Sunday Afternoons UVShield Cool Sleeves Review
We drive big cars with big windows which is great for seeing everything on the road, but not so great for our skin. We 4×4ers also tend to roll down our windows a lot so we can see tight margins better, or just to keep cool, and obviously when we do this more of those harmful rays hit our skin.
FACT: Exposure to the damaging UV rays can lead to skin cancer.
So what can we do about it in our cars?
Modern windscreens generally block most UV light, but untreated side and rear windows often let 4-56% of harmful UVA rays through. This repeated, unnoticeable exposure over daily commutes leads to uneven tanning and photoaging. When the sun is out a lot of us slap on the suncream before we go anywhere, and recently that is exactly what I’ve been doing, but in Britain it is not something we think to do at other times of the year, even though those rays are still very potent.
Photo from In2skin Co showing the difference in sun damage of a truck driver’s hands!
There are also the days when you head out in cloudy weather, only to end up sat in your greenhouse of a car, in full blistering sun, stuck in a traffic jam on the M6 (or whatever highway to hell you drive).
This happened to me recently, heading to watch Barry Manilow down at Birmingham Pulse (he is a fantastic showman, and I will not entertain anyone who disagrees). Luckily the day before I was sent these Sunday Afternoons UPF 50+ Cool Sleeves to review, and I’d put them straight into the car so they would be there to test the next time the sun appeared.
The sun was high in the sky, which meant my uncovered forearms were getting blasted, and I immediately felt like the skin was burning. In the past I have dragged whatever clothing I had in the car to cover my arms - not ideal but beats scorched skin. This time I grabbed the sleeves at popped them on (safety first - I was stationary in the jam).
Features & Fit
The sleeves create a physical shield to the sun, and they are also made of a Coolcore® fabric. If you haven’t come across Coolcore® before, they create fabrics with cooling technology engineered into every yarn, so they actually feel cool on the skin.
This cooling effect gave instant relief, and was a total game-changer, especially in my old Škoda which doesn’t have air-conditioning, and also has a broken driver’s side window (yes, I know I need a change, but the engine is bulletproof, also getting a newer car would involve spending money, and because of the current Strait of Hormuz fiasco, Damian needs all the money to fill up his 4×4😜). Coolcore® fabric is also moisture-wicking, quick-drying and breathable.
I have chunky arms and unfortunately they sent me the S/M size in white. They do have a nice bit of stretch so I can actually get them up to my T-shirt sleeve, but it feels a tad uncomfy on my upper flabby bits so I kept them just below the elbow, which luckily did cover where the sun shone that day. If you have chunky or muscular arms you’ll probably want to go for the M/L option.
Any Drawbacks?
The sleeves are great, but they aren’t long enough to cover your hand, and don’t have thumb holes. If you want full protection for your hands, unsurprisingly Sunday Afternoons have made matching UPF 50+ fingerless UVShield Cool Gloves, with anti-slip palms, too.
My Verdict
I love these so much that this set of sleeves has now taken up permanent residence in my car, ready to provide relief to my freckled arms, not just whilst driving, but also for spontaneous wanderings. I already have some sun damage on my arms, but hopefully these sleeves will help stop anything more sinister from occuring.
Sizes:
S/M - Sleeve Length: 19 inches / Bicep circumference: 10-12 inches
L/XL - Sleeve Length: 20.5 inches / Bicep circumference: 12-14 inches
Current Colours: Black, Cream & White (with a quick search there are other discontinued colours like pink, blue and patterns still available)
Price: £22.95
more at » https://www.sundayafternoons.co.uk/products/uvshield-cool-sleeves