6 Kids’ Umbrella Styles To Keep Your Little One Covered on Rainy Days

In a nutshell:

Based on extensive market research, we chose the Original Duckhead Yellow Duckling Umbrella as the overall best kids’ umbrellas. This option stood out for its long-term durability, eco-friendly design and child-friendly design offered at a midrange price point.

You’ve bought your child a raincoat and some adorable rain boots to match, but there’s one more downpour defense item you need to keep them dry: A kids’ umbrella. The best children’s umbrellas are easy to maneuver, big enough to keep them covered and durable enough to withstand at least a few rainy seasons. You’ll also want one your kiddo excited to hold, because let’s be honest, it otherwise won’t do much good.

To help you find the right option for your child (that they’ll love standing under), we’ve done the work for you, and rounded up the best kids’ umbrellas on the market.

How We Chose the Best Kids’ Umbrellas

To help you find one the right kids’ umbrella for your needs:

• We conducted extensive market research, scouting The Bump forums as well as external parenting communities to see what moms and dads considered the biggest pain points when it comes to kids’ umbrellas, as well as the products that have worked for their families.
• We leveraged our familiarity with leading kids’ brands to ensure these umbrellas are from reliable manufacturers. We looked at the reviews of popular kids’ umbrellas on the market and assessed them for their weight, materials, price and performance.
• We evaluated products on a few core features, including their ease of use, durability, size, weight, value and style. This way you can count on getting the best bang for your buck, while also having a dependable kids’ umbrella that will suit your child’s needs.
• We also took into account each product’s safety mechanisms for young children, as well as the manufacturer’s age recommendations.

Editorial integrity is at the heart of everything we publish. Read more about how The Bump develops our product reviews.

Best Kids Umbrellas, According to Parents

What to Look for in a Toddler Umbrella

There are a few key details you’ll want to look for in a toddler umbrella. Below, we’ve broken down how you can make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

• Weight and size. A child’s umbrella needs to be, well, child-sized! You’ll want to make sure it’s light enough for them to hold and not so large that it overpowers them. When fully opened, the umbrella needs to be big enough to adequately protect your tot from the rain, but small enough for them to properly hold and use.
• Ease of grip. This factors into how well your little one will be able to use their umbrella. If the handle grip is too big or slippery, their small hands likely won’t be able to hold the umbrella for too long. Instead, look for curved handles made out of sturdy, nonslip materials for the most comfortable grip.
• Safety features. Many of the best children’s umbrellas have features like rounded tips, soft edges and anti-pinch mechanisms that won’t hurt your child when they’re opening and closing their umbrella. For this reason, most kids’ umbrellas have a manual close and open rather than an automatic one.
• Durability and wind resistance. Toddlers and young children are notorious rough on umbrellas—they get dragged, dropped and occasionally treated as playthings rather than outdoor gear. Not to mention, you’ll want an option that can also work against strong winds, so look for more flexible materials in the frame like fiberglass or aluminum.

Whatever big kid or toddler umbrella you choose, spend some time teaching your child how to properly use their new rain accessory. That includes everything from how to open and close it to how to safely navigate outdoor terrains with it in hand. It’ll give them the confidence to use it when you’re not around, and it’ll also teach them manners others will surely appreciate. After all, no one wants to get poked in the eye with an umbrella tip!

Does My Toddler Need a Kids’ Umbrella?

Is a kids’ umbrella actually useful for toddlers or just another thing that gets lost, dragged or forgotten? If you’re asking that question, know you’re not alone. After all, even some adults choose to forego the umbrella as long as they have a hooded raincoat. A toddler umbrella isn’t strictly necessary, but there are a few cases in which it might be useful and practical. The primary one is if you live in a very wet climate that gets lots of heavy rain. For those rainy seasons, your child will likely need an additional layer of weather protection beyond just their raincoat. You may also consider having your child use an umbrella as an added layer of sun protection if you live in a very sunny climate with high UV indexes.

The second instance in which toddler umbrellas are useful is for outdoor rainy day play. Jumping in puddles and playing in the rain is a quintessential childhood activity—and a cute umbrella they love and get to hold can be a big part of it for most kids, especially if you use one and your kiddo likes to copy you. Options that have your child’s favorite characters or color-changing canopies also provide more options for outdoor play and learning, even on stormy days. All that being said, if you live in climates that don’t have severe rain or sun—or if they have a knack for losing things, even those they picked out—your child probably doesn’t need an umbrella.

About the writer:
Nehal Aggarwal is a writer and editor based in Charleston, South Carolina (one of the rainiest cities in the United States!). She has almost a decade of experience and earned her bachelor’s degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University. Most of her experience comes from writing content around pregnancy, postpartum and parenting and in-depth knowledge of the types of pain points parents today are dealing with.