Vapor Apparel Men's Outdoor UPF 50+ Long Sleeve T-Shirt, UV Sun Protection for Fishing, Running, Hiking, Swimming

I prefer to use clothes instead of sunscreen when I can and on those body parts I can since clothes can’t sweat off or wear off in the middle of a ride. I had some good long-sleeve shirts from REI the last couple of years but they were hard to keep clean and were beginning to wear out. Although I would have liked to have replaced them with long-sleeve hot-weather shirts with front pockets (for use while cycling on recumbent bikes), I can’t seem to find any even from manufacturers that specialize in recumbent gear. So I decided to try these.I usually wear L or XL shirts. I bought these in L and they fit me perfectly (5’10”/200lbs). I think the XL would have been a little loose and blousey on me, the L isn’t snug it just fits right.The colors I chose are white, yellow, and orange. All three are bright and reflect enough light to be very visible and not get too hot when under direct sunlight. I like the yellow and orange more than the white which is borderline translucent. I have received several compliments on the yellow and orange shirts in the couple of weeks I’ve been using them.It’s been darn hot and humid here in NYC the last couple of weeks and these shirts have done their job: I’m not getting any UV exposure through the material, they feel nice on my skin, and the sweat is wicked away very efficiently. I wash them in cold water with other clothes using normal laundry detergent with no softeners, then 20 minutes in the dryer with the other clothes, then I pull them out of the dryer (leaving the other clothes in the dryer) and hang them to finish drying.I hope they don’t stretch out at the cuffs and neck over time, and last as long as the REI shirts did.I wish Vapor would make long pants using this material!edit: I've had my three Vapor shirts for 6 weeks now and still really like them. I've had to snip a few threads here and there but even though they look cheaply made they're holding together pretty well under almost daily use. Two issues: 1- If the slightest bit of bike schmutz makes contact with the shirt it becomes a permanent stain – nothing I've tried will get it out. 2- The shirts are a little delicate: I stumbled into a concrete wall when dismounting from my bike making contact with my shoulder and the shirt developed a (small) hole in that shoulder. I sewed it up and it's still usable but I don't think any other shirt I've ever owned would have shown damage that that insignificant incident.I'd still buy more, I do plan to buy more next year. I like the yellow and orange a lot more than the white (which as I stated above is a little translucent and also shows off the unwashable dirt more clearly). At this price I think I have to accept that they are going to last me only one or two warm seasons of near-daily use rather than three to five years as I became accustomed to with my previous long-sleeve sun-protection cycling shirts that cost 4x as much.

I think I now have eight of these shirts. I cherish them for the hot and buggy seasons. They are cool and dry quickly. The fabric is lightweight, and feels nice, like a silk, but is cooler than silk. The fabric is also resilient, washing well, and not prone to ripping. Stains come out well.I didn’t get it for the UV blocking, although that’s a benefit. I got the first order as an experiment because of the biting insects, black flies and mosquitoes, that tear me up. The long sleeves are a big help, and I get zero bites through the fabric. I don’t like putting on bug spray, so this is hugely valuable for me!Overall, there is no down side. I love them. I highly recommend them, and will purchase more.I wish there was a teal color. Purple, too.

I ordered two of these for a trip to Crazy Horse Monument, Mt. Rushmore, Grand Tetons, etc. I didn't want to have to grease up with sunscreen every day. Prior to ordering, I measure myself (primarily chest - be honest with yourself on your gut, etc.). In doing so, I ordered XL and the fit was perfect. The material may be slightly heavier than some, but I can't complain. Shirts are very comfortable, and did the job perfectly. Temps on the trip were in the mid '70s, but UV at altitudes over 7000 ft. can be very damaging. No burn at all, and the shirts stayed dry.The only negative is the stitching is coming appart at the wrist on both shirts/one arm (two different ways). One is separating a bit vertically up the sleeve; the other is around the wrist. It's may not be so much a quality issue as the way I used the shirt. At rest stops on the tour, I pushed the sleeves up my forearms to keep the wrist area dry while I washed my hands. This stretched the wrist areas significantly (I'm not Arnold Swarzenegger, but have decent sized forearms). I'm sure this stressed the stitching a good bit in those areas, so quality issue? Not sure I should really expect more but I'm marking 4-stars just because of that. I would buy these again, as they are reasonably priced, decent quality shirts that do the job.

Overall this is an excellent swim shirt. It's looser than most rash guards (which is what I wanted - already have some rash guards) - so it's comfortable to wear around outside the pool area to protect from the sun. Sleeves are a little long, but that's ok, easy to push them up and for those with longer limbs you'll appreciate it.For SPF protection, these seem to do well. Wore one of these (in blue) on a beach vacation, no problems with sunburn under the shirt. Another thing I like is that the neck opening is not too big (so you don't get too much sun there). It's less coverage than my rash guards, but more than what appears out there in one of the other brands of swim shirt. To me, this is a good balance between comfort/wearability outside a pool area vs. a rash guard. Also, did not get as hot as I would have expected given it was a synthetic long sleeve (I think the looser fit helps vs. a rash guard)I wore these in water and they were fine - didn't particularly float up as I was worried given the looser fit. Overall, I would recommend this product, a good solid product at a very fair price.I have this in another color which is great. My only knock on the pearl gray is that when wet it is a little see through. This may or may not bother you given it's a men's swim shirt. I returned mine, no problem and have other colors which are good.