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What kind of fabric sunscreen better?
The sun is still shining bright, and protecting ourselves from its harmful rays remains a challenge. With so many options for UV-protective clothing on the market, consumers are often confused: how effective are these products really? Are they truly better than regular clothes at blocking the sun? Rumors online suggest that some sun protection garments offer superior protection, but is this true?
To find out, I conducted an investigation to uncover the facts.
**Step One: Sample Collection**
I started by searching for UV-protective clothing on Taobao. There were over 220,000 items listed, with average prices ranging from tens of yuan. I purchased a "Junjun" brand UV-protective shirt, labeled as "quality inspected," with monthly sales of 130,000 units, at a promotional price of 24 yuan. I also bought a similar piece from a small commodity market in Hangzhou, which was priced at 40 yuan.
Next, I visited several fashion and outdoor brands in physical stores. The prices there were much higher—ranging from 200 to 600 yuan. At a North Face store, I found a gray T-shirt labeled "UPF 50" priced at 228 yuan.
To serve as a control, I also bought a black-and-white cotton T-shirt, representing ordinary clothing. All samples were sent to the Zhejiang Textile Testing and Research Institute for evaluation.
**Step Two: Testing Process**
First, all five garments were placed in a controlled environment with a temperature of 20°C and humidity of 65% for 24 hours. According to Yan Gong from the Textile Industry Technical Inspection Department, this step is essential to eliminate errors caused by temperature and humidity changes.
Then, nine samples were cut from each garment—on the back, front, and sleeves. This follows strict sampling standards, requiring at least four random samples per item. Each sample had to meet national requirements to ensure accurate results.
Finally, the samples were tested using a UV tester, which measured their ability to block ultraviolet radiation.
Experts explained that UV radiation is divided into three types. UVA (320–420 nm) is responsible for tanning and can penetrate deep into the skin, damaging collagen and elastic fibers. Therefore, the key factor in evaluating UV protection is the effectiveness against UVA.
**Step Three: Test Results**
After testing, the results were surprising. The UV protection performance of the ordinary black-and-white T-shirts was actually better than the ones I purchased online and from the market. In other words, standard clothing provided better sun protection than the so-called “sun protection†clothes.
Even the branded sun protection shirts from the North Face store showed poor results. The gray T-shirt labeled “UPF 50†only achieved a UPF value of 41 during the test, falling short of its claimed rating.
The UPF values of the two online-purchased sun protection shirts were just 3—far below the minimum standard of 40 required for UV protection products. Meanwhile, the regular T-shirts had a UPF of over 50, far exceeding the others.
This shows that, in this test, no “sun protection†clothing performed better than a simple black-and-white T-shirt.
**Are UV Protection Products Regulated?**
According to Yan Gong, China has a standard called GB/T 18830-2009, which sets the criteria for UV protection in textiles. To be labeled as a UV protection product, the UPF must be over 40, and the UVA transmittance must be under 5%. However, this is a recommended standard, not a mandatory one.
Despite this, companies that label their products as UV-protective are expected to comply with it. The North Face shirt, for example, was labeled UPF 50, but the actual result was only 41—meeting the standard, but raising questions about the accuracy of the claim.
In conclusion, the test results clearly show that not all sun protection clothing lives up to its claims. Sometimes, a simple T-shirt offers better protection than expensive, branded alternatives.