The IceRays field guide
Your lawn bowls guide
A game of bowls can keep you out on an open green for a few hours. There is not much shade on the rink, and the sun does not ease off just because the breeze feels cool. A pair of sun sleeves is a simple way to cover your arms for the whole game, without greasy hands on the bowl. Here is how to fit them into your club day.
Why your arms cop it on the green
Bowls is played out in the open, often through the middle of the day. You stand on the bank, walk to the head, bend to deliver and wait for your turn. Your forearms are in the sun almost the whole time. In a short-sleeved club shirt, there is nothing between them and the sky.
Cancer Council says to protect your skin whenever the UV Index is 3 or above, and that UV can be high on cool, cloudy days. You cannot see or feel UV. A mild morning with a breeze across the green can still be a high UV day, so check the UV, not the thermometer. The free SunSmart app shows the sun protection times for your town.
What a sun sleeve does, and what it does not
An IceRays sleeve is a light, stretchy tube of fabric that covers your arm from the upper arm down to the wrist. UPF is the sun rating for fabric, a bit like SPF for sunscreen. UPF 50+ blocks 98%+ of UV that lands on the fabric.
IceRays sleeve fabric was tested by ARPANSA in 2015 (black sample) (PDF, opens in a new tab) and rated UPF 50+. That result belongs to the black sample that was tested. It is not a new test of every colour or of wet or stretched fabric.
A sleeve covers your arms. It does not cover your hands, face, neck or ears, so you still want a hat, sunscreen on the skin that is left bare, and sunglasses. Think of sleeves as one part of the routine, not the whole of it. Our page on sleeves and sunscreen explains how the two work together.
Keep sunscreen off your grip
Here is a familiar problem. You put sunscreen on your arms, some of it ends up on your palms, and the bowl feels slick in your hand. With sleeves on, there is far less skin to cover.
Put sunscreen on your face, ears, neck and the backs of your hands before you leave home. Let it soak in, then wipe your palms. Cancer Council recommends SPF50 or SPF50+ broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen, put on 20 minutes before you go outside and put on again every two hours. In a long game, a break between ends is a good time to top up your face and hands. Wipe your palms again afterwards.
If you would rather cover the backs of your hands with fabric, IceRays also makes hand covers. They cover the back of the hand and leave the palm free for your grip.
Try them with your delivery
Before your first game in sleeves, try them at home with the shirt you wear on the green. Step into your delivery stance, bend low and swing your arm through as if you were sending a bowl. Then check three things:
- The sleeve stays up and does not slide down your arm.
- There is no bare gap between your shirt sleeve and the top of the sleeve.
- The cuff sits at your wrist and does not catch on your watch or the bowl.
The sleeve should feel snug but comfortable, never tight. One size fits all adults. To put one on, gather the sleeve at the wrist end, slide it up your arm, then smooth the fabric. If a sleeve still feels tight or keeps slipping, contact us and we will help. Our fit guide has more tips.
A sleeve will not change your line or your weight. It is there to cover your arm. Once it is on, you should be able to forget about it and play.
Club whites, colours and dress rules
Clubs and associations each set their own dress rules for pennant, social bowls and tournaments. Some ask for whites or club colours. Before you buy for a pennant side, check what your club allows.
IceRays come in White, Black, Beige, Light Blue, Light Grey and Charcoal. White and Beige sit quietly with club whites. Black and Charcoal suit darker uniforms. Colours can sell out, so check the product page for your country.
Cancer Council notes that, for the same fabric, darker colours usually absorb more UV than pale ones. Only the black sample was in the 2015 test. Our page on whether sleeve colour matters goes through it in plain words.
Buying for yourself, a partner or the whole side
One pair is two sleeves, one for each arm. If you play two or three times a week, a second pair means you always have a clean one while the other is being washed. Follow the care label on your sleeves.
The IceRays 4-pack is AUD 120 for four pairs. That is $30 a pair, and it saves $31.80 on buying four single pairs. In the US the 4-pack is USD 100. You can mix colours in the pack, so a 4-pack can be shared with a bowls partner or split around the rink.
Some bowls shops stock IceRays too. Our stockists page lists retailers we have checked, including Bendigo Jack High Bowls. Ring the shop first to check they have your colour.
A simple club-day checklist
- Check the UV for your town in the morning.
- Put your sleeves on before you leave home, so you are covered in the car park and on the bank.
- Sunscreen on your face, ears, neck and the backs of your hands. Wipe your palms.
- A broad-brimmed hat. Cancer Council suggests a brim of at least 7.5 cm, if your club allows hats.
- Sunglasses that meet the Australian Standard.
- A water bottle, and a seat in the shade between games when you can get one.
- A clean spare pair of sleeves in your bowls bag.
Running the club, or on the committee? Our lawn bowls SunSmart guide covers shade, playing times and a simple sun policy for the whole club, using Cancer Council advice.
Watch: putting on a sleeve
Questions and answers
Will sleeves affect my delivery?
They should not. The fabric stretches with your arm. Try a few practice deliveries at home in your club shirt, and check the sleeve stays up and the cuff sits at your wrist.
Can I wear sun sleeves in pennant?
Dress rules differ between clubs and associations, so ask yours first. White or Beige usually sits well with club whites, but check about colour before you order for a side.
Do I still need sunscreen if I wear sleeves?
Yes, on the skin the sleeves do not cover: your face, ears, neck and the backs of your hands. Sleeves just mean less sunscreen to put on, and less of it on your palms.
Do I need sleeves on a cool or cloudy day?
Cancer Council says UV can be high on cool, cloudy days. Check the UV Index for your town. If it is 3 or above, cover up.
What size should I get?
One size fits all adults. If a sleeve feels tight or keeps slipping, contact us and we will help.
How many sleeves are in a pair?
Two, one for each arm. A 4-pack has four pairs, so eight sleeves.