Vancouver company invents wind-resistant umbrella

Dec 20 2017, 2:26 am

Vancouver, while known around the world for vast mountain landscapes and endless oceans, is also known for something rather infuriating: constant rain.

Constant. Rain.

We can all recall getting caught in the rain without an umbrella – the only thing worse is bringing an umbrella only to have strong winds destroy it. Well, a Vancouver-based company might have found a unique solution.

Kevin Truong and Cahay Ho, both mechanical engineers, created an umbrella with a suspension system that resists turning inside out during strong wind storms.

Cypress05

Image: Hedgehog Products Inc.

While their original intent was to create the most compact and durable umbrella on the market, they realized small umbrellas can’t be made strong because of certain shortcuts needed to reduce the size. That’s when Truong and Ho decided to make the world’s most durable umbrella without adding additional weight.

The following 10 months was a cycle of “design, fabricate, test, break, repeat,” and the result was the Cypress Umbrella, which has the unique wind-resistant suspension, an interchangeable canvas, and a “drip-free” concealed handle enclosure.

Truong and Ho launched a Kickstarter for the Cypress Umbrella and they managed to meet their goal of $50,000 in just two weeks – in fact, they’re currently sitting at over $62,000.

The umbrella doesn’t come cheap, however – a package with the frame and two canvases is worth $79 USD, with each additional canvas costing $9.

To see the umbrella’s suspension system in action, check out the video below:

[vimeo id=”138701722″]

DH Vancouver StaffDH Vancouver Staff

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