Product Description
Unflippable, Unflappable, Unleakable. World's finest wind-proof umbrella. Tested at the college of Areonautic in Queens NY, will not invert in winds of 55+ mph. Limited Lifetime warranty. #1 umbrella on the PGA, LPGA, and Champions Tours. GustBuster has been featured on CNN, GoodDay NY, Regis and Kathy Lee, Talk soup and many more televison and radio shows. Patented technology allows the wind to pass thru the umbrella, while you stay dry.
Amazon.com Product Description
The ideal choice for people on the go, the GustBuster Metro umbrella keeps you dry wherever you roam. The Metro is distinguished by its carrying sheath, which doubles as a backpack or shoulder sling. As a result, you can easily carry this umbrella when it's dry out while also holding a briefcase and cup of coffee. The Metro measures 22 inches long when open and 16 inches folded, with an award-winning 43-inch double-canopy design that's large enough to accommodate two people. The patented temper-hardened steel joint connectors, hexagonal hardened-steel ribs, and reinforced shaft, meanwhile, hold up to heavy use and are built to resist crimping and snapping. And should you not want to carry the Metro via the sheath, it fits easily in a purse or briefcase. Other details include a sure-grip comfort handle, a pinchless open and close release system, and a sleek design. Wind-tested by the College of Aeronautics to 55 miles per hour, the Metro carries a lifetime warranty.
Customer Reviews
(238 customer reviews)
Poor Construction, 2010-08-29
I had high hopes for this umbrella in the strong wind and rain of South Florida, but it broke literally the first time I used it. One of the spokes just came completely unhinged and a little screw is gone so I can't even fix it. I still use it occasionally because it was so expensive! But I look pretty silly with a flat-sided umbrella. In my experience, it's probably better just to buy a cheap umbrella from Target so it's easily replaceable.
Good umbrella, but small, 2010-08-26
I like Gustbuster umbrellas very much but think it needs to be emphasized that this umbrella is, in practice, smaller than the 43" that is indicated. As a 6' tall man with a large frame I found it inadequate for real rain coverage and had to upgrade to a larger size. The fabric is indeed about 43" in diameter, but after being drawn down by the ribs the actually working diameter is only 36" so I would frequently get wet below chest height. Also, the handle is rather short (consistent with other compacts) so that holding it with my elbow at my side and my hand raised to just below my collarbone means that the ribs touch my head, very annoyingly. This can be mitigated by holding the arm up higher, but doing so can be fatiguing for long walks.
For petite people or those just looking for something to dash from the car to inside, this compact Metro model is probably sufficient. For larger people or those with longer walking commutes I'd recommend the 48", if not the 62". Unfortunately the latter has not been available on Amazon for a while and is a bit dominating on crowded sidewalks anyway.
It's OK, 2010-08-25
I bought this 4 years ago, and before that I couldn't get an umbrella to last more than a few months before a gust of wind shredded it. This umbrella is still working, so it really is more wind resistant than those Totes umbrellas.
However, this umbrella has little else going for it. My version of the umbrella has a wooden handle; the handle to too small and very unfomfortable to hold, it's not securely attached to the shaft becuse it jiggles around making it even more uncomfortable for holding the umbrella, and the automatic open button is too sensitive making it easy to accidentally open the umbrella when you don't want it to open.
It's also very large and bulky for a folding umbrella, and it doesn't fold up very neatly.
Doesn't blow inside out but poor quality otherwise, 2010-08-25
I have had this umbrella for two years, maybe I shouldn't expect it to last very long. It is true, the umbrella doesn't blow inside out but the quality of it is otherwise terrible. The fabric is disintegrating, all of the caps pop off of the spines so I have to put it back together every time I open it, and some of the caps have ripped because the fabric frayed. The fabric is disintegrating at the top also. I would definitely not buy another one. It started falling apart over 6 months ago and is barely functional at this point.
Lifetime warranty, my butt! $10 return charge!, 2010-08-23
I purchased this umbrella in December 08. Before this I had used Totes. I purchased this to withstand the wind gusts that are present in the city around tall buildings. The umbrella is not built solidly, and frankly I'm surprised that it passed any significant wind tests. Yes, the umbrella has never flipped inside out, but the tips holding the outer points of the umbrella to the frame constantly come loose and you have to put them back on, or one side of the umbrella just hangs down when you open it out. Also the hinges of the umbrella are really weak and I've had two of them come apart on me. I did a quick fix on this by using bobby pins to hold it together, until recently when the frame just flat out broke (July '10). Yeah, the wind vents are a good idea for umbrellas in general but not when combined with shoddy materials and design. When I called Gustbuster to have it replaced with my lifetime warranty, they told me "Sure we'll create an RMA and you can send the umbrella back with the $10 and we will have it fixed or replaced". Why would I want to pay 30% of the cost of a new umbrella to fix your piece of crap? Get it right, Gustbuster. I'm going to buy another Totes.
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