Sun Shirt FAQs

A sun shirt rated UPF 50 blocks 98% of the sun's UV rays.

UPF stands for ultraviolet protection factor and it's the sun protection rating used for fabrics. The higher the UPF rating, the more sun protection the fabric provides.

• UPF50: Allows roughly 1/50th (2%) of UV rays to get through, blocking 98% of UV rays
• UPF40: Allows roughly 1/40th (2.5%) of UV rays to get through, blocking 97.5% of UV rays
• UP30: Allows roughly 1/30th (3.3%) of UV rays to get through, blocking 96.7% of UV rays
• UPF15: Allows roughly 1/15th (6.7%) of UV rays to get through, blocking 93.3% of UV rays

When you’re out in the sun, the safest sun protection is a sun shirt. Sun shirts beat out sunscreens as the safer, healthier, easier, longer-lasting and more stylish option.

Why Sun Shirts are Safer Than Sunscreen for Sun Protection

• You don’t have to remember to reapply a sun shirt after you get wet, sweaty or two hours go by.
• Sun protective clothing doesn’t contain meradimate, oxybenzone, cinoxate, padimate O, or other weirdo ingredients you’ll find in some sunscreen.
• You don’t have to worry about the UPF fabric leeching strange chemicals into your body or the environment.
• Slip on the sun shirt, and your totally covered. No missed areas that can end up burned – like that small patch in the exact middle of your back where sunscreen never seems to reach.
• Sun protection fabrics automatically safeguard against both UVA and UVB rays. Most sunscreens only protect against UVB rays. Even many designated “broad spectrum,” which are meant to protect against UVA and UVB rays, have been found to be inadequate when it comes to UVA protection.

What Else You Need to Know about Sun Protection

While the sun shirt (literally) has your back, you still want to protect your head, eyes and other bodily areas. Sun hats are a must, as are sunglasses and additional protection as needed and desired.

Beach tents can be a total game changer for hanging out at the beach for extended periods. And don’t forget to stay hydrated and bring plenty of snacks (for you and your dog).

If you also want to add sunscreen into the mix, choose one with safe ingredients – like those verified by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

In all honesty, the best way to steer clear of sunscreen chemicals is to, well, steer clear of sunscreen. , well, avoid sunscreen completely.

Outfit your kids in sun protection clothing instead. The safest sun protection is definitely a sun shirt, and the potentially harmful ingredients in sunscreens are a big reason why.

What sunscreen ingredients are recognized as safe?

In a 2021 regulation update, the only two sunscreen ingredients the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) deemed as safe and effective were:

• Zinc oxide
• Titanium dioxide

What potentially harmful ingredients are in sunscreen?

Twelve other sunscreen ingredients fall into the potential danger zone, not generally recognized as safe and effective by the FDA. These are:

• Avobenzone
• Cinoxate
• Dioxybenzone
• Ensulizole
• Homosalate
• Meradimate
• Octinoxate
• Octisalate
• Octocrylene
• Oxybenzone
• Padimate O
• Sulisobenzone

Why are these sunscreen chemicals harmful?

All of the ingredients penetrate the skin, which means they can work their way into the body. Some have been found to cause hormone disruption. Others can cause skin irritation, allergies and even inhalation issues.

Not only are the ingredients not considered safe for you and your kids, but they can also be harmful to coral reefs and other marine life – not to mention your pets. While you’re (hopefully) not about to slather sunscreen on your dog, we do like to lick things. An arm covered in sunscreen may be one of those things.

The Bottom Line = The Sun Protection Top

If you MUST wear a sunscreen, look for one that only contains the two ingredients deemed as safe for humans, coral reefs and other marine and animal life:

• Zinc oxide
• Titanium dioxide

If you’d rather make it easier for yourself and your kids, go for a UPF50 sun shirt. The fabric does not lose its sun protection power; provides breathable, moisture-wicking comfort; and protects against UVA and UVB rays.

