6 Eco-Friendly Umbrellas For Taking Cover During April Showers : TreeHugger

Kids with umbrella photo
Photo credit: Getty Images

'Tis the season for rain. Make that a lot of rain. Forget embossed faux leather satchels or oversized cocktail rings, the must-have accessory of the season is the humble umbrella. When dodging for cover isn't an option, a sturdy brolly goes a long way to avoiding getting pummeled by nature's wrath. Here's how to stay dry with the greenest umbrellas in town.

Radley

Photo credit: Radley

Radley offers a veritable bouquet of brilliantly patterned micro-umbrellas that can be slipped into your purse like a talisman against unexpected downpours. Made with fabric derived from recycled materials, each umbrella (£28) comes with a matching printed case that can be clipped to the outside of your bag. For people braving the rain on this side of the pond, the walker-sized Margate Floral is available at Lord & Taylor for $50.

Totes

Photo credit: Totes

The Totes Eco 'brella comes in two folded lengths: 6 inches ($25) and 11 inches ($30). A canopy comprising 100 percent PET bottles, propped open by a frame made of 70 percent recycled aluminum and steel, ends in a sleek bamboo handle entwined with a waxed hemp strap. Available in myriad colors such as Hydrangea, Leaf Green, and Pool Blue, the Eco 'brella prominently displays the recycling symbol, just in case you needed to flash your devotion to Ma Earth to fellow puddle splashers.

Crate & Barrel

Photo credit: Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel's $29.95 Coby Umbrella is really the Totes Eco 'brella in splashier (pun intended) floral clothing—and sans recycling symbol. You get the same 100 percent recycled cover, recycled metal frame, bamboo handle, and hemp strap.

Brelli

Photo credit: Brelli

The world's first biodegradable parapluie, the Brelli features a clear canopy supported by bamboo struts. The company claims that a discarded Brelli will completely biodegrade in less than five years, releasing harmless gases as it breaks down. The Brelli is available in two diameters: 37 inches ($64) and 52 inches ($84).

Target

Photo credit: Target

Only available online at Target.com, this $49.95 straight-handled umbrella is green to the hilt—literally. It features a canopy made from 100 percent PET bottles, along with a wooden hand-grip.

Monsoon Vermont Umbrella

Photo credit: Monsoon Vermont

Each of Monsoon Vermont's trash-to-trashion umbrellas are one of a kind. In fact, think of them more as functional art than rain blocker. Sewn, collage-style, from nonrecyclable plastic trash gathered from Jakarta's streets, landfills, and waterways, each 32-inch full-length umbrella ($60) sustains jobs for impoverished Indonesians. The edges of the umbrellas are lined with silk fabric; the handles and tips are made from native Indonesian wood.

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