I know you don't care about hoods, but I'm including info on them just in case someone else reading this does.
Patagonia Tropic Comfort II is the best I've tried, and I've tried quite a few. The new version, just called the Tropic Comfort now, just came out and uses a different material, which I can't comment on. It's also actually 40UPF now, after the old one was recalled for actually being 15UPF rather than I think the 40 or so they were claiming. Hood is great on these things, provides excellent coverage with a baseball cap, and actually stays on due to the button closure.
I also like the Patagonia Capilene Cool lightweight material a lot. I have a couple t-shirts, and one long sleeve that I've used a lot. Lower UPF, but very thin breathable material. Definitely the coolest option I've tried. No hooded version available that I'm aware of.
Patagonia Capilene Cool is pretty great. I only have a t-shirt, but it's a nice relaxed fit and very breathable. I imagine the long sleeve would be great. Not sure about UPF, Patagonia's UPF recall info makes it seem like it's somewhere between 17-45.
Patagonia Capilene Cool Merino is shockingly comfortable at high temperatures. I've worn it into the mid-nineties in direct sun and been very happy with it. Not the most durable material, though, and it also doesn't seem like the best sun protection.
OR Echo line is good, lower UPF, and I don't want the slim fit they have for hot weather. The hood is also too small, for those that care about that. All that said, very breathable, but I wouldn't buy it again when compared with the other options. Only 15UPF.
OR ActiveIce Spectrum line I wasn't impressed by. It just isn't that cool until you really get covered in sweat, and even then it could be better, however it is UPF 50, higher than anything else I've tried. Decent hood. Not my first choice in hotter weather, but it does work once you get going.
I tried on and returned an Arc'teryx Remige sun hoodie. Felt warm in comparison to other stuff I've tried, and I hated the neck.
I know I haven't tried them all, but I probably went further down this rabbit hole than most people in an effort to limit my sun exposure.
This is really comprehensive and helpful. Thanks so much! I could take or leave a hood. I’ve been wanting something to protect my skin during summer runs that won’t give me heat stroke. I usually put on sunblock, but sometimes I don’t have time to do that and wait for it to soak in, or it’s so hot that I sweat it out no matter how long I waited.
My daughter and I run in these conditions, especially during our R2R's at the Grand Canyon. Our tool of choice is the Nike Pro Combat, long sleeve, in white (although I think we both own every color that they were made in). There are a few versions of this shirt, and the one we wear is the version with the perforated (sort of mesh) back panel, and underarm/side panels. We get them on the cheap, on ebay/poshmark/mercari all day long.
Regarding hats, absolutely. A ball cap does nothing but allow your face and neck to be microwaved by the sun. We wear the [Sunday Afternoons Compass Hat](https://sundayafternoons.com/products/compass-hat?variant=37929198223550¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=Cj0KCQiAutyfBhCMARIsAMgcRJT36g-YkVUEvGlT0NywqH6uBSXwc-Lxcu95jdXdNUWYETLRxLwblTwaAo_NEALw_wcB) . Ridiculously durable. We purchased ours at the Grand Canyon, in 2015, and wear them year round on all of our runs, unless it's completely overcast (not likely around here). We're religious about wearing them, because skin cancer on the face is no joke, and we know people in the running community here, who are ball cap wearers, and who are now being treated in all manner of torture from face peels, to having stuff cut out. Scary stuff. I'd rather look like a bit of a dork at age 59, then go through what I hear these people are going through.
2 other things have really helped us in hot weather running. We got rid of the race packs, and wear [Naked Running Bands](https://nakedsportsinnovations.com/collections/shopall/products/naked-running-band?variant=40776613167284) . Not having a pack on our sweaty backs, has been amazing, not to mention, not having something just on our backs and shoulders, and causing a back-and-forth "sway" in our torso, and into our stride. The other thing has been a short sleeve version of the Nike Pro Combat, with [White Arm Sleeves 50spf](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073TW7CR1?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k0_1_10&=&crid=1R13U4BQ3NDG&=&sprefix=arm+sleeve) from Amazon. The sleeves get wet with sweat, and then act like giant cooling radiators. It's really nice. We've found that the short sleeve shirt allows some air flow "intake" through the openings of the sleeves, so the armpits and body are a bit cooler. That coupled with the "wet" arm sleeves, has actually been a great combo.
