PRODUCT REVIEW
Men's UPF 50+ Sun Shirts
The most reliable sun protection you can buy, because it does not depend on you applying it properly.
Key facts
Men's UPF 50+ Sun Shirts at a glance.
UPF 50+ (blocks ~98% of UV)
Key active
Woven or knit fabric
Texture
Everyone, and especially long days outdoors
Best for
$10–$25
Approximate price
What is it?
Top things to know about Men's UPF 50+ Sun Shirts
- A men's UPF 50+ sun shirt is a long-sleeved shirt made from fabric tested for how much ultraviolet light it lets through, sold by outdoor and fishing brands for about $10 to $25. It is the only sun protection that does not depend on you applying it correctly — and it protects only the skin it covers.
- The protection comes from the weave, the fiber and the dye. Some shirts get there with a chemical ultraviolet absorber in the finish, which washes out, and the label will not tell you which you bought. UPF 50+ means the fabric lets through about one-fiftieth of the ultraviolet hitting it, roughly 98 percent blocked.
A UPF 50+ sun shirt is the most reliable sun protection you can buy, because it does not depend on how well you applied it. Buy one where the protection is woven in, not coated on, because coatings wash out. It covers only what it covers, so your face, neck and ears still need sunscreen.
— Dr. Schwarz
Skin fit
Is it right for your skin?
Sun Damage
Most of the lines, slackness and mottling people call aging are ultraviolet damage adding up on the forearms, chest and back of the neck over decades. A sun shirt removes that exposure for the skin it covers.
Actinic Keratosis
Actinic keratoses are rough patches on skin that has taken years of ultraviolet damage, clustered on the forearms, shoulders and back of the neck. Once you have had one, covering those areas cuts cumulative exposure further than sunscreen realistically does.
Sunburn
Sunscreen tested at the amount people actually apply performs far below the number on the bottle. A shirt cannot be under-applied, so a full day outdoors leaves the covered skin unburned. Your face, neck, ears and hands still need sunscreen.
Melasma
Fabric blocks visible light as well as ultraviolet, which most sunscreens do not, and melasma darkens with both. A shirt only helps for melasma on the chest or arms. On the face, use a tinted mineral sunscreen with iron oxides.
Texture
What it feels like on skin.
Texture
A UPF 50+ sun shirt is fabric, so how it feels decides whether you keep it on — and a shirt you take off has a UPF of zero. Hold it up to a light before you buy. If you can see through the weave, so can ultraviolet. Choose a looser fit. Stretched fabric pulls the weave apart and lets more light through, so a compression shirt works against itself. Darker, tighter weaves protect more and hold more heat.
Alternatives
If this isn’t the right product for you
Women's UPF 50+ Clothing
The same fabric protection, with one thing extra to check: many women's sun shirts are cut low at the neck, where sun damage shows first.
Sun Hat UPF 50
A wide brim covers the face, ears and neck a shirt cannot. Judge the weave yourself, because a 2025 study found UPF labels on hats are unreliable.
EltaMD UV Clear
Your face and neck still need sunscreen. Oil-free, fragrance-free, easy to wear daily.
How to use it
How to use it.
How to apply it
- WhereIt protects only what it covers. Your face, neck, ears, hands and the V of your chest are still exposed, and those are among the most common places for skin cancer, so keep sunscreen on them.
- CarefulA loose shirt protects more than a tight one, and a dry shirt more than a wet one. Pick one you will actually keep on.
What to pair it with
- Watch outThe UPF may wash out if it came from a chemical coating rather than the weave. In a 50-wash study, two of seven brands lost 70 to 78 percent of their UPF. Treat an old, faded shirt as less protective.
What to expect
- What to expectNothing to feel. The covered skin does not burn and does not tan, with no two-hour clock and nothing to reapply.
Questions
Common questions.
What does UPF 50+ mean on men's sun shirts?
The fabric lets through about one-fiftieth of the UV that hits it, roughly 98% blocked.
Is UPF the same as SPF on men's UPF 50+ sun shirts?
No. SPF measures UVB on skin; UPF measures UVA and UVB on fabric.
Is Men's UPF 50+ Sun Shirts better than sunscreen?
For the skin it covers, yes.
Does the fit of men's UPF 50+ sun shirts matter?
Yes. Loose is better; tight fabric stretches the weave and lets more UV through.
Do I still need sunscreen with a men's UPF 50+ sun shirt?
Yes, on your neck, ears, face and hands.
Who benefits most from men's UPF 50+ sun shirts?
Anyone outdoors a long time, with a skin cancer history, or who forgets to reapply.
References
Sources.
- 1. Sun-Protective Clothing - The Skin Cancer Foundation (https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-prevention/sun-protection/sun-protective-clothing/) — The Skin Cancer Foundation states clothing is the most effective form of sun protection and that a UPF 50 fabric blocks 98 percent of the sun's UV rays. Link
- 2. The relation between the amount of sunscreen applied and the sun protection factor in Asian skin (Kim et al., J Am Acad Dermatol, 2009) (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2009.06.047) — Confirms the labeled SPF is measured at a 2 mg/cm2 application, that only about a quarter (0.5 mg/cm2) is used in real life, and that SPF falls off exponentially when less is applied. Link
- 3. Sunscreen FAQs - American Academy of Dermatology (https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/sunscreen-patients/sunscreen-faqs) — The AAD notes most people apply only 20-50% of the sunscreen amount needed to reach the labeled SPF and that sunscreen must be reapplied roughly every two hours and after sweating or swimming. Link
- 4. Clothing as solar radiation protection (Menter & Hatch, Curr Probl Dermatol, 2003) (https://doi.org/10.1159/000072237) — Reviews how fabrics photoprotect against UV and how UPF quantifies a fabric's wavelength-dependent UV transmission, supporting that a UPF 50 shirt delivers consistent, measurable UV protection. Link