What else does social responsibility and sun protection mean to LIVESTRONG?

For us, this also means protection from the sun. There are many legal restrictions to deem a product UV protective due to fabric and sleeve length. We always encourage our vendors to provide this very important, preventative measure as one additional way to protect skin against damage.

For instance, the Nike requirements for UV protective clothing includes both fabric selection and body coverage. Fabric selection must meet all testing requirements for acceptable UV protection - a minimum of 40 UPF for apparel and 50 UPF for headwear.

In addition, the body coverage requirements are also important in this process. For a shirt/top to be considered UV protective, the coverage must extend from the base of the neck down to the hip, across the shoulders and down to majority of the upper arm (no sleeveless, cap sleeves, tank tops, etc). For a short/bottom to be considered UV protective, the coverage must extend from the waist down to below the patella (knee cap). For headwear to be considered UV protective, the coverage must cover or shade the entire scalp, ears, forehead and back of the neck. A typical baseball cap will not meet these requirements.

Since all of our cycling gear materials are made in Europe, where the standard is a UPF rating on fabrics, the range of the UPF ratings is measured up to 50. Our jerseys are made of Michron fabric and our shorts and bibs are made of Moxie. Both of these fabrics have a UPF of 50+.

UV protective apparel and headwear helps protect all covered areas from harmful UV rays. We always suggest that you wear sunscreen, under all apparel and headwear, and take other precautions to protect skin (including wearing a full coverage hat and limiting sun exposure during peak hours).