Sometimes in order to do my product reviews I have to hope for bad conditions.  In the case of this review, I had to hope for high winds and rain.  My home course is a wind haven, so no problem there.

GustBuster umbrella

I have no less than 10 golf umbrellas from various manufacturers, but now they’ve all been banished to the depths of my garage.  My new GustBuster Pro Series Gold 62-Inch Golf Umbrella has earned a starting position in my golf bag.

A few years back I was driving across a flat and desolate area here in Utah.  There were extreme crosswinds, causing semis and cars to slow down to a crawl.  I was passed by a red 1969 Volkswagen Bug who was flying down the road.  Somehow his car wasn’t affected by the crosswind.  This smart guy had his windows rolled down, allowing the wind to blow through his car and not blow him off the road.

The first thing you notice about the GustBuster is that it has two layers, or canopies. Holes in the bottom canopy allow the wind to flow through like that Volkswagen. 

In my not-so-scientific tests I compared the GustBuster with a standard golf umbrella in high wind.  The standard umbrella was blown all over the place, and practically hurt my wrist keeping it steady.  The GustBuster didn’t move and literally took no less effort to hold in high wind than in calm conditions!  GustBuster says their umbrella is good in up to 55MPH winds.  Freakin’ amazing!

Other features

This umbrella not only breaks the wind like nothing I’ve ever seen, it has many other great features.

One great GustBuster feature is the plastic cover over the release (pictured right).  I really dislike umbrellas that force you to push on a sharp thin piece of metal to release them.  This especially sucks when your hands are cold.  The GustBuster releases with ease and you won’t slice your thumb in two.

All my other golf umbrellas have one velcro strap to close the umbrella and keep it secure.  Not to be outdone, GustBuster has two.

The spokes and hardware of the GustBuster are industrial strength, once again unlike typical umbrellas.

The shaft of the GustBuster is a lightweight but high strength fiberglass.  The shaft is also lightning resistant, which is a very good thing.

Sizes and colors

I really like GustBuster’s quote on their web site for what colors are available:  “Available in every color combination imaginable.”

My umbrella is a 62 inch and there’s a 68 inch available, better for player and caddy.  If you need a smaller umbrella for walking the streets of Manhattan, there’s a 48″ and a 43″ model available.

Conclusion

The GustBuster umbrella is the #1 umbrella on the PGA Tour and for good reason.  It IS the best umbrella, by far, that I’ve ever used.

GustBuster Gallery

I have more pictures of the GustBuster umbrella here.