When my wife moved to the States from Singapore, she was amazed to find that the umbrellas sold did not list their UV protection. Singapore is 137 km or 85 miles from the equator, and light skin is valued in Chinese culture. So protection from the aging and darkening effect of the sun’s rays has strong cultural underpinnings–unlike the US where there seems to be a tanning salon in every strip mall.
Normally we don’t think of an umbrella as DME (Durable Medical Equipment). However, if DME is home medical equipment you need for your health, then using an umbrella to prevent melanoma seems to qualify. As reported in JAMA Dermatology The researchers Josette R. McMichael, MD, Emir Veledar, PhD, and Suephy C. Chen, MD, MS of Emory University performed a simple, but well-designed experiment: they invited friends to join them in a parking lot, took 3 ultra-violet radiation (UVR) readings, and then opened umbrellas the friends had brought, taking two UVR readings, 1 cm from the individual, and 1 cm from the edge of the umbrella as shown:
There was wide variety in protection among the 22 umbrellas tested, ranging from a white totes® (77%) to a silver Coolibar® (99%). Fourteen were black in color.
Some of the numbers: 
As is apparent in the account, the two readings (close and far) were highly correlated. The following scatterplot shows that as the values of each of the two readings are on the axes. The lowest reading shows the greatest protection, so umbrella 6 is the Coolibar®.
As the earth warms, we can expect disturbances in the atmosphere that increase our exposure to UVR. Borrowing the style of the 19th century, carrying umbrellas, especially those designed to screen UVR, may be the best we can do.
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