DavekSOLO UMBRELLA (Classic Black) - Quality Windproof Travel Umbrella with Automatic Open

This umbrella is convenient, strong, and durable. I appreciate the solidity of the handle and the toughness of the fabric in the umbrella and sleeve. The wrist strap fits well and remains as secure as when purchased. The automatic opening mechanism is still as smooth as it was brand new, even after repeated openings and closings to shake off rain.Though I have had little opportunity to thoroughly test wind resistance, I have faith in the material and spines. The umbrella is a litle small, but good enough for one average sized person. Some have difficulty either gripping the handle or holding onto it, but I have large hands and do not experience any difficulty carrying the umbrella. The seamless design is indicative of longevity, and I hope to own this umbrella for many more years.

Well constructed

Classy design

Spring time weather is unpredictable. I needed an umbrella I could use that would stand up to rain, sleet, snow and winds that can carry away Dorothy and Toto. Being able to maneuver an umbrella one handed is important to me, as I am always carrying some sort of bag or box or luggage.The umbrella was more expensive than I initially wanted to pay, but with all the amenities and the warranty, I decided to give it a shot. Super glad I did.I’ll be honest – it is a little heavier than I expected, but I chalk that up to good construction. The one touch open and close gave me the one handed control I was hoping for. I want to be clear here, though. It collapses with one button. You still have to fold it all up after you shake off all the water.But all of the materials just seem better. Stitching is strong. The material is tight. The shaft is amazing and the handle, with the leather piece I can wrap around my wrist all re-enforce my good buying decision.Here’s the kicker… The trouble I’ve had with most of my umbrellas is the wind catches it and folds it backwards and it breaks. I was walking in downtown Denver – between a couple of buildings, where the wind was howling. This umbrella bent backwards. I was bummed. I pushed the button, expecting nothing to happen. But alas, the umbrella reverted itself into the correct alignment and when I pushed the button again, expanded normally. AMAZED.I’ve used it a few more times since then with nothing less than perfection.

Earlier this year, I vowed to never find myself wrestling with a crappy umbrella ever again, so I donated or threw out all of my crappy ones and began my search for quality options. Of course, I quickly found my way to Davek, and over the past several months, I have purchased 12 of these in different sizes and styles to tuck away in my family's dozen go-to umbrella spots (cars, work bags, backpacks, coat rack, etc.). For reference, I bought one of the Elite cane umbrellas, a couple of Duets, a couple of Solos, three Travelers, and four Minis.What I love about them: Each part of these umbrellas is indisputably high quality - fabric, open/close mechanisms, shaft, handle, strap, all of it. Apart from the Minis, which are manual, the umbrellas spring open with a strong, satisfying snap, and they are sturdy and solid. My son and I enjoy taking rain walks, and a couple of weekends ago we got caught in a stormy gale - driving winds, pouring rain, crashing thunder. The umbrellas were amazing! In a storm like that, it's less about staying dry than it is about keeping the rain and wind out of your face, so our legs were drenched from horizontal rain but the umbrellas did great, particularly with regard to holding up to the wind. Couldn't be happier with their quality and performance.What I don't love about them: There are three things I've found that are not great, two of which have to do with the handle. On the Duet, Solo, and Traveler, the handle is beautiful, but it is round and small, similar to the size/shape of an egg. This might seem like an ergonomic design that fits nicely into the palm, but for an umbrella, you really need a longer handle that provides some leverage to allow you to push against wind...like the handle of a knife or a fishing rod, for instance. Imagine trying to chop vegetables or cast a line with a knife or rod that has an egg-shaped handle. It just doesn't work well. What happens is that your thumb and forefinger end up not holding the handle at all, but rather clinging tightly to the shaft, and it causes fatigue in the hand muscles during longer walks.Now imagine that the egg-shaped handle has a hard-plastic tab sticking out the bottom of it, requiring you to spin it so that the tab is perfectly positioned in the small gap between the end of your pinky and bottom of your palm to avoid it digging into your palm - and there you have issue number two with the handle. This little tab holds the leather strap, and it is a source of annoyance and frustration.(I should mention that I am a woman - albeit a 5'9 woman with hands on the longer side - but I thought it worth noting that this perspective regarding the handle isn't coming from a person with XL hands.)The last issue has to do with the difficulty we've had in collapsing the shaft on our Traveler umbrellas. None of the other sizes have this issue, but with all of Traveler umbrellas, it is REALLY hard to push the umbrella shaft fully closed/collapsed. It’s like the spring is too tight (?) or something. It take a lot of effort - usually resulting in me putting the end of the umbrella on the ground and using my body weight to push it closed. I actually bought one of the traveler sizes specifically for my younger (10yo) son, but it is too hard for him to manage. He has no trouble with the Solo or Duet. Just the Traveler. Not a deal killer for us, but I thought it worth mentioning as this might be a real issue for some.So….all in all, I LOVE our umbrellas. The Elite is amazing and perfect - 5 stars. The Solo, Duet, and Travelers get 4 stars due to the handle issues. The Minis I would give 5 stars; they are a LOT more streamlined and lack some of the more technical stuff (opening mechanism, etc.), but for what they are designed to do/be, they are awesome.This was a long read for those of you who are still with me here, but I hope the insights are helpful.

Bought this umbrella for my wife's birthday after doing a bunch of research for an auto open feature. She loves it and it's worked exactly as advertised. Well-built with excellent quality and functionality.