Shake it once, dry it open or hanging, never strap it while wet, keep grit out of the hinges, and store it dry rather than crushed. Those five habits, none longer than a few seconds, are the difference between an umbrella that lasts one winter and one that lasts five.
Wind gets the blame, but most compact umbrellas are killed slowly, rolled up wet at the bottom of a bag. Water sits in the folds, the metal joints corrode, the fabric coating breaks down, and one day the button sticks. None of that needs to happen.
1. Shake it once, properly
Before you come inside, hold the closed umbrella by the handle, point it down and give it one firm shake. On a coated canopy rated to 1500 mm or so, that clears most of the water because it is beading on the surface rather than soaking in. On a cheap uncoated canopy it clears less, which is one reason they never quite dry.
2. Dry it open, or hanging
The worst thing you can do is roll a wet umbrella and put it away. The best is to open it and leave it somewhere warm for an hour. If there is no room for that, hang it closed and unrolled so air reaches the folds. An umbrella with a ring handle, like the Ombriel Loop, goes on a coat hook by the door and drips onto the mat instead of the floor. That is most of what the ring is for.
3. Do not strap it wet
The hook-and-loop strap holds the folds tight, which is exactly what stops them drying. Leave it loose until the canopy is dry, then roll and strap. Rolling in the direction of the pleats, following the way the canopy naturally folds, keeps the fabric from creasing.
4. Keep grit out of the joints
Sand, road salt and the dust from the bottom of a bag work into the rib hinges and the runner on the shaft. Every few weeks, open the umbrella and wipe the ribs and shaft with a damp cloth, then let it dry. If the runner starts to feel gritty, a single drop of light oil on the shaft is plenty. Do not spray anything on the canopy.
5. Store it dry, not squashed
Between uses, a compact umbrella lives best hanging by the door or clipped to the outside of a bag, not crushed under a laptop. If it goes in a bag, put it in after it is dry and keep it near the top. In summer, when it is mostly a sun umbrella, the same rules apply; heat in a car does the coating no favours either.
What about the button?
Auto open-and-close umbrellas have a spring in the shaft. It does not need maintenance, but it does not like being forced. If the umbrella will not close, check the strap is not caught and the ribs are not inverted, then press the button again. Never yank the canopy shut by hand on an automatic; that is how the mechanism gets bent.
What does the guarantee cover?
Ribs that fail in normal use, a button that stops working, seams that open: those are manufacturing defects, and on the Loop they are covered by a 12-month guarantee. Being left open in a gale, sat on, or stored wet for a month are not. Details are on our returns and guarantee page.
