How We Know SunClad Really Works: A Look Inside Our Testing Process

When we created SunClad, we knew it wasn’t enough to simply believe in it. We had to prove it. Sun protection is about people’s health, and that meant putting SunClad through rigorous, credible testing. Here’s how we did it.

Partnering with a Trusted Lab

We worked with TÜV SÜD, a globally recognized third-party testing lab with more than 150 years of experience and 25,000+ employees worldwide. Choosing a reputable lab was non-negotiable for us—because your trust matters.

Testing on Everyday Fabrics

We wanted to recreate the real-life conditions of your wardrobe, so naturally we tested SunClad on cotton!

Simulating a Wash at Home

The fabric was washed just as you’d wash laundry at home:

• Temperature: 60°C on a gentle cycle for 41 minutes
  

• Load size: 2.5 kg (a small to medium load)
  

• Detergent: standard consumer detergent
  

• Drying: tumble dried after wash
  

We added a SunClad pod to the wash, and then waited to see what would happen.

Recreating Sunlight in the Lab

To measure the difference, the washed fabrics were placed under simulated sunlight. The test used a combination of tungsten-halogen and deuterium lamps, which together cover the full UVA and UVB spectrum that reaches your skin outdoors.

The fabrics were then measured with a PerkinElmer Lambda 950 spectrophotometer—a precise machine that calculates how much UV radiation passes through.

The Results

Before SunClad, the cotton fabric had a UPF of 4.5—meaning 24.5% of UV rays still reached the skin.

After just one wash with SunClad, that same fabric measured at UPF 40.2. Only 2.5% of UV rays could pass through. That’s a 90% increase in protection from the same shirt, simply by washing it once with a SunClad pod.

Why This Matters

We wanted proof that SunClad really transforms your everyday clothes into a shield against the sun—and we got it. The testing confirmed what we hoped: SunClad can make a simple cotton T-shirt as protective as specialized UPF clothing, without changing the way it looks or feels so that you can embrace the outdoors in the clothes you already own and love!