Janji Sunchaser 50 Hooded Long Sleeve Review

With some of the stretchiest fabric we've come across and a great paneled design, the Janji Sunchaser 50 Hooded Long Sleeve feels comfortable to wear outside in the sun. UV protection is excellent, and true to its UPF 50+ rating. Breathability usually suffers when shirts block the sun's radiation as well as the Sunchaser, but this hooded sun shirt strikes a good compromise between breathability and protection. One of our favorite features is the scuba hood, which stays on our head without blowing away in the wind, with no additional cinches, straps, buttons, or hacks. The extra-long cuffs also do an excellent job in keeping our hands covered, and stay in place with generously sized thumb loops. Janji also had the insight to include a window to poke our watch out of them, knowing that the Sunchaser is made for those who want to check their pace and heart rate while covering some miles on foot or on a bike.

Comfort and Fit

The Janji Sunchaser 50 Hooded Long Sleeve features a super-stretchy knit fabric of 84% recycled polyester/16% spandex that feels great against our skin. The stretch practically eliminates any pinch points or tightness when moving about.

Flatlock seams are used in most places. A paneled design is used throughout, especially around the shoulders, creating a more three-dimensional wrap around the body compared to other shirts. There is no top seam on the crest of the shoulder, which eliminates having to worry about how your backpack may interface with your sun shirt. The hood itself is a three-panel design.

Fit was more or less true to size. The Sunchaser adopts a looser cut, which we find is typical for sun protective clothing (looser clothing promotes better air circulation). Even so, this top never felt too smock-like, unlike other sun shirts that sometimes leave us feeling a bit blob-like. We chalk this up to the scuba hood being a little more form-fitting, the gusseted underarms, top-chest and shoulder paneling, and the overall stretchiness of the fabric, which held its shape better than less resilient fabrics.

The inclusion of a hefty percentage of elastane in the fabric makes this sun shirt super stretchy.   Credit: Justin Simoni

Sleeves are on the long side already -- especially with the oversized cuffs -- and the stretchy fabric will help it adapt to many different body types.   Credit: Justin Simoni

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We measured the drop hem torso length at approx. 28.75" and a bottom width of around 21.5" for a men's size “Large”.

Arms up, our lead tester didn't personally have trouble with their lower back getting exposed, care of the slight drop hem found on the Sunchaser.   Credit: Justin Simoni

Torso length covered almost all of our lead tester's (total height: 5' 11") lower body when they raised their arms up.   Credit: Justin Simoni

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Because the thumb loops of the Sun Chaser are found not on the sleeves but on the very much elongated cuffs, employing the thumb loops doesn't stretch out the sleeves, allowing you good arm movement without constricting movement.

Sun Protection

With its long sleeves, generous cuffs, hood, and drop hem, the Janji Sunchaser 50 Hooded Long Sleeve certainly has the features needed to keep you covered up and protected from the direct sunlight.

We especially loved its hood, which was big enough to wear with a bike helmet on, but needed no cinch to keep from blowing away, even when worn over a bare head.

We performed a simple controlled test of the effectiveness of the UV-blocking capabilities of the fabric used on the Sunchaser with the help of a constant source of UV and a UV card. Different fabric types and thicknesses contribute to the UV-blocking properties of a fabric itself.

Results from the Sunchaser slot in with those from other sun-protectant shirts marketed as having a UPF between 40 and 50+, giving us high confidence in Janji's own claims that the Sunchaser has a bona fide 50+ UPF fabric. For context, a 50 UPF rating blocks over 98% of the sun's harmful rays. We personally didn't experience any obvious sunburn while using this hooded sun shirt during Colorado's famously unrelenting sunny days.

Breathability

Sun protection is all about covering up without becoming a walking greenhouse, so fabric that's both breathable and sun-protective is what makes specialized clothing valuable. We rated the Janji Sunchaser 50 Hooded Long Sleeve a little above average for breathability, which we were actually quite surprised with, given how protective we evaluated the fabric itself.

Unfortunately, there are no front zippers or buttons on this sunshirt, which would have bumped up our breathability score a bit, but the underarms do have fabric perforations to marginally increase airflow in this critical area.

We tested the air permeability of the Sunchaser's fabric using a steady stream of air that we measured as free-flowing, and again after covering it with the shirt fabric. The difference in flow rate gives us a clue about breathability, and, much to our surprise, the Sunchaser performed better than most shirts in our entire lineup, with only a 34% decrease in airflow pressure (the average is around 55%). This correlates with air being able to move through the fabric while you yourself move around in your environment. We usually only see such performance on much lower UPF-rating fabrics.

We also measured line dry times after washing. The amount of water absorbed and how quickly it evaporates can give us a clue about the fabric's performance in the field. Drying speed was on par with other performant hooded sun shirts of similar weight, and absorbed 37% of its weight in water. The use of lightweight knit fabric like that found in this shirt usually yields better drying results than heavy woven fabrics, which seem to take forever to fully dry.

Versatility

With good breathability and excellent sun protection, the Janji Sunchaser 50 Hooded Long Sleeve is eager to be taken on any of your dynamic, sunny summertime outdoor adventures.

The design heavily favors moving along on trails while running, cycling, hiking, or backpacking, with a hood that stays in place despite any wind in the forecast, and even a separate hole to poke out your GPS watch.

We thought the colorway we tested — a dusty rose — was super handsome to wear and wouldn't look out of place at any casual outdoor social gathering, but the office work environment isn't where we'd wanna run to. Without any pockets or other accoutrements, it's up to you whether this sun shirt is your perfect fishing accessory, though we feel the sun protection is there for all-day hangs creekside.

Durability

Good durability is seen throughout the Janji Sunchaser 50 Hooded Long Sleeve. Super-tough flatlock stitching is used throughout the shirt, and the stitching quality is almost second to none. Unlike with less expensive options, we haven't found any loose or running stitches during our testing.

The fabric of the Janji Sunchaser 50 Hooded Long Sleeve is certainly up to the task of a long life on the back of a long-trail thru-hiker, but lightweight knit fabrics won't be as durable as other options, namely woven fabrics.

This is one of the compromises of using a knit fabric; however, breathability is much better in comparison. We would treat the Sunchaser similarly to your favorite base layer, washing it in cold water and hanging it to dry. The lightweight fabric won't make it impervious to intense bushwhacking, so temper your expectations in such environments as off-trail hiking and rock climbing.

Should You Buy the Janji Sunchaser 50 Hooded Long Sleeve?

The Janji Sunchaser 50 Hooded Long Sleeve feels great when you wear it, fits well, has stretch to spare, and is unusually breathable for the excellent sun protection it advertises. It's quickly becoming the hooded sun shirt we impulsively grab when heading out the door for a sun-bathed run, hike, dog walk, or an outdoor coffee date. Its price is middle-of-the-road, but its performance is top-of-the-line, which gives it an extra kick of value, and is another reason why it's one of our favorite all-around shirts.

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