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OH would like an umbrella. A MAN's umbrella <big butch macho smilie goes here>. Well I can pay £5, or I can pay £35, but what I don't want to do is pay £35 for one that will only last as long as the £5 one. I want to get him a good quality umbrella that is going to last a long time. So can anyone tell me what I need to look for to ensure I get a decent one? Any brands or shops you can recommend please?

ooo thats a tough one, ive brought expensive ones a really cheap ones! but the only one that i have brought that has lasted is one of those huge umbrellas for £3 from primark a few years ago. it flipped inside out last month with all the bad weather and popped back fine and still works.

other than that i really dont know what to suggest other than actually trying them out in the shop.

Having gone through about 3 cheapo ones in a month I recommend buying a more expensive one!

Have a feel of it and see if it feels more sturdy than the cheap and nasty ones, shake it and see if it wobbles (don't buy it if it does!) and open and close it several times in the shop.

Other than that I don't think there's a lot you can do but hope for the best! Hopefully someone will know some brand names of good ones for you.

Would love to help but umbrellas and me don't get on...they seem to attack me so I gave up on them years ago

You're going to hate this - but I've found that the cheap ones last much longer than more expensive ones

I think (THINK) it's more to do with the curvature of the opened canopy than anything else - if it's deep, it's less likely to turn inside out in the wind. But that's merely an opinion. On the other hand, cheaper ones are more likely to have an annoying internal drip - usually directly above my bald spot.

Mike

I agree with Mike, about the shape not necessarily the price.

Having said that the best brolly we've ever had was bought for a fiver at a Green Day gig in Nottingham about 2003. It's a big rainbow coloured golf type brolly and I've slept under it at many a gig since