This is a cooler alternative to sunscreen. They can be a little warm if you are not sweating, but that is not usually a problem. They are cooler than having the sun beating directly on your skin if they are even a little damp. Snug fit is better than loose. I am 6'4 and 200lbs, I found the XL too big and the L fit nicely-they are even long enough for my long arms.
This is a great product that provides GREAT cooling effect if you're doing a race in hot conditions, so long as it's not so humid that you can't wick away the moisture (90% RH or so). Plus, the UV protection is very effective, just be sure to get sunscreen on your wristshands, or you could have a pair of bright red wrists andor hands post race.
This order represents my 3rd pair of these sleeves. First pair I hid in a bush along the marathon route at Ironman Cozumel on the 2nd of 3 laps because they were making my arms too cold as the sun went down (I know, stuff them into your jersey, dummy), but then they were gone when I came by for the last pass by the bush. ( Then I replaced them with a second pair of white ones, which were just as good as the first ones, but they certainly do pick up the magic marker used to write numbers on a triathlete's arms (TriTats would help avoid this, I know). They'll only be stark white the first time you use them.
I've purchased but not yet used these in black, which I got mostly because they'll look better with my racing kit this year than did the white sleeves, and TBD had a great deal on them over the holidays.
These were the ticket for riding in really exposed sun in 100 deg weather. Able to avoid slathering sunscreen multiple timesday. Breath nicely if moving, but if riding slow (climbing on a loaded rig for instance), they stop breathing as well. Otherwise, I was pleasantly surprised by how well they work.
My arms take a beating during the summer months, had a few moles. Sizing is a bit weird. I bought a med and large and it was like a tourniquet. Ended up giving them away. I settled on the XL. I had also bought XL in black and white. I ended up wearing the white, as I felt it would give me a better chance to be noticed by drivers. Wore them on a few 100 degree days, they don't quite breathe as much as I would like, but it's livable...
After 2 rides sleeves started stretching. Material not nearly as good as previous generation of sun sleeves. Dissatisfied and Disappointed.
The sun sleeve help me protect my arms from the sun and adds a small amount of warmth on cooler days. Light weight and easily fits in my jersey pocket. The white color blends with all my biking clothes.
I think I like them not only on hot days, but on a cool day that I expect to warm up a lot. They don't really keep you that warm when it's chilly, but can just cut the edge, and they don't feel hotter when the temp peaks. I recently wore them on a 105 day and I didn't feel like pulling them off. I'm not sure about them keeping me cooler, but they provide sun protection, and also protected me a bit in a crash where the road rash would have been a lot worse. You can wet them and I bet they'd keep you cooler than wetting bare skin. I bring them along on longer rides where I'm out for hours in the sun. They are light and don't take up much room in a jersey pocket, and I've been wearing them more often this year than last. I would also wear them on a baking day if there isn't much shade on a ride.
Excellent sun protection. Cool even in hot weather...cooler than bare skin with sunscreen.
Had to go up a size from the recommended.
Have not had the chance to use these yet. Bought them for summer use in Bakersfield, CA to help protect my arms from the sun beating down on them during long daytime rides and prevent further skin damage to my arms. Just hope they have the SPF protection and work as advertised.
very happy with these. got the black ones and i quite like them.
I use the sun sleeves for touring to keep the sun from beating on my forearms all day,for me it beats putting sun screen on all day.i like them so much I have been using them for outside work,the r
Perfect light weight sun shield, tried black after years of using white, since one spot was still growing.
keep the sun off..
Easier to put on and take off than competitors' products. Very comfortable
I get tan through these but I don't burn. They seem to regulate how warm or cool I feel in a good way. I've used them in the temperature range 60 F to 96 F on terrain that includes mountain climbs up to an hour and corresponding descents, long flat rides into, against and across the wind, shaded and exposed, in CA, WV, PA and OH. In every case, I was happier wearing them than not. The new sunscreens use zinc which I find itchy and paints me white so I looked for an alternative and found these. I expect sun knees and sun arms will be improved in years to come and will become more popular. They are shear and seem to be wearing out a little faster than I hoped since I wash them after every use. In the Midwest and East the local racers probably think I look uncool but that's their problem.
Sun sleeves seems to draw less attention than sun knees which I also use.
I've tried four different brands of sun sleevescoolers and these have the best combination of durability, comfort, fit, and coolness. Also the compliance of the material makes them easier to get on and off than other brands.
I often ride long distances in the spring and summer and appreciate having a product on my arms that reduces my exposure to the sun without the mess associated with typical sunscreen products. Sometimes I will dribble some water on the sleeve to cool off a little from the evaporative effect. Too bad they're white, because they don't stay that way very long, eventually getting a little dingy from the dirt and sweat, but it in no way impinges on the effectivness.
The hardest thing for me is to be able to tell right from left. The earliest models were hard to tell apart. I rarely have to adjust the fit after putting them on-they stay up really well. And because I often start my rides relatively early in the day, they are a little warmer than bare skin and do combat a little wind chill. All in all, a pretty good product.
they are advertised to be 'cooler than nothing' becus they ostensibly reflect the sun before it hits your skin. i think 'cooler than nothing' can be true under some weather conditions, but not all. i have worn these in hot weather and under some conditions they do help. dampen them with tapwater and if it's not too humid outside, it will definitely have a cooling effect. i don't know what they are like in really humid heat.
but here's the cool thing, they help you keep warm on a cold morning, especially under a windbreaker... and when the day heats up, you just shed the outer garment and leave the sleeves on.
there's one thing about really white fabrics... they don't stay really white for long. no matter what laundry torture you subject them to, eventually they're gonna get a little dingy. i'm resigned to that.
also help to increase visibility of your signalling arms at night. you DO signal, don't you?
Wow! I got these sleeves to protect my aging hide from the sun, but I also got the cooling effect as advertised. They are long enough to cover, and stretch just right to stay put. I got large even though the size chart suggested small...glad I did. Worth the bucks.
