The SPFstore.com

Since 1989, The Solar Protective Factory has pioneered the sun protection fabric and garment business. The founders, one of whom is a skin cancer victim, started testing fabrics and discovered that the sun’s dangerous ultraviolet rays penetrated an alarming number of fabrics. (Click here Bio Med Central Study). After years of research, they developed top-UV rated sun-protective fabrics that are comfortable, breathable, easy care and affordable. Over the years, SPF® fabrics along with colorful and informative SPF® hangtags have been on clothing and headwear for companies such as Liz Claiborne, Nike, Reebok, Disney, L.L. Bean and many others. SPF® have become the world’s best selling brand of sun-protective fabrics.

During the early 1990’s, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) briefly regulated sun protective clothing. SPF® fabrics passed all the FDA required testing. Since then, the FDA has abandoned the process of regulating sun-protective clothing as a “medical device”. In fact, the FDA strictly prohibits companies from inferring that, in any way, the FDA has approved their products. (Click here for an example in the FDA’s own words).

When the FDA discontinued regulating sun-protective clothing, the Solar Protective Factory took the lead in developing performance and durability testing standards by working with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The CEO of the Solar Protective Factory served as the chairman of the ASTM committee (D13.65) working with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), to establish the UPF testing protocols and labeling standards which are presently used in the United States. (Click here for chart of UV classifications)

SPF® fabrics offer woven and knit cottons, nylons, polyester and stretch fabrics in an unlimited variety of colors, constructions, features and styles. SPF® also provides sourcing services and finished products. Those services include obtaining the right fabric, using the right “cut and sew companies” from around the globe, in addition to handling customs, duties, insurance and freight. SPF® also has people in the producing country to check the manufacturing progress, make sure time-lines are kept and inspect the finished goods before they are shipped.

All SPF® fabrics and garments are UV tested and rated according to U.S standards (the world’s most rigid), which include 40 home launderings (wash and dry), 100 hours of continuous UV exposure and testing throughout the entire UVB and UVA range using precision electronic equipment. What that means is that SPF® fabrics effectively block at least 97% of UV during the equivalent of two years of normal wear and tear. SPF® also tests every dye-lot of new production to insure that SPF® fabrics are always correct and consistent. This rigorous testing by SPF® is a big part of the reason that NASA chose SPF® fabrics for their humanitarian program to provide sun-protective suits for the children with the most severe UV allergies.

This year, the Solar Protective Factory will begin to dramatically expand its product selections available to consumers by introducing the SPF® Collection on our new website, www.spfstore.com. Our goal is to become the world’s best single-source for women’s, men’s and kid’s sun protective apparel and accessories with products certified to offer great UV protection. The SPF® Collection will be continually updated with the best quality, most innovative and most affordable sun-protection products in the world, including safe and reliable sunscreens.

By providing laboratory tested and certified sun-protective fabric, apparel and accessories at affordable prices, we believe that we can reduce the world’s skin cancer and skin disease epidemic.

Everyone needs to be safer in the sun.