Since the invention of steel-ribbed umbrella over two hundred years ago, it has not change a lot. The umbrella is still the umbrella you and I know; it opens out and upward, forming a dome that shields us from the rain. It works just fine, though not without a couple of irksome issues: it drips wet all over the shop after going under the rain and it is not exactly the best way to enter or get out of a vehicle without getting substantially wet. The latter always played out as a fight between man and umbrella, trying to get into the car with minimal contact with the water and when that struggle is over, there is a soaking wet umbrella inside the car to deal with for the rest of the journey. Those are two age-old problem which KAZbrella reverse folding umbrella aims to eliminate.
KAZbrella looks like any other brolly, if not sleeker, but the real magic is how it opens and closes. Instead of pushing out like a regular umbrella to form a dome, it has an inverted design that opens inside out, which means the outside is the inside when closed. This allows the wet side of the canopy to be contained when closed and therefore, it won’t wet the floor as you bring it indoor. Due to the nature of design, it now allows you to open and close in confined spaces, such as when you are entering or exiting the car. Moreover, as it opens up and over the user, KAZbrella will eliminate the risk of poking into someone eyes. To be fair, KAZbrella is not the first to utilize the concept of reverse folding; in fact we have seen one here last year.
What makes KAZ Designs’ sands out is, as mentioned aesthetic, and the promised of quality and durability. To fulfil the latter two, KAZbrella has an aircraft-grade aluminum shaft, lightweight fiberglass spokes, and finally, a water repellent-coated, breathable double canopy. Already impressed by it? Well, you can pre-order it over at Kickstarter for an early bird price of £35 (US$53). The campaign has since exceed its set funding goal, which means you should be seeing your pre-order at your doorstep sometime in October 2015.
