These UPF Hoodies, Hats, and Shorts Can Protect You From Sunburn

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It’s that time of year when we’re all heading outdoors for long days in the sun. Whether you’re into hitting the beach, hiking the mountains, or traveling somewhere tropical with neon-colored adult beverages, summer is the time to do it all. We don’t want to be a buzzkill, but all that sun exposure isn’t doing your skin any favors, especially if you’re going out unprotected. Sunburns, melanoma, premature aging, and, yes, even cancer are all very real risks at any age.

It’s second nature for most of us to grab a good sunscreen if we’re planning to be out all day, and skin experts will tell you that’s a good idea. But sometimes, it’s still not enough. That’s when you need to consider sun-protectant clothing to doubly protect your precious skin against all that space radiation. The best UPF clothing options create a physical barrier to protect your skin, use embedded chemicals to fend off radiation, or a clever combination of the two.

Finding the best UPF clothing isn’t hard. Still, we dug into dozens of options, including everything from hats to shorts to hoodies to sunshirts. We personally tested every last garment for comfort, durability, UPF factor, and price, so you don’t have to. Here are the best UPF clothing options for 2023.

About the Expert: I’ve spent most of my life hiking, kayaking, camping, and exploring the great outdoors. For more than a decade, I’ve traveled the world, including all seven continents, and covered outdoor and adventure travel, sharing my advice on Forbes, Travel + Leisure, CNET, and National Geographic. These days, I personally evaluate outdoor gear (like the best UPF clothing) and tech gadgets for Men’s Health from my home base south of Boston. So, you might say I’m a little gear-obsessed.

Men's Hydropeak Hybrid Walk Shorts - 19"

The best board shorts allow you to move freely between the sand to the water and back again in comfort. Patagonia elevates theirs with a PFC-free DWR (durable water-repellent) finish and 40+ UPF sun protection.

Silver Ridge Utility Lite Long-Sleeve Shirt

Lightweight and breathable with a classic, adventure-ready style, this long-sleeve sun-protectant shirt is a perfect outdoor staple. It’s available in a half-dozen colors, and the UPF 50 rating means you’re protected on even the sunniest days.

Venture UPF Sun Hoodie

Backcountry.com keeps it simple with this performance hoodie under its own in-house apparel moniker, Stoic. The eight available colorways are bright, bold, and ready for the outdoors. Most importantly, though: The UPF 50 rating means you can almost leave the sunscreen at home—almost.

Loggerhead Sun Protection Hoodie

Our favorite hoodies are buttery soft and versatile enough for standalone wear in the summer and layering up in the shoulder months. Howler Brothers’ Loggerhead delivers on all fronts and adds UPF 35+ sun protection to boot.

Gila PRO Airmesh Boonie UPF Hat

KUIU brings its considerable hunting apparel chops to bear on this basic sun hat. The wide brim keeps the sun out of your eyes and off your neck, while the UPF 50+ fabric helps protect your entire dome.

Men's Bamboo Lightweight Hoodie

Few fabrics flow as freely and feel as comfortable against the skin as bamboo. It’s also ultra-lightweight and naturally odor-resistant. Free Fly’s Bamboo Lightweight Hoodie offers all of the above plus decent UPF 20+ sun protection too.

Standard Solid Streak Long Sleeve Surf Shirt UPF 50

Surfers know a thing or two about protecting their skin, and Quicksilver knows even more about protecting surfers. This is actually a rashguard, but it’s loose enough that it wears like a relaxed long-sleeved and protects with rock-solid UPF 50 sun protection.

Men's Sun Protection Shirts UV T-Shirts UPF 50+

The best UPF sunshirts can be a little pricey, but they don’t have to be. This long-sleeve rashguard from Baleaf is lightweight, quick-drying, and UPF-50+ protectant—all for around $20.

Andros Fishing Hoodie UPF 50+ Sun Protective

If you’re serious about covering up in the sun, Coolibar’s Andros Fishing Hoodie is your man. Every last bit of this full-coverage garment—from the past-the-knuckle hand coverings to the full hood with a built-in gaiter/face mask—is made to shield you against sun exposure.

