Blog

Feb 23, 2025

The 8 Best Umbrellas of 2024 - Best Rain Umbrellas

When Mother Nature is less than friendly, these editor-approved umbrellas have you covered. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why

When Mother Nature is less than friendly, these editor-approved umbrellas have you covered.

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us?

Don’t get caught in the rain without a sturdy, reliable umbrella ever again. Whereas most cheap umbrellas (and we have owned our fair share) bend, bow, or completely invert under conditions worse than a calm drizzle, a good umbrella is rated to handle heavy winds and rain. It should have a waterproof canopy along with a well-constructed frame and ribs that are reinforced or made of strong materials like fiberglass or carbon polymers.

Yet without a few unfortunate trial and error situations during real storms—plus a few wasted dollars—knowing which umbrellas stand up when you need them most is near impossible unless you test it out.

Luckily, we’ve done the hard part for you. We got our hands on multiple umbrellas from trusted brands like Weatherman, Repel, and Davek and built a list of quality options based on our findings. These are the best umbrellas we recommend, plus a few things to consider before buying.

First, there are a few umbrella terms to know: the shaft is the pole that connects the handle and canopy, and ribs comprise the frame that supports the canopy. A ferrule is what tops the shaft—either a cap or pointed metal tip, depending on the umbrella type. Keep in mind that the canopy size measures the arc from end to end, not the width when the umbrella is opened.

The most common umbrella styles are collapsible and fixed-shaft. Collapsible umbrellas fold down into a portable size that fits comfortably in backpack or purse. They generally have a smaller canopy width than fixed-shaft options, though they make up for this lack of coverage with increased convenience.

Fixed-shaft umbrellas have a one singular pole and a canopy that only opens and closes without folding down into a smaller size. Most fixed-shaft umbrellas have a larger canopy than their collapsible counterpart and are generally more effective at keeping yourself or multiple people dry. The tradeoff is that most don’t collapse so they aren’t as easy to pack or store.

Regardless of design, we recommend umbrellas with a canopy size of at least 40 inches to ensure the majority of your body is protected during heavy rains.

Other basic features to keep in mind include whether your umbrella has an automatic or manual opening mechanism. As the names might suggest, automatic umbrellas fully open and lock in place with the press of a button. They often have a spring-loaded trigger that shoots the shaft outward as well if it is collapsed down. Manual umbrellas require you to do this yourself.

Waterproof and windproof are the two most important umbrella attributes. Umbrellas are generally waterproof by default, but many come with additional water-repellent coatings that reduce the amount of water that sticks to the canopy and improves drying time. This in turn keeps the canopy material in better shape for long-term wear and tear.

If an umbrella is windproof, that refers to a few key points. The main factor is the ribs and shaft. These are reinforced or made of strong materials like fiberglass or carbon polymers that do not bend or snap in heavy wind. Windproof umbrellas often have a double vented top which allows for airflow that prevents the canopy from inverting while still keeping rain from leaking in.

In creating this list, we tested out multiple umbrellas including the Weatherman Collapsible and Travel umbrellas as well as the Davek Automatic umbrella. Several editors offered their own personal testing experience for other umbrellas on this list such as the Repel, which was highly touted by multiple people.

We carried the umbrellas with us for stretches of time and used the umbrellas on rainy days. We noted key features such as the sturdiness of the shaft against wind, portability, and of course, how well they protected us from the rain.

For the umbrellas on this list we did not test, we focused on a few major factors like the price, durability, design, and size. We chose our final picks after comparing several umbrellas against one another based on customer reviews and testing from other online publications.

The balance between both portability and protection is what makes this umbrella from Weatherman our best overall pick. It has a sturdy build and thoughtful extra details—plus it collapses small enough to fit in a backpack yet offers a large enough canopy to fully protect you from the rain.

What impressed us a lot during testing was how sturdy the shaft and ribs are under more extreme conditions. Through New York storms and improvised wind from a few powerful fans, the shaft never bent nor did the canopy invert. The fiberglass materials offer significant resistance while also being relatively lightweight at less than one and a half pounds.

Something that Weatherman does across their entire umbrella line, which we also liked a lot, is the reflective border on the edge of the canopy. While we don’t expect it to be a feature you’ll immediately notice the utility for, it creates a lot of visibility on you at night which may prevent collisions with bikes or cars.

If you want a simple and dependable automatic umbrella that’s relatively inexpensive, take a look at the Repel Easy Touch.

It features a fiberglass frame with nine resin-reinforced ribs, a vented canopy that’s coated to repel water, and a rubberized nonslip handle. In short, it’s one of the most durable umbrellas you can buy for less than $30. It’s fairly lightweight as well, at just under a pound. The umbrella also has a wrist strap so it won’t blow out of your hand on a blustery day.

All of this is packaged into a travel-sized umbrella that collapses down to less than 12 inches long; perfect storage in a tote bag, purse, or backpack.

