Many of us remember back in the '80s and 90's when mom, the wife or sister, would drench themselves with baby oil and sunbathe for hours. The idea of cancer and skin damage was an afterthought when it came to a beautiful tan. The truth be told, there were very little information and education on the harmful addiction, the women and men only knew that they felt great when laying there and got the desired color they wanted in the end. According to Skincancer.org, they didn't realize that with only five burns, they increased their risk of Melanoma by double.
This fact is an alarming statistic and one that we should not take lightly. We have become much more aware over the years of the potential dangers and take many precautions to protect ourselves, family, and friends. One of the great ways to protect yourself is with high-quality sun shirts, these shirts are designed to block harmful UV rays and are a great alternative to messy and chemically packed sunblocks.
Are all Sun Protective Shirts the Same?
As we all know, there are things you should know to be sure that you are purchasing a high-quality sun shirt. For starters, when shopping, always look at consumer reviews. That is the very first way to find out if you are purchasing a quality product, the voice of the people who have tried the product will typically be honest with their feedback. Always steer clear of companies who don't have reviews activated, why do you ask? Well, what do they have to hide? It takes little effort to enable online reviews, whether it be on their website, Facebook, BBB, Trustpilot, etc...In a world where online shopping is most prevalent, you really should verify who you do business with is ethical and work by a set of good morales.
The real results come from certified testing, can the company confirm that their shirts are being tested to prevent UV exposure? Moving on to our next topic:
SGS Certified or Similar Certification
SGS is a company that tests many different products to confirm that they are meeting the requirements necessary to keep you and your family safe. Many companies can do proper testing for confirmation.
What is Involved in the Testing?
A VIS Spectrophotometer is used to measure both UVA and UVB transmission at various wavelengths. These tests are completed many times on a single garment, sometimes up to ten tests. There are some important things to remember; the test factors change with color if the garment is wet or dry and note that UV protection does diminish over time. Once the fabric has been tested, it will earn a UV rating:
The UV protection category is determined the UPF values,
- UPF is 50 or 50+ - Excellent UV protection
- UPF is 30 - Good UV Protection
- UPF is 15 - Minimum UV protection
Salty Scales headquarters is right here in Tampa, Florida; we are very close to the equator; therefore, the heat and UV exposure is very high. There weren't many high-quality options at the time we created the Salty Scales brand in 2013.
Shirt Design
Most of our shirts are dye sublimated with the highest quality inks; therefore, you never have to worry about fading or peeling. We also take weeks, if not months trying to perfect our art. All the fish that you see printed are an accurate representation. It's never cool to get a bass shirt, and the fish looks like a walleye.
UPF Vs. SPF What is the Difference?
UPF or Ultra Protection factor measures the UV light that can pass through the fabric (Protects from both UVA and UVB rays). SPF or Sun Protection Factor is what you see on most sunblock labels; this is the rating given to indicate it's effectiveness during the allotted time in the sunlight (Block only UVB rays unless stated otherwise). Sunblock helps keep skin protected to a degree, but they are full of toxic chemicals, do you want to lather your largest organs with dozens of chemicals that could ultimately be more harmful than the sun itself? These are all questions and concerns that I used to ask myself every time I went outdoors for any length of time. Also, unlike a good shirt, you have to reapply your sunblock for complete effectiveness and protection regularly.
Which Shirts Do We Recommend?
Salty Scales, of course, but in all seriousness, the idea is to make sure you are aware of what you should be looking for when purchasing a good quality shirt. We want you to stay protected, whether you are buying from us or any other brand. We have created two very unique designs that I can recommend:
1. Performance Fishing Longsleeves - Our performance fishing long sleeves all have a UPF rating of 30-50+ depending on the fabric and design; most of them are moisture-wicking, anti-microbial, and dye sublimated. Some of our favorites include:
2. Performance Fishing Hoodie - The hoodies are something that I wish we would have started designing sooner; these are not your typical cold-weather hoodies. We create our hoodies with the same lightweight fabric as our performance fishing shirts. Still, they allow you to conveniently cover your neck, ears, and dome while staying utterly comfortable in high temperatures. Some of our personal favorites include:
The Guarantee
How many companies stand behind their product and service in 2020? I seriously think it's something of the past, exceptional quality and service are hard to find these days. Would you agree? Salty Scales offers a 365-day guarantee on all shirts; if there is a defect or a failure during that year, we replace the garment with no questions asked. Make sure whomever you purchase from, that they back their product. We hope you have enjoyed this article, don't hesitate to share your thoughts below and we look forward to serving you well into the future. Since it is New Year's Eve, lets toast to 2020.
