What Are the Best Colors and Fabrics for UV Protection (2024)

One of the most important functions of a patio umbrella is UV protection. Many people enjoy spending their leisure time out in the sun, but it does come with its fair share of consequences. However, instead of hiding behind concrete walls and staying in when you want to go out, you should look for ways you can beat the UV rays.

A good patio umbrella with the right fabric and color might be just what you need. Patio umbrellas are not just an aesthetic addition to your patio but are highly functional when protecting you from UV rays. The key, however, is to choose the right fabric and colors for UV protection.

What Are The Best Colors for UV Protection?

With so many color options available, it can be difficult to choose the best color for your patio umbrella. But if it is UV protection that you are concerned about, the best color option is black. The color option black is very popular because of its ability to block UV rays.

Out of all the colors in the spectrum, black absorbs the most light and heat. If you have a black patio umbrella canopy, you can rest under it on hot sunny days without letting the heat bother you. Moreover, the black color is also a good option for people since it does not reflect much heat or light.

So if you're wondering if black is a good color to use during those hot summer days, the answer is yes. The black color absorbs heat but does not reflect any back, which means some heat will pass through. So even though it can be a good option for a canopy, other colors can be better at reflecting light, keeping your deck cooler.

What Other Color Options Do You Have?

If you think that a black patio umbrella will not go too well with your patio's aesthetic, then you can opt for other color options. Other colors can also help you ward off UV rays. Dark colors on the spectrum are most likely to absorb light and limit the UV rays that hit you.

Some of the dark color options include brown, dark blue, and dark green are some of the best choices for a darker canopy. They can be both aesthetic and functional as they block UV rays.

Moreover, the color options usually depend on how you use the canopy. For instance, if you are not going to spend a long time out in the sun, you can consider getting a light-colored umbrella. These may prevent the UV rays for a shorter time than the black umbrella, but they can be a great addition to the aesthetic of your patio.

Color can indeed make a lot of difference for UV protection; however, there are other factors that you must consider. For instance, the patio umbrella fabric is also a very important aspect that can help you choose the patio umbrella.

What Are The Best Fabrics for UV Protection?

Fabric is very important when choosing a patio umbrella, as the right fabric can give you great UV protection. There are multiple fabric options available. However, your patio umbrella fabric must have a UV protection factor of 50.

Therefore, when choosing the right fabric for your patio umbrella, you need to consider whether it is UV resistant or not. A UV-resistant fabric is a good choice as it typically allows only 2-10% of UV rays. These umbrella fabrics are tightly knit and do not let any heat pass through the gaps in the fabric. Since UV rays have a shorter wavelength, they can easily penetrate the tightest fabrics. Here are two of the most popular fabric options that offer UV protection:

Terylast

Terylast is made of heavy-duty polyester fabric, which makes it a very good choice for people looking for UV-resistant fabric. These umbrella fabrics are for places that have extreme exposure to UV rays. The fabric typically blocks off 98% of UV rays, making it one of the top options.

In addition to its UV protection, the Terylast also comes in several sharp colors, so you don't have to settle for black color and choose any other. This fabric is also fade-resistant, making it completely unsusceptible to damage from the sun.

If you choose Terylast fabric, you won't have to worry about UV rays having dangerous effects on your skin.

Sunbrella

Subrella is also a popular fabric option for patio umbrellas. This fabric is made using the Tenara sewing thread with acrylic dyes. Acrylic is one of the best choices for deciding on a fabric for outdoor umbrellas.

This fabric comes with a seal of approval from the Skin Cancer Foundation, certifying that it is safe to use. The Sunbrella fabric offers a 98-99% blockage of UV rays. This fabric has passed the testing requirements and has a UPF (Ultra Violet Protection). This makes this fabric a sure choice to ensure that your patio umbrella is UV resistant and won't harm your skin.

Midtown Umbrellas Can Give You What You Are Looking For!

If you are looking for the right color and fabric for your umbrella, reach out to Midtown Umbrellas today! We have the best fabrics, along with a plethora of color options. Simply tell us what you are looking for, and we can help you find the best patio umbrella options.

Let our patio umbrellas protect you!