First Ascent Solarfoil Pro Hoodie

This water-centric hoodie is ultra-lightweight and packs down small enough to stuff in a pocket. It’s lightly woven and built for the hottest summer months with a quick-drying, moisture-wicking fabric to keep you cool, calm, and collected with UPF 50+ sun protection to boot.

Sahara Shade Hoodie

Light, stretchy, and oh-so-comfy, this staple hoodie has a tech-T-like feel. It’s built for the trail but basic enough for just about any adventure. It’s heavier than most on this list, making it perfect for cool fall day hikes with solid UPF 50+ protection.

Guide Pro 4S Trekker Pant

The trail-ready pant from Eddie Bauer’s flagship First Ascent line-up is built for all-season wear. It’s one of this year’s best UPF clothing options: Stretchy, ventable, and water-repellent—all while keeping the sun’s damaging rays off your legs.

Alpenglow Pro Hoodie

For bulletproof technical wear, we’re big fans of Black Diamond. Its aptly named Alpenglow is a climber-friendly, partial-zip hoodie that sheds water like a champ and protects your precious skin with UPF 50+ protection. Quarter-zip openings let you shed heat when the adventuring gets serious.

GOCap Hat

Protecting your dome doesn’t have to mean wearing a Crocodile Dundee-style sunhat. This run-friendly cap from Ciele Athletics is lightweight, fast-drying, and rated to UPF 40 on the brim and front and back panels.

Men's Long Sleeve Cool Dri T-Shirt UPF 50+ (2-pack)

If you’re not down with the “ready-to-go-sport-fishing” aesthetic of many sunshirts, keep it simple with this budget-friendly (around $10 per shirt!) staple from Hanes. It’s quick-wicking, cool to the touch, and boasts solid sun protection with a UPF 50+ rating.

Men's Compression Pants / Athletic Leggings with Pocket (2-pack)

Those high-noon runs are the perfect time to be doubling up on skin protection. Devops’ Compression Leggings are rated to more than UPF 50, and they wear great in any weather. Bonus: A two-pack is available on sale for less than $25.

Long-Sleeve Strato Tech T-Shirt

If you’re all about comfort, this long-sleeve T from Vuori is your man. The buttery soft performance-stretch moss jersey is the softest on this list, while the UPF 30 fabric both dries fast and wicks away sweat like a boss. Plus, we love the everyday-wear aesthetic.

Pierside Straw Lifeguard Beach Sun Hat

Quicksilver’s Pierside straw hat has a timeless lifeguard-inspired vibe that has us craving nice long beach days. The tightly-woven raffia straw fiber is lightweight and comfy, with serious sun protection to boot. A drawstring closure ensures a nice, snug fit whether you’re chilling on the sand or riding the waves.

Workwear Men's Long Sleeve UPF 40 Sun Shirt with Hoodie

This slightly heavier-duty option from Wrangler’s Workwear line is a performance-minded hoodie with UPF 40 sun protection. That’s more than enough for most outdoor adventures, and we love that the polyester pique fabric is moisture-wicking and odor-resistant, too.

Next Level 10.5" Quick-Drying Performance Fishing Shorts

When board shorts aren’t enough, but full-length pants are overkill, Huk’s Next Level 10.5 Short is just right. They’re built with fishermen in mind, so they’re quick-drying, water-repellent, and rated to UPF 30+ for serious sun protection.

Men's Solstice Lightweight Pullover Hoodie

For a little extra coverage on cooler shoulder season days, we love this pullover hoodie from Ridge. The UPF 30+ Merino wool fabric is lightweight, while thumb holes guarantee a stay-put fit. An oversized hood keeps your face covered and pulls up easily, even over a hat.

Sun Protection UPF 50+ UV Outdoor Long Sleeve Shirt

We love this basic long-sleeve swim shirt from Naviskin for the featherweight, barely-there feel and that it dries ridiculously fast. It’s also rated to UPF 50+ sun protection and is available in dozens of colors.

