Value for money

This week, Value for Money compares four types of umbrella

Brown Thomas Umbrella

€15

Okay, good things first: this is undoubtedly the most portable umbrella we tried and has some nice details, including funky red stitching, a good solid rubber handle and the words “rain, rain go away” writ large all over it.

It is, however no more sturdy than an umbrella you could pick up for less than a fiver. The spokes are flimsy and while it talks a good game, with all the rain rain go away stuff, we reckon that in a fight between this and a serious shower, the rain would win every time.

Verdict: Dear and delicate

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Fulton Umbrella

€55

This is the classiest option by a country mile and is a real gentleman’s brolly – would that we were worthy of such a thing. The wooden handle is beautifully carved and it has a pleasing heft to it. The spokes are well sprung and as sturdy as you could want and it will have a long life ahead of it. Sadly that life may not be with you because, if you’re anything like Pricewatch you’ll leave it on a bus or in a pub and never see it again. And then you’ll curse the day you ever thought it was a good idea to spend €55 on something as ephemeral as an umbrella.

Verdict: The gentleman's choice

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Lisbeth Dahl Umbrella

€33

If you want a spot of purple Victoriana with added sequins from a designer who is – apparently – quite the doyenne of the umbrella world, then you’ll not go far wrong with this. If, however, you want an umbrella that will last a long time, keep you safe from the driving rain, offer protection against high winds and look slightly less than ridiculous, than you may want to go elsewhere. The handle is too narrow and not to easy to keep hold of, the sequins are plain silly as are the frilly edges and the price is way too high.

Verdict: Too sequined

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Ikea Umbrella

 €2.29

Like many things for sale in Ikea, this is funky and ridiculously cheap but unlike many things in Ikea, it is very, very easy to put up – in fact it is the only umbrella reviewed that pops up with the push of a button. It is nearly 25 times cheaper than the most expensive umbrella we tried. It is so cheap, in fact, that you could leave it in a cab and not be remotely bothered – and by the time you read this, that is almost certainly what we will have done. It has a nice foam padded handle, good strong spokes and a whole lot of polka dots.

Verdict: Very hard to beat

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Is there something you would like us to test? E-mail suggestions to pricewatch@irishtimes.com