Quick-drying fabric is important, especially if you plan on getting your shirt wet. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia

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There’s no better way to enjoy life than by spending a day in the sunshine. Whether you’re at the beach, on the lake, or exploring trails, sunny days call for playing outside. While the vitamin D and the serotonin release are huge perks of sunshine, the UV rays can be harmful. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t step outside, it just means you should be smart about it. Sunscreen is an obvious answer, but for days when the sun is strong and we don’t feel like slathering ourselves in sun cream, we turn to sun shirts.

Our team of testers lives on Oahu in Hawaii where the sun is shining nearly every day of the year, making sun shirts an essential part of the wardrobe. We rounded up some of the best sun shirts out there and wore them hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, running, and more to bring you the best of the best. Our favorites combined soft material feel, breathability, and UV protection.

If you want to take a closer look at how these sun shirts compare to one another, take a look at our Comparison Table. Or, if you wish to learn more about what makes a good sun shirt, check out our Buyer’s Guide.

The Best Sun Shirts of 2024

Best Overall Sun Shirt: Janji Sunchaser 50
Runner-Up Best Overall Sun Shirt: Cotopaxi Sombra Sun Hoodie
Most Unique Sun Shirt: Free Fly Lightweight Hoodie II
Best Value Sun Shirt: Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoodie
Best For Cold Weather: The North Face Dune Long-Sleeve Shirt
Best For Water Sports: Carve Designs Lake Sunshirt

Best Overall Sun Shirt

Janji Sunchaser 50 ($78)

Pros: Incredibly lightweight/breathable, scuba-style hood
Cons: No stash pocket

Hood: Yes
Thumb Loops: Yes
UPF Rating: 50
Materials: 84% recycled polyester, 16% spandex

Janji is a brand that wasn’t on our radar until recently and we’re so glad we discovered it. Janji is focused on running and active endeavors and the Janji Sunchaser 50 fits the bill. We don’t know how their team made this fabric as lightweight, breathable, and comfortable as it is, but they crushed it with the Sunchaser 50. The scuba-style hood comes up snug around the face so it doesn’t bounce around while running or hiking, and the thumbholes keep the sleeves over your hands. The only thing the Sunchaser is missing is a pocket to stash your key.

Of all the sun shirts we tested, the Sunchaser was the lightest and felt cool against the skin. Our tester has a difficult time wearing long sleeves when it’s hot outside but the Sunchaser was so lightweight and breathable that she hardly noticed she was wearing it. Thanks to its comfort, breathability, and fun design, the Sunchaser was our top pick for all the sun shirts we tested.

Runner-Up Best Overall Sun Shirt

Cotopaxi Sombra Sun Hoodie ($75)

Pros: Incredibly lightweight, breathable, zippered stash pocket
Cons: Runs a little short

Hood: Yes
Thumb Loops: Yes
UPF Rating: 50
Materials: Knit/recycled polyester, 85% nylon/15% spandex

Cotopaxi may not be the first brand that comes to mind when you think of sun shirts, but the Sombra Sun Hoodie is a stellar shirt. Made from a blend of polyester, nylon, and spandex, the Sombra is lightweight and oh-so-breathable. Designed specifically for hiking, the shirt has an antimicrobial finish to keep you smelling fresh. The scuba hood and thumb holes provide generous sun protection and the fit is slightly slimmer at the wrists and hood to ensure they don’t slide around.

Some users complained about the length being a little short, but our 5’7″ female tester found that a women’s medium fit her perfectly. You may want to order a size up if you’re between sizes. We found that the Sombra was great to wear on its own or as a second layer over a tank top. The Sombra finished just behind the Janji Sunchaser because the fabric wasn’t quite as soft nor was the hood as fitted.

Most Unique Sun Shirt

Free Fly Lightweight Hoodie II ($68)

Pros: Made from bamboo, soft material
Cons: Shrinks when you wash it

Hood: Yes
Thumb Loops: Yes
UPF Rating: 20+
Materials: 70% viscose from bamboo, 30% polyester

One of the more unique sun shirts on our list, the Free Fly Lightweight Hoodie II is made from a blend of bamboo and polyester. Bamboo is a great pick for sun shirts as it is incredibly soft, provides generous UV protection, dries quickly, is breathable, and has anti-odor properties. The Hoodie II certainly checks all of those boxes. It’s so soft it could double as a pajama shirt, and the breathable material is perfect for a hot day.

