Some Frequently asked questions regarding the Tilley Hat and sun protection:
Which Tilley hat styles have been approved as an excellent form of sun protection?
Every Tilley Hat has been certified as providing “excellent ultraviolet protection” with a rating of UPF 50+, the maximum rating given. Both the fabric and the styles have been rated. The Tilley Cap made of Nylamtium also has been certified as UPF 50+.
What is UPF? Is it similar to SPF?
UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. A UPF rating is granted to apparel or gear that has been tested and proven to block a certain amount of ultraviolet radiation. UPF is similar to SPF, except that UPF means the UV testing was conducted on fabric rather than on people’s skin. An SPF rating only applies to lotions applied directly to the skin, not fabrics.
How were the Hats tested?
The Fabrics were tested on a machine called an UV 1000F Ultraviolet Transmittance Analyzer. This machine measures the spectral transmittance of a fabric sample, converting data to an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) for determining the fabric’s protective ability. Tilley Hats and Caps have been tested against the standards developed by The American Society for Testing Methods (ASTM) Committee D-13.65 and the American Association for Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) for UV testing and labeling of sun protective clothing and shade devices.
The fabrics have been tested by the International UV Testing Laboratory. All Tilley Hats have been certified to block 98% of harmful UVA/UVB radiation, and deliver an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) of 50+, the maximum rating given.
Does this mean if I wear a Tilley Hat that I no longer need to wear sunscreen?
NO! The UPF rating refers to the ability of the Hat’s fabric to block the sun, not necessarily how much protection the person under it receives. This is all relative to where the sun is positioned in the sky (the time of day), as well as how much sun is being reflected from the surface of water, sand, snow, pavement and so forth. In addition to wearing a Tilley Hat, we strongly recommend the application of sunscreen with a minimum SPF rating of 15, as well as wearing UV-filtering sunglasses.
