12 Best Sun Shirts and UPF Hoodies for Keeping Cool and UV Protected

We’ve long been fans of Patagonia’s synthetic Capilene layers for their low weight and effective moisture management. Presently, the brand offers five different blends of the material in a range of tech tees, optimized for breathability, sweat-wicking, and UPF protection in the Capilene Cool Sun hoodie and crewneck. Exchanging a minor degree of protection for active perspiration control, the UPF 40+ hoodie proved effective at providing protection on bluebird days when heart rate zones were elevated for prolonged periods beyond the treeline’s protective umbrella. Inspecting the fabric more closely revealed the waffle-knit construction that is credited with this hoodie’s impressive breathability and wicking properties. It helps that it's extra comfy to wear, and not too techy looking either.

This Austin, Texas-based brand Poncho set out to make the best quality shirts for "guys who get after it" (as in: fishing, hunting, bull riding, etc.), and they’ve certainly completed the assignment. Alongside the Original shirt, we also tested out a denim Western and short-sleeve Ultra-Lite for perspective. The long-sleeve Original, however, proved to be the favorite for everyday wear and outdoorsy days where it doesn't hurt to have a little extra style. Opting for a regular fit over the slim option, we found the Original to wear soft and easy, like that favorite button-up shirt in the closet, with the added bonus of UPF 50+ protection. The hardest part is picking out a color or print from the 40+ options offered. Good luck!

Hikerkind's Trail Sun Shirt is a style-forward take on a typical sun protective layer. The feature-rich button-up has a slimmer fit than I initially expected, but after the first few wears, it started to feel like a second skin. The fabric is surprisingly tough yet with a soft hand-feel, offering less stretch than expected but enough not to limit movement. After a while, it became a go-to for sunny day hikes or a polished layer to toss on (it looks great over the Ribbed Merino Tank) or tie around my shoulders and waist. Thanks to its wrinkle-releasing technology, it always looked crisp. I missed having a hood for total coverage, so I deducted a few points for that small detail. — FM Contributor Kat Englishman

With equal UPF ratings, a hoodie will always provide more protection than any crewneck or button-up sun shirt due to, well, the hood. Three-time world champion surfer John John Florence’s label offers numerous sun hoodies in its lineup, but the Sun Pro Max goes a step further than offering a UPF 50+ fabric and calling it good. Sewn into the hood sits an integrated neck gaiter, sized amply, allowing us to pull it up to our polarized sunglasses. Perforations in the gaiter helped manage breath and less-muffled speech, but it certainly adds a bit of bulk to the garment when it’s not needed. Around back, an extra panel that provides two pockets for storing a stick of roll-on sunscreen and a snack proved to be surprisingly handy.

Free Fly’s line of bamboo-blend hoodies stands out from the array of nylon and polyester sun garments not only for its natural origin, but also for the soft comfort that comes with it. While we thought their OG UPF 50+ Bamboo Shade Hoodie was a sure winner, the new Hybrid model ups the comfort level by using the lighter UPF 20+ Bamboo Lightweight fabric for the body, where the sun’s harsh ultraviolet rays beat a little less directly compared to our head, shoulders, and arms. We dig the two-tone look this dual-fabric approach brings, especially compared to the rather vanilla options offered by competing sun hoodies, but if you want a solid shade you're outta luck.

Though NRS is a brand centered around life on the water, we found that their Silkweight Hoodie was one of the best for any activity. We rocked the shirt to the tennis courts, on the trails, and on afternoons out at the river, and the shirt thrived in all conditions. The hood is comfortable and has a handy button for extra protection, while thumb holes and a slightly dropped rear hem provides ample coverage when the sun is really shining. The seams are well-placed for a wide range of movement and the lightweight, soft material is 100% recycled, which is always a plus.

Gore-Tex-owned hunting brand Sitka broke out into fishing gear this year, and we tried out some of their made-for-the-water pieces. This simple, sporty UPF 50+ snap-button shirt features just a single zip chest pocket and a sunglass/lens cloth sewn into the inside of the bottom hem. But, its hidden feature is the inclusion of Insect Shield in its fibers–a proprietary permethrin treatment that repels ticks and mosquitoes, rated to last through a whopping 70 laundry cycles. We’ve washed ours a few times so far, and haven’t needed to pull any ticks off our torsos just yet. Here’s looking at 60-something washes more of beating the skeeters.

While we’ve yet to come across a sun shirt we’d be quick to label as bulky in any sense of the word, none have offered packability features like Arc’s Ossa jacket, hoodie, and overshirt. Compacted into its single zip chest pocket, the overshirt deploys from a daypack or hip pack to provide UPF 50+ protection as you transition from canopy to summit. We honestly just dig wearing the snap-button shirt as a light layer over a long-sleeve tee or button-up, especially given the slight roughness of the durable 30-denier ripstop nylon fabric. Arc'teryx's offial product features mention breathability, our experiences would measure it against a lightweight windbreaker rather than the breathability of any competing sun layer.

