The best umbrellas, tested in heavy rain and wind

I'm a firm believer that rainy days are best spent inside, but when you have no choice but to brave the wet and windy conditions, an umbrella keeps you and your belongings dry and safe. The best umbrellas are strong and portable — and they won't give out on you in the midst of a downpour during a sudden gust of wind.

After testing umbrellas in real-life storms and simulated rain and wind, my best overall pick is the Blunt Metro Travel Umbrella. It has a unique, angled canopy that always keeps me dry and never flips in wind gusts. Out of everything I tested, it's the best umbrella for wind and rain. If you're looking for a large umbrella, I recommend the G4Free's Double Canopy Golf Umbrella, a roomy option with plenty of space for two people.

Our top picks for best umbrellas

Best overall: Blunt Metro Travel Umbrella - See at Amazon

Best budget: Balios Travel Umbrella - See at Amazon

Best compact: Weatherman Travel Umbrella - See at Amazon

Best oversize: G4Free Automatic Double Canopy Golf Umbrella - See at Amazon

Best design: Original Duckhead Eco-Friendly Compact Duck Umbrella - See at Original Duckhead

Best overall

The unique canopy kept me dry in heavy rain. The Blunt Metro Travel Umbrella has an angled design, and I was initially skeptical about its effectiveness compared to typical designs with full, curved canopies. After a rain shower, however, all my doubts were erase.. The rain bounced off the canopy, leaving me dry.T he angular design serves two purposes: first, it directs all water away from the user. Rather than falling straight down, the water droplets fly off the canopy at an angle, which kept me dry in the rain.

It's the most wind-resistant umbrella I tested. It is also especially resistant to the wind. Since there's no traditional curved canopy for wind to become trapped in, it's strong against flipping over. When I tested its wind resistance using a leaf blower to simulate gusts, I was pleased to find that it didn't flip over once.

It's small enough to fit into a backpack or tote. The compact Blunt Metro is an excellent choice for both everyday use and travel. However, it's best suited for individual use, so don't expect to cram two people under its canopy. At about 15 inches when folded, it was too long to fit into my foot-long cross-body purse, but it still fit easily in my backpack or a tote bag.

The design is smooth and intuitive. The Blunt Metro features a smooth auto-open button. To shut the umbrella, you press the button to retract it and pull the slide down into a locking mechanism. Each part of this process is easy, with little effort into either opening or closing. Plus, each part of the umbrella is detachable, which makes for easy cleaning and repairs. The wrist strap on the handle made for easy portability. I love the variety of colors and patterns offered, too. The included cover has a zipper, so I could unzip it and fit the umbrella in without much trouble.

Best budget

This umbrella is an incredible value. For under $30, Balios makes a phenomenal umbrella. It has all the features of more expensive umbrellas — an auto-open and close button, a curved canopy, and a zippered cover — for a fraction of the price.

Even though it's affordable, it feels expensive. One of my favorite parts of the Balios Umbrella is its quality. The handle is made with real wood, which is smooth and substantial. The canopy material is thick and does an excellent job of repelling water droplets. It opens and closes with the touch of a button, although it does take some force to snap it back into the locking mechanism. It does not have an attached wrist strap, which can make it more difficult to hang to store or carry.

It directed water away from my body. All aspects of the design are smart, too. The curved bell of the canopy keeps water away as I'm underneath. As a compact umbrella, it's not large enough for two people, but I would feel comfortable that any purse or backpack I carry wouldn't get wet either.

But the canopy flipped during testing. During wind resistance testing, the canopy flipped over, but the frame didn't break. It's still functional after flipping. Plus, it held up well to moderate winds during a storm.

Best compact

This is the best umbrella for travel. A quality umbrella should be easy to transport, durable in most weather conditions, and protect you from the elements. However, it's hard to find an umbrella that does all three of those features well. Then I tried the Weatherman Travel Umbrella, a sturdy, storm-ready umbrella that impressively checks all three boxes.

It's heavy-duty. For starters, the Travel Umbrella is built using reinforced fiberglass plastic that helps it avoid flipping inside out when a gust of wind hits it. Although I haven't taken it into weather with extremely heavy gusts, the Weatherman site says it's rated to withstand wind up to 45 miles per hour. Plus, it didn't flip over during my testing through moderate winds or my leaf blower test.

It'slightweight and easy to carry. Weighing just shy of one pound and less than a foot in length when collapsed, it easily fit into my purse and backpack. There's also a built-in wrist strap for anyone who just wants to carry it.

It kept me drier than other travel umbrellas. One of the clear drawbacks of any travel umbrella is its ability (or lack thereof) to keep you dry from any droplets falling off its canopy. Although the Travel Umbrella certainly wouldn't stand in for something like a golf umbrella, I did find it to do fairly well at avoiding too much runoff from hitting my shoes or the bottoms of my pants. I still got a little wet, but compared to other travel umbrellas I've tested, this performed far better.

I love the design. I also like that it's available in various bright colors, such as salmon, pink, teal, or neon green, and that it comes with a small cover that it can slide into when it's not being used. The edge of the canopy and the cover are covered in reflective fabric that will keep you visible if you're walking outside at night. Like our other picks, it opens smoothly with an auto-open button and takes a bit of force to close.

Best oversize

Golf umbrellas are large enough to keep multiple people dry. Golf umbrellas may be a bit of a misnomer, considering most people use them off the green. But you're looking for an oversize umbrella to ensure you'll stay completely dry, or you plus a friend, golf umbrellas are a go-to.

