Classic Collection

I go for a long walk five times a week and I always take my rucksack with me plus two of this umbrella for me and my son in case it rains. Many a time it looked like it wasn't going to rain or the forecast didn't predict it, but it did rain, and that is the strength of this umbrella: it's small and light enough that you can take it in a bag with you without it being that much hassle. It can cope with moderate wind, but in strong wind, it keeps getting inverted. So I give up using it in strong wind. But after over three years of use, both brollies are still going strong, even though my son's one has been inverted dozens of times - the brolly sorts itself out when you compact it back down and then open it again. The brolly opens itself when you push a button. To fold it back down, you push it down yourself, which requires some strength. My son struggled to push his down at the age of ten. From about the age of 12, he could do it himself. The umbrella has moderate coverage, so if you are out in windy conditions with rain coming in at an angle, you're likely to get a bit wet at least on the legs. But it is a very good option to keep on you whenever you go out, and most of the time it will do a good job of keeping you dry. It looks smart and the durability has been great: I've used it for over three years with it chucked into my rucksack along with other stuff. I've used it many times, as has my son his, and both brollies still look in great condition. Good value for money for how smart it looks and how practical it is. I especially love the wooden handle, which gives it a quality feel and has a lovely pattern.

In the past, I've avoided umbrellas. Not because I like getting rained on, but simply because I've - on the whole - had bad experiences from them. More often than not, the average umbrella will be bought in a hurry during a downpour from a nearby petrol garage, only to turn itself inside out within a matter of minutes, before being dumped in the bin. Well, I can tell you one thing straight away: Balios Umbrellas are *not* your average umbrella. As a lover of the finer things in life, I was absolutely delighted by the softness and beauty of the wooden handle, and as soon as I opened it up, it was clear this was a well-made, superior product that wouldn't let me down. Luckily (in a sense) it arrived through the post before I had to take my kids to school, and - this being England - it has already started to rain quite heavily. I pushed the button on the handle, my new umbrella unfolded itself with a smooth and impressive action, and I was off. Not only did I look great walking down the road with this elegant accessory, I was kept dry and safe from the downpour, too. The vents in the canopy allow the wind to move slightly through the umbrella, meaning there was never any danger of the item turning inside out and dragging me along the road. I was seriously impressed. I also love the smooth and sturdy mechanism of this device - it locks very satisfyingly back into place when you're done with it, and from there, you can keep it in its attractive carry case. I'm an absolute convert, and seriously won over the by affordable price and quality of this item. I would actually like to buy one for all my family members, too!

I want to start by saying this is a really handsome umbrella. The handle is a very attractive piece of wood that definitely gives the impression of premium quality. The Balios logo engraved in the wood is a nice touch in elegant cursive (although the little R in a circle next to it does spoil the effect a bit). The sleeve that comes with it is lovely as well; nice and secure when the zip is done up, with a that allows you to carry it on your wrist or attach it to a bag. Generally, I keep mine tucked in the open side pocket of my rucksack, where it fits very nicely. Even the little tag you will immediately remove and throw away has embossed text on nice thick card that will remind you of the business card scene from American Psycho - a very nice touch! The only thing that undermines the feeling of quality is a little wobbling and rattling when the umbrella is extended. I was in North Wales recently during storm Brian and the umbrella did admirably in the high winds thanks to the very sturdy spokes and the double vent, so I don't think this wobbling is actually a problem, it's probably a necessary effect of having the telescoping shaft, but I can feel it when using the umbrella and it just feels a little loose. For me, that's where it loses the fifth star. In terms of size when open, this is very much a one person umbrella. You can perhaps share with someone if you're close enough to put an arm around them, but you will each have one damp shoulder. I like this umbrella a lot in city use for that reason, I feel much less like a pavement-hog than if it had a larger canopy. The auto-open/close works well, I've had no problems and the button is large enough and well placed enough that you can find it by touch. Don't do what I did and press the close button while the umbrella's still above your head. I'm pretty sure it's obvious what will happen. Two caveats: 1. Careful how you place it when drying, if you leave it closed with the handle up any water will run through the vents into the inside of the umbrella. 2. If you have largish hands you may find the handle too small for comfort. I have pretty small hands for a guy and I find it is just on the small side of perfect, so if you have big meat hooks you'll probably find it disappears in your grip.

We love these umbrellas. They are really well made and feel super durable compared to most folding umbrellas. The real wood handle is comfortable to hold and feels premium, and the auto open and close button works smoothly and makes it very easy to use one handed. The vented canopy also helps in stronger winds. Worth calling out that we bought two of these years ago and only needed to replace them because we lost them, not because they broke. That says everything about the build quality. Would happily buy again and recommend.

