Travel Windproof Umbrella Auto Open Close – Strong and Lightweight

Let's start with I like the umbrella and I'm being particular because that's me. For you, it might be find. I usually buy the cheapest I can find and I thought this would be an easy win, invest a little more money get something spectacular. Perhaps my expectations were too high; perhaps what I'm after is only found at an even higher price point. But I've not run into some of these issues beforeHere's what I like:The umbrella is sturdy and seems strong.The opening and closing mechanisms are perfect. It's compact and folds well. The handle is nice and the loop is springy (nice touch). The pile and the rods are glossy black. The cover is nice.For me personally, I gave it 3 stars instead of 4 for two reasons. 1st, it's a button open and collapse umbrella, which off the bat you know it's going to take some force to close the spring mechanism back. Unfortunately the inside piece that you have to grasp is smooth and slippery. Now I consider myself to have a good athletic grasp; as I pull the inside piece that you are pulling and the handle which your other hand is holding, comes closer and closer together and you don't have enough room to put them next to each other. I think the intent was to have a streamlined almost chess piece looking finial that matches with the handle rather than the sharp ugly piece that most umbrella's have on the inside. It looks nice but what ends up happening is you can't pull the closely matched pieces close enough together comfortably to make it lock. You end up having to either grab the wet part or the wet end or grasping the inside rods; both not acceptable. Form over function not the greatest.2nd the handle torques loose. It has a little play and for such a solid umbrella the give is annoying. So imagine holding it in your one hand and you torque the umbrella or maybe the wind does it. There is a delay to when the umbrella turns. In other words, hold the umbrella by the pole and you can jiggle the handle rotationally. It's a little detail but you can feel it when you're holding the umbrella since that is the only spot you're holding it from. Again annoys me probably 99% don't care.I guess, one more thing, I like when the rod ends tuck away so you can't see them. That keeps thing from snagging on them too right? This umbrella doesn't do that. Another thing to consider.Also, I bought two and the issues are with both.Finally, I was compensated for this 3 star review... not. People are ruining reviews on Amazon causing review inflation. It's not good at all. Probably leads to my more critical review.

I wasn't looking for an automatic umbrella to replace the one I lost several weeks ago. It was an old Raines travel umbrella that I had for years. It was manually opening, sturdy, had a nice sleeve and served me well. There were many umbrellas to choose from on Amazon and most made claims of being windproof. The McConnor had good reviews with few giving it only one or two stars. It was also the most reasonably priced considering they seem mostly the same. Some of them had fiberglass ribs and some claimed "metal" or aluminum reinforcement. The McConner is said to be made of carbon fiber and steel which seemed stronger to me. The fabric is 210T silk while some others used only 190T. I was surprised at how easily it opens. A push of the button and it fully extends, ready to use. It partially closes when the button is pushed again and only needs to be pushed from the top while holding the handle until it clicks back into place. The rubber grip feels secure, even with wet hands and the elastic strap is a nice touch. The sleeve fits well - tight enough to be secure, yet easy to slide it on. It feels strong and well made and gives me the impression that it will last a long time if I take good care of it.

Here is updated Review on the product and I am moving the rating from 1 star to 4 stars "overall" with 5 stars for exceptional Customer Service.Being in the early 50s we still find it umbrella handle hard to push and keep it latched. The trick is to align the grove on the handle (near the canopy) and push it straight against its corresponding raised metal piece on the lower handle. This helps but you still need some strength and push it to latch. I am assuming that with few "opens" and "closes" things will get easier. That's my feedback and hope that the designers will take this feedback and make it slightly easier to close and latch. The product itself is very sturdy and looks "A" class. Not exposed to rain yet but fits nicely even in a small bag or back pack. Would be perfect in a hot sunny day too. Definitely of high quality material and workmanship.The communication and status emails are very punctual and McConner goes out of the way to keep us posted and respond back on feedback. I would recommend this company highly and the product.

I received the umbrella the other day. I was excited to own an open/close umbrella that can withstand the rain and the wind. I got a chance to test it yesterday as it was windy and raining. The umbrella was excellent - outstanding performane! No question. .. but I have a hard time closing it back to place. I tried several maneuvers but those failed me. I felt so frustrated and I emailed Mike regarding my " troubles" and he replied immediately and offered automatic refund for my purchase... and to keep the umbrella and continue to " play with it". Finally before the day ended I was able to solve my problem simply by "cranking back" the umbrella into place - just like cranking a gun albeit with a little force. I showed my coworkers my new umbrella and everybody is interested to have one.I already emailed Mike that I'm going to pay for this umbrella and hopefully to buy some more for my family and friends. It's an outstanding practical gift. You'll never go wrong!I'm giving the product 5/5 stars and the owner/ seller10/5... for so amazing customer service... You've got business Mike! KUDOS!