Hands-free umbrella works, but looks awful

ShareThis

People keep asking me what sort of reaction I get when I wear the Nubrella in public. The truth is, I don't totally know. Because when I'm sporting a 2.6-pound clear plastic dome on my shoulders and I pass someone on the street, I try not to make eye contact.Billing itself as the "ultimate weather protector," Nubrella is a bubble-shaped canopy that rests on one's shoulders, providing hands-free protection from rain and wind. It's like a larger, more durable version of the plastic rain scarf my mother wears to safeguard her curls from the elements.In other words, it's ugly.Founder Alan Kaufman invented the Nubrella with Manhattan commuters in mind, and the Web site boasts, "With its sleek futuristic oval design, Nubrella will be seen as the new 'must have' fashion accessory around the world." I don't know about that.But does it work? The umbrella as we know it today hasn't changed much since it was invented 4,000 years ago. The Nubrella promises long-overdue improvements, like the ability to block windchill and a guarantee that it won't invert in strong gusts.I want -- no, I deserve -- liberation from shoddy umbrellas that leave me soaked. So I spent a few months putting the Nubrella to the test.First up was a walk in the rain with my Jack Russell terrier, Jackie, who glared at me without recognition."It's okay, Jackie. It's me," I assured her from inside the echoey dome. She soon relaxed enough to do her business, which I scooped into a plastic bag and held at my side. That's when the Nubrella's greenhouse effect kicked in. The stench wafted up and got trapped in the dome around my head. Umbrella 1, Nubrella 0 .A few days later I sported the Nubrella on a walk with my husband."You look like you have a special need," he said. "You look like you're allergic to air and water mixed together."On a few occasions, when I was certain I wouldn't run into anyone I knew, I wore the Nubrella in public. I walked with it to CVS, where I stowed it between my knees so I could thumb through the magazines -- no way would this thing fit in my purse.There were times when I'd send text messages while walking in the Nubrella, to keep from having to make eye contact with anyone. In other instances, I was too embarrassed to be seen with it at all. I refused help with my groceries because I didn't want the bag boys gawking at the contraption in my car's trunk. On a drizzly morning last week, I wore it to an appointment but left it under the building's awning, too ashamed to be seen with it. By the time I got back to work, I was sopping wet from the waist down. My pants clung to my legs, and I had to attend a meeting barefoot because my shoes squished when I walked.But: My shirt was dry. And, praise the Lawd, my hair was dry. I'd like to see an ordinary umbrella do that.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)