I am now updating my review and revising up my score based upon some actual real world usage of the product and to reflect the excellent customer support I received in response to my original review. The original review can still be read below this new one. I've kept it as I think it's important to not whitewash my original observations as although my interactions with the manufacturer have had a very positive impression of the the product I still think those initial impressions are important. Firstly this umbrella is definitely more than your average travel umbrella. Its canopy is larger, the materials (canopy material, frame, wooden handle) are of a higher grade than most and its automatic open close action much faster and more consistent than other cheaper automatic umbrellas I have had in the past. Unlike those where the automatic action would fade over time (even the first 10 - 20 openings) this one has not had that issue and suspect it wont. Speaking of the canopy material this seems to be a very water resistant one, this combined with the speed and force of the automatic opening action means you'll never have to drip dry your umbrella again. Once you leave the rain just auto close and push the umbrella down to reset it and then open again. The force and speed will leave the canopy virtually free of water. Contrary to some of the other reviews I believe it does have better wind resistance due to the venting. The venting does not mean you can ignore the direction of wind, but it does give you more leeway on responding to it. Additionally, unlike some reviews my umbrella has not had any any issues with the venting letting rain through. The umbrella size and weight is definitely more than I am used to with any other travel fold up umbrella I've had. The canopy size is nice, you can cover two people walking side by side. I found the weight increase initially a bit annoying, but overtime you get used to it. I still think that if it were at all possible to redesign the umbrella with lighter materials that could still exhibit the strength and capability as the original (even if the price went up), it would be an upgrade worth paying for. Consequently the weight is the main reason given for why my fiancé won't buy one. The customer service was really surprising. Rick of ePorter contacted me with a long detailed response directly referencing my reviews original concerns with the product. He apologised for packaging and the less than stellar quality of some of the products manufacture. He welcomed my feedback, he really seemed to take to heart all of my comments and insisted he'd use the feedback to improve the manufacture of future umbrellas. Rick went the extra mile to reinforce his commitment to the quality of his product and see that I was happy, even going so far to send me another umbrella for free or the money back. I feel a bit guilty getting a free umbrella, but true to Rick's word this one had some marked improvements. The packaging on arrival was excellent being sent fully wrapped in bubble wrap inside a padded jiffy envelope. Rick had said in his emails that sadly he had little power over how amazon packaged things from its own warehouses, so this direct packaging showed his commitment to making sure this extra umbrella would not arrive with further disappointment. Once opened this new version of product addressed most of my original reviews concerns. It had a much better finish to the case and zipper, a more even finish on the wooden handle (and insignificant it may seem overall) no typos on the cardboard labels. Given my usage experience and the follow up customer support I can definetly recommend this umbrella and you can gurantee you'll be looked after by their customer support should you have any issues or product feedback. Original review: I have not used this in the UK's wind and rain yet so this review will be updated once I have. For now I'll review what I can based on delivery and first impressions. The parcel arrived day after ordered via amazon prime. Arrived in a oversized semi crumpled box, zero padding inside. The umbrella was presumably free to slide all around. The umbrella itself comes enclosed inside a nicely fitting case with a zipper, the handle wrapped in soft card. This zipper bag it's self comes inside of an outer fabric sleave with a draw string. From first glance the ensemble looks like a quality item, but there were/still are a couple of details that irked me from the off and differ from the product detail images and those of other customers reviews. Firstly the logo on the wooden handle is missing its registered trademark 'R', the grip is a bit lobsided (more of a visual annoyance as it does not affect how it holds) and finally the open close button text differs in style. These are quite noticeable differences to have on the one bit of the umbrella that is most unique, so it does bother me. Next I observed that the finish on the zipper bag is a bit rougher than I had expected, the zip stitching is rough and not great, enclosing the zip at it's terminating end rather than around it (as per the pictures). The cover is also missing the Balios tag and the overall finish is quite rough, it's shame because the materials and sizing are perfect and fit the umbrella well. Finally and minor though it is, the tags on the fabric sleave and zipper bag have some classic grammar and typo errors. "&Crafted" and "tpwards". Onwards to the actual Umbrella: it's quite weighty, heavier than any cheaper travel umbrella I've owned before, I hope the weight doesn't get annoying, the handle does seem like it would be better than a simple cylindrical grip, time will tell from real use. The automatic opening is unnervingly quick and has some serious power to it, same with the close, both actions are satisfying to use. Given I have not used it outside of the house yet I can't report on its rain and wind resistance,so I can't confirm nor deny the contrasting opinions from the five and one star reviews. I have however played around with opening and closing mechanism a number of times though and the automatic opening and closing action does not seem to be lessening any in that time, so although I'm a bit non plussed with some of the aesthetic finishes of the umbrellas handle and cover I do still hold out hope for it to fully fulfil its capacity to do its intended job.