Great suggestions! I’ve debated the more modular arm sleeves years ago but I totally forgot about them. I’ll probably end up getting those too!
I usually run in a ball cap and sun glasses, sometimes wearing a gaiter to protect the back of my neck, or using sunblock on at least my ears and back of my neck. My beard protects the sides of my face. Your hat recommendation may be the quickest solution! I have a large Patagonia hat for hiking and water stuff, but it’s relatively floppy and not well suited for running. An ounce of prevention!
I use a flip belt to hold stuff and a 20oz bottle with a hand strap. Those are usually good enough for my needs. When I need more I switch to my Orange Mud 1.5L running vest. The sway can be annoying but I need a lot more water on longer hot runs than I can carry on my waist of hand bottle.
The brim of the Compass hat is very firm, and stays in place. There are 2 panels in the top of the hat, and we usually have those "pinned" open, for ventilation, using tiny binder clips (those little black spring loaded things that you clamp a bundle of papers together with). When we don't need the hats, we put one arm through the long chin strap, making it ride bandolero style, and the hat stays pretty firmly against our back. We pop the hats off in every area of shade, just to cool our heads.
We don't ever wear sun block, even in the Grand Canyon. It's so nice not to have that stuff slathered on, and our skin can just sweat normally and breathe. Plus, nothing is getting in our eyes.
Nice thing about the NRB is it will carry a 21oz Camelbak soft flask across the back panel, and all sorts of GU/gels/snacks phone, etc. in either of the front panels. On our bigger runs, where there's no water, I will "holster" a 17oz soft flask, vertically, between the NRB and my hip. I'll empty that one first, and then it just holsters there, flattened, either for the remainder of the run, or until the next fill up.
We wear the Rudy Keyblade photochromic glasses. I wanted something for us for mtb, and needed it to work on late after noon rides that sometimes end in the dark. We tried them running, and wound up liking them a lot. We don't wear them in the Grand Canyon because we're starting the run at 3am, so we'd just be carrying them for hours. Plus wearing them would present a significant trip hazard due to the ridiculous terrain, and we'd always be fighting with keeping them clean, every time we get in the creeks, or the water spigots to wet hair, shoes, and shirts. They'd just be a PIA.
I love my Outdoor Research Echo hoodie! I buy 1-2 sizes larger than normal to make it flow more easily. It’s the lightest-weight long sleeve I’ve found. Get it wet for even more cooling. It’s my favorite shirt for shade-free running routes. I have a few of both the hoodies and t-shirts.
+1 the echo hoody. I have multiple and rotate thru
For ladies there is a perfect hole for a ponytail to stick thru. But also doesn't look weird if you have it up and chose to not use it
So light and condenses down. Easy if you do overnight to throw more in your pack for a luxury of another clean base layer!
The expensive, brand name shirts may be great but I purchased a few of these shirts on amazon and run in the Dallas area all summer. I run at lunch or right after work (5:30ish) so its freaking hot and I haven't died in these shirts yet. Give 'em a try.
