Sun Shirts Are the Underrated Hero of Summer Exercise

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I’m on my third summer of running in a long-sleeved sun shirt. I now enjoy my summer runs a lot more, and I spend a lot less on sunscreen. I even managed to snag a Rabbit UPF Deflector hoodie before they sold out last year, and it was worth every penny.

If you’re not entirely sold on wearing long sleeves in the heat, I get it: At first, I wasn’t either. I knew that other people ran in sun shirts, but I never thought running in one was for me. Instead, I coated my arms, neckline, and back in sunscreen, and cringed during my run as it mixed with sweat and turned into a gross, drippy slime. I sometimes missed a spot, and enjoyed patches of sunburn on my shoulder blades. It just comes with the summer running territory, right? Not if you wear a sun shirt!

I don’t recall exactly why I bought my first one, but it was probably a “what the hell, this can’t get any worse” kind of thing. It wasn’t a fancy one. Everybody on Reddit told me to get a particular Rabbit hoodie, but it wasn’t in stock when I needed it. Instead, I ended up getting this UPF 50+ rashguard from Amazon for under $30, and a second shirt I didn’t end up liking as much. I started wearing them on my runs. Two years later, here’s what I’ve learned.

What sun shirts do, and why they’re great for running

Sun shirts have one main job: They protect you from UV rays (doing the same job as sunscreen). The good ones also wick sweat, which can end up keeping you cooler than if you were running without the shirt.

When it comes to UV protection, sun shirts definitely work. Dermatologists, including those at the American Academy of Dermatology Association, actively recommend wearing sun-protective clothing, in addition to seeking shade and using sunscreen. When you’re out on a run, shade may not be an option, and you’ll still need some sunscreen to cover your face and hands. But when it comes to your torso and arms, a sun shirt offers significant advantages over slathering on sunscreen:

You can’t miss a spot, as you might when you’re trying to get sunscreen on the back of your arms and shoulders.
You don’t need to reapply (as much) sunscreen on long runs, which can feel nearly impossible when you’re sweaty.
You won’t have to deal with sunscreen sweating off or working its way across your skin (which is the main reason we need to reapply, anyway).
If you use a spray sunscreen like I sometimes do, you won’t have to deal with its sticky feel, and the fact that you’re supposed to rub it in anyway.
You’ll go through far less sunscreen each year—a pretty significant savings if you have sunburn-prone skin like me.

Aside from these objective points, the thing that really sold me on wearing one was that I hate the feeling of suncreen-and-sweat slime dripping down my arms. It’s gross, it gets on everything, and I do not like it.

What it feels like to run in a sun shirt (a lot less sweaty)

I wore a sun shirt for the first time during a sweltering heat wave. I try to run in the evening or morning when it’s cooler, but no matter the time of day, the humidity was ridiculous and the wet bulb temperature was oppressively high.

I put on the shirt for an evening run first, sunscreened only the parts of me that weren’t covered (face, hands, lower legs), and ventured out. On balance, I don’t think I was hotter or cooler than I would have been without the shirt, but the slime situation was much improved. The shirt also absorbed and (sort of) wicked away my sweat. On the one hand, that means I’m running in a damp shirt. On the other: no dripping.

Intrigued, I wore a shirt again for a sunnier morning run, and had a similar experience. In a real show of how much I trusted these things, I even wore a sun shirt the time I planned poorly and ended up having to do a midday run in 93-degree weather (don’t worry, I carried ice water and stayed safe); it worked well then too. On one of these runs, I noticed a light breeze, so I peeled off the shirt as I finished the run. The air on my skin felt nice and cooling, but it was more like a nice treat than a cause for me to regret that I’d been wearing the shirt in the first place.

I did have one further “aha” moment: On one of my runs, I noticed that the shirt was long enough that it bunched up a bit around my hips. That extra fabric wasn’t doing me any favors, so I got out a pair of scissors and cropped the shirt just below my waistline. Now I get a bit of a breeze on my torso, while still keeping my skin out of the sun.

The first year I wore sun shirts, I really did wear them for just about every run. These days, I’ve reached a compromise. On really humid days, the sun shirt soaks up sweat that never evaporates. (This is only an issue in humid climates, so if you live out west you’ll pretty much always be cooler with the sun shirt on.) So if there’s a day when staying cool is a higher priority than sun protection or sensory comfort, I run on shady trails in short sleeves, and leave the sun shirt at home.

What to look for when buying a sun shirt

Any clothing marketed to runners tends to be expensive, although to be fair, it’s often lighter weight or better quality than bargain-basement stuff. Still, you don’t have to only search for “running sun shirt.” Also consider looking for “long-sleeved wicking shirt,” “UPF shirt,” or even “rash guard” (a rash guard being a long sleeved shirt worn for surfing).

The ideal running sun shirt will have most or all of these features:

A UPF rating (like SPF, but for clothing) – the higher the number, the better.
Wicking or “cooling” fabric.
A high neck or even a hood, to protect your neck and/or head.
Thumb holes, which means longer sleeves, the better to protect your hands.
Lightweight fabric—beware the rashguards that are designed with thicker swimsuit-type fabric.
A moderately loose fit (although this is up to preference). If you normally buy from the women’s section, consider the “men’s” styles too—you might prefer the way they fit.

Sun protection experts tend to recommend colors that are dark (black, blue) or bright (red, yellow) rather than white or pastel. That’s because darker colors absorb more ultraviolet rays. Personally, I haven’t been able to convince myself to get a dark color when the shirts are available in white and pastels. Maybe black is more sun protective, but I’m worried it will be hotter. (This may be a “me” problem, so if you’re looking for good advice, listen to the dermatologists.)

After running all that first summer in sun shirts made for surfers, I finally picked up the aforementioned Rabbit hoodie. It cost a lot more—$70, versus $30 or less for the cheap ones I’d used the year before. The material on the Rabbit shirt is of a much lighter weight, and it has laser-cut holes at the armpits for venting. It also has a hood with a built-in visor (the better to cover your neck and the sides of your face) and, as a bonus, a zippered pocket at the side. I later got an REI Sahara Shade hoodie, which doesn’t have those extra features but has a fabric so comfortable I sometimes just wear it around the house.

With all that in mind, here are some sun shirt options, in a variety of styles and price ranges, that fit the bill. If you aren’t totally sold yet, start with a cheaper one and see how you like it. You might just join me in the less-slimy runners club.

The one I have

TSLA Women’s UPF 50+ Rash Guard Long Sleeve, UV/Sun Protection Swim Shirts, Water Beach Surf Swim Top, Side Henna White, Large

$19.95
at Amazon