Learn all about how to choose the best sun-protective clothing for you and your loved ones in UV Skinz's ultimate guide on all you need to know about the best sun protection clothing on the market.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of childrens sun protection suits. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
There is nothing better than relaxing on the coastline under the sun and enjoying the clear skies during summertime. However, too much UV exposure can cause skin damage, premature aging, and even skin cancer! One way you can protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays more effectively is by wearing sun-protective clothing.
Sun-protective clothes are designed to have a UPF rating, which means they block UV radiation. Today, we go over why sun-protective clothing is so important as well as the best UPF clothing items to choose from - keep reading because we're going to share our favorite sun-protective swimwear and clothing items for the entire family!
First things first, what is UPF clothing? UPF clothing stands for Ultraviolet Protective Factor and is how we measure how effective clothes are at blocking UVA and UVB rays. Often people confuse UPF with SPF, they are not the same thing. SPF is used to measure the level of UV radiation blocked by sunscreen.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) indicates how much UV radiation (both UVB and UVA) a fabric allows to reach your skin.
Sun-protective clothing should have a UPF rating of at least 30 in order to be effective. UPFs of 30 to 49 typically give enough coverage, and UPFs of 50+ offer the best protection.
UPF clothing offers ultraviolet protection from the sun, which means it can be used interchangeably with sun-protective clothing. However, here's the number one distinction between these two terms: UPF clothing is sun-protective clothing but not all sun-protective clothing is UPF clothing.
When buying sun-protective clothing, look out for a high UPF rating (we only offer UPF 50+ clothing and swimwear in our shop, which is the best rating) and make sure the clothes/swimwear have also been third-party tested for effectiveness.
UV rays from the sun can lead to skin cancer, severe sunburn, and skin aging, which is why it's so important to wear sun-protective clothing with a high UPF rating.
Young babies also can't wear sunscreen and their skin is much more sensitive to the sun. Protect your little one by putting him or her into a sun-protective baby swimsuit. To learn more about how to care for your newborn while out in the sun, be sure to check out our new mom's guide to preparing your newborn for the great outdoors.
When it comes time to choose sun-protective clothing, take the following into consideration:
Keeping the following points in mind can help you pick sun-protective clothing that best blocks out UV rays.
It is best to buy the essential sun-protective clothing and swimwear items this summer to make sure that you and your family are protected from the sun's harmful rays. Here's our ultimate summer checklist to get you started:
If you intend to swim and be outside a lot this summer, you should invest in a swimsuit with a UPF rating to keep yourself safe from the sun.
Wrap yourself in a soft, sand-free sun protective towel that will gently dry you off and can also be used over your shoulders to keep your upper body sun safe and shaded.
Wear UPF clothes, such as UPF dresses and cover-ups that cover as much skin as possible so you can enjoy outdoor activities without getting sunburnt.
Make sure you have a broad-spectrum water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher on hand.
It's best to get a hat with a wide-brim sun hat that will keep the light off your face. By wearing a sun hat, you can avoid sunburns and also premature sun aging.
For those extra sunny days, keep yourself fully covered with a UPF neck/face shield. Our UV face shields are made from buttery soft fabric and are chlorine and salt-water resistant.
Darker shades capture more UV than lighter shades. While bright colors, such as red, can also absorb UV radiation, the darker the color, the better the protection.
It is not possible to test UPF at home without the proper equipment. However, the simplest way to determine whether your apparel is UPF-protected is to hold it up to the light. It will not provide appropriate sun protection if it is clear and transparent. Also, you can research a company to see if their UPF clothing has been tested.
UV Skinz's UPF clothing is not made with any chemicals or lotions. The fabrics we use have been rigorously tested and are rated in accordance with AATCC183, ASTM26544, and ASTM6603, the highest standards for UV fabric testing.
This depends on the UPF fabric quality, how worn it is, as well as how you cared for the UPF clothing item. If you care well for your UPF clothing and purchased high-quality UPF clothing in the first place, your sun-protective clothing should be in great condition for a while. We'd say on average 2 to 5 years.
