IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

This top-rated Amazon umbrella survived rough wind and rain — and has over 54,000 five-star reviews to back it up

It held up to coastal winds!
Vivian Le / TODAY
/ Source: TODAY

Mary Poppins used hers as a mode of transportation. Queen Elizabeth used hers to make a fashion statement. But most of us just use umbrellas to protect ourselves from the elements.

Yet, we've all experienced an umbrella fail at least once (or many times) during unruly weather. And one search of umbrella fails across various social channels shows just how flimsy most umbrellas can be, and just how common we've all had a tug of war with an upside down umbrella. It's sad.

In my experience as a travel writer, I've bought countless umbrellas from street vendors over the years. Most lasted until the first gust of wind. And some survived gust No. 1 only to completely invert and break come gust two. The photos below only show a portion of the battle.

Katie Jackson in Iceland with broken umbrella #17.
Katie Jackson

It's taken me too long to realize a quality umbrella is just as important of an investment as a great raincoat or a good pair of rain boots. But although a raincoat and rain boots are efficient at repelling the rain, an umbrella does all the hard work.

Fortunately, and just in time for my latest trip, I discovered the Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella: A lightweight and portable umbrella that promises high performance during the most challenging weather conditions.

Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella


It's not much money for major peace of mind

Most umbrellas from street vendors cost only $10. Truth be told, though, if an umbrella's life span is only a few storms, the cost of keeping dry can quickly add up. In these situations, investing in a quality umbrella might not hurt, and your wallet might thank you.

And I'll have to admit: I'd never spent $25 on an umbrella before. However, it was easy to do once I saw the Repel's 4.5-star rating from over 73,000 reviews. Mind you, nearly 54,000 of those reviews gave the umbrella a 5-star rating. Talk about impressive.

It's also in Amazon's Choice for folding umbrellas (it's ranked #2), and the lifetime replacement guarantee was too great to ignore. If your Repel umbrella breaks at any time, the company will send you a new one for free. You don't even need to send in the broken umbrella — they'll take care of everything for you.

It would take a lot of wind to break it

In my experience, rain doesn't ruin umbrellas — wind does. So when I recently packed for a trip to El Medano, a beautiful, windy beach town in Spain that hosts the Professional Windsurfers Association World Cup, I figured it would be the perfect place to test my new umbrella.

Then, the day I used my Repel travel umbrella in El Medano, the wind was averaging 18 mph. Still, my umbrella performed remarkably.

But as a disclaimer: Strong gusts can cause this umbrella's canopy to turn inside out. However, thanks to the umbrella's "wind-defying nine-rib construction" the framework doesn't break. Most umbrellas this size feature only six to eight ribs. And they're usually aluminum. Not only does this umbrella have an extra rib, or three, but each one is reinforced with fiberglass. So all I had to do the one time my umbrella canopy inverted was pop it back out.

In fact, I like how durable this umbrella is so much that I wish I bought two — one to travel with and one to keep at home.

Revel Travel Umbrella, pack of two

It keeps you dry with Teflon

This umbrella boasts the same protective coating as your favorite nonstick pans. Yes, really. It's water-resistant, so you never have to worry about it leaking. I even tried the umbrella in my shower, and I came out bone dry. (I didn't spend hours in the shower, but when The Wirecutter, a New York Times company, did 62 hours of research and tested more than 40 umbrellas, this one came out on top as their favorite, too.)

Furthermore, the Teflon prevents any water from pooling and makes the umbrella easier to shake off. Instead of the normal five or six shakes it takes to get all the water off, this one requires just one. Say goodbye to bringing in a soaking umbrella into the grocery store or inside your home.

But outside of rain, the umbrella has a UPF of 30+ (Ultraviolet Protection Factor), which determines how effective a fabric is at protecting you against the sun's rays.

Opens and closes with the push of a button

Sure, Mary Poppins' umbrella had a cool parrot head handle. But in the midst of a surprise downpour, or needing to board a bus with a line of people behind you, novelty means nothing. A second or two means everything. That's why I love that this umbrella's slip-proof handle has a button that quickly opens and closes the canopy. In fact, it was designed for one handed operation as you open or close, with just a click of the 'up' and 'down' button magically reveals and unravels the umbrella's canopy.

I'm also finding that I don't need to fight it to get it back into its travel sleeve. Since it does such a good job of staying dry, it slips in easily, which is convenient for tucking inside your car or luggage whenever you're on-the-go.

In one word: It's Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Even if I had this umbrella in all eight colors (there's even a rainbow color block style and a starry sky), I'd never be able to compete with Queen Elizabeth's stylish collection. And unlike Mary Poppins' magic umbrella, the closest this one will ever get to flying is soaring on a plane inside my luggage.

Still, when it comes to staying dry in even the windiest of conditions, I feel confident with the Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella in my hand. For all that it offers, it's definitely worth it.

More Rebel umbrellas to consider

This pick is similar in structure to the brand's original umbrella, except with a unique inverted stick. The frame itself folds inside out for extra durability. That way, as you're exciting cars, moving through doors or squeezing in tight spaces, rain droplets are trapped inside to prevent you and your surroundings from getting wet.

Repel Travel Umbrella, pack of four

The deals get better! Consider this pack as an umbrella for you, and an umbrella for nearly everyone in the family. Although it only comes in one color, the deal is too good to pass up for everything that you get.