GustBuster Proseries gold 62" style 2

I bought this umbrella because I knew the cheap umbrellas from Walmart would not last very long, and I did not want to keep buying new ones. I heard the GustBuster umbrellas were great, and I decided to get one. Sure enough, I've had this umbrella for 6 months and I think it is absolutely wonderful. It has kept its shape no matter how windy it is outside. It is also big enough to not only keep me dry, but also my backpack, which I had issues with when I used smaller umbrellas. I've even used this with another person when it was raining, and we both stayed dry. If this umbrella stops working as it should, I will definitely get another GustBuster.Edit 3/28/14Last fall I noticed the outer layer of the umbrella began tearing at the top where the tip is. As time progressed, it got worse, now only hanging on by a few threads. I've used it in the current condition, and no rain comes in and it still holds up in the wind. However, I felt that this was something that should not happen to an umbrella I only use on occasion. I emailed GustBuster and informed them of what was going on. The guy who emailed me back asked for pictures since fabric is not usually covered in the warranty. After I sent him multiple pictures, he informed me that they would replace the umbrella with a new one. All I needed to do was call them, get a return number, write it on the box, and send the umbrella with a $10 check for shipping to GustBuster and I would receive my new umbrella. The customer service at GustBuster was great, and although this umbrella did not last long, I was highly satisfied with its performance and am hoping my next one lasts a very long time.

I gave it four stars instead of five because of the small, thin, & "cheap" plastic catch that holds the umbrella open. I can only imagine that it will fail over time and render the entire umbrella unusable. Such a small piece to be so important. I would have gladly paid a nickle more to have a metal piece in there that would outlast the life of the umbrella. Such a shame to build a very good umbrella and then cut a corner on such an important part and put in a substandard plastic part that when broken will make the entire umbrella useless.What I am doing to help prolong the life of this cheaply made but very important part is, before I close the umbrella I push the umbrella further open/up about a quarter of an inch to take the pressure off of this cheap plastic substandard part. After that I press in the spring loaded poorly made part in with my thumb, bring the slide down past the cheap part, and then allow the umbrella to continue closing.I am being pro active and already trying to come up with ideas on how to still use the umbrella once that small, cheap, plastic part fails, cause I am just sure it's only a matter of time before it does.

I give this umbrella 5 stars on the first use. A couple days after receiving this umbrella we had gusty rainy weather along the coast. Perfect day to try this out. Gusts to 40 mph easily along the beach.The good news is this umbrella did not invert. The bad news is that this umbrella did not invert!This umbrella kept me dry and protected me from the wind.My only worry is that the wind will take the umbrella out of my hand. A couple of times I thought I may be carried away and start wind surfing.I would not recommend this umbrella for someone without strength. I am also considering attaching a strap so it doesn't blow down the beach if it is pulled out of my hand.The other thing is that I paid 33.00 and the following week it was $45.00. You may wait and get a better price. Theses would make great presents at the lesser price.My suggestion to the company would be to offer a clear panel so when I am walking my dog down the beach into the wind I can see where I am stepping. Also send a wrist strap to prevent it from blowing away.

Because it does so well at covering me and is so sturdy, it gets 3 stars (barely), otherwise, the issues in the subject line would relegate it to 1 star. The main problem, as others have pointed out, is the strong chemical smell from the material the handle is made of. It makes the handle, essentially useless. I never hold this umbrella by the handle because the material leaves a residual chemical smell on my hands which I don't want random whiffs of during the day.Also, as other have pointed out as well, it can be difficult to open and close. I don't mind the manual operation of opening and closing (reduces moving parts so theoretically increases durability), but come on, by now this should be a no brainer to make work easily. And for me, its not even the strength required to open this (it is a bit stiff and I wouldn't expect a petite person to be able to deal with it) but its the "catch" that is dubious in the open position. Occasionally I have had to shove the umbrella open 2 or 3 times to engage the catch that holds it open.That all said, once its open its enormous and covers me well. And I've been walking down the sidewalk and have watched multiple other umbrellas invert in heavy winds while my Gustbuster remains sturdily open.

It is a great umbrella, i read several other posts about it being hard to open. I was skeptical about getting it, but i thought why not and gave it a shot. However, I do not know if i got lucky and got a good one but this one is pretty easy to put up. I am a 135 pound, skin and bones guy. I got to test it out on a super cold, windy and rainy day on my college campus while carrying a laptop case. It kept me, and my laptop stayed dry. It did not invert at all. All i was wanting was a good umbrella, that would last me along time, one that was durable. I believe this umbrella will stand the test of time, if you take care of it!

Superbe achat.