To be honest, I used to go through cheap umbrellas at an alarming rate because they'd always buckle at the slightest gust of wind. But about two years ago, just before autumn set in, I decided to invest in a proper windproof walking umbrella from a small outdoor gear shop near my flat in Manchester. It was a bit pricier than what I'd normally spend, but I was fed up with throwing broken wire frames into the bin.
The umbrella itself isn't flashy, it's a deep navy canopy with a reinforced fibreglass frame and a double-vented design, which basically lets strong wind pass straight through the fabric rather than turning it inside out. It also has a really comfortable wooden handle that gives you a solid grip even when it's pouring down.
The real test came a few months later during a terrible storm. I had to walk to the train station in torrential rain, and the wind was howling down the street. Most people around me were struggling terribly; I saw at least three flimsy umbrellas get completely inverted and snapped within a matter of minutes. Mine, on the other hand, held its shape brilliantly. Even when a massive gust caught me off guard at a street corner, the tension in the ribs absorbed the force without flexing out of shape.
I think what made it remarkably durable was definitely the build quality and the flexible materials. Unlike standard metal ribs that bend permanently under pressure, the fibreglass has just enough give to withstand violent squalls. It turned out to be worth every penny, and I still carry it whenever bad weather is forecast.