We're very proud to say that a selection of our umbrellas can be purchased in store at the Manchester Art Gallery and Whitworth Art Gallery gift shops.

If you're a retailer and would like to see SOAKED in your store in future, please get in touch via our contact us form - we'd be delighted to hear from you.

Being a small business trying to do the right thing in a world that's pushes plastic, fast fashion and cheap prices isn't always easy, but it is important. And so is transparency - because we're not perfect. But here's what we think we're doing well so far:

Materials: Our umbrellas and reusable bags are made exclusively using post-consumer recycled plastic bottle waste, giving new life to plastic bottles that might previously have ended up in landfill, or the ocean. Our umbrellas also feature a wooden handle, reducing our use of forever plastics, forever.

Designed-to-last ethos: One billion umbrellas enter landfill each year, because they've been built quickly, cheaply, and with no thought to longevity and functionality. So much so that most umbrellas available on the UK market are deemed as 'single use' umbrellas by manufacturers. By consciously and slowly developing our designed-to-last umbrellas, our mission is to cut down on throwaway umbrella culture, for good.

Packaging: We're incredibly proud to use 100% plastic free packaging, right down to the parcel tape we use. It's also proper good stuff - meaning you can reuse or recycle after your umbrella arrives.

Deadstock: Rarely, a small number of our products can get cosmetic damage during production or shipping. These products are commonly referred to as 'deadstock'. Most deadstock in the UK ends up in landfill or incinerated, often for tiny cosmetic imperfections. That just didn't make sense to us. So, we commit to making sure our perfectly imperfect stock reaches the hands of people who can make use of the products - including people experiencing homelessness in our home city Manchester.

In sleeve: Height 29cm x width 6cm.

Expanded: Height 54cm x width 98cm.

Our umbrellas pack a lot of punch, so to make sure they stayed on the right side of compact we've tested them in a certain curved crossbody bag we've all got used to seeing around - and it's a perfect match.

Weight: 450 grams. That's a bit heavier than your standard brolly - for all the right reasons. Our wooden ergonomic handle helps spread the weight evenly and comfortably, so you won't notice a difference when your brolly is up shielding you from the elements.

SOAKED is run by co-founders Meg and David, who both live happily in rainy Manchester, UK.

SOAKED umbrellas are made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles (RPET), with fully waterproof properties designed to repel water without saturation, and dry quickly after use. Sounds obvious when you think of an umbrella, we know. But in reality, most umbrellas aren't made with waterproof or water resistant materials, which means they become easily saturated, leaving our umbrellas soggy at the bottom of our bags.

The black inside coating also provides UPF 50+ protection from UV rays which adds to the unusual material texture - so you're protected come rain or shine.

1. Press the raindrop button to open.
2. Press the raindrop button to collapse the canopy.
3. Push together with your palms from each end towards the middle until you hear a satisfying click!

When your SOAKED umbrella arrives, we've included a handy illustrated card showing you how to open and close your new umbrella.

SOAKED umbrellas have been vigorously tested to withstand heavy rain and wind. But when the wind is really blowing, or if caught in a sudden gust, with stormproof protection the umbrella is designed to safely invert to protect the canopy, without causing damage.

Repeated inversions or exposure to strong winds can cause unnecessary stress to the structure, potentially resulting in damage. So on those rare days where the storm is much more wind than rain, grab a raincoat instead and leave your umbrella safe to focus on protecting you for many more rainy days to come.

Our umbrellas are handmade in Shenzhen, China, where an estimated 90% of the world’s umbrellas are made. This means we can tap into leading expertise in umbrella manufacturing, particularly with the support of our manufacturer who leads in umbrella innovative for sustainable, designed-to-last products.

We are occasionally asked why our umbrellas aren't made at home in the UK - and it's a topic we're keen to talk about. The reality is there are less than a handful of true umbrella manufacturers in the UK. Those manufacturers make beautiful, incredibly high-quality products, but with price points to match that typically range from £200-£500 per umbrella. We are always happy to signpost customers to those companies should this be of interest.

On first appearances it can look like there are more than a few UK umbrella manufacturers, but after much investigation and long phone calls, we've learnt the remainder simply import the umbrella parts from China in a nearly-complete fashion, complete a final assembly activity in the UK and class the umbrellas as manufactured here - which feels misleading. Those umbrellas are also often poor quality, at a significantly increased cost.

Our mission is to cut down on the one billion umbrellas destined for landfill every year because they’ve been made quickly, cheaply, and without any thought to their longevity. We aim to offer something better – an umbrella simply designed to last, manufactured ethically, and at a price point that means we can make a tangible difference. 

So, for now, we’ve settled ourselves that we can aim to tackle one problem (disposable, landfill-destined umbrellas), without tackling them all, including the decline of UK manufacturing. In a nutshell - we're normal people, trying to make a difference, and be as open and transparent as we can about it in the process! We hope this answer achieves that.