Sun sleeve guides for every activity

Whatever gets you outdoors, your arms are usually the part left in the sun. This page gathers every IceRays activity page and guide in one place, with a line on what each one covers. Start with the activity you do most, then dip into the guides when a question comes up. Every page is written in plain words, and none of them will try to blind you with science.

If you only read one thing first, make it the short version: UPF tells you how much of the sun's UV gets through a fabric, and UPF 50+ blocks 98%+ of UV. The IceRays fabric was tested by ARPANSA in 2015 (black sample) and rated UPF 50+. One size fits all adults. A four-pack is AUD 120, which is $30 a pair.

On the course, the green and the court

• Golf - four or five hours outdoors with little chance to top up sunscreen. How sleeves fit with your swing, your glove and a round in the heat.
• Lawn bowls - long sessions on an open green, often in club whites. Colour, club dress and a familiar kit routine.
• Tennis - open courts with little shade and hard surfaces that bounce UV back up. Fit through the serve, club whites and why a visor is not enough.
• Cricket - a full day in the field for players, umpires, scorers and the family on the boundary. Whites, playing rules and the kit sleeves do not replace.
• Pickleball (US) - for our American players: open play, outdoor courts and a sun plan for long sessions, with US prices.

In the garden and on the trail

• Gardening - reaching, weeding and pruning with your forearms out. Sun cover for the garden, kept honest about thorns.
• Walking and everyday wear - the morning walk, the school pick-up, the dog. Easy cover for the time you spend outdoors without planning it.
• Hiking - longer days with a pack on, where the weather can change. Fit with straps, layers and the whole route.
• Cycling - arms forward on the bars for hours. Fit in the riding position and what to pair with sleeves on the bike.
• Horse riding - from catching the horse to the drive home with the float. Gloves, competitions and why sleeves are not riding protection.

On the road and on the water

• Driving - your window arm catches the sun on long drives. That is the right arm in Australia and the left arm in the US.
• Fishing - hours on the jetty, the beach or the boat, with sun off the water. Handling hooks, knives and wet gear.
• Kayaking - arms out on the paddle with glare off the water. The honest facts about wet fabric, and why a dry spare pair belongs in your dry bag.

Start here: the sleeve basics

• UV arm sleeves: the complete guide - everything in one place, from what sleeves are to choosing a pack.
• Arm sleeves vs sunscreen - when each one makes sense, and why most people use both.
• Will one size fit me? - how the sizing works, how a sleeve should feel and how to put one on with stiff hands.
• Does sleeve colour matter? - what colour changes, what it does not, and the six colours on offer.
• How to care for sun sleeves - looking after your pair so it lasts, starting with the care label.
• Do arm sleeves protect from the sun? - a straight answer, with the evidence and its limits.

UPF, UV and the science made simple

• What does UPF 50+ mean? - the rating explained in plain words.
• UPF 30 vs 40 vs 50+ - what the numbers on clothing labels mean and how they compare.
• UPF vs SPF explained - why a clothing rating and a sunscreen number are not the same thing.
• The UV index for Australians - how to read the daily forecast and when to cover up.
• The 2015 ARPANSA test details (PDF, opens in a new tab) - what was tested, when, and what the result does and does not cover.

Staying comfortable in the heat

• Do cooling sleeves work? - an honest answer about how the fabric feels and what it cannot do.
• The wet test - what wetting a sleeve really shows, and the difference between feeling cool and being protected.
• Golf in the heat over 60 - a simple plan for hot rounds, from tee time to the walk off the 18th.

Driving and the car window

• Can you get sun through a car window? - what gets through the glass, and which arm catches it.
• Sun sleeves vs window tint - what each one does for drivers, and when you might want both.
• Hands on the wheel - sun on your hands and arms on long drives.

Gardening guides

• Gardening in the sun - how to cover up without overheating.
• The best time to garden by the UV index - plan your jobs around the gentler parts of the day.
• UV vs thorn protection, honestly - what a light sleeve can and cannot handle in the garden.

Golf guides

• Sun protection for golfers - why arms burn even with sunscreen on, and what to do about it.
• Do sleeves affect your swing? - a simple fit check you can do on the practice tee.
• Choosing golf sun sleeves - six things to check before you buy.

For older skin

• Sun sleeves for seniors - easy arm cover for the things you love, and how to put them on the easy way.
• Covering thin skin and bruising - what a light sleeve can and cannot do.

Comparing and buying

• IceRays vs Sparms - a fair, dated comparison of two arm sleeve brands.
• The four-pack - four pairs for AUD 120. That is $30 a pair, and $31.80 less than four single pairs.
• All arm sleeves - choose your colours and pack size.
• Stockists - shops that carry IceRays, if you would rather try before you buy.
• Frequently asked questions - quick answers on sizing, care, shipping and returns.

A few things every page has in common

Sleeves are one part of your sun cover, not the whole lot. Cancer Council recommends five steps together whenever the UV is 3 or above: covering clothing, sunscreen, a hat, shade and sunglasses. You will see that idea on every page, because it matters.

We also keep the claims honest. IceRays are light fabric for sun cover. They are not protective equipment, compression wear or a treatment for anything. Some people find the fabric feels cool, especially when a little damp in a breeze, but that is a comfort feeling. And the 2015 test was on the black sample, so we say so.

If you cannot find what you are looking for, get in touch. We are happy to help you choose.