The hood sports a high neckline so you’re extra-protected and the thumb holes help keep your hands covered. The Hoodie II has a loose fit, but it does shrink a bit when you wash it, so make sure you have some wiggle room to start with. We didn’t know bamboo was a fabric that we needed in our lives, but the Lightweight Hoodie II has us convinced that we should start looking for more bamboo products.

Best Value Sun Shirt

Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoody ($65)

Pros: Made from recycled materials, dries quickly
Cons: No thumb holes, no UPF rating

Hood: Yes
Thumb Loops: No
UPF Rating: N/A
Materials: 3.7 oz recycled polyester jersey (bluesign-approved)

Patagonia hit the nail on the head with their Capilene Cool collection. The Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoody is lightweight and breathable, helping to keep you cool during hot days on the trails. The Daily Hoody does an excellent job of wicking away moisture and it dries out quickly. The Daily Hoody has a hood to keep the sun off your neck but it lacks thumb holes. The built-in odor control works to keep the stink at bay. Fair Trade Certified and made from recycled materials, the Daily Hoody is a shirt you can feel good about wearing. This shirt also comes in a non-hooded version as well.

The Capiline Cool Daily Hoody doesn’t have a UPF rating, simply because Patagonia hasn’t submitted it for the specific test to acquire the rating. The shirt does provide ample sun protection, but because it doesn’t have a specific UPF rating, it’s difficult to know exactly how much protection it provides. That said, our tester wore this sun shirt while paddling in strong sunshine on the island of Palau, as well as on hikes in Hawaii, and did not get a sunburn.

Best Sun Shirt For Cold Weather

The North Face Dune Long-Sleeve Shirt ($60)

Pros: Made from recycled materials
Cons: Warm

Hood: No
Thumb Loops: No
UPF Rating: 40
Materials: 75-denier x 20-denier 160 g 91% recycled polyester, 9% elastane jersey knit with FlashDry

The North Face Dune Long-Sleeve Shirt is a simple, no-frills sun shirt. The Dune has no hood and no thumb holes, but the shirt is rated UPF 40, so it provides ample sun protection for the chest, arms, back, and shoulders. Although the fabric is lightweight and fairly breathable, we found the Dune was one of the warmer sun shirts on our list and felt it would be best for slightly cooler hikes or as a base layer. However, the Dune does a great job at wicking away moisture and the anti-odor properties keep it smelling fresh.

Best Sun Shirt For Water Sports

Carve Designs Lake Sun Shirt ($68)

Pros: Full-length zipper, dries quickly
Cons: Thicker material, no hood or thumb holes

Hood: No
Thumb Loops: No
UPF Rating: 50
Materials: 82% recycled polyester, 18% spandex

The Carve Designs Lake Sunshirt feels like a cross between a sun shirt and a rash guard. The material is on the thicker side, like a rash guard, and not as breathable as your typical sun shirt. As such, the Lake Sunshirt might not be your best bet for hikes, but due to its UPF 50 rating and quick-dry properties, it’s a great pick for water sports. The full-length zipper is nice because you can zip it up for maximum sun protection or open it to cool off.

The Lake Sunshirt is semi-fitted but Carve Design’s products tend to run a little big. We’d recommend ordering your usual size for a slightly baggy fit. Unfortunately, this shirt only comes in women’s sizing and styles…sorry boys!

Best of the Rest

Patagonia Tropic Comfort Natural Shirt ($99)

Pros: High neck buff, zippered pocket
Cons: Slightly warm, sleeves too long for some

Hood: Yes
Thumb Loops: Yes
UPF Rating: 40+
Materials: 96% modal sun, 4% spandex jersey

Like most things from Patagonia, the Tropic Comfort Natural Shirt is well thought-out and incredibly durable. Complete with a hood and thumb holes, the Tropic Comfort has a high neck buff that can be adjusted along with the hood for maximum sun protection. The fabric is breathable and dries quickly, but we found it was a bit warmer than some of the other shirts on our list — keep in mind we were hiking in Hawaii while testing.

The sleeves are on the long side for maximum protection. At 5’7″ our female tester thought they fit perfectly, but they may be too long for some. Finally, there’s a small, zippered pocket on the side which we found handy for stashing lip balm and other small essentials.

