What does UPF clothing mean?

3 min read
What does UPF clothing mean?
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UPF clothing is also known as sun protective or sun protection clothing. UPF stands for ultraviolet protection factor and is the sun protective rating for fabrics. 

UPF clothing is a form of clothing that utilises fabrics which are sun protective. UPF clothing also utilises functional design which means that less skin is exposed to the sun.

UPF is for clothing what SPF is for sunscreen. In Australia, the UPF rating for fabrics is granted by the Australian Government once they have undertaken their own testing process. Australia set the global standard for sun protective clothing when they were the first country in the World to formally test the UPF rating of fabrics in the 1990s.

The UPF rating highlights the amount of UV blocked by the fabric in question. So, UPF of 5 indicates that 1/5th or 20% of UV radiation is able to penetrate the fabric. Put another way 80% of UV is blocked by a UPF of 5. Regular clothing does provide sun protection, but can still allow a significant proportion of UV radiation through to the skin.

Whereas, UPF 50+ which is the highest UPF rating achievable in Australia indicates that up to 1/50th or 2% of UV radiation is able to penetrate the fabric. That is, at least 98% of UV is blocked by a UPF rating of 50+. Medical experts in Australia recommend UPF 50+ sun protective clothing as the best way to prevent sunburn, skin cancer and skin ageing.

Solbari is the leading sun protective clothing brand in Australia with customers in over 70 countries.

All of the Solbari fabrics have been awarded a UPF 50+ rating by the Australian Government. Solbari offers an award-winning range of UPF sun protective clothing, broad-brim sun hats, UPF arm sleeves and sun umbrellas.

You can find out more about Solbari's sun protective range by clicking the blue links below:
Women UPF 50+
Men UPF 50+
Sun hats UPF 50+
Accessories UPF 50+ 
SPF 50+ Sunscreen

Content Disclaimer: This website pro­vides gen­eral infor­ma­tion about med­i­cine, health and related sub­jects. All content and media on the Solbari website is created and published online for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice. If the reader or any other per­son has a med­ical con­cern, he or she should seek professional advice.

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