What is the difference between sun protection clothing that costs tens of dollars and hundreds of dollars? Don't waste your money after reading this!

Although it is the beginning of autumn, the intensity of the sun's ultraviolet radiation is still very strong. In addition, people's daily clothing mainly consists of short sleeves, shorts, short skirts and other short items, which expose a large area of ​​skin. The risk of human body being harmed by ultraviolet rays will increase, so sun-protective clothing has become the choice of many people.

But faced with countless styles of sun-protective clothing on shopping platforms, a headache lies before us: How to choose sun-protective clothing? Is it really true that the more expensive the better?

Too long to read

1. When choosing sun protection clothing, please follow the national standards.

2. Cheap sun-protective clothing that meets national standards is also good.

3. Choose light-colored sun-protective clothing for more comfort in summer.

4. It is best to replace sun-protective clothing every 3 years.

5. It is best not to use sun protection clothing as raincoats.

How does sun protection clothing protect against the sun?

Before choosing a sun-protective clothing that suits you, let us first understand the sun-protective principle of sun-protective clothing.

The fabrics of clothing we wear everyday actually have a certain degree of UV protection . When ultraviolet rays hit the surface of clothing, they will be reflected, scattered and absorbed, which will reduce the amount of ultraviolet rays that pass through the fabric and reach the surface of human skin, and the damage to the skin will be reduced.

The working principle of sun protection clothing is the same, but it is more professional than general clothing .

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At present, sun protection clothing fabrics generally follow two principles to achieve UV protection:

1. Shielding principle : Enhance the reflection and scattering effect of fabrics on ultraviolet rays, such as applying a shielding agent coating on the inner layer of the fabric, or adding a shielding agent to the fibers of the fabric;

2. Absorption principle : Enhance the fabric's absorption of ultraviolet rays, convert the energy after ultraviolet rays absorption into heat release or harmless low-energy radiation. For example, when dyeing the fabric, choose dyes that absorb ultraviolet rays better, or apply anti-ultraviolet absorber coating to the fabric.

Choose sun protection clothing, just look at this label

In China, the most basic requirement for sunscreen textile products is that they must meet the provisions of the national standard GB/T18830-2009 "Evaluation of UV Protection Performance of Textiles", which means that "UV-proof textiles must reach UPF>40 and UVA transmittance<5% to be called UV-proof products."

Why choose these two indicators?

Among them, the Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) refers to the ratio of the average effect of ultraviolet radiation calculated when the skin is unprotected to the average effect of ultraviolet radiation calculated when the skin is protected by fabric. The larger the UPF value, the better the UV protection performance of the textile .

However, consumers do not need to pursue high UPF values ​​blindly. A UPF value of 50 can achieve a high level of UV protection, and a higher UPF value has little significance in improving the UV protection of textiles .

UVA is the part with the longest wavelength in ultraviolet rays. It has strong penetrating power and can directly reach the dermis of the skin, destroying elastic fibers and collagen fibers. The smaller the UVA transmittance, the better the UV protection performance of the textile.

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The most direct basis for consumers to choose sun protection clothing is that the product must have a clear mark that meets the national standard GB/T18830-2009 "Evaluation of UV protection performance of textiles" . The mark must include the following parts:

The standard number, i.e. GB/T 18830-2009

When 40＜UPF≤50, it is marked as UPF40＋. When UPF＞50, it is marked as UPF50+;

The protection provided by this product may be reduced with prolonged use and when stretched or wet.

Are more expensive sun-protective clothing better? Should you choose dark or light colors?

At present, the price of sun-protective clothing sold on the market ranges from tens of yuan to hundreds of yuan. In fact, considering the overall cost of fabrics, design and craftsmanship , sun-protective clothing that costs more than 100 yuan and has the above-mentioned logo can be purchased with confidence. Sun-protective clothing that is too cheap is not recommended .

Some sun protection clothing is priced very high, a large part of which includes factors such as brand premium and design style . As long as they meet national standards, their UV protection functions for the skin are not much different.