If you purchased UPF clothing with chemicals in it, those chemicals can get washed out over time in 30 washes or so. We don't add chemicals to our UPF clothing and swimwear here.
Also, do note that UPF clothing that is faded or stretched out will let in more UV radiation that it did when it was first purchased
Clothing with a UPF of 50 or higher provides more protection than most sunscreen; however, we still recommend using s broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF rating of at least 30 in the event you aren't going to wear a sun-protective clothing item, such as if you don't want to go surfing with a sun hat on.
Wearing sun-protective clothing allows you and your loved ones to enjoy the sun without the risk of sunburns and skin cancer. For sun-protective clothing and swimwear, the entire family will love, check out UV Skinz's selection of women's UPF bestsellers and men's UPF bestsellers, they're our most loved UPF clothing items, and they're selling fast!
Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.
While shopping for a kid’s swimsuit, you’re probably most focused on finding a size that fits and a style they like—but there is a much more important detail you may not be giving enough attention to: the color of your child's bathing suit.
Bathing suit colors may be more important than you realize as they factor significantly into water safety. The underwater visibility of a swimsuit, and whether or not it can be immediately seen if your child goes underwater could save their life.
Alive Solutions, a company that specializes in aquatic safety, training, and risk assessment, tested 14 swimsuits in varying colors first in a pool and then in a lake and the results of the test may shock you.
Most swimsuit colors virtually disappear or are not identifiable as a struggling child is only a mere 18 inches below the surface of the water. Visibility continues to decrease exponentially with any sort of water agitation, like in a moderately-active swimming pool or water park, or in a lake or ocean with any amount of wave activity.
They found certain colors can mean the difference of being able to immediately find your child should they disappear under the surface and, as we know, where potential drownings are concerned those seconds saved could save a life.
Credit: ALIVE Solutions, Inc.
Bright and contrasting colors are recommended as the safest choice when buying swimwear.
For each test, Alive Solutions placed each swimsuit color on the surface of the water. They then submerged the suits and agitated the water, allowing the suits to sink about 18 inches deep—a depth where visibility is crucial for life-saving during water accidents.
Alive Solutions then took photos at two additional levels—shore level and then slightly elevated, about dock or boat level—to simulate heights lifeguards or caregivers might be at when searching for a child in the water. The degree to which a swimsuit becomes difficult, if not impossible, to spot varied widely based on its color. Popular swimsuit colors, like blues and greens, almost completely disappeared.
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Credit: ALIVE Solutions, Inc.
Neon yellow, green, and orange swimsuits were the most visible beneath 18 inches of open water. All other colors disappeared quickly.
In open water, bright, neon colors, including orange, yellow, and lime green, fared best. Pools were a bit more forgiving overall, but it was pointed out by the testers that “although the darker colors show up on a light pool bottom they can often be dismissed for a pile of leaves, dirt, or a shadow so I tend to stay away from those colors when possible.”
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As for open water, white suits were also cautioned against, as they appeared to be patches of cloud reflections.
The post recommended that, no matter where you plan to swim, opt for bright and contrasting suit colors. Just like a brightly colored outfit can help you find your child in a crowd, Alive Solutions found that bright visibility was crucial to identifying a child in a body of water.
When possible, look for large chunks of color blocks or pair contrasting colors with different colored rash guards and swimsuit bottoms and trunks. For example, look for a bright orange rash guard and pair it with hot pink or day-glo yellow bottoms.
The findings also note that it’s important to consider other environmental factors that may impact visibility when packing up for a day of water play. Water clarity, lighting, currents, and the weather can all affect below-surface visibility.
While bright neon colors were the best options overall, it’s interesting to note that some colors, like neon pink, were highly visible in a pool setting but nearly disappeared when tested in a lake. What that means is it’s important to select a suit that provides high visibility in the type of water you plan to visit.
According to the post, “This test also reinforced how important it is in lakes, beaches, rivers, [and] open water environments to keep people on the surface (with life jackets).”
