Janji Sunchaser 50 Hooded - Women's Review

The Janji Sunchaser 50 quickly became our go-to when the UV index was high, and we were planning to be out adventuring all day long. Not only does it have UPF 50 fabric, but the extra coverage takes care of parts of your body that less thoughtful sunshirts neglect, like the backs of your hands and your neck. The thin and stretchy material feels cooling against the skin, while the perforated fabric beneath the armpits helps you shed any moisture that builds during the heat of the day. The design includes a hole in the hood for your ponytail, along with unique “watch windows” so you can monitor your pace without exposing your wrist to the sun.

Comfort and Fit

The Sunchaser is very easy to wear and comfortable for movement, even if you're out in the sun all day long. The material combines 84% recycled polyester and 16% spandex for a high-stretch fabric, and the seams are offset from the shoulders so they don't become uncomfortable when wearing a pack. Janji refers to the fabric as cooling or cool to the touch, and we would agree; it feels very light on your skin while allowing airflow through the perforated sections below the armpit.

The fit feels relaxed and true to size, not too tight or too loose, along with a great length that easily slides beneath a climbing harness or below the waist strap of a backpack without any uncomfortable seams in between. It's also long enough that it kept our lower back covered when we bent over to dig through our backpack or tie our shoes. The scuba hood fits tighter around the face, but never felt restrictive, and we love the hole in the hood that allowed us (especially our lead tester, who has a mass of curly hair) to pull our ponytail through the hood rather than stuff it down the back of our neck. Although it looks a little silly, it greatly reduces the bulk of the hood, allowing it to fit more snugly and comfortably around the face.

The cooling synthetic fabric sits close to the skin, is true to size, and features a long enough hemline to wear with a climbing harness.   Credit: Trish Matheny

The stretchy synthetic fabric allows you to easily cover your face, neck, and ears without limiting the length of the hemline. You can also pull your pony tail through a hole in the hood to prevent bulk inside the design.   Credit: Trish Matheny

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Sun Protection

Sun protection is what the Sunchaser 50 is all about. Fabric with a 50 UPF rating, like that found in the Sunchaser, is pretty common these days (hooray), but the Janji works harder to separate itself from other shirts by adding a well-fitted scuba hood that covers everything below the chin and behind the cheekbones. It's up to you to wear sunscreen or a wide brimmed hat after that. We also appreciate the extended sleeves that provide coverage down to the knuckles. Thumb holes help keep the sleeves in place without straining through the shoulder or feeling tight on our thumb joints.

The hoody registered a low rating when performing our UV card test, a score that's comparable to other sun shirts and hoodies that feature a similar UPF rating. We also tested the hoody in the field during a California heatwave, and where the shirt covered our skin, we never burned, even after hours spent outside at high altitudes, where the UV index runs high. Because of its thin, breathable fabric, we chose the Sunchaser to protect our skin during a big mountain first-ascent trip that took us deep into the High Sierra. It protected our skin during the 18-mile approach in open alpine terrain.

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Breathability

Janji is a running focused brand, and they designed the Sunchaser with breathability to handle sweaty runs on sunny days. This translates into perforated fabric situated just beneath the armpits and extending down to the ribs. It has a meshlike performance that allows more airflow in the areas we tend to gather more heat. And somehow the fabric is cool to the touch as well as cooling when you put it on. It's very thin, lightweight, and breathable, which are the reasons we selected it to wear during fast-paced activities like summer trail runs and extended backpacking trips in hot weather.

Our lead tester, who works on the Search and Rescue team for Yosemite National Park, appreciated wearing the Sunchaser during what felt like an unseasonably hot summer in the High Sierras of California. The demands of her job didn't always allow her to hide from the midday heat, and the Sunchaser's perforated fabric and thin synthetic material helped her stay cool(er) despite some physically demanding activities.

Versatility

The Sunchaser doesn't have all the bells and whistles, and the very sporty cut somewhat limits its versatility. For a movement-focused shirt, we don't mind the minimalist take, but it's not as great for beach lounging or fly fishing trips.

We wish the Sunchaser had a zippered pocket or attachment loop of webbing for your keys. It doesn't have a loop to store your sunglasses. However, we appreciated the streamlined details when carrying a heavy pack during a 9-day backpacking trip. The openings in each wrist allow your watch to peep through without exposing your hands, so you can track your pace or mileage while on the trail.

Durability

The Sunchaser design held up pretty well for how hard we abused it during our testing period. It showed little signs of wear from backpack straps, but didn't fare as well when faced with some fresh handholds on a climbing route. There were a few snags after that, but nothing that impacted the functionality of the shirt.

This shirt is also only available in white (at the time of publishing), and after wearing the top for a few days straight during a backpacking trip, we noticed how quickly dirt and grime accumulated on the fabric. We also noticed a distinct odor clinging to the synthetic material after a few days without a wash. That said, if you're just looking for sun protection during shorter day hikes, trail runs, bike rides, tennis matches, or paddleboarding, you'll likely keep the layer in better shape than we did.

Should You Buy the Janji Sunchaser 50 Hooded - Women's?

The Janji Sunchaser 50 is the perfect choice for active women who love being outdoors without compromising skin health. This hoody maximizes sun protection through a UPF 50 rating along with extended fabric coverage. The “watch window” on both wrists and ponytail hole in the hood make it a shirt that feels tailor-made for long runs and fast-paced hikes. It's a bit pricey, but for women who want to stay active all through the summer and need maximum sun protection, we think the Sunchaser is worth every penny.

What Other Women's Sun Shirts Should You Consider?

For a more casual (and affordable) shirt that also provides UPF 50 protection, we recommend checking out the Baleaf UPF 50 Hoody. It isn't guaranteed to hold up, and the cut feels more like cute athleisure than functionally sporty, but for casual days at the park, beach, or lake, it will do a great job. We also love the Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Long Sleeve Hoody when it comes to the best combination of sun protection, breathability, and versatile style.