Don’t count on a beach umbrella to protect you fully from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays—you still need to use sunscreen and take other sun-protective steps. That’s because scattered and reflected rays from the sun can still reach you in the shade of the umbrella.
In the most recent study to look at the effectiveness of beach umbrellas, published a few years ago in JAMA Dermatology, researchers had 81 people spend 3½ hours at a sunny Texas beach in August. Half sat under a beach umbrella (6½ feet in diameter) but used no sunscreen, while the other half used a high SPF sunscreen and stayed out in the sun. Nearly 80 percent of people in the umbrella-only group had some degree of sunburn the next day, compared to 25 percent of the sunscreen users.
Even though the umbrella material allowed no UV to penetrate, and participants were monitored to ensure that they got no direct sun exposure, the umbrellas couldn’t protect against indirect UV rays diffused by atmospheric particles or reflected off the sand.
An earlier study similarly found that beach umbrellas, though they block direct UV rays, do not intercept all the diffuse light from the sun. Those researchers reported that about 34 percent of the UV coming in horizontal to the beach surface was not blocked by an umbrella measuring about three feet across and three feet high.
This highlights “the importance of using combinations of sun protection practices to optimize protection against UV rays,” the JAMA Dermatology study concluded. In addition to using a high SPF sunscreen of at least 30 (and applying it liberally every two hours, especially after swimming or sweating), that also means wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and UV-blocking clothing and limiting sun exposure time.
When buying a beach umbrella, look for one that comes with a UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) rating. The higher the number, the better. Beach tents with UV protection are another option. You can also buy a portable, lightweight UV umbrella just for walking around in the sun, on or off the beach. The Good Housekeeping Institute has evaluated beach umbrellas and lists its picks with high UPF ratings here.
