Sun protective products

There is a large selection of sun protective clothing and fabrics on the market. In the UK, it is mainly the outdoor and sports clothing retailers that sell these items. An item from a reputable UK high-street retailer may have a UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) label. This means it has been tested to ensure it has an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of at least 40, reducing the ultraviolet radiation reaching the covered skin to at least 1/40th of that reaching bare skin. This value of 40 is specifically applicable to products sold in Great Britain. UPF labels are different, and mean different things, if items are sourced from other countries.

It is worth noting that even garments that don't specify sun protection properties may protect against light from the sun. The garment manufacturer has made the decision not to test for sun protective properties and therefore the consumer does not know this information. As far as we are aware, there is no official single source of information on sun protective clothing in the UK.

Below is listed information from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA). They have a buyer's guide, with Product listing. We have been through this listing in January 2025 and selected the websites which appear to deliver to the UK. PLEASE NOTE - sun protective clothing is available from UK retailers. The list below is only provided because it comes from an official government department.
We do not endorse or recommend any of these products, and whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy of the links provided we cannot accept any responsibility for external websites.