Features:

  • MODEL: AQUA BLUE; PERFECT LIFESTYLE ACCESSORY with Auto Open/Close feature.
  • ICONIC BRITISH DESIGN - Designed in Britain (made in PRC); Patented luxurious handmade wood handle.
  • BEST MATERIAL POSSIBLE: 300T finest fabric; Steel shaft; Fiberglass ribs; Vented Double Canopy.
  • ARTISAN CRAFTSMANSHIP & RIGOROUS QUALITY CONTROL: 146 painstaking steps, 18 points of inspection.
  • COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE: ONE YEAR direct with Balios Umbrellas. FREE Replacement NO limit
So far so good.

The wooden handle and double canopy (to allow air to escape on a windy day) were the main reasons for this purchase. Leave it to the British to design a nice umbrella, but the Chinese to actually make it. (As in this case.) Initially, the standard colors of (yawn!) black, grey and green almost eliminated the Balios for me. But the more I looked around, the initially chosen sky lining (inner layer) of another model made room for a seemingly better build quality. (Which is putting a lot of trust into online descriptions.) Once received, the umbrella turned out slightly smaller and lighter than I anticipated. In fact, it’s nearly identical to a department store umbrella it replaced. The automatic open/close mechanism is fairly standard for this type of umbrella. Push a button and it opens fully (provided you took it out of the sleeve first). Push the same button again, and it folds the canopy without retracting the shaft. That still needs to be done by hand, but again that very much how most of them work. The springs in the Balios that are associated with the open/close are fairly stout and at least initially may surprise you with the force needed to actuate. To me it’s not a big deal. The canopy consists of two partially overlapping layers. This is not meant to be a liner as in some cases (i.e. for pictures inside the umbrella), the Balios is doing it to provide an opening for wind to pass thru while the overlapping layers make sure rain doesn’t get thru in normal use. The umbrella oozes build quality, and it remains to be seen if that translates into durability. The wood handle is well formed and stays in your hand despite the complete absence of any elastomer (“rubber”). The sculpted inside of the grip is fairly effective. The wood finish has a reasonable grip, too, and makes for a comfort grip in colder weather. The fabric of the canopies is claimed to be a tightly woven 300T and that seems to be about the tightest you’ll find anywhere. It also means that the fabric is fairly thin and once again it remains to be seen how it holds up. The handle doesn’t have a loop, but the sleeve does. I normally use the loop only for hanging the umbrella and this constellation is fine. However, at least in the past I typically didn’t keep the sleeve for that it didn’t seem useful. The Balios may change that. Btw., the metal finish at the handle is significantly darker than the pictures suggest. I think that’s a good thing, but it remains to be seen if this coating is as durable as I'd expect from a nickel plating (or especially stainless steel).

Most Excellent Umbrella

I absolutely love this umbrella. Simply put: 1. Sturdy construction, well-built. 2. Does not invert with strong winds. 3. Wood handle feels great in the grip. 4. Small enough to travel, big enough to keep me dry. It hit all the check boxes and has been a great umbrella for me.

Very Impressed

Beautifully crafted wooden handle and feels much better than expected. I always thought nothing would feel better than a rubberized handle for enhanced grip but boy I was wrong. Though the true plus point of this umbrella is the material of the canopy. It is extremely water repellant and does not take much effort to shake any excess water off of it. If you are being thorough, it actually possible to put the umbrella back in it case nearly completely dry. Last but not least, the material for the canopy is also surprisingly soft and easily to tie up with the strap; adding to the comfort and joy of using this somewhat large umbrella on raining days.

You get what you pay for

I've never really spent on an umbrella but this was a worthy investment. The first most striking impression of this umbrella is it's build quality. From the handle to the cover, and the canvas to the frame - everything is well constructed. It is only natural that you would also want to take good care of such an umbrella, given its price, and that only serves to extend its lifespan with you. That's a good thing, because it looks like it will last a long time and is a keeper.

Love this Umbrella

So far so good. The weather finally got bad enough for me to use my new umbrella. I work downtown among the high rises which means the wind can get pretty strong at times. And this umbrella is holding up well. I love the color and the feel and it is easy to open and close.

The nicest umbrella I ever had

This umbrella is fashionably sharp looking for those that like both the sporty and professional look. Pairs well with almost any business suit or business casual attire. It opens and closes well and provide good coverage and can withstand moderate wind gusts.

-Definitely Worth a Look!

I purchased this umbrella to replace another one that I have had for several years.....and which finally broke. The Balios umbrella is surprisingly lightweight and compact. It also seems to be very sturdy in its rib-frame construction which suggests it should hold up well in high winds. The process of releasing/retracting the umbrella when I am finished with it is a little different than my old unit was; however, it didn't take long to get use to it. I rate the Balios umbrella as a solid purchase and recommend it highly.

Great service and product

Had an issue with the umbrella after a year of owning it and using it very lightly. The seller was super responsive and made it right, could not be happier with the level of service! Otherwise, we love the look, feel, and performance of this umbrella. Held up really well to some very windy and rainy days, never flipping inside out. Love the wood handle and the colors, and the fabric feels and looks top notch, holding up very well during downpours.

A great umbrella that's just a bit bigger than the usual compact, but still easily portable

Really nice quality. The auto-close/open is solid built and a great feature. The wood isn't as dense as I thought it would be, but it's still smooth and nice to the touch. The handle is fantastic to hold. I'm a big guy with large hands and hate the compact umbrellas with the handle smaller than the width of my palm because it makes holding on to the umbrella so awkward. This umbrella does not suffer from that at all. I can get a nice grip on it without feeling like I'm awkwardly squeezing my hand too tightly and my pinky isn't dangling at the bottom with nothing to hold on to. If it'll fit my hand, it's probably going to fit just about anybody's hand. I picked this umbrella because I wanted something that could fit in my backpack, but bigger than your typical compact umbrella. I do wish the umbrella was a little wider, I feel a little rain coming in from the sides BUT ! this is because I'm wearing a full backpack all the time, so I'm taking up more space than usual. On top of that, I live in Florida and the rain this time of year is brutal. I think the umbrella is more than wide enough, it's just my particular situation is extra tough to accommodate. I almost forgot to mention that water does not stick to this thing, at all. When I go to close it, it's almost completely dry even after getting hit by these monstrous Florida downpours. The only thing I can't comment on is how it will hold up over time. My greatest concern is that the auto open/feature means moving parts, and moving parts means more potential points of failure. I've used it quite a bit this past month and it shows no signs of degrading at all, I think it will hold up for the long run. If it doesn't, this review will definitely be edited to reflect anything I discover. But even assuming it holds up for just a year down here in windy/rainy South Florida, I still think it'd be doing really great for the price.

Quality & Aesthetic

It's always a good sign when you like something right out of the bag (or package in this particular case). I've had quite a few umbrellas in the past and have a pretty good sense of what to look for. The wood handle is everything. Umbrellas handles tend to be cold to touch, especially the plastic and metal handles, but that isn't a concern with the wood handle. Another feature that immediately caught my eye was the storage bag. In the past I've struggled to get my umbrella in its bag (can never fold it the right way) but having a zipper makes it hassle free. The Balios Umbrella has an open close button located right above the handle making operation simple and easy. Other umbrellas may have a click to open but not to close. Good luck with that. I love the classy look and feel of this Balios Umbrella, not to mention it’s durability. I would highly recommend.

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