What Makes Sun Protection Clothing Different To Other Type Of Clothing?

Sun protection clothing is clothing which has been specifically designed to offer protection from the sun, and it's produced from fabrics rated for their level of UV (ultraviolet) protection. Sun protection clothing is actually very effective when it comes to protecting you from the harmful sun rays. This type of clothing provides an effective physical block which helps shade your skin from UVA rays and UVB rays.

The sun rays can cause a lot of damage to the exposed parts of your body which can increase the risk of skin cancer and premature skin aging. Thus, wearing sun protection clothing is rather crucial. You can wear a long sleeved shirt which has a high neckline or a collar to cover most of your upper body, and some long pants to cover your lower body part. You can also wear a wide brimmed hat to protect your face and close fitting wrap around sunglasses to protect the area around your eyes. Apart from wearing clothing which covers most of your body, there are some other factors which you need to consider when looking for sun protection clothing.

Well, you can wear clothing which covers every inch of your body, but if the sun rays happen to go through it, it is not of much use. When looking for sun protection clothing, you should also check for a swing tag which shows that the clothing has a high UPF (ultraviolet protection factor). Any clothing fabric that is rated above UPF 15 normally provides much better protection against ultraviolet radiation, however, UPF 50+ is the best. This type of sun protective clothing provides great protection by not only absorbing, but also reflecting the ultraviolet radiation which strikes its' surface, and by covering most of your body.

When looking for sun protection clothing, you should also consider the fabric's structure. The tighter the clothing fabric structure, the better the UV protection if will offer. Since the fibers of tightly woven clothing fabrics are much closer together, less ultraviolet radiation will be able to pass through it and get to the skin. Some tightly woven and light weight natural fabrics like linen, hemp and cotton also help in keeping you cooler as compared to synthetic fiber equivalents.

The most ideal sun protection clothing fabrics are light weight, comfortable, and offer great protection against sun exposure even when they are wet. So, if you enjoy water sports, you should consider using ultraviolet protective swim wear including swimsuits and rash guards; And thanks to technological advancements, various other sun protective gear such as UV protective swim diapers and flotation devices are available in the market.

The other thing to consider when looking for sun protection clothing is the color. Many dyes normally absorb ultraviolet radiation. The darker colors (such as dark red and black) of just the same clothing fabric type, absorb much more ultraviolet radiation than the light pastel shades (such as white, light green and sky blue). The more vivid a color is, the greater the UV protection it offers; a bright yellow shirt will offer more sun protection than a pale shirt.

Sun Protection Clothing Tips
Always buy clothing which suits your purpose. You do not need to wear heavy work pants or shirts when going to the beach, instead, wear a long sleeved, tightly woven, light weight linen shirt which is both cool and sun smart. Consider looking for clothing which has a UPF of above 50 so that you are sure you are getting the most effective sun protection.

When going out, wear clothing which covers most of your skin; there is no point of wearing a high UPF bikini. Instead, you should consider a swim shirt or rash guard which is made of light weight, elastic materials such as spandex. Such athletic tops will effectively cover your body without exerting too much weight on you. You can also consider having some beach sarongs or skirts ready and waiting for when you get out of the water.

Finally, if you're looking for elastic garments such as leggings, make sure you pick the right size; overstretching your clothing lowers the UPF protection. So the next time you go shopping, put the above factors into consideration and purchase the best sun protection clothing.