6 Best Women’s UPF Clothing Tops

Thinking about purchasing some UPF clothing? Smart idea!  Sun proof clothing is a great way to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful XX rays, lowering your risk of painful sunburns, skin cancer, and premature …

Thinking about purchasing some UPF clothing? Smart idea! 

Sun proof clothing is a great way to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful XX rays, lowering your risk of painful sunburns, skin cancer, and premature aging.

Before you go adding a bunch of UPF tops to your shopping cart, there are a few things you’ll want to take into consideration. Consider this our mini how-to guide on shopping for sun protective clothing!

UPF Rating

What exactly is a UPF rating?

UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. The UPF number identifies what fraction of the sun’s ultraviolet rays can get through the fabric. So, if you have a shirt that has a UPF rating of 50, that means that only 1/50th of the sun’s UV radiation can penetrate the material and reach your skin.

Higher UPF clothing has a tighter weave of materials. You’ll notice that with most of your standard clothing, if you hold up the material to the light, you’ll be able to easily see through the fabric, indicating a relatively low UPF rating. Standard summer clothing tends to have a UPF rating of just 6, so you can see how improtant special UPF clothing is!

UPF vs SPF

So how does UPF relate to SPF? While UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor, SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. SPF is a rating system used for sunscreens and other topical products containing sunscreen, indicating how long you should be able to stay in the sun before getting burned.

How Does Clothing Increase Their UPF Rating?

A high UPF rating can be obtained when a piece of clothing has a very tight weave structure and denier (denier is basically the thread count per inch). Fabrics made for sun protection can also be pre-treated with certain ingredients to increase their ability to block UV radiation.

What Does UPF Clothing Look Like?

Since the goal of UPF clothing is to protect your skin as much as possible, this type of clothhing will often feature:

  • Long sleeves
  • High neck lines
  • Knee-length dresses and skirts
  • Darker colors (as dark colors tend to absorb more UV than light colors. More vivid colors also offer better protection than paler colors.)

Darker colors tend to absorb more UV than lighter colors. The more vivid the color, the greater the protection; a bright yellow shirt is more protective than a pale one.

UPF clothing materials also tends to feature more heavy-weight natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, hemp, as well as light-weigth synethic materials like polyester, nylon, and spandex.

6 Best Coolibar Women Tops & Dresses

1. Coolibar Womens’ Swing Tank Top

Coolibar UPF 50+ Women's St. Tropez Swing Tank Top - Sun Protective (Medium- Black/White Dot)
44 Reviews
Coolibar UPF 50+ Women's St. Tropez Swing Tank Top - Sun Protective (Medium- Black/White Dot)
  • UPF 50+ - blocks 98% of UV radiation
  • Aire fabric is the only luxury UPF 50+ fabric available; Feather-light fabric feels like silk and rolls down so compact it easily fits in a carry-on...
  • Tank top with faux double layer, swing fit throughout body, and keyhole closing with button and elastic hoop at center back; 27 1/4 inch body length...

Most UPF clothing is pretty drab – you’ll find lots of dull, solid coloring and few patterns. That’s why we love this Swing Tank Top from Coolibar – it’s one of the few sun protective tops that sports a bright, fun pattern.

Coolibar is one of our favorite UPF clothing brands; founded back in 2001, they boast some pretty great innovation in the field of sun protection, and they’re one of the most well-known and well-established sun protective clothing brands on the market!

This shirt sports a 50+ UPF rating and includes a faux double layer for added protection. Side vents at the hem ensure that you can keep cool, even in extreme heat.

The Swing Tank Top is available in sizes XS to 3XL and, in addition to the pattern shown here (Yellow Garden Party Floral), the shirt also comes in a Teal Spanish Moss pattern, a black and white geometric pattern, as well as solid colors black, white, light blue, and teal.

What Users Say: Users note how light this tank feels, appreciate the longer length, and love how the tank can be dressed up or down depending on your needs.

2. Coolibar Women’s Beach Wrap

Coolibar UPF 50+ Women's Railay Everyday Beach Sun Wrap - Sun Protective (Large/X-Large- White)
87 Reviews
Coolibar UPF 50+ Women's Railay Everyday Beach Sun Wrap - Sun Protective (Large/X-Large- White)
  • UPF 50+ - blocks 98% of UVA/UVB rays
  • FABRIC: ZnO fabric is super soft against the skin, lightweight, cool and comfortable with the highest quality zinc oxide protection
  • FEATURES: Shawl-like silhouette - no closure, wrap drapes over shoulders; Loose fit, twill tape at back neck for comfort; Body length at back: 28 1/2...

This light, airy, and colorful wrap is just the thing for the summer. The Coolibar Beach Wrap is another piece of sun-protective clothing with a 50+ UPF rating that comes in some great color options.

The wrap features unique ZnO fabric, designed to feel super soft and lightweight on the skin, with a high-quality zinc oxide protective coating. This wrap has a shawl-like look, with a loose fit and twill tape at the back neck. 

 What Users Say: Most users find that this sun shawl provides just the right amount of protection.

