Days Inn's New LED Umbrella Makes Gloomy Days Sunnier

Taking a walk outside is a quick way to feel better—unless it's raining. If you're someone who loves sunshine and clear skies, you may use gloomy weather as an excuse to lock yourself indoors for the whole day. A new type of umbrella from Days Inn may prompt you to reconsider. The hotel chain's Days InnBrella uses built-in LED strips to provide you with a personal patch of light even on the dreariest days.

The new product takes the umbrella's timelessly practical design one step further. As the fabric keeps you dry, the interior lights each generate 4000 LUX (a unit used to measure the amount of light striking a surface). It's no replacement for bright sunlight, but its glow should hopefully give you the mood boost you need the next time you're walking in the rain.

If you're over 18 and have a Twitter account, you're eligible to win a free Days InnBrella of your own. Just retweet this tweet from Days Inn before June 26 to enter the contest. The five winners will be selected on June 27.

Days Inn isn't the first brand to give the classic umbrella an upgrade. KAZbrella stays drip-free by closing inside-out, and Oombrella gives weather forecasts and alerts you when you leave it behind.