Knirps 811 X1 Pod Compact Umbrella, Small (Heart)

I was looking for a small high quality umbrella that I could carry I my briefcase when on business trips just in case it were to rain. I like to travel light, so I would really rather travel without an umbrella at all. However, sometime it's just unavoidable. After much research this is the umbrella I decided to try. It's been great for it's purpose. It's smaller than a water bottle when zipped up so fits right into my bag. I normally carry a Tom Bihn Pilot as my "briefcase" and it easily fits into any of the front pockets. It performs as advertised, and is not too small for those unexpected rain showers when running from place to place. If I ever lost this I would buy it again!

There are so many cheap compact umbrellas out there. If you are tired of the waste, buy this one. It's tiny enough to fit in your briefcase or backpack and forget about it until it starts raining and you were an idiot and didn't check the forecast. No, it's not a golf umbrella and you'll still get a little wet but you won't piss off the people next to you. Have been using it for maybe three years and haven't had one break, although I don't live in a climate that gets a ton of rain. I recommend getting a few to have one in each bag to supplement your main umbrella (no, they aren't paying me to say that).

Package size is like eyeglasses case. it has a belt strip that clicks open with half-turn. open it and u see the sleeved umbrella, velcro shut open the sleeve and you see the umbrella , velcro packed open the velcro, the umbrella cloth is freed, push up the base to open and "spread its wings" and clicks into place click the red button to release for the push down to close it. The whole build says quality and sturdiness. the stick, babushka egg style, is made of profiled metal, not tube antenna. The frame that holds the fabric .. never seen anything like it, its like 2 frames in one. Very stable. The canopy is good. certainly provides good coverage. Very satisfied with this pocket umbrella.

I actually really liked this umbrella. Since it's small, I wasn't expecting the best wind protection, but it worked fairly well. As for rain protection, it did the job well. The reason why I give it 3 stars is because the umbrella only lasted me a little over a year before breaking and the frame wasn't as sturdy as I was expecting, so I have some bends here and there. Personally, I wouldn't repurchase considering how long it lasted me and how expensive it was.

I bought my first Knirps while in college, in 1967. However, after 45 years of use, it finally gave out. I bought this little item, which is a little smaller than my original folding Knirps, and it works great! Because it is half the size of my original Knirps folding umbrella, it fits in more places, like the jacket pocket, the sweatshirt kangaroo pocket, etc. Thus, it will go more places! Hope it lasts 45 years, like my other Knirps did!

The first one of these I bought lasted five years, and it was still remarkably nice when I lost it. It's the only umbrella its size I've found that can survive downtown San Francisco and Manhattan wind tunnels created by the tall buildings. I didn't hesitate to buy another. The ability to just shake the rain off to completely dry does wear off with age, and I only realized that when I got this new one and was reminded how well my first one shook off rain when I first bought it. Even after years, it just needs to be left out of its case for half an hour after use to let it dry out. But the shake-it-off and put-it-back-in-its-case-immediately niceness sure is welcome when it's new. Hopefully after a few years I'll remember to spray it with scotch guard or something to restore that property.

I love everything about this umbrella except for the fact that the shaft snapped in a moderate gust of wind (30 miles per hour, about 15 meters per second). The umbrella is EXTREMELY light, EXTREMELY small yet has an acceptably wide area of coverage. It can be carried anywhere, even my jacket pocket, without being a nuisance. The only down side is that the shaft, which is advertised as being made of high-quality aluminum and very resistant to breaking ... BROKE like a cheap umbrella during a gust of wind. See attached picture. If Knirps stands behind their product and sends a replacement umbrella I will be happy to update this review.

This umbrella will definitely hold up over extended use, but I doubt I’ll want to use it for that long. I work in one of the windier parts of San Francisco and this umbrella regularly gets turned inside out by gusts of wind. Sure, a quick jerk of my wrist and it’s back to normal, but it takes time and in that time I’m getting wet. Also, unlike a larger umbrella, it’s much harder to keep under control in windier situations. One downside of the size is that there’s no way this umbrella can be shared by you and someone else, especially on the move. At this point I do carry this umbrella around with me in my messenger bag but I use it as an in case of unexpected rain umbrella. If I know there is going to be rain I have other ones I will take as this one is more of a hassle. I’ve also noticed that getting it to stay up can be a trial. There’s no clear catch at the top to you have to rather force it strongly to make sure it stays in place. Honestly, if I didn’t think it’d be a hassle I’d return it for something better. Given how much this costs and how poorly it behaves in the wind it’s not worth it.

Schützt gut gegen den Regen

Es muy ligero y ocupa poquísimo espacio, se puede llevar incluso en un bolsillo si llevas chaqueta o gabardina. No es demasiado grande, por lo que quizá no lo recomendaría para gente más alta. Probablemente si mides 1,65 o menos, el diámetro de este paraguas es más que suficiente. Es resistente y de buena calidad.

Very good quality as it can withstand winds, a bit pricey though but worth the price.

Excelente para traer en la mochila. Muy portátil!

Could be stronger