Given today’s unpredictable weather, an off-beat umbrella from a fly-by-night trader is not the one anybody should have. Nobody wants to bring a disaster-in-the-making, right?

Let us take Missy, a 21 year-old yuppie, for example…

“I was tasked to gather some requirements from our client whose building is situated a few blocks away from ours. There was no need for a ride of course, so I walked down the street with my summer-inspired umbrella. After acquiring the papers we needed, it started raining outside. A heavy downpour fell down when I was halfway near the building! Due to the strong winds and rain, my umbrella flipped upwards and two of its stretchers broke! It seems it would have been better if I didn’t bring it at all.”

But sometimes, disaster is defined not by lack of durability, rather, of rococo.

Johnny, a 13 year old boy said, “Mom came home one day and gave me an umbrella…with lots of flowers on it. Oh boy! It was torture to have me bring that to school, I thought. I was even more horrified when she said, ‘Honey, that umbrella’s your partner for the rainy days.’ ”

We all have sad stories concerning our not-so-trusty umbrellas. But an awful experience or a fashion faux pas is not a good-enough reason to stay off from umbrellas forever. After all, come rain or shine, they are undeniably a suitable accessory. We just have to learn from our mistakes and go for dependability rather than discount.

So how do we know if an umbrella is dependable? We asked an umbrella connoisseur for tips on spotting a good umbrella.

Mauricia, an umbrella repairwoman from Taguig for 10 years now, shares that we should get an umbrella with aluminum rod stretchers, because these are capable of resisting strong winds. She says that an umbrella’s most common defect is easily-breakable stretchers. She wrapped things up by saying that we should care for our umbrellas. After it rains, hang it to dry right after so it won’t rust.

Remember that little lesson we had about dependability over discount? Well, what follows are not the kinds that you can buy from P99 stores, but we guarantee that these won’t bring you down come rainy days, Mondays, or any other kind of day for that matter.

1. Withstand the Wind

Consider windy days when going for that great umbrella find. Umbrella technology has widely evolved and is thankfully still evolving. They now have Wind-Proof umbrellas wherein their stretchers are enclosed in bendable plastic and are durable against strong winds. Ask Mr. Salesman for a quick demo.

2. Skin-friendly

A few hours of sunshine in the morning is healthy, but the rest is just a hazard. Sun exposure means UV rays that may lead to premature skin aging and even skin cancer. Get protected with UV-defiant umbrellas to give your skin the care it deserves.

3. Umbrella Couture

Nowadays, umbrellas come in all shapes, colors, and sizes to cater different tastes, age groups and personalities. Mister and Miss corporate may opt for the classic black, gray, navy blue, or brown umbrellas. On the other hand, school girls and boys may choose from umbrellas with cartoon character designs, or are pastel colored or have interesting prints and shapes as well.

Here’s a hint: If asked to buy an umbrella for someone (mom, dad, sibling or friend) and didn’t get the chance to ask them what color or design they’d prefer, it is best to stick to classic, fool-proof designs and colors. Pick plain and simple – it works everytime.

4. Money Matters

With the situation of the world economy, good budgeting has become a vital skill. And squeezing in an umbrella worth more than Php 200 may already be pushing one’s limits. But the question is, “What is a good save anyway?” Hopefully, from all the things we’ve talked about, you already have a good idea. Remember, “Dependability over discount”. But, “Hey!” if you can have both, why not?

A good umbrella is neither for a rainy day nor a sunny one…because it’s meant to be of use for a far much longer time. So diss disaster and have one.