3. Coolibar Woman’s Long Sleeve Shirt

Coolibar UPF 50+ Women's Morada Everyday Long Sleeve T-Shirt - Sun Protective (Large- Light Blue...
656 Reviews
Coolibar UPF 50+ Women's Morada Everyday Long Sleeve T-Shirt - Sun Protective (Large- Light Blue...
  • UPF 50+ - blocks 98% of UVA/UVB rays
  • FABRIC: ZnO fabric is super soft against the skin, lightweight, cool and comfortable with the highest quality zinc oxide protection
  • FEATURES: Flattering feminine cut; Body length 25 inches (size medium); Authentic t-shirt will have Coolibar logo on wearer's left sleeve and tagless...

This tried-and-true-classic is a must-have piece of sun protection clothing for any lady on the move. The Coolibar Long Sleeve Shirt provides full sun coverage with a 50+ UPF rating while still keeping light and cool due to its bamboo/spandex blend

The shirt actually uses a unique Coolibar technology referred to as “ZnO SUNTECT” which is composed from millions of tiny zinc oxide particles. So you know you’re sun safe.

 This fan favorite shirt comes in 20 different colors to choose from, and even a few patterns in there as well! It comes in 9 different sizes, from extra small to 3XL.

What Users Say: Most really love this traditional long-sleeved sun shirt. A few folks did have some sizing issues, so make sure to check Coolibar’s measurement and size guide before ordering.

4. Coolibar Woman’s Seaside Hoodie

Coolibar UPF 50+ Women's Seaside Hoodie - Sun Protective (X-Large- Ocean Turquoise Heather)
378 Reviews
Coolibar UPF 50+ Women's Seaside Hoodie - Sun Protective (X-Large- Ocean Turquoise Heather)
  • UPF 50+ - blocks 98% of UVA/UVB rays
  • FABRIC: ZnO fabric is super soft against the skin, lightweight, cool and comfortable with the highest quality zinc oxide protection
  • FEATURES: Attached hood with drawcord provides additional scalp and neck coverage; Split kangaroo pocket; Two-way zipper; 24 inch body length (size...

This Coolibar Woman’s Seaside Hoodie is another piece of must-have clothing for those who want full sun protection. Everyone loves a hoodie, but of course a hoodie that protects you from the sun? Even better!

This hoodie features a 50+ UPF rating and is made from a  bamboo/spansex blend.

The zipper closure makes this jacket easy to take on and off, and hood and drawstring can provide additional scalp coverage, when needed.

This favorite zip-up hoodie comes in 12 different colors and a range of sizes!

5. Coolibar Woman’s Travel Shirt

Coolibar UPF 50+ Women's Mylitta Travel Shirt - Sun Protective (Large- Blue Etched Leaf)
72 Reviews
Coolibar UPF 50+ Women's Mylitta Travel Shirt - Sun Protective (Large- Blue Etched Leaf)
  • UPF 50+ *
  • 3Ddri fabric: Moisture wicking in small 3D grid pattern, lightweight and breathable; Water and stain repelling fabric that dries quickly
  • Self fabric mesh ventilation panels under arms and along sides with cape back mesh for ventilation; Roll up sleeves with button tabs and shirt tail...

This Coolibar Women’s Travel Button-Up Shirt is a great pick for when you’re traveling and need a versatile shirt that also provides protection from the harsh sun.

The 50+ UPF shirt includes plenty of ventilation panels to keep you cool, as well as sleeves that can be rolled up and buttoned, allowing for a more relaxed and casual look if you desire it!

This shirt comes in several different colors and patterns, including a lovely dusk pink and light blue shade. It also comes in sizes ranging from XS to 3XL.

What Users Say: One individual found the style to be too fitted, but other users seemed to like this design and appreciated the shirt’s versatility.

6. Coolibar Woman’s Oceanside Tunic Dress

The Coolibar Oceanside Tunic is a light and fun tunic dress that comes in a whopping 19 different bright and colorful patterns.

This 50+ UPF dress features a notch neckline for a nice feminine touch, as well as ¾ length sleeves and side seam vents to keep you cool.

What Users Say: One user ended up with a dress that had not been assembled evenly. While this seems to have been the rare exception, this may deter some buyers.

Features Found in Women’s UPF Clothing

Many articles of UPF clothing also contain features designed to help you keep cool. Many shirts may have ventilated areas as well as moisture-wicking and anti-bacterial properties to move sweat away form your skin. Let’s cover some of the core features for women’s UPF clothing.

Style

Sun protective clothing can come in all kinds of different styles, just like any other form of clothing. You’ll notice that most sun proof clothing is long-sleeved and often features high necklines, for as much skin coverage as possible – although of course you can always find exceptions.

While most women’s UPF clothing used to rely primarily on plain color selections, increasingly more UPF clothing is becoming available in bright colors and fun patterns that are perfect for fun beach days or boardwalks jaunts.

Materials

UPF clothing usually features lightweight, fast-wicking materials that can protect your skin from the sun while keeping you cool. Some clothing is specifically designed to quickly wick away sweat as well as water for when you want to take a quick dip.

Ventilation Panels

Some pieces of sunproof clothing contain discreet ventilation panels, which can provide additional airtation to prevent you from getting too hot.

This tends to be especially handy for hot weather and beach trips. Not all shirt have ventilation panels – and you may find that you don’t really need them, since many pieces of UPF clothing are already designed with materials to prevent overheating. Still, if you tend to be on the further end of the sweaty spectrum, you may want to consider keeping an eye out for ventilation panels.


Any great women UPF clothing tops we missed? Make sure to share your favorites in the comments and tell us why YOU love UPF clothing!

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