If you go for high-quality sun shirts (like ours) where the sun protection is built into the fabric, you can expect the sun protection to last for the entire lifetime of the shirt.

If you opt for UV clothing where the sun protection is sprayed onto the fabric, you can expect the protection to dwindle after as a few as five washes. That’s right. The spray-on protection rather quickly washes out of the shirt.

We vote sticking with the high-quality UPF 50 shirts you’ll find in our shop, and we can certainly vouch for their quality.

We spent an extensive amount of time and energy testing multiple sun shirts from various manufacturers until we landed on the selection of top-tier shirts we felt confident carrying.

The sun shirts we opted for are made out of high-tech fabrics that withstand:

• Loads of sun
• The dye sublimation printing process we use to create graphic tees
• Swimming and boating
• Hiking and biking
• All types of outdoor (and indoor) activities

More than once we’ve also heard our sun shirts make great sleep shirts, thanks to the moisture-wicking properties that keep you dry and cool all night long.

Our sun shirts are made out of microfiber that features built-in UPF50 sun protection. The UV protection shirts are:

• Moisture wicking
• Quick drying
• Durable 
• Odor and stain resistant
• Easy to maintain. Simply machine wash and either hang to dry or tumble dry low. (Just don't add fabric softener!)

The proper method for washing a sun shirt depends on the clothing manufacturer. The high-quality sun shirts we sell are durable and easy to wash.

Just pop them in the washing machine. Wash on cold for gentlest results. Tumble dry low or hang to air dry.

The one thing to remember is not to use fabric softener as it is prone to clogging up the breathability of the fabric.

Does the sun protection wash out of UPF50 shirts?

That also depends on the manufacturer. In the case of our sun shirts, the answer is no. The UPF50 protection is built right into the fabric, ensuring it lasts for the entire lifetime of the shirt. The high protection levels also mean our shirts get the nod from the Skin Cancer Foundation.

But not all sun protection clothing is created equal. Some may use sprayed-on UV protection, which can wash off in as few as five washes.

Don’t buy those. Go for high-quality sun shirts instead.

When you’re looking at the difference between the men’s and women’s sun shirts we sell, it all comes down to the cut and fit. Here comes a quick rundown on the main differences between the two styles.

Women’s Sun Shirts: Standard Scoop Neck

• Neckline: Scoop neck
• Sleeve: Raglan sleeve, with the sleeve extending to the neckline and the stitching at an angle
• Length: Back of the shirt is slightly longer than the front of the shirt, with the back hem featuring a slightly rounded cut that is longest in the center
• Overall fit: The women’s style is a shade more form-fitting than the men’s style.

Men’s Sun Shirts: Standard Crew Neck

• Neckline: Crew neck
• Sleeve: Set-in sleeve, with the sleeve set-in the body of the shirt, attached at the shoulder and the stitching perpendicular to the neckline
• Length: Back and front of shirt are same length
• Overall fit: The men’s style has a roomy, boxier fit

In our collection of shirts, the unisex sun shirt style is the same as the men’s sun shirt. Here you get the crew neck, straight-down shoulder seams, and a roomier fit than the women’s cut.

How do the sizes compare between the men’s/unisex and women’s sun shirts?

The men’s/unisex sun shirts run slightly larger than the women’s sun shirts. The general rule of thumb is to expect a one-size difference between the men’s/unisex and women’s cut.

Sun Shirt Size Comparison

• Men’s/Unisex Extra Small = Women’s Small
• Men’s/Unisex Small = Women’s Medium
• Men’s/Unisex Medium = Women’s Large
• Men’s/Unisex Large = Women’s Extra Large

NOTE: All the information here relates to the standard sun shirts sold by Cape Life Apparel. Different manufacturers may have different cuts, styles and/or designations for their specific shirts.

Yes. Because the sun protection is built into our sun shirts, they offer protection against UV rays whether they’re wet or dry. Just keep in mind that UV rays more easily penetrate through water than they do through air. This means the shirt will offer the most protection when dry.

