Balios Travel Folding Umbrella with Real Wood Handle Auto Open Close Vented Windproof Canopy - Designed in UK

I picked this up because my last travel umbrella finally gave out after one too many gusty downpours in Florida. The cheap ones always end up inverted or with broken ribs, so I wanted something with a vented canopy and a bit more quality without spending a fortune. My expectations were pretty basic: decent wind resistance, easy one-handed operation, and something compact enough to toss in my carry-on. I've been using it for the past week on a mix of quick errands around town and a short trip where I got caught in afternoon thunderstorms. The auto open/close button works smoothly—one press and it pops up fast, same for closing. The real wood handle with those finger notches is genuinely comfortable to grip, even when it's pouring and your hands are wet. It feels premium in a quiet way, not flashy. The vented double canopy does a good job in moderate wind. I walked through a couple of blustery showers and it didn't flip inside out like my old one always did. The canopy is a nice size for a folding model—keeps your shoulders mostly dry without being bulky when closed. It dries reasonably quick too, which is handy when you're hopping between air-conditioned stores and humid Florida air. That said, it's a little heavier and longer when collapsed than the super-minimal travel umbrellas out there. Fine for me since I usually throw it in a backpack or suitcase, but if you're trying to squeeze it into a tiny purse, you might notice. The closing mechanism takes a bit more push at the end to fully collapse and lock, nothing major but worth mentioning. Pros: Comfortable real wood handle with good grip Reliable auto open/close Vented canopy handles wind better than basic umbrellas Feels well-made and looks nicer than plastic-handle alternatives Decent value—better quality than the $15-20 options without jumping to luxury prices Cons: Slightly bulkier/heavier than ultra-compact models Closing fully requires a firm push Overall it met my expectations and then some on the feel and daily usability. It's not indestructible in hurricane-force winds, but for normal travel and city rain, it's a reliable step up. Definitely worth the price if you want something that doesn't feel disposable.

This Balios folding umbrella exceeded my expectations. The design is elegant and masculine, with a classic British touch. The wooden handle is real wood, not cheap plastic pretending to be something else — it feels solid and premium in hand. The fabric looks high-quality, and the automatic open/close mechanism works smoothly, which is extremely convenient, especially when sudden rain catches you off guard. Living in the Caribbean, I know I’ll get great use out of this both for sun and rain. One small concern: the spring-loaded auto system feels a bit sophisticated, so I’m curious about its long-term durability. But with proper care, I believe it will hold up just fine. In short, this umbrella combines style, function, and value in one. I’m genuinely happy with the purchase and would definitely recommend.

So when it comes to umbrellas, I always thought you had to make a choice: either a big golf umbrella for quality (but a lack of portability, plus it's expensive), or a smaller one for an on-the-go lifestyle (cheap, and cheaply made). So color me pleasantly shocked with this umbrella from Balios. For starters, when I opened the box, I was happy to see that it was a decent weight... you could tell it had a bit of a rugged feel that made me feel this thing, before trying, "felt" well-made. Then I saw the handle. Yes, the style is nice (though style doesn't really make me purchase an umbrella, per se), but the ergonomic grip was fabulous. My hand felt like it belonged there, and that it would be easier to hold should conditions be more blustery than an average rain shower. The first time I pushed the button, it opened effortlessly, and I was really surprised to see a vented canopy, like you'd see in much bigger (and much more expensive) umbrellas. I haven't seen too many like that in this size, and I have to say it was really impressive. But the real clincher for me happened this past Saturday. Sadly, we've had a TON of rain in the area where I live this year, with flooding at near-historic levels. It seems like every other day we're getting rain, and not just the wetness, but lots of wind, as well. We had a ridiculous soaker the other night, with a good 15-20 MPH wind. I don't care how well this thing feels like it's built... it's not going to stand up to the weather. Or so I thought. This umbrella not only kept the top third of my body dry (not a whole lot you can do with blowing rain), but it held its shape and didn't fly up like many I saw that evening. I was absolutely shocked. And it fits two people surprisingly well, though adding a third means that one of you is getting at least half-soaked. I seriously cannot recommend this umbrella enough, and I will absolutely be buying a few more to keep in our cars, as well as by the front door. It really is remarkable.

UPDATE: Balios customer service is fantastic, leading to a revision of my review and increase in the product rating. They reached out the day after I posted this review, offering an apology, a full refund, and a heavily-discounted replacement -- far more than most companies would consider providing. The replacement umbrella is more robust than the first unit and has held up admirably under gusty conditions with no inversions. With first-class customer service and return policies, the Balios is worth serious consideration as a low-risk purchase with polished design upside. ============================================== ORIGINAL REVIEW: An elegant umbrella at a surprisingly affordable price, the Balios largely lives up to expectations, albeit with one very fatal flaw. The quick-drying canopy snaps to attention at the press of a button and closes just as readily, while the fiberglass and steel construction seems to be an asset to prolonged durability. The sleeve adds to the convenience, offering a rare zipped side that makes it significantly easier to reinsert the umbrella after use. And although I would definitely prefer an option for a golf-size canopy to accommodate two people and/or shield packages being carried, it's still perfect for the stated purpose of shielding a single person from the elements. Design-wise, it's suitable for a quick run to the pharmacy or a trip to the board room. The classic navy/black canopy remains taut, with clean lines and an opaque canvas that easily surpasses that of other umbrellas in this price range. Moving to the signature element of the Balios, the handle is well-crafted, with a comfortable grip and a rich, wood grain finish that gives it a truly refined look. However, the fatal flaw present in the unit I received is its failure to withstand even moderate winds. Despite being described as "windproof" and possessing a vented design for just such occasions, it immediately and repeatedly inverted in 15mph winds with 30mph gusts, leaving me out in the rain without a usable umbrella. Others have reported better experiences in similar conditions, so I'm being generous with my two-star rating in the hopes that I simply received a defective unit. No amount of design and longevity can overcome the inability of an umbrella to function should a rain storm present more than just precipitation. Unfortunately, I am just past Amazon's 30-day return window to request a refund.

