Properly made sun-protective clothing requires special treatment and is relatively expensive. Cheap sun-protective clothing is often a gimmick and only provides the sun protection of ordinary long-sleeved clothing.
Professional protective suits used by astronauts and other special groups are extremely expensive and offer protection against ultraviolet rays and radiation.
Good sun-protective fabrics not only block ultraviolet rays but also quickly wick away sweat to the fabric surface and dry quickly; inferior fabrics are absorbent and have poor breathability, making them uncomfortable and potentially causing heat rash after prolonged wear.
Ordinary fabrics offer better sun protection than any sunscreen, while sun-protective fabrics offer better sun protection than ordinary fabrics. However, the sun protection effect of fabrics with added sun-protective agents will decrease after multiple washes. Among ordinary fabrics, in terms of color, darker colors (e.g., black) offer higher ultraviolet protection. In terms of texture, among synthetic fibers, polyester is superior to nylon, and nylon is superior to rayon and silk.
