Sun hoody UPF numbers

So I’ve become a big proponent of sun hoodies in recent years, having bought an NRS hoody from the scratch ‘n dent at REI a few years back. That hoody is UPF 50+, comfy but bagged out relatively quick, which isn’t too big a deal. Loved the coverage and neck gaiter. I recently purchased another sun hoody, though the UPF is only 20, I believe.

Can anyone comment on the need for higher UPF? I’ve got an idea of the basics, that the number represents a fraction of UV rays that remain unblocked, and that higher elevation and greater UV levels necessitate more protection. This said, I wasn’t able to find too much online about the subject. Any and all insight or anecdotes appreciated.

White cotton T shirts have an SPF of 5-10, depending on weight, weave and bleaching.  If wet, that goes down by up to 50%. Most dyes will absorb in the UV as well, so that would go up for colored T shirts.   So if you have never gotten 'pinked' through a light or medium weight white T-shirt in several hours of a late spring day at lower altitudes, you can assume either: 

 1- that if your body doesn't bother to tan and protect you under a white Tshirt, then SPF20 should be good at least up to 4k meters, unless you are on snow or sweating hard enough to saturate the cloth

2- than the only good UV photon is a dead UV photon, and opt for something higher

I too am a huge proponent of the sun hoodie. My favorite on hand is the Patagonia Tropic Comfort 50 UPF. I bought it in 2020 and have worn it weekly since then, so over the years it's taken a beating to the point that on longer desert days outside I do feel like my skin gets a very light pink from material breakdown. Otherwise, my two newer sun hoodies (Himali Eclipse 20 UPF and AFTCO Samuri 50 UPF) have almost no discernible difference for a day outside.

Idk I'm white as shit and live in a place without constant sun so I always go the SPF/UPF 50 route. No reason not to IMO

John Edwin wrote:

Idk I'm white as shit and live in a place without constant sun so I always go the SPF/UPF 50 route. No reason not to IMO

I find a good reason not to being how hot the UPF 50 offerings get while active. I want to do ultra races in a sun hoodie, but keep getting frustrated by how hot they get. I’m going to give the OR echo hoodie a try at a race in a couple weeks (site currently says UPF 15, but I think my shirt was sold as UPF 20) so I’ll report back here if I burn or not.

But I always go UPF 50+ above the tree line and on the water. 

I'm white as hell and burn easily - the only hoodie I burn through is a gossamer-thin MH one that's gotten worn out. I've worn gucci, OR, and BD ones in full sun all day with no pink.

I've used both the Outdoor Research Echo and Patagonia Sunshade (Tropic Comfort w/ a pocket basically) when doing Grand Canyon Rim2Rim in a day. For the Echo I put some 8h sunscreen on shoulders before putting the sun hoody on. Both held up fine. Note that this would be low elevation and hot. The rims are higher elevation, but as you are getting close to them there are so many side canyons and trees that you are getting some shade, typically.

Despite the Sunshade being heavier and thicker fabric, I prefer it more.

Edit: and standard Grand Canyon practice is getting your clothes somewhat soaked when you are down in the hot part.

Edit2: 80min, not 8h on the sunscreen, geez I was off.

Spopepro O. wrote:

I find a good reason not to being how hot the UPF 50 offerings get while active. I want to do ultra races in a sun hoodie, but keep getting frustrated by how hot they get. I’m going to give the OR echo hoodie a try at a race in a couple weeks (site currently says UPF 15, but I think my shirt was sold as UPF 20) so I’ll report back here if I burn or not.

But I always go UPF 50+ above the tree line and on the water. 

Yeah that's fair, normally if I'm running or hiking I'll always choose a tech tee instead for the same reason

I should have said for something like climbing where you spend a significant amount of time just standing around exposed to sun, there's no reason not to.

FWIW I have the BD Alpenglow Pro hoody that has significant venting under the arms and down the sides that makes it much more suitable for active use that a standard sun hoody

If you look up spf and upf on wiki you can get that 20 upf is about the same as spf 25. Upf 50 and spf are close to the same protection 

I've been reviewing sunshirts for about 3 or so years now. UPF 50+ shirts are all not the best in breathability, but things can be a little better if they have things like a front zip to quickly get rid of heat retained inside the hoody, or vented pits to slowly allow it to seep out. I've def. burned in UPF 50+ sun shirts in extreme circumstances - say: Springtime, sunny, not a cloud in the sky, weather is 30 degrees warmer than forecasted and I'm on a ridgeline with never ending bowls of snow around me. 

