Not sure how UPF clothing works? Read on to find out.
What is UPF Clothing?
UPF clothing shows how much UV light and radiation (both UVB and UVA) reaches your skin. UPF 50 fabric, for example, will block 98% of the sun’s rays which will protect you.
As you search for UPF clothing, note that a UPF of 30 to 49 offers very good protection whereas UPF 50 plus is excellent. In contrast, regular t-shirts have a UPF of 7, and when wet it drops to 3. Notice the stark difference in the level of protection?
But What About SPF?
SPF is based on how long it takes for UV-exposed skin to redden so if you burn after an hour, an SPF 15 sunscreen will protect your skin 15 times longer than usual. It’s essential, however, to you use both UPF protection clothing and sunscreen to prevent skin damage.
How UPF Clothing Keeps You Safe
The UPF clothing composition is sun-safe and protects you thanks to a variety of factors, such as:
Color
Darker colors and bright colors are better at deflecting UV rays than paler tones. Some lighter UV clothing, however, can be effective as long as they have other protective qualities.
Weave
Weave can influence the amount of sun protection you receive from a garment. Denim, wool, canvas or synthetic fibers are more protective than a thin or loosely woven cloth. An easy way to judge the weave of your fabric is to hold it up to the light and see if any light seeps through. If it does, then it's low sun protection factor means the fabric is not strong enough to keep you safe.
Fit
Make sure your UV clothing fits well and covers as much skin as possible to effectively block UV harmful rays. You should consider which activities you’ll be doing, for example, if you’re hiking choose sun hats and long sleeve fits to protect your skin.
Composition
Before Googling ‘UPF clothing womens’, it’s important to know that your UPF clothing composition matters. Sometimes, companies add chemicals called “colorless dyes” to the fabric to increase its UV protection.
There is an ongoing debate about whether chemical additives are necessary and if you have sensitive skin this could be problematic. Other options include shiny polyesters and unbleached cotton which contain natural lignins that absorb UV rays.
Which UPF Clothing Will You Get?
Lucky for us, UPF clothing can be fashionable from colorful UPF rash guards to leggings. Even though it’s tempting to throw on a cotton t-shirt on a scorching day, UPF clothing is guaranteed to protect your skin so you don’t have to constantly worry about topping up your sunscreen.
Searching for stylish but effective UPF clothing? Take a look at entire collection.