While nearly all of the key features for this umbrella are up to snuff, it’s particularly notable for its handle. It’s designed with a comfortable, ergonomic look that is paired with an anti-slip grip material for holding tight during windy days. At the top of the handle, the umbrella’s automatic-open button is well-placed within a thumb’s reach and there’s an eye-catching silver cap at the bottom.

The teflon-treated canopy helps repel water and reduce dry times while the fiberglass shaft and eight-rib frame stand up well against wind. Furthermore, the umbrella offers protection from the sun by blocking up to 97 percent of UV rays which make a great candidate for all-weather use.

It’s not cheap, but if you want a stylish high-end travel umbrella, look no further than Davek. What makes the umbrella worth every extra dollar is the trigger button. Instead of just being the mechanism for opening up the umbrella, it also closes it and turns the umbrella down if it inverts.

Other highlights among features includes a canopy with a water-repellent finish and a genuine leather wrist strap. Despite being so compact, the umbrella is built with a sturdy, windproof frame made of a combination of steel, fiberglass, zinc alloy and aluminum.

Another major plus is that every Davek umbrella has a unique loss-prevention number, which gets you 50 percent off a replacement. It comes in a gift box, perfect for a stocking stuffer or last-minute present to slide under the tree.

This oversized 68-inch umbrella is large enough for two adults and two kids to stand under. It features a double canopy with a wind vent on all eight panels which reduces the chance at inverting or bending on a blustery day.

It’s fairly lightweight for its size as well at about 1.6 pounds, making it great for carrying around on long days outside. It isn’t the most portable option, but it isn’t meant to be.

Unlike many other options on this list, the umbrella offers good UV protection, with a 50+ UPF rating. This makes it ideal for sunny days as well as rainy ones.

Totes has been making umbrellas for more than 50 years, and this wooden pole and handle option lives up to that legacy. The 48-inch canopy is a solid choice for anyone who prefers a traditional umbrella with a bit of added polish and flair.

It opens with the push of a button and features a dark-wooden handle, shaft, and chrome-tipped ferrule. So, while you can’t collapse it into a bag, you can comfortably use it as a stylish walking stick around town.

It also delivers a high level of protection against strong wind and heavy rain. The wooden frame does not break or splinter easily, and even if significant damage occurs, the company offers a limited lifetime warranty that covers most major issues.

This Weatherman has many of the same benefits we liked in the other options from the brand, in an even more compact package. The official travel-sized umbrella from the company was also incredibly durable, as the telescoping shaft’s strength wasn’t compromised despite the umbrella’s smaller base.

The automatic canopy-opening mechanism is also just as powerful, too. This may not matter much on most rainy days, but when it is particularly gusty outside, this umbrella opens quickly and easily every time.

At less than 12 inches when fully collapsed, the umbrella fits comfortably in purses and small bags without much issue at all. If you keep the small cover with you as well, you can store it in your bag right away after it rains without getting anything inside wet.

If you want a bit of style infused into your rainy day companion, consider this vented urban brolly from Strombergbrand. Unlike many traditional umbrellas with wooden frames, this option is automatic, featuring a gold button just above the handle. As a result, you get the look of an old-school umbrella without the manual labor involved with it.

It’s crafted from maple hardwood, with eight hand-sewn panels comprising the vented 41-inch-wide canopy, and eight ribs with faux-wood finish plastic tips. This construction, despite using wood, is as windproof as many umbrellas with fiberglass or steel frames. Furthermore, the ferrule has a protective black plastic cap to prevent rust or damage.

Each umbrella also comes with a protective sleeve, so it isn’t susceptible to the elements when not in use.

Tom Price is an Associate Editor of Reviews for Popular Mechanics, and also contributes to Runner's World, and Bicycling. He has previously covered product reviews, startup news, and even professional wrestling. In his free time, he enjoys watching pretentious TV, low-brow movies, and exercising for beauty, not health. If you are interested in exploring more of his work, check out his website.

Rachel is the Deputy Editor of Reviews for Hearst's Enthusiast and Wellness Group where she supports Popular Mechanics, Runner's World, and Best Products. Her background is in service journalism and earlier in her career she worked as a daily newspaper reporter and book editor. She spent more than a decade as a staff editor and writer at TripAdvisor and Penguin Random House and her byline has appeared in Time Out New York, the New York Daily News, and New York Magazine. Outside of work, Rachel can be found planning her next trip, visiting museums and galleries, and walking her wirehaired dachshund Leopold in Central Park.

Tested: Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 Air Purifier

The 7 Best Oscillating Multi Tools

The 7 Best Space Heaters in 2025

The Best Ice Machines For Every Occasion

The 7 Best Electric Snowblowers

The 5 Best Portable Power Stations

Dig Yourself Out With One of These Snowblowers

DeWalt’s Power Tool Combo Kit Is 50% Off at Amazon

The Best Apple Presidents' Day Deals 2025

Presidents’ Day TV Sales 2025

Presidents’ Day Grill Sales 2025: Save Over $100

Save 48% Off DeWalt Presidents’ Day Sales 2025