I’m a pretty organized person. There aren’t many things I lose or misplace. But if I were hard-pressed to name the things I lose or misplace most, I’d have to say they’d be my sunglasses and umbrella. Since I live in sunny southern California, I rarely use an umbrella when I’m home but I always carry one when I’m traveling (usually a mini one that fits in my back pocket).
Well, the good folks at Weatherman just sent me one of their Weatherman umbrellas, which are chic, durable and smart—and extremely hard to lose. I know what you’re thinking: How can an umbrella be smart? But in these days of innovative technology, you shouldn’t be surprised to learn that there’s now an umbrella that predicts the weather. The Weatherman was created by national TV meteorologist Rick Reichmuth, who couldn’t find an umbrella that met his standards while in the field. The result after three years of research, sketching, testing, and more testing is an umbrella that withstands extreme storms with the following features:
- Always Know the Forecast – The Weatherman’s apps (available for iOS and Android) provide alerts to take your umbrella with you before you go based on weather forecasts as well as notifications of upcoming rain during your commute based on work and home locations and the likelihood of precipitation by hour with helpful infographics.
- Never Lose Your Umbrella Again – The Weatherman comes with a Pebblebee tracker that utilizes the latest Bluetooth 4.1 technology to locate your umbrella and ensure it’s never lost or left behind.
- Withstands Brutal Winds – The Weatherman’s industrial-strength 14MM gauge fiberglass ribs and shaft prevent breaking and inverting. Wind resistant for up to 55mph winds.
- Ensures You Actually Stay Dry – The Weatherman’s Teflon technology fabric delivers the highest water repellency possible, ensuring you’ll stay dry.
- Lifetime Guarantee – Umbrellas have garnered a reputation for either being visually unappealing or notoriously flimsy, hence the reason why they’re constantly being replaced. Weatherman stands behind its products with superior customer service and a lifetime guarantee.
- Maximum sun protection – Since I had a skin cancer scare (here’s my story) I really like the fact that the umbrella has a UPF 50+ coating to block the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays.
- Mesh pocket – A large pocket offers storage for small items.
The Weatherman umbrella comes in a variety of sizes—from 19.5″ to 68″—with prices ranging between $59 and $95. Grab one here.