Merino Sport Hoodie

Polyester mixes with Merino wool in this performance hoodie from Smartwool. It’s the best of both worlds, creating a lightweight, fast-drying pullover with flatlock seams that eliminate chafing. Plus, it offers UPF 20 for decent midday protection against the sun’s rays.

Mens UPF 50+ UV Sun Protection Long Sleeve Shirt

For serious lightweight sun protection, nothing beats a rashguard as the best UPF clothing option. Roadbox’s long-sleeved rash guard/swim shirts are ridiculously lightweight and comfortable with near-perfect UPF 50+ sun protection.

Uluwatu Water Hoodie

Designed with paddlesports in mind, Vuori’s Uluwatu Water Hoodie is perfect for kayaking, paddleboarding, or just lazy days on the beach. The mix of lightweight, UPF 50+ synthetic fabrics and a partial-zip closure make this one comfy and easy to don/doff throughout the day.

What Is a UPF Rating?

UPF stands for “Ultraviolet Protection Factor”—a catch-all term that includes UVA and UVB protection. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, it “indicates how much UV radiation (both UVB and UVA) a fabric allows to reach your skin.” The number after “UPF” lettering on a garment shows how effective it is at blocking those rays. “For example, a UPF 50 fabric blocks 98 percent of the sun’s rays and allows two percent (1/50th) to penetrate, thus reducing your exposure risk significantly.” The higher the number, the greater the protection.

Most of our picks above are at least UPF 30, while the best UPF clothing options in our roundup are UPF 50+, effectively blocking nearly all of the sun’s radiation. For comparison, a stark white T-shirt is rated at around UPF 7, and that number drops to just UPF 3 once it gets wet. A heavy, long-sleeve denim shirt, on the hand, can provide up to UPF 1,700 (basically complete sun protection).

How Does UPF Clothing Work?

Some UPF clothing works by relying on specially woven fabrics to create a physical barrier between the sun’s UVB/UVA radiation and your skin; other garments are impregnated with unique chemicals that filter out those rays. The best UPF clothing options actually use both techniques. It’s worth noting that chemical layers in treated UPF clothing don’t last forever. They’re typically rated for between 50-80 washes, so they usually need to be replaced sooner than traditional clothing.

How to Find the Best UPF Clothing

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends first looking for its official seal of approval on any UPF clothing you’re shopping. To receive this, garments must offer at least a UPF 30 rating. UPF 30 to UPF 49 provides good protection, while anything 50 and above effectively shields 98% or more of the sun’s rays.

For clothing that’s not specifically labeled with a UPF rating, look for dark or bright colors (these absorb UV rays so they don’t penetrate your skin), densely woven fabrics like wool, canvas, or even denim, and high-coverage, relaxed-fit pants or shirts.

Do I Really Need UPF Clothing?

The better question is: Do you need some form of sun protection? We all know by now that if you spend any time outdoors—and especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors—the answer is absolutely yes. Protecting your skin against immediate dangers like sunburn and sun poisoning is no joke; and, of course, there are longer-term risks to consider, like melanoma, premature aging, or worse.

Most people opt for sunscreen and whatever clothing they happen to have in their closet. While that’s often good enough, you can protect yourself even further by taking the extra step to add on the best UPF clothing options you can afford. That usually includes some combination of a sun hat, sun-safe shirt, and even UPF-protectant pants.

How We Selected the Best UPF Clothing Options

Our outdoor-loving editors and staff here at Men’s Health packed dozens of UPF clothing options on our adventures over the last year. We took them kayaking, hiking, to the beach, traveling in the Caribbean, and more—all the while testing and comparing what we liked and what we didn’t. We paid close attention to fit, weight, comfort, price, and, of course, how well each garment actually kept the sun off our skin. Our final roundup includes only the very best of the best UPF clothing options of 2023.

Read More About Sun Protection Clothing and Skincare

Sun Protection Clothing

Summer Hats | Sun Hats | Best Bucket Hats | Best Running Hats

Sun Protection Skincare

Sunscreens | Sunscreens for Oily Skin | Sunscreens for Sensitive Skin | Moisturizers With SPF | Reef-Friendly Sunscreen | Spray Sunscreen | Acne Sunscreen

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