Senz - The Ultimate Travel Umbrella - Product Review

A few years back I was looking for the guest parking during a torrential thunderstorm, blocks away from the administration building where I had an appointment. I stepped out of the car, umbrella locked and loaded, and made a mad dash for the door. Three blocks from the entrance the wind caught my umbrella blowing it straight up and then right back down, soaking me, my outfit and my briefcase.

Frustrated I set out to find the perfect umbrella, never to be drenched again. Turns out I wasn't alone. Gerwin Hoogendoorn, a European industrial engineering student,  had the same experience 3 times inside a single week and devised the Senz.

This incredible umbrella exists for the extreme. It can withstand gusts up to 100km/h thanks to it's unique wing-shaped design that turns into the winds. It also features plastic caps over the edges of the frame and has built in UV protection. When they say, "Enjoy the weather," they aren't joking.

I found the Senz on eBay for about $25 and took it on a trip to Italy because it look quite fashionable and because I love the bright red color. So I'm on Capri, an island off the coast of Naples, when the rain and wind picked and I pull out my bright red Senz. As I begin walking  toward the overlook, about 200 feet up, a gale-force wind blows across the crowd of tourist, utterly destorying one umbrella and ballooning another. 

My Senz? It welcomed the wind.