The aesthetic is more lovely in person than it is on the site. However, closing the parasol is a finger-pinching nightmare. There is no obvious mechanism for collapsing it easily; the release button only draws the cloth of the parasol in, but does not help in any way to snap the rest of it to its original small size. Instead, you have to push in on the tiny securing mechanisms themselves, at each extending tier of the length of the umbrella. Also the plastic coating on the curved handle cracked basically immediately, making it uncomfortable to hold.
This does do a good job as a parasol in blocking the sun, and is lightweight and so far has proved sturdy enough to resist extremely light wind. I haven't chanced it in anything stronger.
Also, if you think you're ever going to be able wind the umbrella up tightly enough to fit it back into its original cloth case once removed and used, you're fooling yourself. It isn't going to happen.
