Why the Complete Overhaul After Just One Year? The Evolution of Uniqlo's 'UV Protection Compact Umbrella/Heat Blocking'

Last year, the first-ever heat-blocking sun umbrella from Uniqlo became a hot topic, thanks to the brand's reputation for reliability and high performance. This year, that same umbrella has been completely revamped. Why undertake a major redesign after just one year on the market? We spoke with Kotaro Tsuda from the Product Headquarters at Uniqlo Co., Ltd. to learn about the reasons behind the change and the umbrella's enhanced features.

Strong Customer Response to First-Gen Umbrella Spurred Redesign

Given the high expectations for Uniqlo, a brand known for its many functional products, last year's debut of the heat-blocking sun umbrella garnered a response that exceeded all expectations.

"Our e-commerce site allows customers to post reviews. While this is a sign of their high expectations, it also means we receive a lot of comments. Of course, alongside the positive feedback, we received many requests for improvements.

While we launched the product with confidence, it was our first attempt, so we monitored feedback daily to quickly gauge customer reactions post-launch. Based on what we heard, we decided an update was necessary."

The requests were wide-ranging, perhaps reflecting those high expectations: "It's heavy," "It's bulky in my bag," "It's hard to hold," and "It gets tiring to hold for long periods."

"It wasn't a simple issue we could fix by tweaking just one thing. So, we decided to start from scratch. Our motivation became creating a product so polished it would truly surprise our customers."

A Thinner, Lighter, High-Performance Fabric Achieved Through Joint Development with Toray

The primary challenges were weight and bulk.

"However, while some customers found it heavy, others felt the weight was justified given its 95 cm diameter and sturdy frame. We could have made it lighter by shortening the ribs, but we didn't want to sacrifice the best features of the original."

After exploring various options, we reduced the number of ribs from eight to seven. We also thinned the fabric, successfully creating an umbrella that is both lightweight and easy to fold.

"The fabric's thickness directly impacts how bulky it is when stored. The original version had a thick fabric, which made it not only bulky but also difficult to roll up—you had to wrap it very tightly to get the Velcro strap to fasten. This difficulty in folding adds to the stress of using a compact umbrella, so changing the fabric was essential."

However, it wasn't as simple as just making the fabric thinner. Thicker fabric naturally provides better physical protection from UV rays and sunlight. Essentially, making the fabric thinner while maintaining the same levels of UV protection, light-blocking, and heat-blocking performance as the previous model presented a contradiction.

To resolve this conflict, we continued our joint development with Toray, which began with last year's model. Over the past year, both companies have engaged in extensive discussions and testing to achieve a lighter weight without compromising the umbrella's high performance.

"Like last year's model, we've used what we call a \"2.5-layer\" structure. This involves sandwiching an interlining, which acts as an adhesive, between the outer fabric and the inner lining. For this new version, we used a material for the outer layer that reflects light and heat, while the interlining and inner lining are made from materials that absorb them. This combination allowed us to reduce the weight while maintaining the same high performance as the previous model."

By overhauling the frame and fabric thickness, the new model weighs in at around 240g—a successful reduction of about 60g from the original's 300g.

"We didn't actually set a target weight. We felt there was no point in hitting an impressive number on paper if you couldn't feel the difference when you held it. This final weight is simply the result of us improving everything based on the feedback we received."

Designed to Eliminate the Little Hassles of a Folding Umbrella

A smaller handle would have made it lighter, but we also heard feedback that it was "hard to hold."

"Handles on folding umbrellas are often shrunk down to make them lighter and more compact. But we wanted to find out what kind of handle would be comfortable for everyone, regardless of age or gender. Our team is made up of people of all ages and genders, so we created a bunch of samples and had everyone try them out."

The result is a redesigned handle with an adjusted length and a flat section on the cylindrical part, which improves the grip. It’s a design that prioritizes comfort in real-world use over just being small and light.

"We didn't just focus on the shape; we were meticulous about the wood-grain finish to give it a premium look. We also designed the handle with a different texture from our other rain umbrellas and sun umbrellas. This way, you can easily tell them apart, even when they're stored together."

The storage pouch got an upgrade, too. We heard from customers that "losing the pouch is a pain," so we lengthened the strap and added a snap button, allowing you to attach it to your bag.

The color lineup has also been revamped, expanding from the original two colors (black and white) to four.

"We got a ton of comments asking why there were only two colors. Black absorbs heat, making lighter colors feel cooler. So, some people suggested we should add more light colors and maybe even drop black altogether.

However, since this is an all-weather umbrella designed for everyone, we decided that black was still essential. Our stated heat-blocking rate of approximately 45% is based on the black model. The fact that we achieved this figure with black—which is typically less effective at blocking heat than lighter colors—is a source of great confidence for us."

At UNIQLO, every product, from bestsellers to wardrobe staples, is constantly being updated based on customer feedback. And even though the heat-blocking sun umbrella has just been completely redesigned, the team is already looking ahead to the next update.

"We're already getting tons of comments on our online store, from positive remarks like "it's better than last year" to feedback that it's "still too big." We plan to carefully review all this feedback for our next update and deliver an even better product."

As summers grow increasingly intense, heat-blocking technology continues to advance. Based on user feedback and technological innovation, UNIQLO's heat-blocking sun umbrella was completely overhauled in just one year. Its evolution is setting a new standard for the future of sun umbrella design.