Night Visibility Umbrellas Reflective Versus LED
One returns light, one makes it, and they fail in different places
A pedestrian under an umbrella is one of the hardest things for a driver to see on a wet night. The canopy hides the person, the head is down, and dark clothing finishes the job. There are two ways to solve it, and choosing between them is about where the user will actually be.
Reflective Fabric
Reflective material returns light back towards its source. In headlights, a reflective canopy lights up brightly from the driver's viewpoint. Our Reflective Folding Umbrella is cut from reflective fabric across all eight panels rather than carrying a strip, so it works from any approach angle.
Reflective Strips
A strip on the canopy edge is the cheaper approach and is used on the Auto Open Walking Stick Umbrella. It works, but only from the angles where the strip is visible, and it disappears when the umbrella is tilted forward into rain.
Emitted Light
An LED shine handle produces its own light. On the Night Safety LED Umbrella the handle lights the shaft from inside, making the user visible at ground level from any direction, with no external light source required.
Where Each One Fails
Reflective fabric does nothing on an unlit footpath with no cars: there is no light to return. An LED handle needs batteries, and a flat battery is a product that does nothing at all. For a campaign covering roadside walking, reflective is the more reliable choice. For unlit paths and car parks, the LED model is the one that works.
Combining Both
The Night Safety LED Umbrella is available with a reflective strip on the canopy as well as the illuminated handle. That combination covers both cases, which is worth considering when a campaign cannot predict where the umbrellas will be used.
The Models Discussed In This Guide
Cool UmbrellaReflective Folding UmbrellaThe whole canopy is the reflector, not a strip on the edgeView specification →
LED UmbrellasNight Safety LED UmbrellaAn illuminated shaft that makes the person under the canopy visibleView specification →
Cool UmbrellaAuto Open Walking Stick UmbrellaA support handle and a reflective edge in one 23 inch canopyView specification →Questions On This Topic
Which is better for a road safety campaign?
Reflective fabric, in most cases. Road safety means traffic, traffic means headlights, and reflective material needs no batteries and cannot be left switched off.
Do reflective umbrellas need any maintenance?
Keep the surface clean. A film of dirt is what reduces how much light the fabric returns, and it is the only maintenance the product needs.
Can you document the reflectivity class?
Not currently. The reflectivity rating of the fabric is to be confirmed. If your campaign requires a certified figure, raise it before you order.
Put The Question To Someone Who Builds Them
If a specification decision is not clear after reading this, email us with the use case. We would rather answer it now than quote the wrong umbrella.