It comes in five canopy sizes. The G4Free Automatic Double Canopy Golf Umbrella is sold in five canopy sizes: 47-, 54-, 62-, 68-, and 72-inches. I tested the 62-inch canopy. When I tell you this thing is huge, I mean it. During testing, I felt like I was in my own oasis away from the rain. I stayed completely dry and could easily fit another person under its roomy canopy.

The double canopy prevents flipping. Furthermore, it won't bend or break in strong winds and is particularly wind-resistant thanks to a double canopy design that lets wind through it while preventing it (and water) from coming down onto you. The metal frame is thick and durable, which prevents it from flipping over.

It's bulky and heavy. There are a few downsides to a big umbrella. Namely, it's heavy (over a pound) and not the most portable for travel. The fact that it's a big umbrella means it comes standard with over a pound of weight. The G4Free Golf Umbrella isn't exactly a city option, but if you're looking for a big umbrella to stash in the trunk of your car or to use on walks around town or at picnics, it's worth the added weight. It does have a shoulder strap on the cover so you can carry it around with you.

Best design

If you're looking for a unique umbrella, this is it. During testing, I fell in love with the Original Duckhead Eco-Friendly Duck Umbrella because of its adorable design and great performance. As the name suggests, this umbrella's wooden handle is shaped like a duck, and the beak color matches the canopy. It's a unique product that will stand out among a sea of black umbrellas.

The canopy designs are fun, too. In addition to the handle, Duckhead's umbrellas are sold in a range of fun colors and designs. I tested the Kelly Stripes umbrella before it went out of stock, and I love how it looks compared to my solid-color umbrellas. Other standout prints include florals, abstract splotches, and dogs. They're also available in all colors of the rainbow, including black, if you prefer solid colors. The Duckhead Umbrella canopy is made from nine recycled plastic bottles.

It's not the best umbrella we tested, but it's still my go-to for rainy days. It's not the most heavy-duty umbrella — the canopy is thin and the metal frame is a bit rickety — but it still gets the job done. It's a solid umbrella for a single person in lighter rain and wind. During my wind tests, the canopy didn't flip over, even when I focused the blast on the outer edge of the umbrella. There's a handle on the wrist strap, too, so it's also fairly portable.

What else we tested

In addition to our top picks, we also tested:

• The Davek Solo: The Davek Solo is a great umbrella, with excellent coverage and high-quality materials. At $115, though, it's much more expensive than the picks on our list.
• Repel Windproof Umbrella: Our former best overall pick, the Repel Windproof umbrella, didn't perform as well in our tests. It was the only umbrella to flip in the rain and wind, leaving me considerably wet.
• LifeTek Windproof Travel Umbrella:LifeTek's umbrella didn't have great water coverage, and the materials felt thin and flimsy.

What to look for

When shopping for umbrellas, you'll want to consider the following:

• Water coverage: Umbrellas are meant to keep you dry from stray water droplets. Look for umbrellas with curved canopies or unique designs for the best water coverage. Keep in mind that compact and travel umbrellas usually have less water coverage than heavy-duty, oversize stick umbrellas.
• Wind resistance: One of the biggest umbrella annoyances is their tendency to flip over in strong winds, leaving you soaked and potentially breaking your umbrella. Look for design features, like a double canopy or strong metal frame, to prevent your umbrella from breaking in stormy conditions.
• Build quality: Design features, like an auto-open button or wrist strap, make your umbrella easier to use. Other features that contribute to a more durable umbrella, like a thick canopy or strong frame, increase your umbrella's longevity.
• Portability: When on the go, whether commuting or traveling, you'll want an umbrella that fits comfortably in a purse, tote, briefcase, or backpack. Smaller foldable umbrellas are undoubtedly more portable, but large full-length umbrellas can also have helpful features like carrying straps. Full-length umbrellas are typically better for storing in the car or at home. Consider weight too, as something lightweight will be easier to hold on to and carry around.
• Value: When buying an umbrella, consider price, return policies, and warranties in case you decide it's not for you.
• Variety: Black is the universal color associated with umbrellas, but if you're looking for something a little more suited to your personal style, many brands offer umbrellas in a wide number of colors and prints.

How we tested

• Water coverage: I tested umbrellas in real rain and simulated rain from a hose nozzle to test water coverage. I moved the umbrella to different angles, stood still, and walked to mimic other conditions. I took notes based on how wet on got when using each umbrella.
• Wind resistance. To test wind resistance, I placed each umbrella in the path of a leaf blower. I focused the blast on the center and edges of the umbrella. I also faced the canopy toward moderate winds in naturally rainy conditions.
• Build quality: To test the design, I opened and closed each umbrella three times to note any snags or issues. I also took notes on any additional features.
• Portability: To test portability, I attempted to place each umbrella in my purse, which is about a foot long. I also put each umbrella in my backpack.
• Value: For value, I researched each umbrella's price, return policy, and warranty period.
• Variety: I noted the number of colors, patterns, canopy sizes, and styles available for each umbrella.

Best umbrella FAQs

How many years will an umbrella last?

An umbrella should last years, and many options on our list are covered by a two-year warranty. Some umbrella brands offer limited lifetime or lifetime warranties for their umbrellas.

What is the strongest umbrella for rain and wind?

Based on my testing, the Blunt Metro Umbrella is the best umbrella for both rain and wind. The unique design directs rainfall away from the body and prevents flipping during heavy winds.

What shape of umbrella is best?

I recommend full, curved canopies or unique, angled options like the Blunt Metro. Either way, the canopy should direct water away from the holder.

Is there a difference between a UV umbrella and a regular umbrella?

Regular umbrellas can certainly block UV rays, but UV umbrellas are made specifically to block out the sun. UV umbrellas use special materials to block UV rays.

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