In addition, many friends will be entangled in the issue of color.

Thick dark-colored clothing has better UV protection because most of the UV rays will be absorbed by the clothing fabric, and the amount of UV rays that pass through the fabric to reach the skin surface is greatly reduced. However, in the hot summer, the inherent physical sun protection advantage of thick dark-colored clothing becomes a disadvantage. This type of fabric absorbs a lot of UV rays, which will cause the temperature of the clothing itself to rise, making people feel stuffy.

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Professional sun protection clothing can provide sufficiently effective UV protection. At this time, the color and thickness of the clothing are not the most critical UV protection factors . In this case , you can choose light-colored, thin sun protection clothing to achieve a sun-protective and comfortable effect .

How often should sun protection clothing be replaced?

The UV protection performance of sun protection clothing will gradually decline with use, and the third point of the national standard that sun protection clothing must be equipped with also clearly states this (that is, "the protection provided by this product may be reduced under long-term use and when stretched or wet").

The main factors affecting the performance of sun protection clothing include: duration of use, ambient temperature, sweating, number of washes, and daily wear and tear .

For example, long-term exposure to the sun, repeated folding and stretching of clothes when worn, and soaking in sweat and heat will gradually damage the fabric and anti-ultraviolet coating, and the anti-ultraviolet performance will be weakened. The washing process will cause the anti-ultraviolet coating on the surface of the fabric to fall off, resulting in a decrease in the fabric's anti-ultraviolet performance. In addition, the fabric of sun protection clothing is generally thin, and the surface will be worn when worn, resulting in a loose fabric structure, which will increase the transmittance of ultraviolet rays. As an ordinary consumer, it is difficult to test the anti-ultraviolet performance of the fabric before use, but it is still possible to make a rough judgment by visual observation. If the fabric of the sun protection clothing fades, becomes loose, becomes transparent, and deforms, consumers should consider replacing the sun protection clothing .

Scientific research has also shown that sun protection clothing that has been used for 3 years will 100% lose its UV protection performance (that is, it will not meet the requirements of the aforementioned national standards) . This usage period can also be used as a reference for updating sun protection clothing.

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Nowadays, there are many sun-protective clothing that claim to have waterproof and splash-proof properties. It is harmless for consumers to use sun-protective clothing as temporary raincoats in drizzling weather, and it generally will not significantly damage the sun-protective performance of the clothing. However, it is still not recommended to use sun-protective clothing as raincoats , mainly because the waterproof and splash-proof functions of sun-protective clothing cannot provide continuous rain protection. At the same time, it is recommended that clothing with specific protective functions be used for specific purposes , so that the maximum effectiveness of the clothing design function can be brought into play.

In addition to sun-protective clothing, many people choose to use measures such as holding parasols and wearing ice sleeves to protect themselves from the sun.

Sun umbrellas can effectively block direct sunlight, but they cannot block sunlight reflected or scattered from the ground or other objects ; ice sleeves are mainly used to protect the arms from the sun, which is also a local sun protection. Sun protection clothing, sun umbrellas and ice sleeves are all effective sun protection tools. Consumers are advised to choose the most suitable sun protection measures according to specific scenarios .

References

[1] Pan Quan, She Xiaoyan, Wan Xiaohui. Test and analysis of factors affecting the UV protection performance of textiles[J]. Modern Textile Technology, 2021, 29(02): 50-55. DOI: 10.19398/j.att.202006018.

[2] Yang Longfeng, Wei Wenfeng, Li Yang. Research on factors affecting the sun protection performance of old sun protection clothing[J]. Progress in Textile Science and Technology, 2021(02):16-18+24.DOI:10.19507/j.cnki.1673-0356.2021.02.005.

Author: Song Lidan, Consulting Engineer, Industrial Research Department, China Textile Construction Planning Institute

Review｜Zhang Jie, Chief Engineer of China Textile Construction Planning Institute