Join the Debate: Should Anyone Spend $100 on an Umbrella?

Experts say price does not always equal quality. The best umbrella for you depends on several factors, like the climate and specific circumstances you’ll use one in, said Steven Doehler, an associate professor and the industrial-design coordinator at the University of Cincinnati. Do you want something to toss in a backpack, for regular commutes to work or school, or are you going golfing or fishing, where you’ll need a more heavy-duty option?

Style matters, too. Some features that may merit a heftier price tag include hand-hewn wood handles and precious-metal finishes, said Ignacio Urbina Polo, chair of the industrial-design department at Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute. Pricier umbrellas might also come with accommodating guarantees against breakage.

Given how readily available sub-$10 umbrellas are, spending more than even $50 on a rain shade can feel extravagant. Below, we gather arguments from those who have made the investment and stand behind their choice, as well as folks with cautionary tales.

Yes, investing in a sturdy, fancy umbrella will help ensure you don’t lose it.

Thomas Smith, 34, an editor in Lafayette, Calif., generally hates umbrellas, preferring to get wet “rather than schlep a fiddly, drippy hunk of metal and polyester around.” Yet the Blunt Classic stick umbrella ($99, BluntUmbrellas.com) won him over with its light, well-balanced frame. Plus, he said, “It is so expensive that I won’t casually leave it in a store and forget to go back and get it.”

Emily Rosenthal, 44, a consultant in Oklahoma City, became a fancy-umbrella convert after living in New York City, where persistent windy rain snapped the spine of several cheap umbrellas. The Davek Mini ($59, DavekNY.com) has proved sturdier, and comes with an “unconditional lifetime guarantee” against breakage. Ms. Rosenthal has only taken advantage of the policy once—when she fell on the umbrella, tearing its canopy. Davek quickly shipped a replacement.

Plus, where cheap umbrellas often look fine at best, more pricey parasols can turn heads. Elizabeth Borsting, 57, a public relations professional, loves the look of the $60 umbrella she purchased from Marshall Field’s about 20 years ago. When folded, the cane appears enveloped by a floral bouquet. When opened, the pink buds contrast pleasantly with the black canopy fabric. Said Ms. Borsting, “My only complaint? I wish it rained more in Los Angeles, so I could use it on a regular basis.”

A good option: The Davek Elite ($159)

At just shy of two pounds, the cane-style Davek Elite ($159) is crafted with a soft, top-grain leather handle. But it’s more than just a looker. The roomy 44-inch diameter canopy is big enough for two, with a sturdy fiberglass frame designed to resist inversion. And as a bonus, if your umbrella falls into the abyss of a restaurant umbrella stand or you leave it behind in transit, you can replace it for 50% off the regular price. Just make sure you’ve written down its serial number somewhere.

Wind can be an equal opportunity destroyer. Rachael Johanson, 30, a marketing consultant, learned this last summer when she paid $110 for an Italian designer umbrella to safeguard her from the notorious summer storms of Charleston, S.C. Within a month, the button to spring open the canopy, so mechanically snazzy and convenient at purchase, malfunctioned. “I am so upset I am not even going to buy another umbrella for a while,” she said. “Newspapers over my hair will have to do.”

Some people wouldn’t dream of forking over such funds in the first place, given how easy it is to lose an umbrella. “As a busy new mom, keeping track of my bags and accessories is practically an Olympic sport,” said Dallas Waldon, 28, a real estate investor who resides in El Dorado Hills, Calif. “That’s what’s great about cheap umbrellas—they’re practically immune to the heartbreak of loss.”

Lisa Shehan, 29, a travel blogger, says expensive umbrellas have their perks, but the stress and worry of losing one on the road aren’t worth those advantages. And for the money you pay for one premium umbrella, you can often get several economical ones, she notes. “Keep one in your car, one in your house and one in your office.”

A good option: The Umby ‘Be Sunshine’ Umbrella (from $35)

Whether you’re protecting yourself from April showers or winter sleet, the vents in the canopy of the Umby umbrella (from $35) will keep it from turning inside-out. Weighing little more than a loaf of sandwich bread, the compact umbrella is only 12-inches long when closed, making it easy to tuck into a bag or roomy coat pocket. In a pinch, a duo can huddle close together under it, but you might be happier with something roomier.

The Wall Street Journal is not compensated by retailers listed in its articles as outlets for products. Listed retailers frequently are not the sole retail outlets.

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