I've been looking for a stylish, compact and effective umbrella for those "emergencies” when you haven't got your big brolly with you for quite a while now. I stumbled across the Balios Travel Umbrella and was immediately drawn to it. A fantastic range of colours, effective looking design, stylish, modern, not too expensive - perfect for leaving in the car or office... so I figured I would give it a go. I've looked at a few others on the high street or in larger supermarkets, but never really found one that looked like it would do the job. Packaging: The umbrella arrived safely in the normal Amazon packaging overkill style, although to be fair I know that Amazon likes to package creatively in order to make the best use of its delivery options. The umbrella itself was inside a drawstring protective bag, giving another layer of protection during transit. Inside this was the brolly itself, complete with zipped stowaway bag, and a wrap of paper around the handle (also to protect from damage during shipping). The zipped bag is easy to remove and replace but might be fiddly if the brolly is still wet. My new brolly is very YELLOW! In use: I live and work in the North East of Scotland - when it blows a gale and rains up here it does it properly. Safe to say that despite recent weather patterns having given us an unusually mild and dry spring (so far), I got the chance to try out my umbrella the day after I received it. In the past, I have taken my large "gustbuster" style umbrella for walks in the rain; it's tried and tested and gives an enormous coverage, but in true pioneering fashion I decided to try out my new travel umbrella. I was not disappointed in the slightest. Moderate gusts did not phase the brolly one bit thanks to the vents, it was big enough to give me shelter from the decent amount of rain pushing down on me, and as an added bonus the bright yellow was highly visible in the murk! In summary: The Balios travel umbrella is a solid, well designed and attractive brolly, well worth the £20 in my humble opinion! Would recommend to anyone.

I ordered my second one of these after using regularly for 7 years. Amazing, easy to open, waterproof, good size, remains in my rucksack. Never failed me. Highly recommended.

(Designed in Britain) Balios® Handmade Real Wood Handle Double Canopy Umbrella Windproof Fiberglass Auto Open & Close Folding -Premium 300T Finest Fabric-Uniquely Strong-Men's Ladies-High Quality-BLACK This is a review of the Balios® Handmade Real Wood Handle Windproof Umbrella. When the umbrella arrived it was wrapped in plastic. After unpacking and removing the plastic I was very pleased with it, the umbrellas presentation was simply stunning (exactly as seen in the photos). I like a compact brolly and this, when retracted up was only a mere 33cm and it came in a sheath/sleeve with wrist strap (which was of exceptional quality). The zip on the sheath/sleeve was very wide and plastic moulded, which meant it slid very smoothly (much better than a metal zipper IMO). Now onto the actual umbrellas’ quality... Taking it out of its sheath I examined the quality. The umbrella’s canopy was held together by one button strap with the word “Balios” written on it. The handle was absolutely gorgeous and the pièce de résistance of this item IMO. It felt really strong and luxurious (a 100% handmade real wood handle) with finger-notches for holding comfort. The company logo “Balios” is further engraved in the wooden handle and looks stunning. Just above the handle there was a ring with a button that opens and closes the canopy. The frame is made from fibreglass and felts very strong. When you press the “open/close” button it shoots open steadily and fast in a smooth manner. Once it had been opened you could see its nice double canopy design, with slits in the middle of the canopy to let air currents vent through. I took it into the garden and gave it a shower hose down I’m happy to report the water just slid off and didn’t absorb into the canopy. It has automatic closing and to close it you just press the button and it collapses, then you push both ends together until it clicks. As for its durability of it, if I get enough “YES” helpful votes I will update this review to tell you how it’s done after a few months. If you vote “NO” please tell me in the comments why you did not like my review so I can improve them in the future. This umbrellas has now become my favourite go to umbrella (I own about 8+ of them). Everything about it oozed class and style, it had a lot of nice touches such as a thick sleeve, smooth sliding zipper and a heavy set wooden engraved handle (made it look so stylish). Holding it in the hand it felt really comfortable, I can highly recommend this umbrella! I’ve included a video and some pictures for you. Thanks for taking the time to read my review.

Très très bien. Pratique et ne mouille plus mes pieds quand je le ferme. Génial et solide.

Buen producto y elegante, un poco cara, pero si se nota la diferencia de los paraguas convencionales.

La verdad es que no era fan de los paraguas plegables por la fragilidad estructural, pero este me parece robusto. sobre todo, el gran enemigo de los paraguas es el viento, este paraguas viene con un refuerzo extra de tela en la cúspide entre varillas que no permite que se de la vuelta y eso me parece genial. una buena elección.

Compact and well designed high quality umbrella with comfortable wooden handle, robust design and materials and also special design to combat wind pulling the umbrella due to the air pressure. One click and it unfolds instantly. One click and it closes the umbrella hat making it easy to pull down and secure when there is wind. Comes with a high quality case that helps dry the umbrella and keep it safe as well as having a handle. I bought it for roughly 13 Euros but would have paid twice without hesitation. Solid 5 star!

Just a plastic handle with a wood like cover.