I saw this product on Shark Tank this morning and I thought this was doomed to failure. I thought it was a bit wacky and OTT. It was called the Nubrella and is basically an umbrella you can wear over your head like a see through hood. I was surprised that no-one mentioned the good old fashioned waterproof hood as a rival to this product, and indeed perhaps there is a market for a Velcro attachable hood that can stick onto suits and jackets?
It just looked so ridiculous that I was gobsmacked when the product created enough interest that Kevin Harrington and Daymond John both gave the inventor $200,000 for a controlling 51% stake in his company.
Among the markets they could aim for was workers out on tractors and people on bikes. The acid test for me would be if they sell it to a rainy country like Scotland and see if anyone buys them. We Scots are made of stern stuff and perhaps would rather get soaked than to “get a riddy” as we Glaswegians would say, meaning we would be red-faced, embarrassed.
I found it on Amazon:
There is no retail price and it is currently out of stock.
And there is a killer review by a Mr Stephen M. Charme
“One of the worst purchases ever made, July 20, 2011
By Stephen M. Charme
This review is from: Nubrella Hands Free Umbrella (Apparel)
If you look at my hundreds of reviews you will see that I rarely write one star reviews. That is because I generally avoid products like this. However, my wife saw this on Shark Tank and ordered not one but two because she was convinced how great this would be. She was dead wrong. Here is why:
1. This product comes with minimalist instructions that do not tell you how to properly position it so you are not being hit in the head while you are wearing it. Amazingly, the company's website has no such information either. Hmmm. That made me suspicious. Eventually I did find a You Tube demo, but even when "properly adjusted" this still grazed my head and was not comfortable to wear. No wonder there is nothing on the website.
2. I tried this in a driving rain storm after I adjusted it. While it did keep my head and shoulders dry, my pants got soaked, which does not happen with a regular umbrella because when you hold it over your head, it does more than just protect your head and shoulders. In addition, visibility was nonexistent. It was like driving your car in a rainstorm with no windshield wipers on. In addition, while this is hands free, the trade off is that the handle is pressed into your stomach for support. Not very comfortable when walking.
3. If you open this in the house before you go outside, good luck fitting through the doorway. I barely made it.
4. My wife was led to believe that this would be great for bicycle riding and running in the rain. No way. I tried each, and it was virtually impossible to do either because with such vigorous movement this kept bumping into my head, and the handle kept pressing into my stomach. And of course I also could not see where I was going.
5. This is not something that you can easily stow on a crowded train or bus, and I seriously doubt that airport security would let you bring this on a plane. This is also not something that I would want to bring into a business meeting.
Bottom line: This product is expensive, cumbersome, and does not work as well as a regular umbrella to provide maximum protection. Hands free is nice--but not when I am getting soaked from the waist down, can't see where I am going, and have a handle being driven into my stomach. There is no way I would recommend it. I have read the positive review, and can say only that I vigorously disagree.”
Strong words, but to be honest it does echo what I felt. It looked cumbersome and outrageous. I have never seen one in the flesh and you would think they would make a beeline over to the UK to try and sell it here since we do get a lot of rain.
I really do have to question the Sharks judgement on this product.
