Blunt Lite Umbrella

Frustrated by the number of umbrellas that end up in landfills, the folks behind New Zealand–based Blunt set out on a mission: to make an umbrella that actually works—one that won’t break in a storm, when you need it most. The result? The Lite, the company’s lightest full-length model, made to stand up to wild weather in the city or the great outdoors. It measures 30 inches long when closed and opens to a 41-inch diameter, offering plenty of coverage from the rain or sun. Every umbrella is wind-tunnel tested in 72-mile-per-hour (or Force 11) winds. And because you probably won’t carry yours through a wind tunnel, Blunt performs real-world testing, too.

All Blunt umbrellas feature a unique Radial Tensioning System that redirects, transfers, and distributes the effort used in opening the umbrella throughout the entire canopy surface. This robust, aerodynamic structure prevents the wind from throwing your canopy in all directions, and the company’s patented safety tips ensure you’ll never accidentally jab a passerby again. Following a rigorous 38-point quality check, the umbrellas show—as Wired puts it—an “architectural integrity as unbroken as the dome of St. Peter’s.”