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Sun Protection Rating for Hats - Why Wear a UPF 50+ UV Blocking Hat

WEARING A SUN HAT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF A COMPLETE SUN PROTECTION ROUTINE.  

UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor)  is a rating system used for garments, and hats to show the effectiveness of your clothing and headwear in protecting you from harmful ultraviolet A and B rays. 

Garments and hats are ranked in three categories. A good sun protection hat should have at least a UPF 40 rating. Garments to be labeled as "sun-protective" a minimum of UPF 15 rating is required.

 UPF RATING PROTECTION RATING % OF UV RADIATION BLOCKED
15-20 Good 93.3-95.9%
25-40 Very Good 96-97.4%
50, 50+ Excellent 97.5% or more

 

In general better protection is provided by:

  • Dense fabrics (tightly knitted, woven, braided hats and fabric hats)
  • Thicker fabrics (wool felt, heavy cotton, canvas, leather hats)
  • Darker colors generally provide better protection due to higher concentration of dyes that disrupt UV rays. The color in itself does not provide any protection.
  • Laundry additives, such as optical brightening agent (OBA)  in detergent can boost UV protection. 
  • Polyester and nylon generally disrupt UV rays well. Wool and silk - moderately. Natural fibers, such as cotton or linen, rate low, unless otherwise treated, layered.
  • Wet, faded and stretched fabric could lose its UPF rating by up to 50%.

Keep in mind, hats and garments only provide protection against ultraviolet rays where they cover or shade you. Wide, at least 3" brim hats protect the face, ears and neck. Small brim hats, less than 1.5", such as a fedoras, or caps only protect the nose and cheek and leave the chin exposed. A sun hat with at least 3" wide brim provides excellent sun protection for the nose, very good protection for the back of the neck, good protection for the cheek, and medium protection for the chin. Wider brim hats provide better coverage for the cheek and chin.  Loosely woven, crocheted hats, thin cotton hats, vented crown hats provide less protection. 

SUN PROTECTION HATS RECOMMENDED BY THE SKIN CANCER FOUNDATION

The Skin Cancer Foundation is an international organization devoted to the prevention and treatment of skin cancer. Skin Cancer Foundation approval is received after UPF testing and rating of hats. To earn the Skin Cancer Foundation's recommendation for hats, the brim must be at least 3" wide, the fabric must have a UPF 30 or higher rating. 

WEARING A SUN HAT IS RECOMMENDED EVEN WHEN UV STRENGTH IS MODERATE

The National Weather Service estimates the strength of UV rays by assigning a number between 0-15. Note, wearing a hat is suggested even when UV strength only presents moderate risk.

 Rating

Risk 

Recommended Precautions to take

 0  - 4

Minimal / Low

Sunscreen, sunglasses

 4  - 6

Moderate

Sunscreen, sunglasses, hat

 6  - 10

High

Sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, umbrella

10 - 15 

Very High

Sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, umbrella, avoid mid-day sun

 

Browse through all our sun hats rated for excellent UPF 50+ UV protection, or shop sun hats for menwomen, and children

UPF vs SPF. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

UPF - ultraviolet protection factor: used to measure UVA and UVB sun protection provided by clothing, hats.

SPF - sun protection factor: used to measure protection from UVB rays that cause sunburn, damage skin, and contribute to skin cancer. SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB (that is it allows 7 photons through out of 100), SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB (it allows only 3 photons though out of 100), SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB. Note, the SPF 30 provides twice as much protection as the SPF 15 sunscreen, but SPF 50 and higher do not offer significantly more protection than the SPF 30. The SPF factor number means how many times longer you can stay in the sun than it normally takes to get a sunburn. Under-applying sunscreen reduces the protection to the square root of the factor. A broad spectrum sunscreen that also protects against UVA, at least 1/3rd of the UVB, is a better choice than a high SPF factor sunscreen that mostly protects only against UVB. Reapplying every 2 hours, regardless of the factor is recommended.

Wearing a hat along with a sunscreen is the best sun protection regiment to protect your skin. Bottom line, it is not UPF vs. SPF it really is UPF plus SPF to achieve excellent sun protection.  

How to Establish an Effective Sun Protection Routine

How to Choose the Best Sun Protection Hat

Descriptions and Names of Men's and Women's Hat Styles and Parts of a Hat