What UPF rated clothing is… and why it is important:
I recently went to a new dermatologist, and when I told her that I spend entire days outdoors on hiking and backpacking trips, often at high altitude, the lecture began! Plenty of sunblock, long sleeve tops and long pants, hat, sunglasses, and a new twist… UPF rated clothing!
As we all know, it is very important to protect ourselves from harmful UVA and UVB rays from the sun. When I’m out hiking, I am pretty diligent about wearing sunglasses, long-sleeve tops, long pants, and a broad brimmed hat. The reason is I burn easily, and I want to make sure I don’t get melanoma, like my grandfather had. Over 90% of all skin cancers are because of sun exposure, and I don’t want to be another skin cancer victim. Plus, UV rays are especially high in areas where I like to explore: snow, sand, water, and high altitudes!
Almost all of my hiking clothes are technical gear from great companies like The North Face, Outdoor Research, and Columbia Sportswear. When I am at the store happily buying hiking pants, tops, and hats, I have noticed the UPF rankings, but paid little attention to it until my recent doctor’s visit.
I decided to do some research and get knowledgeable on UPF. UPF is a rating factor on apparel that stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. The ratings are typically between 15 to 50+. Unlike typical fabrics, UPF rated fabrics only allow a fraction of harmful rays to pass through. So for example, a UPF rating of 15 means that just 1/15th or 6.7% of harmful rays pass through the fabric. Obviously the higher the UPF number, the more protected our skin will be. This compares to a typical t-shirt that is likely somewhere between 5 and 8 UPF.
The bottom line is that if you are like me and love to be outdoors, UPF apparel is the way to go. Unless you are highly unlikely to burn, the extra few bucks to buy technical hiking apparel will be well worth it.
Here are some of my favorite UPF rated hiking clothes and hats:
- The North Face Women’s Paramount Porter Convertible Pant: UPF 30
- Columbia Women’s Titanium Omni-Dry Silver Ridge III Long Sleeve Shirt: UPF 30
- Women’s Columbia Explorer II Pant
- Dorfman Pacific Solarweave Mesh Trekker Hat: UPF 50
Thanks for your question, Edie! UPF protection is primarily a function of the tightness of the weave, but many fabrics are also treated to increase their UPF rating. Manufacturers do this treatment so they can use light weight and light-colored materials, but still have highly protective apparel. The treatment is effectively a clear dye, that enables a light colored fabric to absorb UVR rays just like dark colored fabrics naturally do.
If you don’t want to buy specially woven (and usually costlier) UPF hiking apparel, keep in mind that in addition to the weave, fabric weight and color influence UPF protection. Heavier weight fabrics like wool have more protection than lighter weight cotton, and darker fabrics absorb more UVR rays compared to lighter colored clothing.
What, exactly, makes a fabric have a higher UPF than the next fabric? Is it a treatment, or is it in the weave?
Thanks for the reminder. I enjoy your blog very much.
Sharon