You may have forgotten because 2018 was the driest year in 42 years- but little ol’ England does have a reputation for being pretty gloomy. If you cast your minds back to 2017 and beyond the Great British Summer has a tendency to be unseasonably wet. This means that come summer time, whilst most of us are headed straight to the beach or off for a lovely picnic in the sun the rain is never far away. So even if you got away with it last year it’s probably best to buy an umbrella now so you can have it ready at all times!
The UK as a whole tends to spend around £10m each year on umbrellas. The majority of these are probably disposable, last minute buys but investing in a brolly that is designed to last a little bit longer will definitely improve your experience and splashing the cash may encourage you to take special care of your trusty brolly. First, let’s be real about price and what you are likely to get. If you are spending under £10 for an umbrella chances are they are designed as a budget range… not a performance range. This means they will do the job for a number of uses but they are not designed to be your lifelong weather companion. For instance, our Jollybrolly range at £4.99 each is designed exactly that way. Great as a last minute solution most people buy these umbrellas as weather insurance for events and activities. They are marketed as disposable umbrellas, and while some will last for years, more often than not they will be used only a handful of times. Once you start branching into the £10+ brollies you are faced with two main style choices. The first is a full length ‘city’ or ‘walking’ umbrella. These typically sport a curved handle and tend to be a bit more elegant. Or you can buy a folding umbrella. Due to the nature of this style they tend to be more convenient as they easily pop down making them ideal for transport. Beyond this you can also buy specialist umbrellas. Golf umbrellas, not necessarily just for hitting the greens, tend to be larger and are a great option if you are looking for a canopy that will cover two people. Or if you after something of excellent quality look to buy umbrellas marketed as ‘windproof’. These will have been designed with extreme weather conditions in mind and are typically wind tunnel tested. You will find most styles have a vented canopy to enhance performance in windy conditions or a reinforced frame for a similar effect. You may also want to look out for opening and handle specifics when buying your umbrella. Some umbrellas may feature an automatic open and close, however it is far more common for them to feature just an automatic opening feature. This will pop the canopy open in seconds if you have your hands full. Also, take note of the handle material. Pricier models will often have a wooden or leather handle, but rubber and plastic are also very comfortable to hold and tend to wear well. Happy shopping!