What Umbrella Handle Designs Do Men and Women Actually Buy? (2019–2026 Sales Data)

Last updated: September 2026

Based on Artisan Umbrellas' own sales records from 2019 through 2026, men and women choose almost entirely different handle designs, and they split along different lines when it comes to how bold those designs get: roughly 80% of men choose a more restrained, elegant design over a statement one, while women split much closer to the middle — 53% choose something exquisite and nonstandard, 47% choose something classic. Most umbrella buying guides talk about materials and wind ratings. Almost none talk about what people are actually choosing when the handle becomes a real design decision, not just a grip. This is what seven years of our own order data says.

What Men Buy, Ranked by Popularity

Across men's orders since 2019, figurative and animal handle designs dominate, in this order:

1. Lion — the single most-ordered design for men, by a clear margin
2. Skull
3. Eagle
4. Dragon
5. Wolf
6. Horse
7. Classic wooden handle (no figurative carving)
8. Leather-wrapped handle

Two requirements show up across nearly every men's order regardless of which design they picked: a windproof, sturdy frame construction, and a full 100% polyester canopy. Men treat the handle as a personal statement, but they don't compromise on the mechanics underneath it.

What Women Buy, Ranked by Popularity

Women's orders rank differently, and the top choice isn't an animal at all:

1. Jeweled handles with stone inlay, typically paired with bright, saturated canopy colors — the single most-ordered category for women
2. Flower-shaped handles with bright floral canopy prints
3. Panther
4. Peacock
5. Duck-head wooden handle shape
6. Cat, typically paired with a leather-wrapped handle

As with men, quality canopy fabric (100% polyester) is close to universal across women's orders regardless of design. What differs is the emphasis: color and handle finish weigh more heavily in women's purchase decisions than in men's, which tracks with the pattern below.

The Split Nobody Talks About: Classic vs. Statement

Within each gender, buyers split into two camps — those who want something quiet and well-made, and those who want something unmistakably their own. The ratio is not the same for men and women:

• Men: about 80% choose the more elegant, restrained design; roughly 20% choose the bolder, more unconventional option.
• Women: the split runs far closer to even — 53% choose something exquisite and nonstandard, 47% choose something classic.

In practice, that means a man buying a statement piece is more of an outlier among male buyers, while a woman doing the same is nearly as common as one buying something understated. Anyone assuming women default to "classic and safe" more often than men is reading the data backwards.

Why the Numbers Differ by Gender

Two different jobs are being done by the same object. Women's purchases lean toward pieces that read as wardrobe — color, proportion, and finish that coordinate with what they're already wearing, which is why floral prints, jeweled handles, and color-matched canopies rank so highly. Men's purchases lean toward pieces that read as signal — status and a certain assertiveness — which is why figurative handles like lion, eagle, and dragon so consistently outrank plain wood or leather, even though sturdiness is non-negotiable either way.

What This Tells You If You're Buying (or Gifting) One

The ranked lists above are a reasonable starting point, but the classic-vs-statement split matters more than the specific animal or color: a restrained, classic dresser given a dragon-head handle, or someone who loves standing out given a plain wood handle, ends up with the wrong half of the decision even when the surface details are on point. When in doubt, ask what the person already wears and how loud their existing wardrobe is — that answers the classic-vs-statement question more reliably than guessing from a design list.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most popular umbrella handle design?

Based on our sales data from 2019–2026, the single most popular design overall is a lion handle for men and a jeweled, stone-inlaid handle for women. Across both, figurative and decorative handles consistently outsell plain wood or leather handles.

Do men and women prefer different umbrella handle styles?

Yes, almost entirely. Men favor figurative animal designs — lion, skull, eagle, dragon, wolf, horse — in that order of popularity. Women favor jeweled and floral handles first, followed by panther, peacock, duck-head, and cat designs. The two lists barely overlap.

Do most people choose bold or classic umbrella designs?

It depends on gender. About 80% of male buyers choose a more elegant, restrained design over a bold one. Women are far more evenly split: 53% choose something exquisite and nonstandard, 47% choose something classic.

Does umbrella canopy material matter as much as the handle design?

Yes. In our sales data, a full 100% polyester canopy and a windproof, sturdy frame are close to universal requirements across both men's and women's orders, regardless of which handle design was chosen. Buyers treat the handle as the personal choice and the construction as non-negotiable.

Browse the full gentlemen's and ladies' collections to see these designs firsthand, or read our guide on choosing a luxury umbrella as a gift.