Credit: Getty Images / Onfokus
A brightly colored lifejacket can also help ensure your child's safety.
Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related accidental deaths in children ages 1 to 4: It’s quick, it’s quiet, and it can happen to anyone—even strong swimmers. The majority of drownings and near drownings occur in residential swimming pools and in open water sites.
But while proper dress will help improve your ability to spot a child in distress, Alive Solutions did caution that shouldn’t be the only water safety measure you take. With child drownings linked to caregiver’s distractions, including the use of cell phones, it’s important to know that brightly colored clothes can’t replace a lack of vigilance with supervision.
The group states: “Remember…the bright and contrasting colors help visibility, but it doesn’t matter what color your kids are wearing if you aren’t supervising effectively and actively watching.”
Credit: Getty Images / Fatcamera
Make sure to stay on top of annual swim lessons, to make sure your child's skills are consistently up to speed.
Here are some expert tips for upping your kids' safety during water play.
This goes without saying, but while parents may feel as though they are watching their children, sometimes they aren't watching as closely as they could. Kristi Ladowski, injury prevention and outreach coordinator at Stony Brook Medicine Trauma Center, says that most water-related injuries she sees at her E.R. are when adults were distracted or thought someone else was watching the child.
Supervising adults should be close, constant, and free from distractions. It’s recommended to have a designated “watcher” at all times. That watcher should be free from conversations and any other distractions.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends "touch supervision" for beginning swimmers, meaning the adult should be within an arm's reach of the child so he or she can pull the child out of the water if the child's head becomes submerged.
While even the strongest swimmers aren’t safe from accidents, teaching your kids how to swim and how to behave safely around water is key to preventing drowning. Kids can start swimming lessons as early as 1-year-old and self-rescue techniques, as well as basic swimming skills, should be reinforced annually.
Here are some kids’ swimsuits that hit all the right marks for swim safety.
Credit: Lands' End / Reviewed
They'll look cool and be safe in this bright orange rash guard.
Kids will love the cool shark graphic on this rash guard. Parents will love the eye-catching, Alive Solutions-approved florescent orange color it comes in. This long-sleeved Lands' End rash guard also comes armed with UPF 50, so it offers protection against the sun and the surf.
$11 at Lands' End
Credit: Reviewed / The Season Essentials
The colors pop on these quick-drying shorts.
These unisex, gender-neutral kids' swim trunks are not only quick-drying, but they also come in florescent green, neon orange, and bright red—giving lots of options for colors that are highly visible in all conditions. They also are feather light and dry faster than you can say, "cannonball!"
$12 at Amazon
Credit: Reviewed / Dayu
This rash guard is noticeable and stylish.
This bright rash guard not only has some serious flower power, but it also ups the safety quotient in any kids' swim attire. It's perfect when paired with neon orange, yellow, or green swim bottoms.
$21 at Amazon
Credit: Reviewed / The Gap
This three-piece from The Gap is great for mix-and-match.
This coral pink 3-piece set is easy to mix and match with other swim wear, and features UPF 50+ protection. Reviewers say the color is much brighter than pictured, meaning it will stand out well in the water.
$65 at The Gap
Credit: Reviewed / Shein
This bikini looks great and mixes well with other pieces.
This bright fuchsia criss-cross Shein girls' bikini is just the shade that Alive Solutions recommends for safety. We recommend mixing and matching and pairing the piecing with some neon bottoms or a different rash guard in a contrasting shade.
$10 at Shein
Credit: Kanu Surf / Reviewed
These rash guards are bold, bright, and UPF 50.
Protect against the sun and up their aquatic safety with one of these brightly colored orange or neon yellow rash guards with UPF 50.
From $11 at Amazon
Credit: Lands' End / Reviewed
These neon swim trunks are bright and bold.
Alive Solutions recommends dressing kids in contrasting colors. These kids' swim trunks would go great in a complimenting shade with a brightly colored rash guard. We recommend you buy the Alive Solutions-approved neon yellow.
From $10 at Lands' End
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
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