Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody Review

The Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody offers up a simple, no-nonsense hooded sun shirt sewn with only essentials, to keep the weight and cost down. A slightly stretchy, sun-blocking fabric is used to craft this loose shirt, which features a head-covering hood and thumb loops to help keep hands out of the sun as well. If you're on a budget, or just want to keep a sunshirt around “just in case”, the Baleaf Hoody is a perfect entry point into sun protective clothing.

Comfort and Fit

The fabric of the Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody is a thin, sheer 100% polyester knit with more stretch laterally than vertically. We loved the raglan-style sleeves, which take care of that pesky seam that often runs along the very top of the shoulder or creates an awkward seam junction right at the pits. The hood features a three-panel design.

Seams throughout are a mixture of flatlock and serger seams. Both are very tough, but the serger seams stick out from the relatively thin fabric and may cause minor annoyance or chafing when worn under a backpack.

The fit of the Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody is loose but slightly on the small side. If you're between sizes, our suggestion is to size up. We measured the torso length at approx. 28.5" and a bottom width of around 22" for a size large. Sleeves are of a normal length for a regular long-sleeved shirt, but note that the thumb loops are behind the cuffs, not on or in front.

Our 5'11" tester found their lower back mostly covered when they raised their hands.   Credit: Justin Simoni

Although their belly was exposed up on front.   Credit: Justin Simoni

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Employing the thumb loops on the Baleaf will stretch out its sleeves more than other shirts.

Simple thumb loops are located just behind the cuffs to help cover your hands with the ends of the sleeves themself.   Credit: Justin Simoni

The thumb loops are located on the ends of the sleeves, rather than on extended cuffs, so you may experience the sleeves being pulled to make the extra length out.   Credit: Justin Simoni

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Sun Protection

As its name implies, the Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody claims that the fabric used has a UPF of 50+, translating to the blockage of 98% of damaging UV radiation. Furthermore, the Baleaf has a hood to cover your head, neck, and sides of your face, and thumb loops to help cover your hands. This sun hoodie doesn't feature a drop hem, so if the 29" torso length is on the short side of your body, you may find your lower back or belly exposed when your arms are raised or if you're bent over.

Our own UV Card test showed results that would slot it between other sun shirts that claim a UPF of between 30 UPF and 50 UPF, so we somewhat question the veracity of Baleaf's 50+ UPF claim. We also acknowledge that our own equipment does not give us a definitive UPF rating, but it is more useful as a way to compare fabrics collectively. We also tested the Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody in a very light gray, and generally, the lighter the color, the less UV blockage the shirt will have. If UV protection is vitally important to you, choose a deep or dark color.

We were a little nonplussed by the thumb loops and hood. Using the thumb loops really stretched out the sleeves to the point of being uncomfortable, creating pressure felt between the thumb and forefinger. The hood has no way to secure it around the head and would easily blow away in windy conditions.

We sometimes resorted to using a small office binder clip to keep the front of the hood secured to the bill of our hat.

Breathability

The majority of sun protective clothing is either knitted or woven. Knitted tops — like the Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody — are typically more breathable than their woven counterparts. This is because knitted fabric leaves small gaps where air can escape. This is a delicate balance, as these small holes also allow sunlight to reach the skin. The knit on the Baleaf is still fairly tight to prevent this.

We tested the Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody's air permeability by blowing a constant amount of air through the fabric, and seeing how much could easily pass through. Roughly 50% of the air blown through had no problem getting out at the pressure we were using. The most breathable tops let out almost 90%, while the least let out only 25%. One mark against the Baleaf is that it doesn't feature a zipper or buttons at the front to quickly let hot air escape from your chest.

We also test line-drying times to see how quickly water evaporates from the fabric. Knitted fabrics again have a leg up on woven fabrics, as the knit design exposes more surface area to the air, promoting faster dry times. The relatively lightweight fabric used in the Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody also speeds up the process, as there is simply less fabric to absorb moisture that then needs to evaporate off. On-the-line dry times usually correlate closely with how fast a shirt will dry after it's been drenched in sweat.

Versatility

The Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody shines out in the open air on sunny days. Take it hiking, running, or anywhere you'll be out where the UV is fierce. Without any built-in pockets, it's not as useful for stashing your keys or other doodads when heading out on the lake or river. You'll have to use other accessories to handle your storage needs.

This shirt isn't entirely appropriate for most social or professional tasks off the trail, as it's just too casual and sporty. But if your job is landscaping, trail building, construction, or any job where you're outside for hours on end and need to be covered up, the Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody is a good choice, especially since its favorable value proposition means that if you do damage the hoody, you're not out a ton of money.

Durability

We weighed our size large Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody at 5.7 ounces, making it one of the lighter-weight hooded sun shirts in our lineup. Lighter options tend to be less durable in the long run, as fabric will rip or simply wear out more quickly.

Nothing like that happened during our testing period, although we did observe seams in high-wear areas starting to fray. The main seams down the length of the torso, sleeves, and hood remained bomber.

The Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody's simple design works for it in terms of durability: without any buttons, snaps, or cinches, there are fewer features to break on you, and the main fabric used throughout is more than adequate. This is a sun shirt we would not hesitate to take rock climbing, bushwhacking, or mountain biking, especially given the great price.

Should You Buy the Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody?

The Baleaf UPF 50 makes a good choice for those looking for a hooded sun shirt on a budget. The fabric and features are great to supplement your UV protection on sunny days. The lack of pockets, cinches, and a front zip may be a deal-breaker for some, but if what you're looking for is a KISS solution at a great price, the Baleaf may be exactly what you're looking for.

What Other Sun Shirts Should You Consider?