Product Development STORY | ALTERNA SLIM60 UV Protection
Forget the common wisdom that "folding umbrellas are small"—carry the reliability of a full-sized umbrella in your pocket.
Piles of plastic umbrellas and the discomfort of soaked shoulders.
Having spent over 30 years dedicated to the tool of the umbrella, there were everyday scenes I felt compelled to change. One was the mountains of discarded plastic umbrellas that grow every time it rains; another was seeing people settle for small, unreliable folding umbrellas, resigning themselves to getting wet. For business professionals with heavy bags or those with larger frames, traditional folding umbrellas have long been seen as nothing more than "emergency stopgaps." Could we create an umbrella that eliminates the stress of soaked shoulders and bags, yet is so slim you forget you're even carrying it? That question was the origin of the development of the ALTERNA SLIM60.
The challenge of an ultra-thin 35mm profile
Our goal was to achieve a large, 107cm canopy when open, while keeping the folded thickness to a mere 35mm. In structural terms, this is a highly contradictory and difficult hurdle to clear. When you make an umbrella larger, the ribs naturally become thicker, which adds bulk when folded. To resolve this dilemma, we fundamentally re-engineered the frame structure. Through our proprietary "Slim Frame" design, we offset the placement of the ribs by the millimeter so that the parts do not overlap when folded. This brings the "wasted thickness" found in typical umbrellas close to zero. The way it slips easily into the gap of a bag or a pocket is, even in my 30 years of umbrella-making, something I take pride in as a pinnacle of functional beauty.
0.05mm ultra-thin fabric and aircraft-grade carbon
The other main components supporting this slimness are the materials used for the canopy and the ribs. For the fabric, we adopted an ultra-thin 0.05mm material woven from 15-denier ultra-fine fibers—the same type used in stockings—at a high density. But being thin alone is not enough. By applying a special polyurethane coating to the underside, we achieved both a high water resistance of 2,480mm and a UV protection rating of over 95%. Furthermore, we utilized lightweight and incredibly strong carbon fiber, often used in aircraft, for the rib tips. While achieving a weight of just 162g, we ensured the umbrella is robust enough to withstand winds of up to 15m/s. This isn't just about pursuing specs; it is about condensing "reliability as a tool" into a single item that you will love for years to come.
Changing rainy days from "compromise" to "freedom"
There is absolutely no compromise in the details, either. We prioritized the user's comfort, incorporating silicone washers into the joints to prevent water seepage during heavy rain and including a nail guard to protect fingers when opening and closing. "It's slim, yet reliable." By picking up this umbrella, rainy days should change from days of endurance to days spent in style. There is no need to compromise on your umbrella. Please experience for yourself the reliability of a full-sized umbrella paired with the freedom to carry it anywhere. AMVEL will continue to take on challenges to make your daily life more comfortable.