But you’ll still get a lot more protection that you would without it.

They can actually be the same thing, as long as the shirt:

• Has built-in sun protection that doesn’t wash out when wet
• Has a style suitable for water sports or swimming

Our standard sun shirts can double as swim shirts, as long as you pick a style that has a comfy fit that’s not too boxy.

You can also find protective shirts specifically designed for swimming, with a limited variety of styles and colors. The fit will again be comfortable but not overly baggy, perfect for extended wear or a quick dip in the ocean, gulf, pond or pool.

Rash guards are shirts specifically made for high-intensity water sports, like surfing. The main difference between them and other swim shirts is the fit. Rash guards are meant to fit snug to the body to offer the least resistance in the water.

The next step up from rash guards would be a wetsuit, and you can actually find some rash guards made from the same type of neoprene material.

Sun shirts and swim shirts are typically made out of durable microfiber. This means they don’t shrink and can stand up to all types of adventure, on land or at sea.

No. Sun protective clothing is designed to replace the need for sunscreen – not simply add a layer on top of it. Our UPF50 sun shirts provide ample protection against the sun’s UVA and UVB rays.

Wearing sunscreen beneath a sun shirt is redundant. Kind of like eating dinner before you eat dinner. Or exercising before you go to the gym.

Besides, you could get the gooey, greasy sunscreen residue all over your sun shirt.

While the skin beneath your sun shirt is protected, don’t forget about the rest of you. Get a quality sun protection hat to protect your face, ears and neck. And dabble a bit of sunscreen on areas that may still be exposed to the sun.

When it comes to sun protection in fabrics, UPF 50+ is the highest you can go. You won't find anything rated UPF 60, 70, 80 or even 100. Those ratings simply don't exist.

You're at the top of the game – and the sun protection ladder – with any fabric rated UPF 50 or UPF 50+.

A Dri Fit shirt refers to a shirt featuring a microfiber polyester with special moisture-wicking properties that evenly absorbs the perspiration away from your body. While Nike originally coined the term "Dri Fit" for their fabrics, "dryfit shirt" has become the generic terminology to refer to any type of shirt that holds those same properties. The high-tech fabrics used in the shirts we sell qualify, which means our sun shirts could be considered dryfit shirts.

We print our sun shirts in-house using a dye sublimation process. Unlike screen printing where the ink sits on top of the fabric, dye sublimation printing embeds the ink into the fabric. Think of it as a kind of tattoo for fabric. The high-quality print doesn’t crack, peel or block the airflow – an absolute must when you’re aiming to stay cool.

Yes, but...

We typically use dye-sublimation printing on the sun shirts. This is a process where the ink is absorbed into the fabric.

This means the design won’t crack, peel or block the airflow. It also means the color of the
printing needs to be darker than the shirt. There is no white ink with this option, although white areas can show through if the design is printed on a white shirt.

If you wanted a dark shirt with white printing, we could still create it on a sun shirt, but a different type of printing would need to be used. 

In this case we would use DTF, or direct-to-film printing, where the design is “stuck” on the front of the fabric.  

You still get a high-quality print, but it will not be breathable like the dye-sublimation option. DTF can be used on sun shirts as well as
cotton and tri-blend shirts of any color.

Dye-sublimation printing can be used on sun shirts as well as tri-blend shirts - as long as the graphic design is darker than the shirt color. It cannot be used on cotton shirts.

Yes. Our custom photo shirts have included images of people's dogs, families, cars, trucks, boats and even a picture of a customer with John Denver. Custom photo printing on UV shirts works best with a lighter colored shirt, such as white, pearl grey or arctic blue. You can read more info about our custom printing here.

While wearing our sun shirts out in the sun is an obvious choice, it’s not the only one. The moisture-wicking, breathable fabric makes for a perfect base layer in colder weather. They’re also great for hiking, bicycling, camping and traveling in any weather.

So easy to pack!

And more than once, customers have told us our sun shirts are the softest, most comfortable shirt to sleep in.