I recently discovered the UV Skinz clothing line, which offers a variety of travel clothing options with built in UV and and UVB radiation protection. Yes, really — there’s a clothing line that protects you from the sun’s harmful rays, which is a godsend for avid travelers.
While it may not substitute having to put sun block on your face, the rest of you is protected. The line is specifically targeting active families who spend time in the sun, whether that’s on a weekend getaway or a holiday trip.
They offer a line for men, women and children. I absolutely love their hoodies! Below is a stylish men’s hoodie in blue, although the same one comes in a variety of colors, something else I love about the UV Skinz clothing line – they believe in color and give people choices. Unlike so many travel clothing options which often only have tan, blue, white and black, or the standard very masculine red, you can get this hoodie in orange, green, black, a deep blue and a bright, fun turquoise color.
Flatlock-stitched seams throughout, heat transferred label and covered neck seam are smooth next to skin for zero irritation. Since they’re so family friendly, they even offer matching hoodies for kids. They are made from their certified UPF 50+ pique fabric and are chlorine and salt water resistant.
In fact, all of UV Skinz sun and swimwear are made with UPF 50+ fabric specifically designed to block 98% of the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays.
They also do swim gear, shirts, pants, shorts, hoodies, jackets, and even hats. While the below bucket hat for men is shown in an off-white, true to their commitment to color, it comes in four fun color combo options, the tan/blue combo being my favorite. And, what’s great is that the price point is reasonable, the below hat available for only $24.95, a small price to pay to protect your face.
In addition to hoodies and more traditional gear, they have a great and colorful line of water jackets for only $55.95. It’s a casual, breezy jacket, which is perfect for wearing over your swimwear or a favorite tee to stay protected from the sun. It makes for a great option for water aerobics or while you’re out on an open boat for the day.
Like the rest of their gear, the material is made from their certified UPF 50+ breathable sun fabric, which makes it quick drying and chlorine and salt water resistant. The jacket has a two-way zipper and front pockets, flat lock seams throughout with contrast piping. It comes in multiple colors including a fun bright pink and they offer plus sizes as well.
Speaking of bright pink, I recently tested out the hooded beach cover up for women on a trip to Curacao this month. And yes, they offered bright pink, as well as aqua green, a turquoise blue and black. In hindsight, I think the blue may have been the way to go despite my initial reaction to the ever so loud but fun pink.
I loved the fit and its breezy, fluid knit fabric makes it easy to throw in your beach bag or pool bag for everyday use, not to mention your luggage. Note that it didn’t really wrinkle despite the fact that I packed and repacked three times over the course of my trip.
It’s hard to stay out of the sun when you travel and while I use sunscreen, it’s easy to forget that sun can still be damaging particularly when the sun is Caribbean “hot.” I think this hoodie option is a great option for boaters as well. After all, who doesn’t want to be styling when they’re cruising on the wide open sea?
What I loved most about this one was its feminine features — rather than the traditional more masculine sweatshirt cut, it has soft belled sleeves and a front laced neckline, with an oversized hoot and a lapped opening at the neck, making it wearable for more occasions.
It was nice to know I was protected out there — a sense of relief if you will. I definitely plan on bringing it with me on my next trip, but yes yes, I should have gone with the blue — a better outfit matcher making it more likely me to wear in non-Caribbean and beach environments and it would be a bit easier in the blazing heat.
They also have Warm Skinz products, which are designed for extended water activities, which is great for boating, swimming, waterskiing and other fun water sports. The clothing is made with lightweight, quick drying microfibre knit sleeves and .5 mm neoprene body — all engineered to also provide 98% protection from the sun’s damaging rays.
Below, we wear ’em proudly at Graceland in Memphis Tennessee. They’re super comfortable and go with everything. (their color variation is quite broad)
Ahhh yes, and perfect for along the California coast, which was the tail end of our recent cross country trip.
The passion behind the company came from a sad, personal story. UV Skinz creator and CEO Rhonda Sparks lost her 32 year old husband to melanoma. This tragedy drove her to start the company and create a UV protective product line for the entire family, ranging from 3 months to 4XL.
While we haven’t tried out the kids products yet, we’d like to in the coming months, so stay tuned for a kid-friendly version — kids treat clothing a little differently than adults, so we’d love to see how it holds up to travel and wear and tear, and of course, those hot beating rays.
Two thumbs up so far! We’d love to see where this company goes and what other clothing offerings come out in the coming months ahead. For more information and to order, check out their site.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
