Umbrellas you carry
1. Compact or folding umbrella
Folds two or three times into something that fits a bag, usually with a smaller canopy than a stick umbrella. The everyday choice for commuting and travel. Picks: travel umbrellas, compact umbrellas for a purse, and the backpack-pocket size.
2. Automatic (auto open and close)
Not a separate shape but a mechanism: a button opens the umbrella, and on auto open-close models the same button closes it. Handy when your other hand is full. Picks: automatic umbrellas.
3. Stick umbrella
A single straight shaft that doesn't fold, usually with a crook or straight handle. Bigger canopy and a sturdier frame for its weight, but you carry it at full length. Our size numbers are explained in the umbrella size guide.
4. Golf umbrella
The largest carried umbrella, often with a double or vented canopy, wide enough for two people or a bag of clubs. Picks: golf umbrellas and golf umbrellas that travel.
5. Bubble or dome umbrella
A deep, usually clear canopy that comes down around the head and shoulders, so rain blowing sideways reaches you less and you can see through it. Picks: clear bubble umbrellas.
6. Inverted or reverse-closing umbrella
Closes inside out, so the wet side folds inward. The type to look at if you get in and out of cars or trains a lot. Picks: inverted umbrellas.
7. Vented or double-canopy umbrella
A second layer of canopy with gaps between the two, so a gust can pass through instead of turning the umbrella inside out. Picks: windproof travel umbrellas and umbrellas for rain and wind. If yours keeps flipping, see why it happens.
8. Flat umbrella
A folding umbrella built to be as thin as possible when closed, for a laptop bag or a jacket pocket. Picks: flat umbrellas.
9. Sun (UV) umbrella
A carried umbrella whose canopy is rated for UV, for shade on a walk rather than for rain. Look for a UPF rating on the maker's page. Picks: UV umbrellas.
Hands-free and specialty
10. Umbrella hat and other hands-free designs
An umbrella worn on the head, for fishing, gardening or theme-park queues. Picks: umbrella hats and umbrellas with a fan and mister.
Umbrellas that stand
11. Beach umbrella
Planted in sand, with a pointed pole or an anchor, and built for sun more than rain. Wind is the main problem. Picks: beach umbrellas, and how to keep one in the sand.
12. Patio and cantilever umbrella
A market umbrella stands in a table or a base; a cantilever (offset) umbrella hangs from an arm to the side, so the pole isn't in the middle of the table. Picks: patio umbrellas, cantilever umbrellas, and the difference between them in cantilever vs regular.
Questions people ask
What type of umbrella is best for wind?
A vented or double-canopy design. The vent lets a gust through instead of pushing the canopy inside out. Our rain and wind picks list what each maker states about wind.
What is the difference between a compact and a stick umbrella?
A compact folds to fit a bag; a stick umbrella doesn't fold and is usually bigger and sturdier for its weight. Travel vs regular umbrella goes through the trade-off.
What kind of umbrella should I keep in the car?
An inverted umbrella, because it closes wet side in as you get into the seat. A compact one fits the door pocket.
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