This 'inverted' umbrella is a rainy day game-changer
You'll never go back to owning a regular umbrella again.
Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
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There comes a time in everyone’s life where they forget their umbrella at home...and it pours. We’ve all been there — there’s no shame in it. Most people run to their local convenience store and pick up a cheap umbrella to keep them dry, then use it until it eventually breaks on them. Others stubbornly tough out the storm, refusing to break the bank for yet another umbrella that will end up in the trash in a month’s time.
Centuries have gone by and yet umbrellas seem to be the one thing that haven’t really improved. Nothing is sadder than a lone, broken umbrella on a sidewalk during a rainy afternoon. Sure there are some good ones out there, like the ones that are massively large, or ones that have lifetime warranties, or ones that can even withstand winds up to 70 mph—but my biggest issue with all of these is the price tag. No one can afford to (or wants to) pay $100 for a dang umbrella!
Plus, on top of that, for $100, none of these “game-changing” umbrellas are stylish or unique in any way. I don’t want to have yet another black or navy blue umbrella in a sea of other dark-colored umbrellas. After all, rainy days are dreary enough—I want to stand out and shed some light onto the world with a fun design on my umbrella.
So one thunderstorm-filled day, my overpriced Target umbrella flipped on me yet again and I was fed up with it. So I went on my computer and started searching on Amazon for top-rated umbrellas. Usually, I’d just go get another cheap umbrella from the nearest store but this time, I had a fire in my heart and raindrops in my hair. I came across the Sharpty Inverted Umbrella pretty quickly since it had 2,800-plus reviews on Amazon (with a 4.4 rating) and was #1 Best Seller for Stick Umbrellas. The “inverted” part caught my eye and I gave it a click.
What is an inverted umbrella?
The Sharpty can withstand winds up to 60mph, so you be safe in any storm!
The idea is simple — when the umbrella is closed, the dry part is exposed. That’s different than other umbrellas, where you have the “wet umbrella” problem because the exterior touches everything around you, getting everything wet. With the Sharpty Inverted Umbrella, it’s the opposite. The wet side is gathered in the middle and kept secure in one area so when it’s dripping, it’s not getting the side of your pants wet — it’s just getting the floor that it happens to be standing above damp. It sounds kind of complicated but really it’s quite easy.
Opening the umbrella works the same: you push it out to open it. With typical umbrellas you push it so the exterior just stretches outwards and lengthens. But since the interior is exposed on the Sharpty umbrella, when you push it, the sides invert—or rather flip—so that the exposed side stays on the interior as the wet exterior opens up to take on the world. The company says, “The mechanism of our beautiful windproof umbrella is inverted which gives you the ability to close from the inside-out when you open the door...without dripping water after heavy rain. This authentic model prevents getting the car or floor wet, thus keeping dry and clean.”
It's so easy to open and close the inverted umbrella!
To me, this is a game-changer. I was sold — so I bought it immediately. Now two years later, it’s still holding on just as strong as ever. I don’t know anyone who has a strong opinion on their umbrella (besides my boss). So it’s gotta be a big deal when someone (and by someone, I mean me) passionately loves their umbrella so much, they ask to write a whole article about it. Why do I love it so much? Oh, let me tell you.
What makes the Sharpty Inverted Umbrella better than a regular umbrella?
The Sharpty Inverted Umbrella stands up all on its own!
First off, it’s cheap. At only $23.95, the Sharpty Inverted Umbrella is super affordable for everyone. Plus with free shipping through Amazon Prime and Sharpty’s full-refund guarantee, you can’t not try it out. It’s made of “premium carbon fiber material which is sturdy, corrosion resistant and features double-layer canopy design to protect against UV rays and other harmful sun lights.”
On top of that, the designs are insane. It was honestly hard to pick which pattern I wanted because there were so many cool ones. I like how the designs are on the interior so you can see them basically all the time — when you’re under the umbrella and then when you close it up afterwards. With typical umbrellas, if there’s a cool design on top, you never see it unless it’s closed and even then, you don’t get to see it in its full beauty. I wound up going with the “Green Shade” design because it looks like a nice nature day above me even when it’s rainy and dreary.
It’s also easy to use and carry. We’ve all known the struggle of having to tote groceries home while shielding ourselves with an umbrella, but Sharpty figured out a solution to that. Thankfully they designed it with an ergonomic C-shaped handle that allows for you to slip the umbrella around your wrist and carry it that way. You can now walk through the rain and text with two hands, without fear of losing the umbrella to the wind!
The ergonomic C-shaped handle allows you to use the umbrella around your wrist.
My absolute favorite thing, though, is that the umbrella can stand up on its own. I ride the train to and from work every day, and sometimes I find that I don’t want to hold onto my umbrella the entire ride, like if I’m reading a book or standing up. But on a bumpy subway train, the Sharpty has better balance than I do! It never tips over unless someone bumps into it and it allows me to be hands-free for the whole ride. It’s so satisfying to be on the train, reading a book, and look up to see 5 random strangers gawking at my umbrella in awe and curiosity. I get asked about this umbrella almost every time I use it—everyone wants to know where they can get one too.
And when I get to the office and all my coworkers sadly keep their umbrellas open and drying in the corner (getting bad luck for eternity), I just sashay over to my desk and balance my umbrella upright next to me where it’ll drip onto a small area of the carpet. It’s the best thing I’ve bought myself in a while.
What I don’t like about the umbrella
To be honest, after two years of using it every time it rains, it still works great. The worst thing that happens, however, is that sometimes when I open it, it gets stuck for a second before it flips out. But it’s not a problem—it’s just getting adjusted. Besides that, the velcro band that you use to hold it all together when not in use is kind of weak and is hard to wrap up sometimes. In general, I usually don’t wrap it up because I like to have it stand up by the doorway.
Who should get one?
Under this umbrella, you'll stay completely dry.
Literally everyone. I’m not even joking. People who have cars will benefit a lot because its inverted design allows you to open the umbrella out of the tiniest sliver of your car door before you even step outside, so you’re protected the whole way. Sharpty also says that the umbrella can withstand wind speeds in excess of 60 mph and honestly, I wouldn’t doubt it. I live in a city and between the tall buildings, the winds do get pretty harsh. Think of all the bad umbrellas that have broken on you in the past two years and how much money you wind up spending in an emergency at your local CVS. A.k.a $24 for this sturdy, trendy, fashionable umbrella is nothing — it’s less than a dinner out. So make a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese one night to save up and order this umbrella right now.
Get your own Sharpty Inverted Umbrella on Amazon for $23.95
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