UV PROTECTION

The sun is hot, but sunburn is not. Everyone knows that a good dose of sunscreen will do the body good, but as the athletic and outdoorsy types will tell you, creams, sweat and water are not the best combination for allday protection.

Columbia Sportswear Co., however, is combating harmful UV rays with its Omni-Shade apparel that is UPF (Ultra-violet Protection Factor) rated (pictured). The mesh, venting and lightweight fabrics with UPF 15 protect the wearer from 93.3% of the sun’s UV rays, and the UPF 50 kicks up the protection to 97.5%. The absorbent yarn actually catches the rays before they can hit the skin.

The products span across women’s, men’s and kid’s apparel, as well as accessories—all of which offer a wide variety of styles. Merchandise is available on www.columbia.com as well as The Sports Authority and Dick’s Sporting Goods.