The Repel Easy Touch Umbrella is one of the most well reviewed umbrellas on the internet, and one of the top selling umbrellas on Amazon. Is it all it's cracked up to be? We have over ten years experience manufacturing and designing umbrellas and here's our take on the popular umbrella.
Size: Nothing really stands out in this category. This umbrella is a 3-fold umbrella (the ribs fold 3 times) and folds to about 11.5 inches and has 21 inch ribs, which is a standard size. It folds to a size that you can easily store in your bag or purse and provides decent coverage.
Handle: The handle is a good size so that it is easy to hold/grip and it is a good quality rubber, which gives it a premium feel and makes it slip-resistant. It has a plastic dome on the bottom, which in my experience always eventually falls out, and the wrist strap is a fabric cord which usually ends up fraying (the bungee type strap is better). Overall though, we think the handle is one of the better ones on the market.
Fabric: The fabric appears to be pongee (a type of polyester) and they say it is Teflon coated. The pongee fabric has a soft premium feel and the Teflon coating will help repel water, dry quicker and reduce any possible staining. Teflon coated fabric is not new or unique, but it is good quality and gets a thumbs up from us.
Frame: The shaft is steel, which gives strength to the umbrella, the ribs are a combination of steel and flexible fiberglass, and it has an auto-open-auto-close functionality. It has nine ribs (instead of the standard 8 ribs), which would give it a bit more strength. Although this frame is one of the better auto-open-auto-close 3-fold models on the market, there is nothing truly proprietary or unique about it...you can find similar frames from many other companies. And as with all folding/compact umbrellas, due to the folding parts, it is more prone to breakage than a Long or Golf umbrella.
Weight: It is a bit heavier than most Compact umbrellas, but that is due to the stronger/sturdier parts.
Fabric sleeve and hardware (tips, cap, etc): These are all standard...nothing unique here.
Warranty: This is where they stand out. If what they say on their website and in the customer comments is true, they will replace the umbrella no matter how/when it breaks, and they don't require you to send the old one back. Essentially you are getting an umbrella for a lifetime here...as long as you don't lose it first!
Price: This is another area where they stand out. Since they are not distributing their products through retailers/third parties and instead they are selling directly to the end-customer on Amazon, they are cutting out the middleman and therefore they are able to offer lower pricing. Equivalent quality products are typically around $10 more.
The Overall Verdict: Although there is nothing exceptional or really unique about this umbrella (there are many others out that that are similar), they have a top-of-the-line product for the size and its features, and they have made it stand out from the rest by offering it at a great price with the best warranty around.
At Cheeky Umbrella, we are the umbrella experts. We manufacture our own products so we can ensure the highest quality, and we sell them direct to you at manufacturer-direct prices. Browse our premium quality rain umbrellas and patio umbrellas!