DAVEK SOLO UMBRELLA (Classic Black) - Quality Windproof Travel Umbrella with Automatic Open

This is a good umbrella. It feels very sturdy. The big thing here is the cost of the umbrella. Is it so much better than the next one because of the price tag. I will say that I love the handle. It has a heavy feel to it and looks really top notch. I also like the waterproof fabric of the umbrella. Water beads up into tight little balls allowing the water to dry up quicker. The opening and closing mechanism works well but it doesn’t blow your hair back. I would’ve expected a much better mechanism for the money. Other than that the umbrella is fine. I did get a compliment on the subway from someone who saw it and recognized “the quality.”

Do you remember a recent photo of King Charles and PM Boris Johnson sitting next to watch other on a rainy, windy English day? King Charles umbrella held up nicely whereas Boris’ cheap portable flipped inside out and was about to fly away.. a well made, windproof umbrella, with an auto open and close button, is invaluable, money well spent! The Davek Solo is one such umbrella. I haven’t had the occasion to try it out yet, but an initial visual inspection showed me it was well constructed and made with the best materials. You can buy cheap umbrellas costing $3 to $25, but the last for a few drizzles at best and if the weather is truly severe, not even that! A quality umbrella like the Davek Solo is a must investment.

Feels strong, feels high quality, and is really wind proof, might be expensive, but is a good value for the price

Bought this umbrella for my wife's birthday after doing a bunch of research for an auto open feature. She loves it and it's worked exactly as advertised. Well-built with excellent quality and functionality.

Earlier this year, I vowed to never find myself wrestling with a crappy umbrella ever again, so I donated or threw out all of my crappy ones and began my search for quality options. Of course, I quickly found my way to Davek, and over the past several months, I have purchased 12 of these in different sizes and styles to tuck away in my family's dozen go-to umbrella spots (cars, work bags, backpacks, coat rack, etc.). For reference, I bought one of the Elite cane umbrellas, a couple of Duets, a couple of Solos, three Travelers, and four Minis.What I love about them: Each part of these umbrellas is indisputably high quality - fabric, open/close mechanisms, shaft, handle, strap, all of it. Apart from the Minis, which are manual, the umbrellas spring open with a strong, satisfying snap, and they are sturdy and solid. My son and I enjoy taking rain walks, and a couple of weekends ago we got caught in a stormy gale - driving winds, pouring rain, crashing thunder. The umbrellas were amazing! In a storm like that, it's less about staying dry than it is about keeping the rain and wind out of your face, so our legs were drenched from horizontal rain but the umbrellas did great, particularly with regard to holding up to the wind. Couldn't be happier with their quality and performance.What I don't love about them: There are three things I've found that are not great, two of which have to do with the handle. On the Duet, Solo, and Traveler, the handle is beautiful, but it is round and small, similar to the size/shape of an egg. This might seem like an ergonomic design that fits nicely into the palm, but for an umbrella, you really need a longer handle that provides some leverage to allow you to push against wind...like the handle of a knife or a fishing rod, for instance. Imagine trying to chop vegetables or cast a line with a knife or rod that has an egg-shaped handle. It just doesn't work well. What happens is that your thumb and forefinger end up not holding the handle at all, but rather clinging tightly to the shaft, and it causes fatigue in the hand muscles during longer walks.Now imagine that the egg-shaped handle has a hard-plastic tab sticking out the bottom of it, requiring you to spin it so that the tab is perfectly positioned in the small gap between the end of your pinky and bottom of your palm to avoid it digging into your palm - and there you have issue number two with the handle. This little tab holds the leather strap, and it is a source of annoyance and frustration.(I should mention that I am a woman - albeit a 5'9 woman with hands on the longer side - but I thought it worth noting that this perspective regarding the handle isn't coming from a person with XL hands.)The last issue has to do with the difficulty we've had in collapsing the shaft on our Traveler umbrellas. None of the other sizes have this issue, but with all of Traveler umbrellas, it is REALLY hard to push the umbrella shaft fully closed/collapsed. It’s like the spring is too tight (?) or something. It take a lot of effort - usually resulting in me putting the end of the umbrella on the ground and using my body weight to push it closed. I actually bought one of the traveler sizes specifically for my younger (10yo) son, but it is too hard for him to manage. He has no trouble with the Solo or Duet. Just the Traveler. Not a deal killer for us, but I thought it worth mentioning as this might be a real issue for some.So….all in all, I LOVE our umbrellas. The Elite is amazing and perfect - 5 stars. The Solo, Duet, and Travelers get 4 stars due to the handle issues. The Minis I would give 5 stars; they are a LOT more streamlined and lack some of the more technical stuff (opening mechanism, etc.), but for what they are designed to do/be, they are awesome.This was a long read for those of you who are still with me here, but I hope the insights are helpful.

I bought this umbrella under the expectation that the claimed sturdy construction would mean this product would be worth the very high price. What disappointment! The 2nd time I tried to use it, It popped open and broke one of the links in the mechanism. It was not even a windy day! I was shocked. These umbrellas sell for a huge premium over the common Totes products. I have never had a Totes fail and they cost 10% of a Davek cost. I would not mind paying what I did if the umbrella were durable but now, I am just getting a refund. I simply can't trust the brand. A lifetime guarantee won't protect you when you are out there on a rainy day.As if this were not enough, you should note that this compact umbrella is pretty heavy. I think it weighs more than a full size umbrella. I would not mind if the weight went into durability but the linkage in the umbrella structure is weak, thin metal that can't even survive the forces of the simple opening process.Save your money... or just buy two or three totes and throw them away if they break (which they won't).

The umbrella boasts commendable build quality, effectively shielding against rain and wind with ease. Its sturdy construction ensures durability and reliability, making it a dependable companion during inclement weather. However, despite its admirable performance, the exorbitant price tag fails to align with its construction. While it excels in its primary function, the disparity between its quality and cost leaves much to be desired, making it a less compelling investment compared to alternatives offering similar performance at a more reasonable price point.

I was surprised to see the quality of this umbrella once I opened it. I was so impressed, I ordered a second one.