NRS H2Core Silkweight Long-Sleeve Shirt ($58)

Pros: Dries quickly, strategically-placed seams mean no chafing
Cons: Runs a little big

Weight: 10 oz
Hood: No
Thumb Loops: Yes
UPF Rating: 50
Materials: 85% recycled polyester, 15% recycled spandex

Designed for life on the river, the NRS H2Core Silkweight Long-Sleeve Shirt is a sun shirt that is meant to get wet. Made from a blend of polyester, the H2Core does a great job at wicking sweat and moisture away from the body. It also dries quickly should you go for a swim. The seams are strategically placed, meaning no chafing when you row, paddle, or hike. The shirt features a dropped hem for extra coverage.

At 5’9″, our male tester felt that the shirt ran a little big and long. If you prefer a tighter fit, you might want to size down. Our tester wore this shirt for a weeklong sea-kayaking trip and was happy with how well it protected him from the sun, how comfortable it was to paddle in, and how well it dried out each night.

Fjallraven Abisko Sun Hoodie ($95)

Pros: Elastic along hood and wrists
Cons: Material isn’t very soft

Hood: Yes
Thumb Loops: Yes
UPF Rating: N/A
Materials: Recycled polyester

Made from recycled polyester, the Fjallraven Abisko Sun Hoodie is lightweight and breathable. The Abisko has a hood and thumb holes to keep you covered. On both the hood and the wrists, there’s an elastic band, which was super helpful for keeping both in place.

Although the material is lightweight, it’s not the softest to the touch. The Abisko doesn’t have an official UPF rating, but it kept our tester plenty protected on sunny hikes in Hawaii. Even though this was a solid sun shirt, we found the other shirts we’ve listed above to be a better combination of price, functionality, and comfort.

Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Hoodie ($70)

Pros: Buttery-soft fabric
Cons: Runs a bit small

Hood: Yes
Thumb Loops: Yes
UPF Rating: 50+
Materials: 88% polyester, 12% elastane

The Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Hoodie is incredibly soft and insanely comfortable. The hoodie is lightweight and the fabric feels buttery soft against the skin. The material is stretchy and the hood and thumb holes ensure you stay covered. The shirt also boasts a UPF rating of 50+, among the best on our list. The shirt does a great job of wicking moisture away from the skin and the Crater Lake dries out quickly if you get it wet. This shirt runs a tad small, so if you prefer a looser fit, we suggest sizing up.

Black Diamond Alpenglow Hoodie ($95)

Pros: Cooling fabric
Cons: No thumb holes

Hood: Yes
Thumb Loops: No
UPF Rating: 50
Materials: 87% polyester/13% elastane

The Black Diamond Alpenglow Hoodie was designed for hot, sunshiny days. Our tester wore this shirt on hot and difficult hikes in Hawaii and was impressed at how lightweight and breathable it was. The Alpenglow features an in-fiber cooling technology that works to reflect 71% of near-infrared rays. We can’t speak to that specific statistic, but we did find that the Alpenglow did a great job of keeping us cool. The shirt doesn’t have thumb holes, but it has a stretchier material at the wrists that helps keep the sleeves in place.

CHECK Men's PRICE ON REICHECK Women's PRICE ON REI

Best Sun Shirts Comparison Table

The best sun shirts in the biz. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia

How We Tested The Best Sun Shirts

Our lead tester, Rebecca Parsons, lives on Oahu where there is no shortage of sunshine. She spends all of her free time outdoors hiking, standup paddling, surfing, and running. To test these shirts, our tester and her husband wore them on their daily adventures. They took into consideration how comfortable and breathable the shirts were, special features, and how well they blocked the sun.

In addition to testing in Hawaii, our testers recently took a trip to Palau where they went on a seven-day sea kayaking trip. They brought a few sun shirts with them and truly put them to the test, kayaking every day in the sunshine.

We hiked, paddled, and ran in our sun shirts to test them across a wide range of activities. Photo: Julia Borland//The Inertia

Best Sun Shirts Buyer’s Guide

What Makes a Good Sun Shirt?

UPF Rating/UV Protection

We’ve all heard of a UPF rating, but what exactly does it mean? In short, UPF is a measure of how effective a fabric is at filtering ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) light. The higher the UPF rating, the better the shirt will be for protecting you from the sun.

For example, if your shirt has a UPF rating of 30, that means that 1/30^th of UV rays can pass through it. Whereas a shirt with a UPF 50 rating will only allow 1/50^th of UV rays to come through. If the rating is below UPF 50, the shirt isn’t considered UV-protective.

