What is UPF Clothing?
What does UPF stand for? It stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. I recently became aware of how prevalent UPF clothing has become when a friend of mine discovered skin cancer on her arm. Of course I had heard of it, but never thought about wearing it myself, so never paid much attention. Since then she and I have discovered some beautiful clothing that not only looks stylish, but keeps the sun off!
According to the article. “Does Sun-Protective Clothing Actually Work?” by the Cleveland Clinic, “Most cotton shirts give you an equivalent of about a UPF of 5 when you’re wearing it.” Many people are under the misconception that wearing regular clothing is protection enough against the sun. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. A UPF 50 shirt will block 98 percent of the sun’s rays giving you far more protection than regular clothes.
Isn’t UPF Clothing Just for the Beach?
Not any longer! These days there is no shortage of UPF clothing found on the market, giving us many choices of styles and colors. So there’s no reason NOT to wear this type of protective clothing. I’ve listed my favorite protective clothing company below, along with links to the shirt and hat in the picture.
The UPF clothing company Coolibar has some beautiful styles for men and women for any outdoor occasion. I was pleasantly surprised at the variety and style of clothing I saw when I went to their website. So when I recently went on a cruise in the Caribbean, I brought my Coolibar clothing! I wore them on the ship as well as walking around the various ports of call. They’re stylish, kept me cool AND covered up. The hat was surprisingly comfortable and easy to pack. Initially I expected a loose, floppy straw hat, but the weave is actually very tight and feels more like fabric than straw, and the fit was snug without being tight. I don’t get any type of affiliate payment for this, I just really love their stuff and think everyone should be wearing it. 🙂
Dealing with UPF Clothing Makes it Hassle-Free to go Outside!
It was so nice to be able to throw on a UPF shirt rather than slather myself with sunscreen every time I left the cabin. Of course I still use sunscreen for my hands, face, and neck (even though the hat covers most of it). I was concerned about wearing long sleeves in the heat, but the shirt I chose for their private island was surprisingly cool!
I find myself adopting more and more of this type of clothing, mostly because I happen to live in Florida, where a trip to the grocery store can result in a sunburn.
