UPF Shirts: How Sun Protection Clothing Helps Protect Your Skin

Whether you’re spending a day on the water, playing a round of golf, heading to the beach or simply enjoying a sunny afternoon by the pool, protecting your skin from the sun matters. Sunscreen is an important part of sun protection, but it isn’t your only option.

UPF shirts and hoodies provide an easy, comfortable way to add another layer of protection against the sun’s ultraviolet rays without having to continually reapply sunscreen underneath the areas they cover.

But what exactly does UPF mean? Is UPF different from UV protection? And what does a UPF 50 rating actually tell you?

Here’s what you need to know.

What Is UV?

UV stands for ultraviolet radiation, a form of energy produced by the sun.

The two primary types of ultraviolet radiation that reach us are UVA and UVB rays.

UVA rays penetrate more deeply into the skin and contribute to premature skin aging and skin damage, while UVB rays are particularly associated with sunburn. Both types can damage skin, which is why protecting yourself from UV exposure is important whenever you’re spending significant time outdoors.

What Is UPF?

UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor.

Unlike UV, which describes the radiation itself, UPF is a rating used to measure how effectively a fabric protects your skin from ultraviolet radiation.

You can think of it as a sun-protection rating specifically for clothing.

The higher the UPF rating, the less UV radiation is able to pass through the fabric and reach the skin underneath.

What Does UPF 50 Mean?

A UPF 50 shirt allows only 1/50th of the sun’s UV radiation to pass through the fabric.

Put another way, UPF 50 fabric blocks approximately 98% of UV radiation, allowing only about 2% to reach your skin.

That makes UPF 50 an excellent rating for sun-protective clothing and a great option for people who spend significant amounts of time outdoors. 

UPF vs. SPF: What’s the Difference?

UPF and SPF sound similar, but they measure two different things.

UPF measures the UV protection provided by fabric and clothing, while SPF — Sun Protection Factor — is the rating you’re probably familiar with from sunscreen.

An easy way to remember it is:

SPF = sunscreen. UPF = clothing.

Both can play an important role in a complete sun-protection routine.

Why Wear a UPF Shirt?

One of the biggest advantages of a UPF shirt is convenience.

Think about spending four or five hours fishing, boating, golfing or sitting on the beach. Sunscreen on exposed skin generally needs to be reapplied regularly, particularly after swimming or sweating.

Long-sleeve UPF shirts creates a physical barrier between the sun and the skin it covers. Once you put it on, you don’t have to continually stop what you’re doing to reapply sunscreen underneath your shirt.

You should still apply sunscreen to exposed areas such as your face, neck, ears, hands and legs, but a UPF shirt or hoodie can make protecting large portions of your upper body considerably easier.

Image: Coastal Crew "Signal" Long Sleeve Sun Protection Shirt

When Should You Wear a UPF Shirt?

UPF clothing can be useful almost anywhere you’re going to spend an extended amount of time outside.

That includes:

• Boating and fishing
  
• Beach days
• Pool days
• Hiking
• Walking and running
• Outdoor events
• Yard work
  

And sun-protective clothing doesn’t have to look like technical outdoor gear.

At Coastal Crew, we designed our UPF 50 UV shirts and hoodies to combine serious sun protection with the relaxed coastal style you’d actually want to wear beyond the beach or boat.

Our lightweight UV collection is designed for days on the water, afternoons on the golf course, weekends at the beach and just about anywhere else the sun takes you.

Shop Coastal Crew UPF 50 UV Shirts & Hoodies