Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody - Women's Review

The Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody is our favorite budget-friendly design. Its 100% polyester fabric offers the highest achievable UPF protection rating of 50+, and the slick fabric has a cooling effect on your skin. While we wish the hood were larger and the thumb loops more comfortable, this shirt is perfect for day hikes, bike rides, or paddleboarding during the heat of the day.

Comfort and Fit

The Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody is made from 100% polyester that feels soft and cool against your skin. The fit is flattering and our testers found it true to size. Although the curve-hugging slim fit may not be for everyone, in which case you might want to size up. The fabric is thin and stretchy, so despite the slim profile, it doesn't restrict your range of motion and we never felt any pinching or squeezing. The shoulder seam is offset and features small stitching, which increases comfort, especially when carrying a heavy backpack. Though the seams do not use flatlock stitching to join fabric panels flush against the skin, so there is still a small ridge that may cause irritation for some.

The hood is smaller than other designs we've tested. It fits over the head, but it doesn't offer much shade for your face, so is best paired with a ball cap. We like that it includes a hole for your ponytail, so you're not left shoveling a load of hair down the back of your shirt where it can get itchy and matted. And while the design does include thumb loops, they are thin, and dug into our hands. We found them too uncomfortable to wear consistently. We noticed this especially when using hiking poles. When we wore them during shorter day hikes and trail runs (without poles), we found the design was ok, but still not our favorite.

The fit runs true to size and even features a pony tail hole in the hood for less bulk and more comfort, especially for women with long, thick hair.   Credit: Trish Matheny

The thin thumb holes aren't the most comfortable that we've tested.   Credit: Trish Matheny

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Sun Protection

Despite the super affordable price tag, the Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody still includes lots of sun-protective features along with UPF 50+ rated fabric that blocks over 98% of the sun's harmful rays. We tested this claim with our UV card and recorded the hoody's low (low = good) score on the UV intensity scale.

While we have no complaints about the fabric, the features on the Baleaf Hoody don't live up to similar offerings on more premium sun shirts. When compared to other designs in the lineup, the hood on the Baleaf feels smaller in size, and we wish it had a button so that it was better held in place during faster-paced activities. We also wish the sleeves were a little longer to better protect the backs of the hands. The thumb holes are meant to help keep the sleeves pulled down, but they were often too uncomfortable to wear for extended periods, so our wrists were often exposed, especially when leaning forward on the handlebar of our bike, or reaching for the next hold on a climb.

The hood provides great coverage for the neck and ears, but does come off if the winds pick up.   Credit: Trish Matheny

We don't love the thumb holes that are thin and uncomfortable to wear for extended periods, but they do help hold the layer in place while providing slightly more sun protection for the hands and wrists.   Credit: Trish Matheny

The hood isn't the largest that we've tested, but does provide a better fit and more coverage when worn with a baseball cap.   Credit: Trish Matheny

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Breathability

The Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody features a thin 100% polyester fabric that does a good job of wicking sweat and is extra breathable thanks to a perforated back panel that allows moisture to evaporate and lets a little more air through. In our experience, it helped a lot, even while wearing a backpack. The perforated paneling also extends below the armpits to help shed sweat during fast-paced trail runs and bike rides.

After wearing several sun shirts on a single hike for true side-by-side comparisons, the Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody felt much lighter and cooler against the skin. During our timed drying tests, this hoody was visibly dry in the torso in just 5 minutes, and the sleeves dried only 5 minutes later, which showcased the wicking performance of the polyester fabric. We especially appreciated it during hot and humid summer days when we weren't able to get a workout in until the sun was already high.

Versatility

The Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody is very versatile, as long as you wear it on tamer hikes that don't involve a lot of bushwhacking or scrambling. Our lead tester spends most of her time rock climbing and found the longer hemline compatible with her climbing harness without requiring a ton of adjustments. Pats of the back panel are reflective to increase visibility at dusk and dawn so you can wear this top through the day and into the evening. It has a side pocket to store your car key or energy bar, but it doesn't include a zipper, so it's less secure.

We like the idea of the sunglasses loop hanger on the chest, but in reality we were often carrying a backpack, and it was covered under the straps. Even when the loop was freely accessible, it didn't do a good job of securing our sunglasses; we dropped them any time we tried to use it while running into the coffee house or grocery store before getting outside for the day's activity.

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Durability

Unfortunately, the Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody isn't a design that screams, “I'm going to last forever”. Many of the seams are tiny and single-stitched rather than utilizing a thicker flatlock design. The thumb loops are also small and thin, almost an after thought than a true sun protective detail.

While we didn't experience any serious durability issues that prevented us from wearing the shirt, we did see some damaged fabric that snagged on the velcro of our backpack or got caught on our chest straps. We're not confident you'll get more than a season of consistent use out of this thin and affordable design.

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Should You Buy the Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody - Women's?

The Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody is the shirt that says “sun protection for all”. It doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg to keep your skin safe from harmful UV rays, and if you're conscious of your health, but need to stick to a strict budget, this shirt performs the essential task of effectively blocking the sun. The fit is flattering, and we think most women will feel comfortable while wearing it even on the hottest days of summer. We wish the features performed a little better, but hey, for thirty bucks, we're just glad it has features.

What Other Women's Sun Shirts Should You Consider?

If you'd like a little more durable design that remains affordable, check out the REI Co-op Sahara Shade Hoodie. The thicker construction and flatlock seams inspire more confidence when it comes to durability, but it also runs warmer. If you like the perforated paneling for increased breathability, but want a little extra coverage from the sun, check out the Janji Sunchaser 50 Hooded. And if you want to know our favorite sun shirt overall, the Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Long Sleeve Hoody features a buttery fabric and stretchy design that breathes well and looks good no matter what activity you choose.