A short-sleeve sun shirt’s never going to be as protective as any long-sleeve option, but when it’s truly hot, sunny, and humid, that’s just what it takes to stay cool. We got to put this UPF 50+ shirt from Mountain Hardwear’s Sun Drift collection to the test during some freakish early-summer weather when the mercury boiled over 90ºF and humidity levels pushed into near-soupy territory in Philadelphia’s concrete jungle. Wide mesh-lined vents across the shirt’s front and rear yokes created impressive airflow, and the shirt's relaxed cut helped keep things breezy. While it hasn’t come into play yet, a hidden stash pocket inside could be handy one day, for... something.

Time after time, REI's in-house line provides the pick for a budget-friendly gear option that has all the necessary features, if lacking some of the extras found in more premium picks. I found the Sahara Shade Hoodie to feature a loose fit compared to the modeled photos, but we know how hard it can be to show a garment's fit accurately. It's got the hallmarks of a basic sun hoody: a generous hood, loose and breathable material, thumb holes, and a UPF 50+ rating. Get some extra early- or late-season mileage out of this one by wearing it as a midlayer with a base layer underneath and a wind shell overtop.

You're likely to have seen this classic fishing shirt sported as often by dads huddled around a backyard grill as by the seafaring anglers it was made for. That's becuase it's comfy, airy, and a bit of a classic. The abundantly relaxed UPF 50+ shirt sports two large, bellowed chest pockets for small bits of tackle, and a significant mesh-lined rear vent jettisons excess heat. The fabric wicks sweat and dries quickly. We didn’t really make use of the buttoned tabs to hold rolled-up sleeves—that feature might be a bit bygone—but they seem to work as intended. Columbia makes no guarantees you’ll hook up with that next trophy fish, but on a recent outing it gave us just enough luck to land some keeper flounder.

If you're just bopping around town or enjoying a shady walk in the woods, you might not need the hood or vented back panel. But UPF is still nice to have, and we've appreciated this UPF 40+ longsleeve from UK-based Rab in for its lightweight wear and casual style, perfect for these exact scenarios. Paired with some shorts during early summer conditions, the raglan-like sleeves provided good range of motion during runs and bike rides. During longer wear, the odor treatment seemed to do a decent job at containing the funk. Whether or not you’re a fan of thumb holes in your sun layers, these ones do a good job of staying out of the way when they’re not needed.

Patagonia Capilene Cool Sun fabric detail, courtesy Patagonia

What is a UPF rating?

When shopping for a sun shirt or sun hoodie, you'll often come across UPF ratings in the product specs. They tend to appear along with a number, as in "UPF 50" or "30+ UPF sun protection." UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor, and it's a standard that measures the effective sun protection of a fabric. Too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can damage the DNA in skin cells, which can cause cells to grow out of control, which can lead to skin cancer. Over 80% of skin cancers are caused by overexposure to UV radiation.

Just like SPF, which is specific to sunscreen, UPF is a rating of how protected your covered skin will be from UV rays. Simply put, the higher the UPF number, the more protection.

How we tested these sun shirts

To really get a feel for the differences between all of the sun shirts on our list, we spent time wearing them lounging around the house, grilling in the backyard, hiking in the foothills of Boise, fishing Pennsylvania's trout streams, and riding bikes on gravel roads and singletrack.

Will's spring in southwest Idaho is the perfect proving ground for a sun shirt—trails have finally thawed out enough to run or mountain bike nearly every day, temperatures are constantly going between the 40s and 70s, and oh, it’s pretty darn sunny out there, too.

Bob's spring and early summer spent across Pennsylvania and around the Catskills offered a mix of bluebird days on big water and dappled sunlight under trees lining smaller mountain creeks.

We love a bit of performance gear just as much as the next guy, but when evaluating these sun shirts, we made sure they were at home on the trails, on the river, and at the outdoor bar that just reopened for summer. Excelling in the sun for an hour is one thing, but can we wear it all day without it smelling? Does it look good with running shorts and our most worn-in pair of Baggies? In this case, being well-rounded is an absolute win for a sun shirt.

Are sun shirts better than sunscreen?

UPF rated sun shirts offer several advantages over conventional sunscreen when it comes to UV protection in the outdoors, especially for extended periods of exposure and for water activities.

While both options can help protect your skin from harmful UV sun rays, sun shirts act as a physical barrier, reflecting and blocking UVA and UVB rays, while conventional chemical-based sunscreens absorb UV rays like a sponge (it's worth noting that mineral sunscreens are more like a sun shirt, blocking and scattering UV rays). And of course, sun shirts don't require reapplication, can work when wet, and provide continuous coverage.

That said, it's essential to note that sun protection shirts may not block ALL of the sun's UV rays, meaning it is possible to get burned through a sun shirt. Consult the specs closely. By combining the use of sun shirts and sunscreen, you'll have a better chance of avoiding sunburn altogether.