Sun Protective Clothing

Both UPF and SPF measure sun protection, but UPF is used for clothing and SPF is used for sunscreen. For both UPF and SPF, a higher number means more protection. Most of our sun protective clothing is tested at 35+ UPF. Anything that tests under 15 UPF can’t be labeled as UPF clothing.

We don’t test all of our clothing for UPF, so if you don’t see a rating, it does not mean you’re not protected. For daily use, you might be adequately protected wearing non-rated long sleeve shirts and pants. A standard cotton tee usually only provides a UPF of 5 or 10. The thicker the fabric and darker the color, the more UPF it typically offers. If you have questions about a specific item, contact us.

Lightweight sun protective clothing is a great way to avoid sunburn. Clothing doesn’t need to be thick or heavy to block the sun. UPF 50 clothing blocks about 98% of UV and UPF 30 clothing blocks about 97%.

Old school wool clothing was mostly made to keep you warm in cold weather. But our sun protective Merino wool clothes are lightweight and made for summer. Merino wool is naturally breathable, temperature regulating, odor resistant and moisture wicking, so it works well in hot weather. Our UPF t-shirts, long sleeve shirts and sun hoodies are all lightweight or ultralight fabric to keep you cool.

Our lightweight UPF sun hoodies offer full coverage with long sleeves with thumbholes to keep them in place and oversized hoods, but you’ll still have some exposed areas you’ll need sunscreen for. Sunscreen blocks similar amounts of UV (at the same UPF and SPF rating), but it has to be reapplied, it’s easy to miss spots, and it wears off with sweat and water. Plus a lightweight sun hoodie can be thrown on immediately to protect you, while sunscreen takes longer to apply.

We find that the UPF 35+ of our sun hoodies and tees is plenty of sun protection for all of our summer activities in California’s Eastern Sierra. Our athletes and ambassadors have put our sun hoodies to the test on thru hikes of the PCT and JMT many times, and they do a great job protecting skin from the sun on all-day and multi-day hikes.

UPF clothing is a good idea in every season. In winter, snow can reflect the sun’s rays and burn you, so it’s especially important then. Many people wear our sun hoodies as a base layer for backcountry ski touring. Our lightweight UPF clothes are all versatile and comfortable, so you can stay protected no matter the season without looking like you’re wearing technical outdoor gear.

Nope! Our clothing’s sun protective qualities are all natural. Some clothing has chemical treatments to add UPF protection, but these treatments get weaker over time. With our Merino wool sun protective clothes, you’ll stay protected until you wear through the fabric.