I tested umbrellas from supermarkets to leading brands – the best cost just £10
It’s raining cats and dogs and the Met Office sees no end in sight.
We have been subjected to one of the wettest winters on record, so having a brolly has become a daily necessity to prevent damp.
But from cheap and cheerful to a high-tech investment, which umbrella is best to brave the British weather?
Laura Stott took cover under a selection to find out and rated them out of five.
WATERLOO
£24.95, rokalondon.com and various stockists
9
SMART, tough and strong, this is a hefty wet weather pack that means serious business when it comes to keeping you dry.
The awning is made of recycled nylon and has a Teflon coating for extra waterproofness, making it resistant to heavy rain showers.
It’s big enough to keep you fully covered, but not so big that it won’t fit in an everyday bag.
I liked the sturdy rubber handle and easy quick release button to open the strong spokes, although I found it a little tricky to pack back up.
Quite heavy, but therefore stronger in showers.
Not the cheapest, but a fair price for a good, durable and well-made investment umbrella.
Judgement: 4/5
£4.50, Primark stores
9
Costing less than a fiver, this cheerful, great value brolly is quite impressive for its extremely low price, and will keep you very dry.
Nice and neat, it’s compact enough to fit in a small handbag, but opens up to a size big enough to keep you safely protected when the heavens open.
However, the metal spokes are thin and flimsy, so it’s probably not ideal for very windy, wet skies, as you might end up holding the handle while the top turns inside out.
However, if you want to survive an unexpected daily drenching, it’s an economical, cheap and cheerful choice.
Judgement: 3/5
SLIM ROUND
£10, Next (in stores)
9
MADE from recycled polyester, I really liked the compact, sleek red and pink design of this fashionable brolly.
It even has a cheerful pastel-colored handle and a two-tone case.
But while it looked great, it was a case of style over substance when it started to tip over.
Difficult to open with a clumsy closure, the canopy fabric was thin and not very protective.
The bad mechanism didn’t hold up either, causing the spokes to keep bending towards me.
The handle was also incredibly short, so not only did I get soaked, but I also had trouble folding it back down.
This one was a wash.
Judgement: 1/5
VICLOON JOURNEY
£8.95, Amazon.com
9
IN plain black, this basic looking travel brolly was hard to get excited about.
But considering the price tag, performance in tackling storm clouds was solid.
Very strong and robust, this one is designed to withstand many more drops than just a quick shower and feels like it will keep you dry even in the heaviest of rain showers.
Well made with a strong handle and an automatic push button for opening and closing, the spokes and hood are also reinforced and durable.
This offers more high-end features and value for money than you’d expect at this price.
May look boring, but it will keep you dry.
Judgement: 3/5
GILLEY
£49, gilley.uk
9
If you really want to keep yourself dry, this high-tech option is definitely worth a look.
It comes in a game-changing hard case – a super clever idea for anyone tired of saturating the contents of their bag when pushing away soggy brollies, although the downside is that this waterproof exterior makes it slightly bigger and bulkier than a typical compact canopy.
A little different to use, but very simple once you get used to it: just unscrew it from the housing, unfold it and use it normally.
Packed with features you never knew you needed, including being windproof up to 30 miles per hour, a hydrophobic coating, a microfiber hood and dual-layer vents.
Costs a bit more but a serious investment
Judgement: 4/5
TOTES FOR BOOTS ECO-BRELLA
£14, boots.com
9
WITH a canopy made from recycled plastic bottles and a wood-effect recycled plastic handle, this is the eco-friendly choice and meets many green requirements.
Slim and lightweight, I liked the fun fawn and flora plant pattern, which made it easy to find in a dark bag.
However, given the higher price tag, wet weather performance wasn’t as impressive.
The fabric of the awning was thin and did not provide much shelter from the rain, so I quickly got drops on my neck.
I would also be concerned about this in high winds as the overall durability seemed to be lacking.
Judgement: 2/5
M&S COLLECTION STORMWEAR COMPACT
£10, Marks and Spencer stores
9
A VERY good brolly for an extremely pleasant price.
Slim and compact, with what the makers call ‘Stormwear technology’, it folds up very neatly to take with you when on the go.
It’s still incredibly light, so it won’t add too much bulk or weight to your bag.
The slim, traditional handle has a push button and is easy to operate.
Despite this, it doesn’t feel flimsy and folds easily without any fuss.
Kept me bone dry in a heavy downpour.
Nice fabric and only costs ten euros, what more could you want?
Judgement: 5/5
EEZ-Y COMPACT BROLLY
£19.50, Amazon.com
9
DESPITE being packed with features and designed for convenience, I didn’t get on well with this at all.
Larger than average, I found it clumsy and cumbersome.
It was a weight to carry and took up a lot of space.
The auto open and close button says you can open it with one hand, but for people with small palms like me this was still not possible as the brolly was too big.
It is strong and super sturdy so the spokes do not shift during a gust of wind.
For everyday use, although it keeps you dry, I found it too cumbersome
Judgement: 2/5