Do Swim Shirts Actually Protect You From the Sun?

This is a collaborative post

If you have a toddler or a young child, you already know that putting suncream on them is a lot like trying to frost a moving, screaming cupcake. By the time they hit three or four years old, they just want to sprint straight into the sea the second your feet touch the sand.

For the last few summers, I relied heavily on throwing a standard t-shirt over my kids when the afternoon heat kicked in. But recently, a fellow mum asked me a question that made me stop and rethink everything: Do swim shirts actually protect you from the sun?

I spent the last week doing some serious digging, and what I found completely changed how I pack for our family holidays.

Do Swim Shirts Actually Protect You From the Sun?

The short answer is: Yes, but only if the label specifically states they have a high UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) rating.

If a swim shirt is made of standard, untreated lycra or thin cotton, it will not prevent sunburn. However, a quality UPF 50+ swim shirt (often called a rash vest here in the UK) is brilliant for keeping your little ones safe. The protection never washes off in the water, the material dries incredibly fast, and you only have to battle them to apply suncream to their face, hands, and feet.

When it comes to beach days, the smartest swap you can make is ditching standard bikinis and thin trunks for full-coverage kids uv swimsuits. These suits cover the shoulders, back, and thighs – the exact areas most prone to severe sunburns while kids are hunched over building sandcastles.

What Clothes Are Best for Blocking the Sun?

If you want to guarantee your child is safe from UV damage, the most reliable option is verified UPF 50+ clothing.

Unlike standard fabrics, UPF 50+ garments are tightly woven and specially treated to block over 98% of UVA and UVB rays.

When you are sorting out your holiday packing and shopping for kids UV swimwear, I highly recommend looking past the fast-fashion supermarket bins. Go to specialists who actually focus on sun safety like equatorsun. They are a dedicated skin cancer prevention brand, and their UV clothing/swimwear gear is certified to block over 98% of UV rays so you don’t have to worry about whether your child is getting sun burnt. The fabrics are breathable so your little ones won’t overheat, and they hold up to chlorine and saltwater without losing their shape or protective rating.

Does Wearing Long Sleeves Protect You From the Sun?

It is a massive misconception that if skin is covered by any fabric, it is automatically safe from UV rays.

Standard summer clothing, like a light cotton t-shirt or a linen beach cover-up, typically only provides a UPF of around 5. This means it allows roughly 20% of harmful UV rays to pass straight through the material and onto your child’s skin.

Worse still, when a normal cotton t-shirt gets wet in the paddling pool or the sea, its sun-blocking ability drops to almost zero. So, while putting a regular long-sleeved shirt on your child might keep them feeling a bit cooler, it absolutely does not prevent long-term skin damage.

This summer, save yourself the daily suncream battles. Get some proper UPF clothing sorted and just let them play!