Materials, Testing & Standards
Original Duckhead uses product specifications, supplier documentation and independent third-party testing to verify important claims around our umbrella materials, waterproofing and product compliance.
This page brings that information together in one place.
What are Original Duckhead umbrellas made from?
Original Duckhead umbrella canopies are made from 100% post-consumer recycled polyester, also known as rPET, derived from recycled plastic bottles.
Our current canopy specification combines:
Woven post-consumer recycled polyester
A fluorine-free water-repellent finish on the outer surface
An acrylic waterproof coating on the underside
Our umbrella frames use materials including steel, aluminium and fibreglass, selected to balance strength, flexibility and weight.
Handle materials vary by model, so individual product pages provide the most up-to-date model-specific specifications.
How do we verify our recycled polyester?
Our canopy fabric is sourced from a textile mill holding a current Global Recycled Standard (GRS) Scope Certificate covering woven recycled-polyester fabrics.
The Scope Certificate relates to the textile mill and the relevant recycled-textile category.
Design that changes the default
Original Duckhead was founded in 2012 with a clear point of view. If umbrellas were better made and better designed, people would keep them. Fewer last-minute purchases, fewer forgotten umbrellas, less waste.
We create everyday essentials that encourage thoughtful choices, not through guilt, but through design you genuinely want to carry, gift, and collect.
Are Original Duckhead umbrellas PFAS-free?
Our current canopy specification uses a fluorine-free water-repellent finish.
The outer surface helps water bead and run off the canopy, while an acrylic coating on the underside provides the waterproof barrier.
We have also commissioned independent third-party testing through Bureau Veritas. In the tested finished canopy fabrics:
What was tested
Independent verification
PFAS - Result
Bureau Veritas, EN 17681-1:2022
Not detected above the laboratory reporting limit of 0.01 mg/kg
Total fluorine - Result
Bureau Veritas
Not detected above the laboratory reporting limit of 20 mg/kg
“Not detected” means the substance was not found at or above the laboratory's specified reporting limit.
Why do we use independent laboratory testing?
Independent testing gives us another layer of verification beyond a supplier specification or material declaration.
Depending on the product and market, our verification may include:
- Manufacturing specifications
- Supplier documentation
- Material certificates
- Internal quality-control processes
- Independent laboratory testing
- Market-specific compliance requirements
Not every product claim requires laboratory testing. We use it where it provides meaningful additional evidence or where specific product-safety and compliance requirements apply.
What else does Original Duckhead test?
Testing varies according to the product and the market in which it is sold.
Our Duckling children's umbrella, for example, has undergone additional independent testing covering areas including:
- Mechanical hazards
- Flammability
- Phthalates
- lLead and other specified elements
- Cadmium
- Azo amines
- PAHs
- Nickel release
- Small parts and sharp-point/edge requirements where applicable
Requirements differ between markets, so a test carried out for UK or EU requirements does not automatically replace testing required under US product-safety regulations.
Are Original Duckhead umbrellas windproof?
No. Original Duckhead umbrellas are designed for everyday changing weather and are described as wind resistant, not windproof.
What does “sustainable umbrella” mean to Original Duckhead?
We are careful with the word sustainable because no newly manufactured product is impact-free.
For us, making a more responsible umbrella means looking at the product as a whole:
Materials
Using post-consumer recycled polyester rather than virgin polyester for our canopy specification.
Chemistry
Using a fluorine-free water-repellent finish and independently testing representative fabrics for PFAS and total fluorine.
Verification
Using documentation, certification and independent testing to substantiate important claims.
Design longevity
Creating an umbrella intended to be carried regularly and kept rather than treated as a disposable rain-day purchase.
Transparency
Being clear about what our materials, testing and certifications demonstrate.
We would rather make fewer, specific claims that we can substantiate than broader claims the evidence does not support.
