When your plans call for all-day play, you can’t go wrong with Title Nine's UPF 50 clothing. Our UV-protective clothing keeps your skin safe from the sun’s harmful rays, so you can focus on your next adventure, not your sunburn. From
swim cover ups,
swim shorts & board shorts, and long sleeve
rash guards to travel-ready shorts, skorts, t-shirts, jackets, and hats, our UPF collection has what you need to keep you covered and protected from UV exposure, no matter where the day ends up.
Who can benefit from wearing UPF clothing?
The short answer? Everyone. A UPF-rated garment protects your skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays, protecting you from sunburn, freckles and age spots, and even skin cancer. In a perfect world, we’d be reapplying the SPF every hour, but let’s face it—most of us are less-than-perfect at sun safety. That’s what’s so great about our UPF collection—it’s all-day sunscreen that you never have to worry about reapplying. Sensitive skin or burn easily? A UPF fabric can help keep your skin healthy and happy.
What's the difference between UPF and SPF?
Everyone knows what SPF is: it's the sun protection rating on every sunscreen bottle we buy. Not surprisingly, SPF stands for sun protection factor, and varies from 15 to even 100 SPF to protect from UV rays and UV radiation. UPF stands for ultraviolet protection factor and is the sun protection rating for fabrics. The UPF rating works similarly to SPF — a sun protection factor of 50 (SPF 50) blocks 49/50th of UV radiation. A UPF 50 rating blocks 98% of UV radiation.
According to dermatologists and research from the Skin Cancer Foundation, UPF 50 clothing is more effective at protecting our skin from sun damage and skin cancer because our skin isn't directly exposed to the sun, compared to going sleeveless with just sunscreen. Clothing with a UPF rating of 50 lets us play all day in the sun without worry, and without overheating.
What types of UPF clothing does Title Nine offer?
Whether it's a beach day or a day out on the trail, Title Nine's sun-protective clothing collection features all sorts of styles to keep your skin safe from sun damage:
- UPF shirts and tops: We've got all the long sleeves, tees, tanks, and even sun hoodies with built in sun protection to keep your skin sun-safe. Many of our UPF t-shirts and long sleeves are meant for swimming — with quick-drying powers to keep you protected in and out of the water.
- UPF dresses and skirts: Who says you can't dress nice and beat the sun at its own game? Title Nine's sun-protective dresses and skirts have you covered, so you can soak in a beach walk, explore new cities, and hit the farmers market with no stress.
- UPF pants and shorts: From swim shorts with built in UPF 50, to moisture-wicking protective hiking pants your lower half is covered from UV damage, too.
- UPF swimwear: Yep, even our swimwear has built in protection to keep UV damage off your bod. From long sleeve rash guards, swim and sun shirts, board shorts, and one-piece swimsuits, our swimwear is built with UV-blocking powers so you can focus on the waves, not reapplying.
- Sun hats and caps: When you need protective gear from head to toe, we've got you covered with bucket hats, adventure-ready caps, and breathable trucker hats.
What are the key features to look for from sun-protective clothing?
The number one feature of UPF fabric is that it offers sun protection. And if more protection is what you're looking for, then reach for UV-protective gear that offers more coverage. Think long sleeves over tank tops and short sleeve shirts, pants instead of shorts, and maxi dresses instead of mini. The more skin covered, the more protective your outfit will be.
A UPF rating helps you know how much UV protection a piece of clothing provides. The Skin Cancer Foundation rates anything above a UPF 30 as “very good protection,” but most of Title Nine’s sun-protective clothing is UPF 50 and up (rated as “excellent protection”).
But our UPF gear has more going for it than just being great at sun protection:
- If you’re hitting the surf, the beach, the river, or the pool, our
solid swimsuits made with SurFlex™ swim fabric is resilient, sag-proof, and fade-resistant.
- Summertime travel plans? Check out our
Nimblene collection, full of lightweight, quick-drying pieces that pack up small and shake out fast.
How do I choose the right clothing with built in UV protection?
The higher the UPF rating, the safer your skin will be from sunburn, sun poisoning, and rashes. Look for sun protection clothing with a rating of UPF 50 or higher to get the most protection from your gear.
If you're planning to wear your sun shirt, beach cover-up, or UPF 50 pants to the beach, shop for waterproof or water-friendly styles that either double as swimwear (like a rash guard or swim shorts), or go over your swim wear (like a swim or sun shirt).
Before stepping out in the sun, make sure you've got the UV protection you need to stay safe from burns. Everyday garments, like cotton shirts and shorts, may cover your skin, but lack the UPF 50 rating to keep your skin cool and safe from the sun. UPF 50 shirts, shorts, and swimwear offer sun protection that never washes off, so you can swim, sweat, and soak up the sun without needing to reapply.
What is the best UPF clothing for swimming?
The best swimwear with UPF50 built in include swim shirts and rash guards. Both are available in long sleeve and short sleeve styles, and are every beach bum's go-to shirts for nonstop protection. Title Nine's UPF rated swimwear are made with quick-dry fabrics, so you can keep your UPF swimwear on without worrying about getting soggy.
Can UPF clothing be worn in hot weather?
Yes and yes. UPF shirts and pants help men and women keep cool and sun-safe in hot weather. So if you're planning to hit the trails, or just take care of the garden, sun protection clothing doubles up on the protection in warm weather, with moisture-wicking and UPF 50 fabric.
Planning on a round of outdoor sports? UPF shirts and pants are ready to play, with sweat-wicking powers and total coverage from harmful UV rays.
How often should I replace my UPF clothing?
Proper washing and care can extend the life of your sun protective clothing. Most sun-protective clothing prefers the delicate cycle and air drying, but in a pinch, it can usually take a spin with your regular clothes. Always check the tags for any clothing-specific requirements. You'll know it's time to replace your sun shirt and UPF pants when the elastic wears thin, or you've run in through the wash numerous times. To avoid having to replace your protective shirts and bottoms, keep a good rotation of a few sun shirts and shorts.
Can UPF clothing be worn in the water?
Title Nine's swim shirts, swim shorts, and rash guards offer UV protection for all water-bound women. We don't recommend wearing your sun shirt in the water, and suggest sticking to UPF swimwear and swim gear to hit the waves with you.
Does UPF clothing protect against both UVA and UVB rays?
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, UPF clothing measures and protects against both UVA and UVB rays. SPF only measures UVB.
Can UPF clothing be worn for everyday wear or is it only suitable for outdoor activities?
Men and women need daily sun protection. But if applying sunscreen all day every day isn't your jam, then you can definitely wear UPF clothing daily to keep your skin covered from the sun.