Sun Protection

The Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) rating system was developed by the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) to help grade the effectiveness of an apparel item to filter UVA and UVB waves. A recommended testing standard by Health Canada, any apparel or textile item with a UPF rating has been tested to AATCC TM 183 standard to determine the percentage of UV rays that are blocked. A UPF 25 rating means the item blocks all but 1/25 or 4% of the sun’s rays i.e., it blocks 96% of them. The higher the number, the higher the protection.

At 4imprint, all sunglasses are tested to the UV protection requirements of The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z80.3 standard for non-prescriptive eyewear, one of Health Canada’s recommended testing options. In addition, 4imprint requires that the UV testing range is extended to include UV400 protection, the ‘400’ referring to the top end of the UV wavelength spectrum. Adherence to this requirement means that the sunglass lenses prevent 99-100% of the harmful UVA and UVB rays from reaching the eyes.