The inverted umbrella or reverse folding umbrella is the way the umbrella should have been – so says the slogan of the inventor.
How many times have you struggled with an umbrella while getting in and out of your car to avoid getting wet? How many times have you spilled rain water all over the floor when you close an umbrella? We have been using the umbrella since the ancient civilization of 3000 years ago in Egypt, Greece and China. And it took us this long for us to innovate it!
The Inverted Umbrella has been the talk of my group of friends recently as they are doing last minute shopping for giveaways this holiday season.
The inverted umbrella or reverse folding umbrella, how is it different?
It looks like a regular umbrella but its unique mechanism allows it to be opened and closed in reverse (inward folding), leaving the dry side on the outside. This addresses the many challenges we face in using regular umbrellas. This unique reverse folding mechanism protects you from getting wet specially if you are alighting or getting into your car. It also prevents spilling water all over the floor and avoids damage from strong winds.
It’s like winning the lottery if you receive an inverted umbrella as a gift this holiday season. Most of my friends are longing to get one. There’s disappointment if you receive an umbrella this holiday season and it’s not the new inverted umbrella!
Where did the inside out umbrella come from?
Some may have thought that this umbrella came from Asia where this is becoming popular fast. Who knew that someone from the UK actually invented it!
Jenan Kazim who is an engineer based in London invented this umbrella. This idea came from his mother in law who complained how her umbrella dripped all over the floor of her house. Check out his website https://kazbrella.com/.
Read the feature in the UK’s Dailymail in 2014 to learn more about the inventor and how they started. It took some time but it’s starting to become more popular now.
What are the downsides of the inverted umbrella?
As with anything else, it’s not all positive for the inverted umbrella. There are 2 main things that may make you think twice before getting one.
- Weight – it’s a bit heavier than the regular umbrella, but not bothersome for most
- Needs to be open to dry out – this may not be an issue for people who typically open up umbrellas for drying out but not good for people who usually just let the umbrella dry up on its own while folded. As you can see on the photos, the advantage of the inverted umbrella is it keeps its wet surface inside the fold to avoid getting water on to you or your floors. But this can also be its downside as the water will be trapped inside if you don’t open it up to dry.
What do you think of the reinvented reverse umbrella? Share on the comments section below!
In the good old days, if you required an umbrella, you would wind up with a lengthy stick umbrella. And it would be black. But in recent years there have been many recent innovations and amazing feats of engineering applied to the age older rain umbrella.
I like the idea of an umbrella that keeps you dry and doesn’t allow water droplets to fall on you even when closing the umbrella. I also like how the handle design makes it easy to multitask without having the umbrella blow away. Those features make for an improved umbrella. I definitely understand how these umbrellas are becoming so popular.
That’s right Dave. I think in the near future we would start to see more and more of these. However, in some areas, the folding umbrella will remain more popular due to its portability. Maybe soon there will be a folding version of the reverse umbrella. 🙂