Product Development STORY | ALTERNA SLIM60
The ultimate slim design for business travelers who want to pack light
The "conflicting challenge" of choosing an umbrella that competes for space in your business bag
For someone like me, who has been an umbrella specialist for over 30 years, choosing rain gear for business trips has always been a dilemma. A large umbrella that keeps your shoulders dry provides peace of mind, but it becomes bulky when stored, taking up precious bag space. On the other hand, prioritizing compactness often means leaving your suit jacket shoulders exposed to the rain. I wanted to resolve this "size vs. portability" trade-off and create an umbrella that allows you to remain composed even after the rain stops. That was the starting point for developing the ALTERNA SLIM60.
Rethinking the placement of "dabo" joints by staggering their overlap
A typical umbrella with 60cm ribs is about 50mm thick when folded. The question was how to reduce that. I focused on the overlap of the "dabo"—the joints of the ribs. In a standard structure, these joints interfere with each other, causing the umbrella to bulge. To solve this, I designed a special structure that aligns parts of the ribs in parallel and intentionally staggers the overlap. After repeated millimeter-level adjustments, I established a patented slim structure. This allows for a canopy with a diameter of about 106cm while achieving a thickness of just 35mm—as slim as a personal planner.
Uncompromising specs hidden within a 162g frame
It’s not just thin. The fabric uses 15-denier thread, as fine as hosiery, woven at a high density of 407 threads per square inch. This provides both a lightweight feel of about 162g and water resistance that exceeds standard requirements. Furthermore, the frame, a combination of aluminum and fiberglass, has cleared wind resistance tests of 15m/s. The eco-friendly, PFOA-free "Easy-Dry" water-repellent coating is another detail I insisted on to ensure this tool can be used and loved for a long time.
For the adults who handle rainy days with style
When the rain stops, simply sliding a large, wet umbrella into a gap in your bag—I want you to experience that comfort. I take pride in the fact that this is not just an umbrella, but a "gadget" that makes the user’s movements more graceful. If our technology can bring even a little more ease to the daily lives of those who travel often, I could ask for no greater joy as a developer.