The higher the UPF rating, the less UV light that can pass through. Photo: Kip Touseull//The Inertia

There are a few factors that will affect a shirt’s UPF rating: construction, fiber type, color, and treatments. Shirts with a tighter weave let less light in and tend to have a higher UPF rating. In general, darker colors are more protective. Some shirts are treated with chemicals and dyes that help absorb UV light. And finally, certain fibers, such as polyester and nylon, are better at blocking UV light.

Just because a shirt doesn’t have a UPF rating listed doesn’t mean that it won’t provide protection from UV rays. If the shirt has been put through the standardized UPF testing procedure then it will have a rating, otherwise it will not.

Breathable fabric is especially important if you’ll be hiking in your sun shirt. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia

Breathability

Breathable shirts allow moisture (sweat) to move through the fabric to the outside. Breathable shirts usually have a looser weave. When you hold a shirt up to the light if a good amount of light can pass through, then it should be fairly breathable. If you plan on being active in your shirt, you’ll want a more fitted shirt but if you plan on just chilling, then a looser fit is ideal. Finally, some sun shirts have mesh panels or air vents that make them even more breathable.

Hiking in Hawaii is hot. Our tester was grateful to have a breathable sun shirt. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia

Hoods

There are pros and cons to a hood. A lot of sun shirts come with one because they allow you to cover your neck, ears, and head. If your goal is maximum sun protection, then you’ll want a hood.

Through our testing, we discovered that not all hoods are created equally. Some hoods are loose fitting whereas others are fitted. If you plan on using your sun shirt for active endeavors such as running or hiking, then you’ll want a snug-fitting hood. We found that loose-fitting hoods slide off easily and we had to constantly pull them back up. We also found that loose hoods were more comfortable, so if you only plan on using the hood occasionally, then you may want a loose one.

Hoods help keep the head, ears, and neck protected. Photo: Jaxon Sheley//The Inertia

The downside of hoods is that they make the shirt bulkier and more cumbersome. They can also flop around while running if you’re not wearing it. If you’re not worried about protecting your ears and neck, then a hoodless sun shirt may be your best bet.

Thumb Loops

When it comes to sun protection, you may not think much about your hands and fingers. However, the hands receive a lot of sunshine as they are fully exposed in most types of clothing. To help keep your hands protected, many sun shirts have thumb loops.

Thumb loops ensure your entire hand stays protected: Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia

Thumb loops are at the end of the sleeve and are small holes just large enough for your thumbs to fit through. This helps ensure the shirt stays extended over your hand. If you prefer to go without the thumb loops, you can simply slide your thumbs out and wear it like a normal shirt. But in our opinion, thumb loops are always a nice option to have.

Material

The best material for a sun shirt is any type of fabric that is tightly woven and has a high thread count. Think polyester, nylon, or lightweight wool. The tight weave helps prevent UV rays from actually reaching your skin. However, the tighter the weave, the less breathable the shirt will be.

Best Overall Sun Shirt

The Janji Sunchase 50 is insanely soft, comfortable, and breathable. The UPF 50 rating, scuba-style hood, and thumb holes provide generous sun protection for active individuals.

Price: $78

Check Price on REI

Polyester is the most popular material used for sun shirts. It offers good sun protection, is breathable, and dries quickly. Many of the brands we tested incorporated some spandex or elastane into the shirts as well to give them some stretch.

Quick-Drying

Be it from sweat, rain, or swimming, your sun shirt is likely to get wet at some point. Getting wet can potentially affect the shirt’s UPF rating, so you‘ll want one that dries out quickly. Polyester is known for its quick-drying properties with nylon coming in at a close second.

Fit

While fit ultimately comes down to personal preference, a general rule of thumb is that you want your sun shirt to fit slightly baggy. Having a looser fit, allows your shirt to breathe better and encourages free range of motion. Erring on the larger size will also help ensure that your shirt’s thumb loops (if it has them) and sleeves fully cover and protect your hands. If you’re between sizes, we generally recommend sizing up.

Return to Comparison Table | Return to Top Picks

Editor’s Note: Getting out in the sun? You’ll need more than just a sun shirt. Check out our Gear Guides for the Best Reef-Safe Sunscreens, Best Sun Hats, and Best Sunglasses. For more gear reviews and features on The Inertia, click here.

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