstand strong wind pressure. However, such knitting needles significantly increase the weight of the product and can make the umbrella almost impossible for fragile female hands.

• Fiberglass is an elastic, lightweight and hardy "relative" of plastics. A successful replacement for metal knitting needles and the most relevant trend in the modern production of umbrellas. The disadvantage of the material is the high cost, so you will have to pay extra for the quality.

• A combination option is more available, almost inferior in characteristics to fiberglass.Its advantages are the steel base of the knitting needles and flexible carbon fiber end links.

A well-made “protector” has several spokes attached to the fabric on the springs (“crown”). This is the best way to fix it on the lace ("winch"). The more points of contact between the fastenings and the web, the less wet the dome will sag under heavy rain.

There are no special requirements for the rod for the umbrella-cane: a shape that is comfortable enough for hands and durable material that does not burden its hostess too much. When choosing the optimal folding structure, it is important to pay attention to the cross section: the more angles in it, the more reliable the final product.

Mention of the anti-wind system regularly appears in advertisements and descriptions of individual models. This name hides a combination of additional springs along the bends of the spokes (this allows the anti-storm umbrella to bend in different directions) and special longitudinal grooves along the mounts (this increases the likelihood that the spokes will hold in place after a collision with the air stream). When a strong gust of wind turns the umbrella with such protection inside out, to restore normal operation it is enough to close and open it again (you can’t try to put the knitting needles back in place).

The first and most important task of any umbrella is not to let water into the dome. The sheathing material should be not only moisture resistant, but also strong enough, able to maintain its original appearance under heavy rains or the scorching sun.

Accordingly, the quality of the umbrella is determined by the choice of fabric for sheathing:

• Nylon is a fairly cheap material. Unfortunately, it quickly sheds under the sun and requires proper drying: strictly in the open state (otherwise the fabric will “sit down”, as a result of which the dome will lose its shape).
• Polyester with special impregnation - soft to the touch, wear-resistant and water-repellent material. The disadvantage is that you need to be sure of the specific manufacturer and the originality of the product. Most of the useful properties of polyester are impregnation itself, and for low-quality umbrellas it tends to disappear over time. The combination of such a material with Teflon gives maximum moisture resistance, soft colors and the ability to change the shade of the canvas in different lighting conditions.
• Pongee is an analogue of raincoat fabric with a rough, spongy surface. Due to the high coefficient of moisture repulsion, such a casing dries in a matter of minutes.

The best indicator of the quality of the umbrella is deservedly considered rubberized sateen lining. Extremely durable and quick-drying material has practically no drawbacks (excluding the relatively high cost) and is used to produce the highest quality models.

The first thing to do when inspecting the umbrella is to check the operability of the mechanism. Open and close it, repeat the procedure at least three times in a row.

If the umbrella has a folding structure, it is important to make sure the rod is reliable. Do not hesitate to shake it a little in a fully deployed form: if the sections are shaking, such an umbrella will not last long.

All the necessary information must be attached to an original high-quality product that has long served its owner: about the manufacturer (logo on the dome), a separate label with a clear indication of the composition, a hygiene certificate (for compliance with the requirements for the content of allergens) and a six-year warranty.

The needles must be the same, even and not just sewn (in several places at the same time) to the fabric, but also fixed on the ends with special caps. If the skin of a new product sags immediately, then it will sag even more (for a cane, the requirements for fabric tension are higher than for a folding version).