What is UPF Clothing and why do you need to start wearing it?

When people think about sun protection typically the first thing that comes to mind is sunscreen (a.k.a. SPF) but did you know it’s UPF clothing that reigns supreme when it comes to protecting your skin from UV rays? Clothing, particularly UPF clothing is the most effective form of sun protection to help prevent premature aging (photoaging) and skin cancer.

So, what is UPF clothing anyway?

UPF clothing refers to garments designed to protect your skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation (both UVA and UVB). UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor, which is a measure of how effectively a fabric blocks UV rays. The higher the UPF rating, the greater the protection, with UPF 50+ being the top of the rating scale.

For example, a garment with a UPF rating of 50 allows only 1/50th (2%) of the sun's UV radiation to reach the skin, effectively blocking 98% of UV rays. Clothing must achieve a UPF rating of at least 15 to be labeled as UPF clothing. See the 2020 Australian Standard UPF classifications below:

Table 1. Classification as per the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA)

Clothing and accessories must undergo specialty lab testing to determine the UPF rating. Several International standards for sun-protective clothing can be followed for testing and labeling. MANISAFE UV protective gloves are tested and rated to the Australian Standard AS 4399 achieving a UPF 50+ rating. The “+” sign means the garment lets less than 2% of UV rays through and provides greater protection than the highest UPF 50 rating. So, when you slip on our gloves you know you are receiving the highest level of UV protection.

How does UPF clothing achieve such effective UV-blocking abilities?

Unlike regular clothing, which can vary in its protection depending on how it's made, UPF clothing is specifically engineered to consistently offer sun protection. Not all fabrics are created equal. A number of characteristics contribute to a fabric’s UV blocking and absorbing abilities:

• Colour – Darker and brighter coloured fabrics are better at absorbing UV rays and preventing them from reaching your skin
• Weave -tightly woven fabrics like denim, canvas or synthetic fibers are more protective than sheer or loosely woven fabrics like cotton, linen.  
• Weight – heavier fabrics like wool or denim will also provide more protection
• Fabric Type - the fabric composition is very important. Shiny polyesters and satins reflect UV radiation making them highly protective. High-tech fabrics treated with chemical UV absorbers or dyes also prevent penetration from UV rays

For example, a white cotton t-shirt is lightweight and has a loose weave, it will achieve a UPF rating around 5, so it cannot be a classified as UPF clothing. As a result, it is possible to get a sun burn while wearing a basic cotton tee. Whereas a denim jacket on the other hand is a heavier and darker material with a tight weave, so it will provide significantly more UV protection. However, wearing dark denim on a hot day can turn you into a sweaty mess in a blink of an eye, so opting for high-tech UPF clothing will be a wise choice for your summer essentials.

UPF clothing is beneficial for outdoor activities where prolonged sun exposure is a concern, such as hiking, cycling, or playing sports. But it is important to remember that UV rays are still present on cloudy days, particularly the longer UVA rays responsible for premature skin aging like wrinkles and sun spots. You can also catch the suns ray’s while driving and artificial UVA rays in nail lamps when setting your gel manicure. So UPF gloves and accessories come in super handy in those situations as well.

Why is UPF the better BFF (rather than SPF) when it comes to sun protection?

Before we carry on, let’s just be clear that sunscreen is still an essential part of your sun-safe routine! Now that we have that out of the way, we can explain why UPF is the better BFF.

Broad-spectrum Protection: A sunscreen’s effectiveness to protect us from the sun is determined by its SPF rating. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. However, the SPF only tells you how well the product protects you from UVB rays (the UV rays are responsible for burning your skin and directly causing skin cancer). Unless the product explicitly states it is broad-spectrum and protects from UVA radiation you are being left exposed to these aging rays that also contribute to the development of skin cancer. UPF clothing’s UPF rating tells you how well the product protects you from both UVA and UVB rays. You can always be confident you are getting broad-spectrum protection with UPF clothing. Instant and Fool-proof Application: When you slip on UPF clothing you know the area covered is instantly protected with the level stated on the label. No missed patches or white residues smeared all over your other possessions.  With SPF, people often don’t apply enough sunscreen nor do they reapply often enough.  The beauty of UPF clothing is it won’t wash off and you don’t need to reapply. Genius.

What is the best way to wear UPF clothing and accessories?

While UPF clothing provides the best level of fool-proof broad-spectrum protection, it only protects the area of skin it covers. So UPF clothing and accessories are a key tool in your sun protection strategy, but pairing them with sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats maximizes your protection. Our motto at MANISAFE is Slip on UPF and SPF on the rest!

To view our collection of multi-award-winning UPF 50+ gloves click here