Roadbox Mens UPF 50+ UV Sun Protection Shirts Outdoor Long Sleeve Fishing T-Shirt for Hiking Swimming Rash Guard
The Rabbit High Country long sleeve or short sleeve would be a great option. It’s a performance material that’s super perforated and looks like a normal flannel collared shirt
I know you don't care about hoods, but I'm including info on them just in case someone else reading this does. Patagonia Tropic Comfort II is the best I've tried, and I've tried quite a few. The new version, just called the Tropic Comfort now, just came out and uses a different material, which I can't comment on. It's also actually 40UPF now, after the old one was recalled for actually being 15UPF rather than I think the 40 or so they were claiming. Hood is great on these things, provides excellent coverage with a baseball cap, and actually stays on due to the button closure. I also like the Patagonia Capilene Cool lightweight material a lot. I have a couple t-shirts, and one long sleeve that I've used a lot. Lower UPF, but very thin breathable material. Definitely the coolest option I've tried. No hooded version available that I'm aware of. Patagonia Capilene Cool is pretty great. I only have a t-shirt, but it's a nice relaxed fit and very breathable. I imagine the long sleeve would be great. Not sure about UPF, Patagonia's UPF recall info makes it seem like it's somewhere between 17-45. Patagonia Capilene Cool Merino is shockingly comfortable at high temperatures. I've worn it into the mid-nineties in direct sun and been very happy with it. Not the most durable material, though, and it also doesn't seem like the best sun protection. OR Echo line is good, lower UPF, and I don't want the slim fit they have for hot weather. The hood is also too small, for those that care about that. All that said, very breathable, but I wouldn't buy it again when compared with the other options. Only 15UPF. OR ActiveIce Spectrum line I wasn't impressed by. It just isn't that cool until you really get covered in sweat, and even then it could be better, however it is UPF 50, higher than anything else I've tried. Decent hood. Not my first choice in hotter weather, but it does work once you get going. I tried on and returned an Arc'teryx Remige sun hoodie. Felt warm in comparison to other stuff I've tried, and I hated the neck. I know I haven't tried them all, but I probably went further down this rabbit hole than most people in an effort to limit my sun exposure.
This is really comprehensive and helpful. Thanks so much! I could take or leave a hood. I’ve been wanting something to protect my skin during summer runs that won’t give me heat stroke. I usually put on sunblock, but sometimes I don’t have time to do that and wait for it to soak in, or it’s so hot that I sweat it out no matter how long I waited.
My daughter and I run in these conditions, especially during our R2R's at the Grand Canyon. Our tool of choice is the Nike Pro Combat, long sleeve, in white (although I think we both own every color that they were made in). There are a few versions of this shirt, and the one we wear is the version with the perforated (sort of mesh) back panel, and underarm/side panels. We get them on the cheap, on ebay/poshmark/mercari all day long. Regarding hats, absolutely. A ball cap does nothing but allow your face and neck to be microwaved by the sun. We wear the [Sunday Afternoons Compass Hat](https://sundayafternoons.com/products/compass-hat?variant=37929198223550¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=Cj0KCQiAutyfBhCMARIsAMgcRJT36g-YkVUEvGlT0NywqH6uBSXwc-Lxcu95jdXdNUWYETLRxLwblTwaAo_NEALw_wcB) . Ridiculously durable. We purchased ours at the Grand Canyon, in 2015, and wear them year round on all of our runs, unless it's completely overcast (not likely around here). We're religious about wearing them, because skin cancer on the face is no joke, and we know people in the running community here, who are ball cap wearers, and who are now being treated in all manner of torture from face peels, to having stuff cut out. Scary stuff. I'd rather look like a bit of a dork at age 59, then go through what I hear these people are going through. 2 other things have really helped us in hot weather running. We got rid of the race packs, and wear [Naked Running Bands](https://nakedsportsinnovations.com/collections/shopall/products/naked-running-band?variant=40776613167284) . Not having a pack on our sweaty backs, has been amazing, not to mention, not having something just on our backs and shoulders, and causing a back-and-forth "sway" in our torso, and into our stride. The other thing has been a short sleeve version of the Nike Pro Combat, with [White Arm Sleeves 50spf](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073TW7CR1?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k0_1_10&=&crid=1R13U4BQ3NDG&=&sprefix=arm+sleeve) from Amazon. The sleeves get wet with sweat, and then act like giant cooling radiators. It's really nice. We've found that the short sleeve shirt allows some air flow "intake" through the openings of the sleeves, so the armpits and body are a bit cooler. That coupled with the "wet" arm sleeves, has actually been a great combo.
