Make & Model - Royal Robbins Painted Canyon Plaid Long Sleeve Shirt
UPF Rating - 25+
Materials - 2.8-ounce 100-percent cotton
Colors - Marmalade, Oceania, olivine (shown)
MSRP - $58
URL - http://www.royalrobbins.com

Though this Royal Robbins long-sleeve has the lowest UPF rating among the tops we tested, we didn't so much as get a suntan in the areas it covered &mash; proof that even though its fabric is light it's also tightly woven, providing good UV shielding.

This shirt's stylish design is what reeled us in first. Inspired by India's traditional lightweight Madras cloth, this classic look has been popular in America for nearly 100 years for good reason: it looks damn good on a man. It's the kind of shirt you would expect an experienced mountain guide to be wearing. Apparently though, mountain guides don't put on a single ounce of winter weight, because this shirt's fitted cut was more than a little confining.

Unlike the Under Armour Sunblock shirt, which offers a fitted cut but is made with stretchy synthetic materials, the 100-percent cotton in this case didn't allow a great range of motion. The wicking performance of the fabric wasn't much cause for celebration either. While hiking through Big Cypress National Preserve's Gator Hook Trail, we tried pulling the back of the shirt away from our sweaty skin without much success.

We'll happily wear this shirt while barbecuing in the backyard or walking around downtown, but it won't be the first one we grab for an expedition or bug-out scenario.

Pros:
– Despite the lowest UPF rating in this group, it provides solid sun protection.
– Good looks and soft comfortable feel in low exertion activities.
– Right sized buttons and holes for easy manipulation

Cons:
– The performance of 100-percent cotton doesn't measure up to newer technical fabric blends.
– Restrictive fit
– Slow drying