Sun protection is something I've been personally been working on in my own kit, as I'm kinda sick of both buying sunscreen (and all the chemicals within) as well as being burnt to a crisp. For me it's a when-not-if dealing with skin cancer (my Father died of it). 

My favorite go-to sunshirt is actually the Echo Hoody, which has one of the worst UPF ratings, but it's quite breathable. The idea is to wear something underneath, and use the Echo Hoody to supplement all that. OR makes some sun gloves, sun sleeves, neck gaiters (Echo material) and legionnaire hats that go well with the hoody - you won't win any fashion awards. That way given condis, you can try to adjust. If I'm on a run in a very exposed area (no cloud cover) I can cover myself up and just deal with being a little warmer than I want, then once in the trees, I can strip off some things without stopping. 

I've gone so far as to play with face coverings, even taping my face with KT Tape (works great actually), nose covers, and I've got a whole nose/cheek/ear mask coming. Take some inspiration from Colin Halley. Dealing with a bad sunburn on your face can really suck for day son end as you turn into a lizard person.

Anyways, I've run some tests of the fabric of sun hoodies - and you can too: UV exposure cards are cheap. The UPF 50+ shirts give back better results than lower UPF shirts and much better than a cotton shirt (which I used as a control). The Patagonia sun hoodies that were voluntarily recalled for not meeting the UPF rating they were sold at did in fact show more UV was let through, so that was all interesting.

80min, not 8h on the sunscreen, geez I was off. Bullfrog Quik Gel, a avobenzone (etc...) & alcohol based gel that goes on and dries fast and has generally been the least messy and annoying sunscreen I have tried. I typically just put it on my nose, cheeks, and face below, plus the back of my hands. Then wash off my palms before I walk out the door, its not the kinda greasy/oily of normal sunscreen, but I still don't like the feeling on my palms. I don't bother re-applying, and for the most part I have been OK. For extra long days I should, or especially if at high elevation. Sun hoody covers the rest, thats the setup for climbing, for trail running or hiking I have a hat under the hood of the sun hoody.

Sun hoody with pit zips? Interesting, which one is that? Also in general, I'd be interested in knowing which ones you have reviewed.

Jimmy Strange wrote:

I’m assuming you’re referencing the Faceglove here. Excellent bit of gear. 

Those look solid. I actually grabbed the Cheeko, which seems to be a similar idea, with the main diff being the material used - the Faceglove looks to be made of a fabric, while this looks more like a foam perhaps? The Faceglove looks to hook on with little elastics, while the Cheeko uses your sunglasses. Paired with a beard, and some Julbos, this should keep my entire face protected.

My pair is still being shipped so no direct feedback, but man: I really really wish this was a product I knew about when growing up and constantly getting burned to utter shit on a sailboat each and every summer.

Desert Rock Sports wrote:

Sun hoody with pit zips? Interesting, which one is that? Also in general, I'd be interested in knowing which ones you have reviewed.

The BD Alpenglow Pro Hoody has a half zip up front and vented pits that go from your elbow way down to your mid back. It can help. I think anyone with some sewing machine skills could put in an actual zipper there, if they have a light enough zipper to use. Too big of a zipper, and it would just be too too heavy. One reason you don't see this commercially is that it does add weight to a top that should be as light as possible, and it just adds more cost. Like the BD Alpenglow Pro is already quite pricey - no one is going to buy it if its $10/$20 more. But if you've ever had a rain jacket with pit zips, you know how useful they are. My reviews are at OGL. 

My dream gig would actually be to consult a company on a very technical, light sun hoody for very high output activities. The best for that right now is the Echo Hoody, but there's room for improvement.

P B wrote:

I too am a huge proponent of the sun hoodie. My favorite on hand is the Patagonia Tropic Comfort 50 UPF. I bought it in 2020 and have worn it weekly since then, so over the years it's taken a beating to the point that on longer desert days outside I do feel like my skin gets a very light pink from material breakdown. Otherwise, my two newer sun hoodies (Himali Eclipse 20 UPF and AFTCO Samuri 50 UPF) have almost no discernible difference for a day outside.

Patagonia actually put out a voluntary recall for their tropic comfort hoodies because the measured UPF was only an average of 34 (range 17-45) of the 50+ they advertised. I have 2, and didn't return either because I love them. Have worn them on all-day summer snow travel and never burned through them, but who knows what the real UPF is on the ones I have. 

Patagonia says UPF 17 still blocks 92% of UV rays, if you want to trust them on that. 

https://www.patagonia.com/voluntary-recall-of-capilene-cool-daily-and-tropic-comfort-upf-products/