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Understand Sun Protective
Clothing Feature



It is a misconception to think that every form of clothing behaves as a sun protective clothing and provides enough sun protection from the harmful ultraviolet rays.



How to Choose a Good Sun Protection Clothing?

Many factors determine the effectiveness of clothing in blocking the harmful UV rays, such as:

  • fabric construction : thicker fabric such as velvet or denim offers excellent sun protection

  • fiber composition : high-luster polyesters and satin silk can be highly protective because they reflect radiation

  • weave type : tightly-woven or knitted fabric gives better protection. Fabric that have see-through holes between individual treads allow UV rays to penetrate through to the skin

  • fabric colour : dark colour fabric offers better sun protection over lighter colours

  • finishing processes : treating fabric with UV-absorbers such as resins to improve sun protection

  • presence of additives : special laundry detergents that contain sun protective additives can improve effectiveness

An easy way to test - but not accurate, is to hold a garment up to a light source or window. If you can see through it then UV radiation can penetrate it and into your skin.

Sun protective clothes provides the ideal barrier from the sun. Compare to sunscreen lotion, clothing is relatively cheap and does not rub off. Wear clothing to cover arms and legs. Loose fitting clothing is usually more protective than tight fitting ones.



What does a UPF Rating Means?

For example, wearing a garment with a Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) rating of 20 will reduce sun UV radiation exposure to the skin beneath the garment by a factor of 20. In other words, fabric with a UPF rating of 15 will allow only one fifteenth of the UV radiation to pass through it.

The standards for sun protective fabrics in America is ASTM 6603-00 while the British Standard is BS EN 13758:2:2003. The Australian/New Zealand standard for Sun Protective Clothing, AS/NZS 4399 describes standard laboratory procedures for measuring the UPF of fabrics and for labeling UPF rated clothing.

There are three categories of UPF rating:

  • UPF 15-24 provides Good UV protection and block 93.3-95.9% of UV radiation

  • UPF 25-39 provides Very Good UV protection and block 96.0-97.4% of UV radiation

  • UPF 40 and over provides Excellent UV protection and block 97.5% or more of UV radiation

Anything above UPF 50 may be labelled UPF 50+, however these garments may not offer substantially more protection than those with a UPF of 50.

UPF measures both UVB and UVA radiation whereas SPF (sun protection factor for sunscreen) is a measurement of UVB radiation only.

So what affects the UPF of a fabric? It varies according to fabric construction, fiber composition, weave type, fabric colour, finishing processes and presence of additives.



Take a QUIZ! Sun protective shirts seems so hot. YES or NO?

The answer is NO! Take a look at some of the latest in sun protective clothing and you will be surprised at how the fabrics have become lighter, softer and more breathable.





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