Vortex Compact Umbrella vs Super Mini Manual ECO Compact Umbrella: which is safer?

Totes Super Mini Manual ECO Compact Umbrella is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

ShedRain Vortex Compact Umbrella

ShedRain

Vortex Compact Umbrella

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 8/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Polyester canopy with water-resistant coating (type unspecified)

Confidence

35%

PossibleCoating leachates (unspecified chemistry)

PossibleMold and microbial growth on damp fabric

PossibleVolatile organic compounds from fabric or coating

Our pick

Totes Super Mini Manual ECO Compact Umbrella

Totes

Super Mini Manual ECO Compact Umbrella

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 12/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

polyester/nylon fabric with unspecified water-repellent coating

Confidence

35%

PossiblePFAS in water-repellent coating

PossibleCoating degradation and microplastics

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Coating leachates (unspecified chemistry), Mold and microbial growth on damp fabric and Volatile organic compounds from fabric or coating on the ShedRain and not on the Totes.
  • We flag PFAS in DWR coating and Coating degradation and microplastics on the Totes and not on the ShedRain.
  • The ShedRain is Polyester canopy with water-resistant coating (type unspecified) where the Totes is polyester/nylon fabric with unspecified water-repellent coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.

Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

More umbrellas: see the full ranking