Your outdoor wardrobe doesn’t just look great, it also offers a whole host of benefits on the trail. Clothing, hats and other outdoor accessories are some of the most effective and simplest ways to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful UV rays. But how does sun-protective clothing work? Well, it’s quite straightforward. Sun protective clothing is designed to capture as many harmful particles radiated by the sun as technically possible. This is done by using tight weaves in the fabric, selecting dense and technical yarn and also partially by colour choice.
Most people find it much easier to throw on an item of clothing rather than having to lather up with sun cream every couple of hours, particularly when hiking, travelling through the wild, or just walking through town whilst the sun is beaming. Read on for more information on how sun-protective clothing works in our guide below.
Sun-protection clothing is exactly what it says on the label: clothing that protects you from harmful sun rays, particularly ultraviolet. Essentially, it provides a barrier between you and the sun. It’s specifically designed and produced from a fabric rated for its level of UV protection. There are many types of lightweight sun-protective clothing available, with various levels of UPF protection. Learn more about the UPF rating scale below to understand what to look for when making a purchase.
So, how much sun protection does clothing provide? Different clothes provide different levels of UV protection, so it will depend on what you wear. As expected, long-sleeved shirts, full-length trousers and longer skirts will cover more skin and therefore offer more protection. A tightly woven fabric will also offer more protection than a loosely woven material, while dry clothes will generally offer a safer barrier than wet ones.
The level of protection that your clothing offers will also depend on its UPF rating. Clothes designed specifically for sun protection will come with a grade, but what is the standard UPF rating scale for clothing?
UPF Rating Scale
Now more than ever, brands are creating clothing that promotes the ultraviolet protection factor. The UPF rating scale determines the level of protection that the fabric offers. The UPF is a standard that is used to measure the effectiveness of sun-protective clothing. The standard UPF rating scale is as follows:
The Craghoppers SolarShield clothing offers UPF40+ protection with 97.5% blocked UVR and 2.5% (or less) UV radiation.
Not all colours provide equal protection against the sun. Typically, dark or bright colours will absorb more UV than lighter shades like whites and pastels. This means lighter shades reflect the UV rays, allowing them an opportunity to bounce their way through your clothing and reach your skin. On the other hand, dark shades absorb those rays, that would otherwise, again, have had the opportunity to bounce through, thus making dark shades better for sun protection. This is also why you might find that your black clothing attracts more heat.
But how long can clothes protect you from the sun? Our SolarShield clothing is made from permanent sun-protective fabric, meaning the technology lasts for the lifetime of the garment. So that when you’re out on the trail, you know you can rely on your clothing to keep you protected as you continue to explore the outdoors. However, you should still cover up any exposed areas of skin with sun cream for full defence against the sun.
At Craghoppers, we offer a great selection of lightweight, sun-protective clothing for men, women, and kids. Constructed using denser fabrics with tighter weaves, the SolarShield.
Get out and enjoy the sun without taking risks. Browse the range of SolarShield clothing online and pack up your kit for your next adventure.