Great umbrella, good size and compact enough for me, great handle.

The wooden handle and double canopy (to allow air to escape on a windy day) were the main reasons for this purchase. Leave it to the British to design a nice umbrella, but the Chinese to actually make it. (As in this case.) Initially, the standard colors of (yawn!) black, grey and green almost eliminated the Balios for me. But the more I looked around, the initially chosen sky lining (inner layer) of another model made room for a seemingly better build quality. (Which is putting a lot of trust into online descriptions.) Once received, the umbrella turned out slightly smaller and lighter than I anticipated. In fact, it’s nearly identical to a department store umbrella it replaced. The automatic open/close mechanism is fairly standard for this type of umbrella. Push a button and it opens fully (provided you took it out of the sleeve first). Push the same button again, and it folds the canopy without retracting the shaft. That still needs to be done by hand, but again that very much how most of them work. The springs in the Balios that are associated with the open/close are fairly stout and at least initially may surprise you with the force needed to actuate. To me it’s not a big deal. The canopy consists of two partially overlapping layers. This is not meant to be a liner as in some cases (i.e. for pictures inside the umbrella), the Balios is doing it to provide an opening for wind to pass thru while the overlapping layers make sure rain doesn’t get thru in normal use. The umbrella oozes build quality, and it remains to be seen if that translates into durability. The wood handle is well formed and stays in your hand despite the complete absence of any elastomer (“rubber”). The sculpted inside of the grip is fairly effective. The wood finish has a reasonable grip, too, and makes for a comfort grip in colder weather. The fabric of the canopies is claimed to be a tightly woven 300T and that seems to be about the tightest you’ll find anywhere. It also means that the fabric is fairly thin and once again it remains to be seen how it holds up. The handle doesn’t have a loop, but the sleeve does. I normally use the loop only for hanging the umbrella and this constellation is fine. However, at least in the past I typically didn’t keep the sleeve for that it didn’t seem useful. The Balios may change that. Btw., the metal finish at the handle is significantly darker than the pictures suggest. I think that’s a good thing, but it remains to be seen if this coating is as durable as I'd expect from a nickel plating (or especially stainless steel).

I'm leaving a five star review because the first umbrella I received had a few issues but amazon sent me another one that seems just fine. However the 5 stars largely goes to the customer service. The company doesn't want you to have any faulty products and if there ever is any issue, they will solve the problem to ensure that you are satisfied. I'm glad that they are very responsive to customer feedback and are happy to make things right! Below was my initial reviews of the product before I got my replacement, which works as expected. I just got this umbrella in the mail and it looks great! I love the craftsmanship and wooden handle. However, after checking out the product, I went to place it back inside the included sleeve and as I'm zipping it closed the zipper broke RIGHT off! I didn't even pull that hard. I was surprised that this happened on my first time packing it away. Amazon isn't able to send me a replacement sleeve by itself I'm going to have to get a whole new set and send back the one with the broken zipper. Other than that issue, it seems to be a quality umbrella, I haven't had a chance to use it and get a sense of its sturdiness since I just got it. But the sleeve quality is not so good. Maybe mine was just a bad make, hopefully the manufacturers can improve on the sleeve quality. UPDATE: I added the third photo after playing around with it a bit more. It's already broken on me. Initially I thought the zipper itself on the sleeve was the only issue. But now the umbrella has already shown a big sign of unreliability.

Really nice quality. The auto-close/open is solid built and a great feature. The wood isn't as dense as I thought it would be, but it's still smooth and nice to the touch. The handle is fantastic to hold. I'm a big guy with large hands and hate the compact umbrellas with the handle smaller than the width of my palm because it makes holding on to the umbrella so awkward. This umbrella does not suffer from that at all. I can get a nice grip on it without feeling like I'm awkwardly squeezing my hand too tightly and my pinky isn't dangling at the bottom with nothing to hold on to. If it'll fit my hand, it's probably going to fit just about anybody's hand. I picked this umbrella because I wanted something that could fit in my backpack, but bigger than your typical compact umbrella. I do wish the umbrella was a little wider, I feel a little rain coming in from the sides BUT ! this is because I'm wearing a full backpack all the time, so I'm taking up more space than usual. On top of that, I live in Florida and the rain this time of year is brutal. I think the umbrella is more than wide enough, it's just my particular situation is extra tough to accommodate. I almost forgot to mention that water does not stick to this thing, at all. When I go to close it, it's almost completely dry even after getting hit by these monstrous Florida downpours. The only thing I can't comment on is how it will hold up over time. My greatest concern is that the auto open/feature means moving parts, and moving parts means more potential points of failure. I've used it quite a bit this past month and it shows no signs of degrading at all, I think it will hold up for the long run. If it doesn't, this review will definitely be edited to reflect anything I discover. But even assuming it holds up for just a year down here in windy/rainy South Florida, I still think it'd be doing really great for the price.

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.

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!

Love it.What you see in photos is exactly what it looks like You would think that this was a $300 item but check the price Works very well and smooth gliding open and closes and what a great size Handle real wood and finished well with high Quality look and feel Would recommend this for everyone everywhere

Perfect size that fits into a backpack, good quality and nice colour. The wood like texture is also an elegant touch. It also comes with a helpful pouch

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