durable umbrellas

For any person, an umbrella is an absolutely necessary thing. And, of course, we want it, like any thing that we buy, to be beautiful, stylish, comfortable and elegant. To attract attention and emphasize your individuality. But if you do not want to pay a lot of money for an umbrella that breaks in two days, then the first thing to think about is its durability and reliability.

How to choose a high-quality and reliable umbrella, what to pay attention to first of all, how to properly care for your umbrella - we'll talk about this in our article.

Any umbrella consists of a rod, spokes, a dome and a handle. Let's take a closer look at these important components.

The rod not only holds the entire structure of the umbrella, but is also responsible for its folding. Umbrellas are considered the most durable, in which the stem is solid - these are cane umbrellas.

The rod of a folding umbrella consists of several separate parts connected to each other. In a large folding umbrella, the stem has 2-3 parts, in a small lady's one - 4-5. The more parts and, accordingly, the places of their connections, the less reliable the design of the rod.

If you find it inconvenient to carry a cane umbrella with you, give preference to large folding umbrellas. And before you buy an umbrella, be sure to open it and shake it well. The places where the parts of the rod are connected to each other must not move or wobble.If the connections are loose, the umbrella will last until the first strong wind.

The rod can be made of plastic, aluminum or steel. The latter is by far the most durable, but also the heaviest. But the junction of the rod with the dome, be sure to choose only metal. Plastic is not allowed here, as it can easily break from a strong impact.

In addition, the rods are round or ribbed. A ribbed rod with the largest number of faces is considered more reliable.

The number of spokes in an umbrella varies from 4-6 to 16 pieces. The more, the more reliable the design. Buying an umbrella with less than eight spokes is a waste of money.

Like the rod, the spokes are made from different materials - aluminum, steel and fiberglass.

• Aluminum spokes are soft, with a matte finish. An umbrella with such knitting needles will be light, but completely fragile.
• The steel spokes are shiny, strong and heavy. A steel umbrella is not afraid of the strongest gusts of wind, but it will weigh significantly more than aluminum.
• Fiberglass spokes are light and strong. Fiberglass looks like plastic. In combination with a steel rod, this is the most successful version of an umbrella, but also the most expensive.

Speaking of knitting needles, it is necessary to mention a few more points:

• It is important that the spokes are attached to the dome at least at two points each (the more attachment points, the better).
• The spoke should fit snugly against the dome with the groove up.
• When choosing an umbrella for a child, make sure that the ends of the spokes are closed with rounded plastic caps.

Now many manufacturers equip their umbrellas with an anti-wind system. Its essence is that the spokes are supplemented with special springs that allow them to bend in both directions in strong winds without breaking.It is important to remember that in such areas it is impossible to bend the knitting needles back on your own. It is necessary to close and open the umbrella again so that they fall into place.

The dome of the umbrella is sewn from different fabrics. The most common are nylon, polyester, pongee and satin with water-repellent impregnation.

• The nylon dome is the worst - it is not strong enough and will easily tear in strong winds. In addition, brightly colored nylon quickly sheds and fades. The only plus of this material is the low price.

• A polyester dome is a budget option for a good umbrella. It hardly sheds, dries quickly and does not shrink. However, it also lacks strength.

• Pongee is a polyester blend with cotton. It is much stronger and dries in five minutes. However, the price of such umbrellas starts from three thousand.

• Satin domes are sewn for expensive umbrellas. This fabric is almost impossible to tear, it dries quickly and is pleasant to the touch.

• There are also umbrellas made of genuine leather. They are very heavy, very uncomfortable and prohibitively expensive.

Handles are made of plastic, wood or rubber.

• The plastic handle is the most fragile. Such handles break easily even with weak blows.

• The wooden handle is much stronger, more comfortable and more beautiful. But the tree is prone to chipping and does not tolerate water well. If paint or varnish peels off a wooden handle, water, falling on unprotected wood, will easily ruin it.

• The rubber handle is the highest quality and reliable. She is not afraid of water or blows.

Conventionally, umbrellas can be divided into several categories according to different criteria:

• Men's, women's, children's and beach.

It all depends on the size and appearance. Men's umbrellas tend to be larger and plainly patterned, or simply black. Since the weight of an umbrella for men is not of great importance, men's umbrellas are often made with a steel shaft and spokes, which makes them more durable and of higher quality.

In women's and especially children's umbrellas, weight is a significant value, so they are often made with aluminum parts, which makes them fragile and short-lived, or with fiberglass spokes, which greatly increases their cost.

Beach umbrellas have the largest dome diameter and usually have plastic or aluminum parts.

• Mechanical, with an automatic or semi-automatic opening system.

The mechanical mechanism means that you will open the umbrella manually. This, of course, is not as convenient as simply pressing a button, but the simplicity of such a mechanism ensures its strength and quality. According to statistics, such umbrellas are more durable and break less often.

A full automatic is a mechanism that allows you to close and open an umbrella by pressing a single button located on the handle of the umbrella. The main advantage of such an umbrella is convenience. But in quality it loses to mechanical models.

A semiautomatic device, as the name implies, is opened by pressing a button, and closed, like a mechanical one, by hand. It is not much stronger than a full automatic, but it is much less convenient. Perhaps not the best choice.

• In the shape of a saucer, dome or custom shape.

The shape of the saucer is the classic and most common for an umbrella. Almost all folding models have this form. It is quite comfortable and well protects the face and most of the clothes from the rain.

Domed shape - with more rounded and elongated ends.This shape will protect your face and clothes much better, and in strong winds it will help to keep your hair. But most often such a dome is made with a large mechanical cane umbrella.

• Non-standard forms are different. Perhaps the most popular is the shape of the heart. There are square and triangular umbrellas, flower-shaped or multi-layered, ruffled or double parasols for lovers. They look cute and original, but most often they do not have convenience and reliability.

The diameter of the dome also matters, but remember that the larger it is, the larger the umbrella itself will be when folded.

In order for the umbrella to serve you faithfully for many years, it is important not only to choose a high-quality model, but also to properly care for it.

A few tips for caring for your umbrella:

• It is important to dry the umbrella after each use. It is best to do this in a half-open state, so as not to stretch or deform the fabric of the dome. Silk umbrellas are dried only when closed.
• Do not put the umbrella back in its case until it is completely dry.
• In no case do not put weight on the umbrella - this can damage the spokes.
• At least once a month, the umbrella must be cleaned with a gentle detergent, soap, or wiped with ammonia diluted in water.

So let's recap.

• Going to the store for an umbrella, decide which model you need. If you can afford leisurely walks, opt for a cane umbrella as the most reliable. If you are constantly in a hurry and often travel by public transport, purchase a folding automatic umbrella with 2-3 additions. Ideally, you should have both models.

• Count the needles. There must be at least eight of them, and they must be securely attached to the dome in several places.
• Take a close look at the dome. If small holes are visible through the light, threads stick out, or paint stains remain on the hands, the thing is of poor quality.
• If you plan to carry your umbrella in your purse, make sure it has a good quality case to keep the umbrella from ruining your belongings. If in the hands, then, in addition to a comfortable handle, it is not bad that the umbrella is equipped with a comfortable and practical strap that allows you to wear it on your wrist.
• And, of course, choose the color that you like - to please the eye, give a good mood and emphasize your complexion.