What Are the Best Colors and Fabrics for UV Protection (2024)

FAQs

What color is best for UV protection? ›

Dark or bright colors

Darker colors, such as blue or black, absorb more UV rays than lighter shades like whites and pastels. This means the UV rays are less likely to reach your skin. But bright colors, like red, can also absorb UV rays.

What is the best fabric for UV protection? ›

Darker fabrics usually provide more UV protection than lighter ones. Denser weaves provide more UV protection than looser weaves. Polyester and nylon offer more sun protection than natural fibers.

What kind of clothing is best for UV protection? ›

Lightweight and long-sleeved shirts and pants.

It's important to cover up as much of your skin as possible when spending time outdoors. When selecting clothing, avoid fabrics with a loose or open weave, such as lace. In addition, dark colors offer more protection than light colors.

What colors absorb the most UV? ›

Dark or bright colors, including red, black and navy blue, absorb more UV rays than lighter colors like whites and pastels.

What is the best color to wear in hot weather? ›

(WEHT) – During the hot Summer months, we often recommend wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing to help stay cool. The reason behind that is that lighter colors, for example white, will reflect most of the sun's wavelengths. That reflection will keep those fabrics cooler.

What color does not absorb UV? ›

Fabrics with darker or more intense colors tended to have better UV absorption. Deep blue shades offered the highest absorption, while yellow shades offered the least.

What is the most UV resistant material? ›

Acrylic is among the only manufacturing materials that is inherently UV-resistant. It is a transparent plastic that suffers as little as 3% degradation over a 10-year period when used in outdoor applications. Acrylic also offers good scratch resistance, making it an excellent choice for long-term use.

Can UV pass through fabric? ›

While UV rays can go through most clothing, especially if the colors aren't dark, you can purchase special outdoor clothing that blocks UV rays.

Does shade cloth stop UV? ›

Shade fabrics also come in a range of outdoor shade products for personal use and are considered effective from 80.0 to 90.9% UVE; very effective form 91.0-94.9% and 95% UVE or greater is considered to provide the most effective protection.

What color clothing reflects the sun? ›

1. Wear White. A white object is white because it reflects white light, and white light is a combination of all the visible colors. This means that a white shirt (or pants) will reflect most of the light and not get hot.

What color umbrella is best for sun protection? ›

When it comes to sun protection and blocking UV rays, the best color patio umbrella to block sun is black. Without getting into physics too much, dark colors (and especially black) tend to absorb more light and, therefore, block more heat coming from the sun on a summer day.

What 3 things can you wear to avoid UV light exposure? ›

Protect your skin with clothing

Long-sleeved shirts, long pants, or long skirts cover the most skin and are the most protective. Dark colors generally provide more protection than light colors. A tightly woven fabric protects better than loosely woven clothing. Dry fabric is generally more protective than wet fabric.

What fabric blocks UV rays? ›

Shiny polyesters and even lightweight satiny silks can be highly protective because they reflect radiation. High-tech fabrics treated with chemical UV absorbers or dyes prevent some penetration from UV rays. Fit: Loose-fitting apparel is preferable.

What color is coolest in the sun? ›

White. It's no surprise white came up as the color that stayed the coolest from the results. Temperature readings showed the surfaces of the white shirts wavered around 86 degrees Fahrenheit, which is considerably low compared to the 122 degrees Fahrenheit of the dark green shirts.

Do UV rays go through jeans? ›

It's possible for UV rays to pass through clothing and reach the skin.

Is it better to wear white or black in the sun? ›

Black and dark colors absorb more UV rays than other colors, which will ensure they don't hit your skin as much. Essentially, the darker the color, the more sun protection it will offer. Besides black, other dark colors that can provide a level of sun protection include navy, maroon, and dark gray.

What colors glow best in UV light? ›

Bright white and fluorescent colors glow the brightest under black light. Fluorescent green, pink, orange and yellow are good choices.

What color plastic is most UV resistant? ›

Acrylic is among the only manufacturing materials that is inherently UV-resistant. It is a transparent plastic that suffers as little as 3% degradation over a 10-year period when used in outdoor applications.

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