Balios Folding Umbrella Lux Hardwood Handle Auto Open Close

Living as I do in the North West of England, an umbrella is as necessary as taking regular breaths. Like many (men) no the way into the city centre, I always think 'Ah it's never going to rain', but it inevitably does. Because golf umbrellas are such weapons on public transport, I always end up buying a cheap and nasty fold-up from the market when I get into town! No more. I was drawn to Balios via a friend and because I discovered they are designed in the UK . . . . . where it rains quite a lot! For starters, it arrived three days earlier than Amazon predicted. The umbrella is so quintessentially British, lovely design, in an outer sleeve which is itself then contained in a further outer sleeve. The handle is ergonomically wonderful, the auto-opening mechanism instantaneous and faultless and best of all for a portable fold-up, it has a suitably large enough circumference to keep the rain off a "well-proportioned" (OK, a bit overweight!) person such as myself! And after the rain, the umbrella doesn't fall apart when you shake the rain off it. All in all it has restored my faith in the fact that there still are small companies out there putting some thought and quality into their products. I am not used to having a quality fold-up umbrella. I guess I will now just have to! Well done Balios. I'll be more than happy to pass on my experience with your terrific product. (PS This umbrella would actually make a great gift - I can't believe I have just written that, but I'm being honest)

Well I must say this brolly is most probably the best I have ever owned. After living abroad for many years I recently located to Northern Ireland, which rains A LOT! This is my 3rd umbrella in as many month, the other 2 turned inside out and snapped with the slightest bit of wind. This Balios brolly has not once flipped inside out and it's been extremely windy. It also came within an outer dust sheet, the kind you get with lovely bags and shoes, I thought that was a lovely touch. The brolly itself is strong, durable and very classically made. The handle is just beautiful and super smooth, unlike the clunky uncomfortable handles with the other brolly's I've used in the past. The size is well designed and 2 people could comfortably fit under perfectly, it opens and closes quickly and easily so you'll never be caught in a sudden downpour. Whilst hanging in my porch, I had a very lovely comment from the postman that described it as a lovely classic looking piece, so yes Balios has completely smashed the design and it's totally worth the price.

I’ve had this umbrella a while now and it still doesn’t fail to amaze me how aesthetically pleasing it is. The materials and the mechanism are very impressive given the reasonable price tag. As a fashion accessory I really can’t fault this umbrella. However, when it comes to using the umbrella, it does not quite live up to its ‘wind-resistant’ status. It’s not the worst in coping with winds but I’d be lying if I said I was completely at ease using the umbrella with winds. The umbrella is able to withstand mild winds but even so, it’s not quite comfortable with that and I’ve used umbrellas which have felt much sturdier and were within a similar price bracket. Overall, it is a lovely umbrella that certainly looks more expensive than it is. However, it is not the best in withstanding winds. I’m happy to keep mine for the time being but I would have been happy to pay £10 for it to be sturdier in withstanding wind.

I prefer to buy a quality umbrella, if only in an effort to move away from the throwaway culture of consumer goods. And living in the north of England an umbrella is an essential everyday item. When the time came to replace my well-worn Fulton model I decided to try something new and ordered the Balios travel umbrella in black. From opening the package I could tell Balios had invested time and effort into making the experience different with a focus on quality. The umbrella was simply but well packaged, with additional wrapping to protect the wood and metal handle. I like that it came in an outer pouch, which would help with storage and transit. The focus on quality continues to the umbrella itself, from the wood and metal handle, shaped so it can be gripped easily, to the metal snap fastener closure that is less likely to wear out than the standard Velcro ones. I’d say the size is half way between a standard compact umbrella and a golf umbrella. This gives a good level of shelter from the elements without the impracticality and frankly the anti social aspects of a golf umbrella. The automatic open and close function has a firm feel with an assertive and smooth opening, and reassuring click on closure. It’s a small thing but I also like that the storage cover has a tapered opening, meaning that you actually stand a good chance of getting the umbrella back into it following use – I usually discard this! Overall the Balios travel umbrella is well designed and an excellent quality product. At a price point comparable with my usual brand this stands head and shoulders above it.

This is absolutely perfect

This umbrella feels premium and well built. The hardwood handle looks great and provides a comfortable grip, while the automatic open and close feature works smoothly. It is compact enough to carry around but sturdy enough to handle windy weather. Excellent quality and design for the price. Highly recommended!

I push the button. Instantly the runner is propelled up the high grade steel shaft, extending the eight premium fibreglass ribs into place. With a snap, the Balios Travel Umbrella is at full stretch (a generous 1 metre in diameter), and I'm ready to face the drizzle. I stride out from my stairwell refuge, and feel the first few droplets hit the 300 thread count high-density fabric of the canopy; their blows are momentarily absorbed by the flexible, silky membrane, then repelled, springing off to land at a safe distance. "Damn that's satisfying" I think. I feel impenetrable. Impermeable. Impetuous. Dry. As I saunter through the deluge, I can’t help but feel the polished finish of the golden rosewood handle, and enjoy its smoothness in the grip of my right hand. “Now that’s craftsmanship” I purr. But, as I angle it to examine the Balios maker’s mark etched (flawlessly) into the stainless steel base, the tip of the brolly nudges a fellow commuter coming the opposite way. He stops and tuts at me from under the dripping hood of his ludicrous lime green parka. Jealous. Ignoring him, and deftly swivelling the hilt of my sturdily light weight Excalibur till it sits once again, loftily, above my kingly bonce, I make for the bus stop. After a brief wait on the rapidly puddling pavement (it really is drizzly), the bus arrives and I ready myself to embark. Bone dry. I push the button. Instantly the eight premium fibreglass ribs retract, and come to rest flush with each other at the runner hub. After a brief wait, I realise this will not propel the runner back down the high grade steel shaft as I had hoped, meaning I have to push it down myself, but it’s still pretty convenient. I smile to myself as I tuck my (already quite dry) bumbershoot neatly into its external dust case. “That’s British design for you.” I breathe. “Pretty ruddy convenient. Pretty ruddy good.”

This is a very strong umbrella, I guard it with my life as it's quite a bit of money but it's absolutely worth it. I never have to worry about it going inside out as with plastic umbrellas and it stands it's ground against British wind. It's very well made and feels like it (the handle is heavy) though I carry it in a tote bag or backpack because I can't bear to lose it! It's not a golf umbrella so expect it to only cover you and maybe your partner if you're quite snug and they're quite small.

自動開閉できる上におしゃれです。 車通勤なのでスピーディーな乗り降りができそうですね。

El mango destaca por su calidad. Muy fácil de usar (abrir y cerrar). Muy buenas calidades. Recomendable.

Excellent, belle présentation

Super produit et excellent rapport qualité prix

Sieht gut aus, macht einen wertigen Eindruck. Die Haptik ist durch das Holz sehr angenehm. Die Größe reicht aus um auch den Rucksack auf dem Rücken vor Regen zu schützen. Große Stürme musste er noch nicht aushalten, deshalb kann ich nichts zu Robustheit oder Langlebigkeit sagen,