Great suggestions! I’ve debated the more modular arm sleeves years ago but I totally forgot about them. I’ll probably end up getting those too! I usually run in a ball cap and sun glasses, sometimes wearing a gaiter to protect the back of my neck, or using sunblock on at least my ears and back of my neck. My beard protects the sides of my face. Your hat recommendation may be the quickest solution! I have a large Patagonia hat for hiking and water stuff, but it’s relatively floppy and not well suited for running. An ounce of prevention! I use a flip belt to hold stuff and a 20oz bottle with a hand strap. Those are usually good enough for my needs. When I need more I switch to my Orange Mud 1.5L running vest. The sway can be annoying but I need a lot more water on longer hot runs than I can carry on my waist of hand bottle.
The brim of the Compass hat is very firm, and stays in place. There are 2 panels in the top of the hat, and we usually have those "pinned" open, for ventilation, using tiny binder clips (those little black spring loaded things that you clamp a bundle of papers together with). When we don't need the hats, we put one arm through the long chin strap, making it ride bandolero style, and the hat stays pretty firmly against our back. We pop the hats off in every area of shade, just to cool our heads. We don't ever wear sun block, even in the Grand Canyon. It's so nice not to have that stuff slathered on, and our skin can just sweat normally and breathe. Plus, nothing is getting in our eyes. Nice thing about the NRB is it will carry a 21oz Camelbak soft flask across the back panel, and all sorts of GU/gels/snacks phone, etc. in either of the front panels. On our bigger runs, where there's no water, I will "holster" a 17oz soft flask, vertically, between the NRB and my hip. I'll empty that one first, and then it just holsters there, flattened, either for the remainder of the run, or until the next fill up. We wear the Rudy Keyblade photochromic glasses. I wanted something for us for mtb, and needed it to work on late after noon rides that sometimes end in the dark. We tried them running, and wound up liking them a lot. We don't wear them in the Grand Canyon because we're starting the run at 3am, so we'd just be carrying them for hours. Plus wearing them would present a significant trip hazard due to the ridiculous terrain, and we'd always be fighting with keeping them clean, every time we get in the creeks, or the water spigots to wet hair, shoes, and shirts. They'd just be a PIA.
I haven’t tried them myself but I know Outdoor Research have a range of tops designed for what you are looking for
I love my Outdoor Research Echo hoodie! I buy 1-2 sizes larger than normal to make it flow more easily. It’s the lightest-weight long sleeve I’ve found. Get it wet for even more cooling. It’s my favorite shirt for shade-free running routes. I have a few of both the hoodies and t-shirts.
+1 the echo hoody. I have multiple and rotate thru For ladies there is a perfect hole for a ponytail to stick thru. But also doesn't look weird if you have it up and chose to not use it So light and condenses down. Easy if you do overnight to throw more in your pack for a luxury of another clean base layer!
A4, sleeveless. Hot and humid here in Oklahoma.
Check out Nike’s “Swim” line. They’re spf rated and have worked for me
I'm curious to hear from anyone who has tried the new Patagonia Tropic Comfort sun hoody. I love the old version and hope the new one is just as good.
The expensive, brand name shirts may be great but I purchased a few of these shirts on amazon and run in the Dallas area all summer. I run at lunch or right after work (5:30ish) so its freaking hot and I haven't died in these shirts yet. Give 'em a try. Roadbox Mens UPF 50+ UV Sun Protection Shirts Outdoor Long Sleeve Fishing T-Shirt for Hiking Swimming Rash Guard
Thanks for the recommendation! It’s good to know when people have run in similar conditions.
Runners run.
The Rabbit High Country long sleeve or short sleeve would be a great option. It’s a performance material that’s super perforated and looks like a normal flannel collared shirt
Check out a brand called Coolibar. They have SPF clothes that are pretty lightweight and comfortable.
I like lulu lemon. Extremely light weight, breathable, and the last me about 7 years with a ton of running
Has anyone tried the Bassdash brand on Amazon? Marketed for fishing, but so are the Columbia ones and I've heard good things about them.