IT is raining cats and dogs and the Met Office sees no end in sight.
We have been subjected to one of the wettest winters on record, so having a brolly has become a daily damp-proofing essential.
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But from cheap and cheerful to a high-tech investment, which umbrella is best for battling the Great British weather?
Laura Stott, took cover under a selection to find out and rated them out of five.
WATERLOO
£24.95, rokalondon.com and various stockists
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SMART, sturdy and strong, this is a hefty bit of wet weather kit that means serious business when it comes to keeping you dry.
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Made of recycled nylon, and Teflon coated for extra waterproofing, the canopy stands up to serious downpours.
It is big enough to keep you fully covered without being so big you can’t fit it in an everyday bag.
I liked the sturdy rubber handle and easy quick-release button to open the strong spokes, although I did find it a little fiddly to pack back down.
Rather heavy, but this makes it stronger in squally conditions.
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Not the cheapest but a fair cost for a good, durable and well-made investment umbrella.
Rating: 4/5
Newdora £12 ‘windproof umbrella’ is a best-seller on Amazon – and shoppers say it’s a ‘must have in the UK’
£4.50, Primark stores
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COSTING less than a fiver, this jolly-looking bargain brolly is pretty impressive for its extremely low price and will do a decent job of keeping you dry.
Nice and neat, it is compact enough to slip into a small handbag but pops open to a big enough size to have you safely protected when the heavens open.
The metal spokes are thin and flimsy though, so it is probably not ideal for very windy, wet skies as you may be left holding the handle while the top turns inside out.
However, for surviving an unexpected everyday drenching, it is a good-value cheap and cheerful choice.
Rating: 3/5
SLIM ROUND
£10, Next (in stores)
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MADE of recycled polyester, I really liked the compact, slim red and pink design of this fashionable brolly.
It even has a cheerful pastel handle and two-tone case.
But while it looked great, it was a case of style over substance when it started tipping it down.
Tricky to open with a fiddly catch, the canopy fabric was thin and not very protective.
The poor mechanism wouldn’t hold either, meaning the spokes kept bending in on me.
The handle was also incredibly short so, as well as getting drenched, I also struggled to fold it back down.
This one was a washout.
Rating: 1/5
VICLOON TRAVEL
£8.95, amazon.com
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IN plain black, this standard-issue looking travel brolly was hard to get excited about.
But, for the price tag, its storm cloud tackling performance was solid.
Very tough and rugged, this one is designed to weather many more drops than just a quick shower and feels like it would do the job at keeping you dry in even the most torrential drenching.
Well-made with a strong handle, and automatic push-button open and close, the spokes and canopy are also reinforced and durable.
This offers more high quality features and brolly bang-for-your-buck than you’d expect at this price point.
May look dull but will do the job in keeping you dry.
Rating: 3/5
GILLEY
£49, gilley.uk
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IF you want to really splash out on keeping yourself dry, this high-tech option is well worth a look.
It comes in a game-changer hard case – a super smart idea for anyone sick of saturating the contents of their bag when shoving away soggy brollies, although on the downside this watertight outer makes it slightly larger and bulkier than a typical compact canopy.
A bit different to operate, but very simple once you get used to it, simply unscrew from the case, then pop out and use normally.
Packed with features you didn’t know you needed, including being windproof to 30mph, and sporting a hydrophobic coating, microfibre cap and double layered vents.
Costs a bit more but a serious investment
Rating: 4/5
TOTES FOR BOOTS ECO-BRELLA
£14, boots.com
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WITH a canopy made from recycled plastic bottles and a recycled wood-effect plastic handle, this is the environmentally friendly choice and ticks plenty of green boxes.
Slim and lightweight, I liked the fun fawn and flora plant pattern which made it easy to locate in a dark bag.
However, considering its higher price tag, the wet weather performance was not that impressive.
The canopy fabric was flimsy and didn’t offer much shelter from the rain, meaning I soon had drips running down the back of my neck.
I’d be worried about this one in high winds too, as overall durability seemed lacking.
Rating: 2/5
M&S COLLECTION STORMWEAR COMPACT
£10, Marks and Spencer Stores
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A VERY good brolly at an extremely agreeable price.
Slim and compact, with what the makers term “Stormwear technology”, it folds up really neatly for carrying when out and about.
It is still incredibly lightweight too, so it doesn’t add too much bulk or weight to your bag.
The slim, traditional-style handle has a popper button and is easy to operate.
Despite this it does not feel flimsy and it folds away easily without any fuss.
Kept me bone dry in a torrential downpour.
Fun fabric and only costs a tenner, what more could you ask for?
Rating: 5/5
EEZ-Y COMPACT BROLLY
£19.50, amazon.com
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DESPITE being packed with features and designed for ease, I didn’t get on well with this one at all.
Larger than average, I found it clunky and cumbersome.
It was a weight to carry around and took up a lot of space.
The auto-open and close button states you can open it with one hand, but for small palmed people like me it still wasn’t possible as the brolly was too bulky.
It is strong and super sturdy so the spokes didn’t shift during a gust of wind.
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For daily use, although it will keep you dry, I found it too unwieldy
Rating: 2/5
