Consumer Report: More and More People Are Willing to Pay for “Visible” Sun Protection Effect

“Spent $56.00 on a ‘UPF50+’ sun-protection shirt, the measured protection value is not even 30”“The key data in the inspection report provided by the seller is obscured by the word ‘PASS’, you can’t see the real UPF value at all”…… The false advertising chaos of sun-protection clothes exposed in the summer of 2025 has made many consumers cry “stepped on a pit.” As “sun protection” has upgraded from a seasonal necessity to a year-round daily need, the market’s trust gap is widening — data show that most sun-protection textiles either fail to state the standard implemented or engage in false advertising, and only a small number of consumers know GB/T18830, the country’s sole testing standard.
Behind this trust crisis is a profound shift in consumer demand: more and more people no longer blindly believe vague promotions such as “high-factor sun protection” or “hardcore protection,” but actively request inspection reports and check core indicators, and are willing to pay a premium for sun protection effects that are “visible and verifiable.”
 

1. From “Listening to Promotion” to “Checking Data,” Consumers’ Sun-Protection Awareness Is Awakening
 

Formerly, buying a sun-protection shirt only involved looking at color and price, thinking that darker and more expensive meant better sun protection. Only after a child wearing a “UPF100+” claimed children’s sun-protection shirt still got sunburned did people realize they must look at the inspection report.
 

(1)See through the “number gimmicks,” recognize the national standard red line

“UPF2000+”“100% UV protection”…… Exaggerated numeric promotions once dazzled consumers. But with the China Consumers Association’s popular science efforts, more people now know: according to GB/T18830-2009, only products with UPF > 40 and UVA transmittance < 5% may label “UV-protective,” and the grade is only “UPF50+”; so-called “UPF1000+” is pure over-marketing.

(2) Focus on inspection reports, refuse “vague certification”

After experiencing the routine of “tested sample passes, mass-produced product poor,” consumer attention to inspection reports has surged. On e-commerce platforms, “whether there is a CMA-certified report” and “whether the report corresponds to a specific product model” have become frequent questions in comment sections.

(3) Emphasize scenario fit, require “data matching needs”

As sun-protection scenarios extend from summer outdoors to spring/autumn commuting and winter skiing, consumers begin to check data by scenario: commuters focus on “UVA transmittance < 3% + 420nm blue-light protection,” outdoor athletes monitor “UPF still ≥ 50 after 20 washes,” and mothers demand that children’s sun-protection products have “UVA transmittance < 2%.”

When consumers learn to “speak with data,” companies’ core competitiveness shifts from “marketing rhetoric” to “testing strength.” And to make sun protection “visible and verifiable,” precise testing equipment is indispensable — the CHNSpec UPF Analyzer is becoming the key for companies to win consumer trust.

2. CHNSpec UPF Analyzer: Making Sun-Protection Effects “Data-driven and Visualized”

“Previously when showing customers inspection reports, we were often questioned ‘Is the data really accurate?’ ‘Can you test on site?’” Targeting consumers’ three major concerns — “data authenticity, scenario fit, report authority” — CHNSpec provides solutions:

(1) Full-band data in 1 second, sun-protection effect “instantly visible”

Consumers fear “promotional data not matching the actual product,” and traditional testing equipment that takes minutes per test cannot achieve “on-site verification.” The CHNSpec UPF-660 is equipped with 500KHz high-speed spectral acquisition technology, completing 250–420nm full-band scanning within 0.1 milliseconds and outputting core indicators such as UPF value and UVA/UVB transmittance in 1 second. Whether demonstrating fabric sun-protection performance at an exhibition or performing batch quality control on the workshop floor, it can present accurate data instantly, making “visible effects” a marketing highlight.

More importantly, with a signal-to-noise ratio > 1000:1, even for lightweight silk or porous knit fabrics, it can accurately capture subtle differences and avoid industry problems of “tested sample passes, mass-produced product shrinks,” ensuring every product consumers receive matches the report data.

(2) Adaptable to full-scene testing, data fit real needs

For consumers’ scenario-based demands, CHNSpec UPF Analyzer covers full-scene testing from daily commuting to extreme outdoors: it supports simulation of protection decay after washing and friction to satisfy athletes’ “durable protection” needs; it can extend detection to the 400–420nm blue-light band to meet commuters’ “UV protection + blue light protection” needs; and it can simulate high-UV environments like snowfields and plateaus to verify fabric protection under extreme scenarios.

One company’s “commuting anti–blue-light suit” was tested with CHNSpec equipment for both UVA transmittance and 420nm blue-light transmittance; the precise data “99% UV protection + 95% blue-light protection” was printed on the hangtag and the product became an instant hit. “Consumers want certain data, we can measure those data — that’s true scenario-based service,” said that company’s R&D head.

(3) Built-in multi-country standards, reports are authoritative and traceable

Consumers place special emphasis on the “authority” of inspection reports. CHNSpec UPF Analyzer is preloaded with multi-country standards including China GB/T18830, US AATCC183, and EU EN13758, and can generate CMA-marked inspection reports with one click to meet consumers’ needs for “authoritative certification” in different regions. Thoughtfully, the device supports cloud data storage, enabling consumers to scan the QR code on a product hangtag to view inspection reports, test time, device serial number, and other information in real time, achieving full-chain traceability from production to sale and dispelling worries about “fake reports.”

3. Data Trust Is Brand Endorsement

When the sun-protection market shifts from “concept marketing” to “data competition,” “visible sun-protection effect” has become the core reason consumers pay. CHNSpec UPF Analyzer, with its “1-second data output, full-scene adaptability, authoritative traceability,” enables companies’ sun-protection performance to be not just “on paper” but “verifiable and trustworthy” precise data.

For consumers, CHNSpec test data is the “reassurance” when selecting sun-protection products; for companies, CHNSpec UPF Analyzer is the “golden key” to winning market trust. As more people are willing to pay for “visible” sun-protection effects, choosing CHNSpec means choosing to build trust with data and to seize blue-ocean market opportunities with capability.