Essential Umbrella

Great Umbrella & Top-Notch Customer Service!

The Essential Umbrella is an amazing product and works perfectly for sun protection. Unfortunately, a small issue came up shortly after I started using it. However, when I reached out to their support team, Max handled it incredibly fast and arranged a replacement right away. Minor issues can happen with any product, but the way this brand takes care of their customers is amazing. The umbrella itself is great, and the support is even better. Thank you, Max, for the outstanding service!

passed the wind test

I tried this umbrella today for the first time and like it. It is much lighter than my trekking poles and easy to carry while hiking. Later I will try attaching it to my backpack, but it's so light I never tired of carrying it on my 2-hour hike. Carrying made it easy to switch sides depending which side the sun came from for maximum coverage. When I reached the exposed ridgetop, I was slammed by gusts of wind of 40 mph, strong enough to blow my hair and shirt-tail up in the air. The umbrella never inverted, strained, or tugged. Instead, it felt lightly lifted. I used 2 hands to brace the umbrella for the worst gusts, not because I was in danger of losing it, but to keep the shaft from swinging into my face when the wind wanted to blow it around like a sail. Heat zaps me faster and more thoroughy than ascents. The heat is worst in exposed areas that get windy. An umbrella that was not strong in wind would not be as useful. It was a hot day so the air was still warm, but instead of both baking in warm air and roasting in the sun, it felt like baking only. I don't like wearing sunscreen or hats so this gave good sun protection, and I liked feeling the wind in my hair. I think this will be a good solution for me. Shedding rain will be an added perk. It did not snag when some shrubbery lightly encroached on the trail. I am training for a hike in the Dolomites. Portions of my trail have zero shade and bright white rock. I am training in Spokane, where hot sun dissuades me from hiking. I hiked an easy trail on a 90F+ in Joshua Trees NP, and nearly got sick from overheating. I think this will help me stick to my training schedule in the hot sun. Tip: If you need customer service, type "talk to human" in your message so you don't get stuck in infinite loop with AI.

Nearly Perfect

I love everything about this umbrella - except for the too-short shaft length, which makes it difficult to attatch to shoulder staps for a hands free set up while providing sufficient clearance above pack and to allow for optimal airflow under the canopy. Add another 1.5 inches please!