Best Gaiter for Sun Protection

Gaiters are one of our favorite ways to protect faces, ears and necks from UV damage, but not all neck gaiters are created equal. To help you choose the best gaiter for sun protection, we’ll examine our favorite UPF gaiter to highlight what makes it so great for UV protection.

Certified UPF UV Protection

First and foremost, all of Rayward Apparel’s products are rated for certified UPF protection. Everything is at least UPF 30, but our Del Mar gaiter is UPF 50+. This is the highest level of UV protection for fabrics. UPF ratings below UPF 30 will block a smaller percent of UV rays. Worse yet, their effectiveness will likely diminish even more when materials are subject to moisture, which is common when sweating or around water. The end result of our safety-first approach is an amazing neck gaiter with the highest possible ultraviolet protection factor.

Super Soft & Stretchy Fabric

One of the first things you’ll notice when you wear Rayward Apparel’s UPF 50+ gaiter is that it’s extremely soft and stretchy. After all, a gaiter must be worn to be effective, so comfort can’t be compromised. Fortunately, in the case of our UPF gaiter, it isn’t. You’ll love the buttery soft feel of our gaiters which feature a fabric blend designed to stretch and flex, but still rest securely around your head and neck.

Lightweight & Breathable UPF Gaiter

Something else you’ll notice right away about Rayward Apparel’s Del Mar UPF gaiter is that it’s very light and breathable. Don’t let the lightweight fabric fool you into thinking this gaiter won’t do its number one job, however, because it’s been tested and verified as UPF 50+. That means these feather-weight gaiters punch above their weight-class, blocking greater than 98% of the sun’s UV rays. Plus, this same lightweight fabric is also extremely breathable, so you won’t feel stifled or uncomfortable with the Rayward Apparel UPF gaiter pulled up over your face.

Durable & Detailed Finishing

From afar, many neck gaiters look the same. However, it's upon closer inspection that you’ll notice the little details that make a big difference in quality and performance. For starters, Rayward Apparel’s UPF gaiters feature finished seams. This prevents the ends from unraveling or curling up, as often happens on gaiters with unfinished edges. Additionally, we use a flexible yet durable thread that provides the stretch you need to wear our gaiter multiple ways (more on that below), but it won’t stay stretched out. Instead, it bounces back to form, allowing you to continue enjoying our UPF gaiters for years to come.

A UPF Gaiter Designed for Versatility

Rayward Apparel’s Del Mar UPF 50+ gaiters are the perfect example of addition by subtraction. Some of our competitors add “features” like ear loops, nose bridges, mouth vents and so on. However, we know those offer little to nothing in terms of improved sun protection or performance. In fact, some of these features can even lower the sun-blocking effectiveness of the gaiter. 

There are two big advantages of our less is more approach. First, you won’t pay for anything that isn’t creating a better product. Second, you have more flexibility with how you choose to wear our gaiter. That could mean you twist it into a temporary hair tie, or fold it into a beanie. Because of its closed tube design, our sun gaiter will look just as good worn down around your neck as it will pulled up over your head into a hood. Therefore, you have the freedom to figure out your favorite way to wear the versatile UPF gaiter from Rayward Apparel. Of course, we recommend you wear our UPF however it safely offers you the greatest UV protection.

You can now purchase our favorite UPF gaiter, Rayward Apparel’s Del Mar UPF 50+ Lightweight UV Neck Gaiter!

If you’re still not convinced that your neck need protecting, check out this short video. It shows how UV rays cause skin cancer and aging:

* Rayward Apparel’s UPF gaiters are not designed for preventing the spread of disease. Our UPF 50+ gaiter is tested for UV protection, but not for effectiveness at preventing the spread of disease, such as COVID19. It should therefore not be used as an alternative to any appropriately-rated face masks.