rbrides

Who uses sun sleeves consistently? I have just ridden while wearing a pair a few times in the past week on late morning/early afternoon group rides, temps were 83-89 degrees F. I beleive they protected my arms from sun exposure but they were hot and made me feel hotter. They are marketed as having a cooling effect but I was not getting any noticable cooling effect.

If you use them and find them helpful, your comments are welcomed.

Polaris OBark

I find long-sleeve summer jerseys are cooler than sun sleeves.

CrimsonEclipse

Good quality sun sleeves or long sleeve jersey will block the UV rays better than sun screen.
(que the SPF comparison)

Although it varies on material and manufacture, I've noticed that at first, you WILL be warmer... until you start sweating.
A wicking material has more surface area, allowing the sweat or any water to evaporate easier.
Water MUST evaporate to contribute to proper cooling. Sweat dripping off your body is wasted sweat if it doesn't evaporate.

The effects will be more noticeable in humid/tropical conditions where your sweat never has time to evaporate.

10 Wheels

I tried them.
The High Humidity kept them wet all the time, so they didn't cool.

shelbyfv

I keep trying them but they've always been hot. Sometimes squirting water on them helps. It may be too humid here for them to work as hoped. Summer base layers don't work for me either.

Iride01 

I use them almost every ride unless it's cool enough to need arm warmers or for the few days it's so overcast that not much sun gets through. Leaves just my neck and ears that I have to put sunscreen on along with the tops of my knees.

IMO, if you regularly are doing more than 16 mph on your rides, then you might like them. They cool better when you are sweating and moving. For long slow climbs in hot weather I do sometimes have to yank them down. And most any time I stop and get off the bike, they also get pulled down. They don't cool as well when the humidity is very very high. But as long as I'm moving they work and are worth not having to slather sunscreen all over my arms.

If you are averaging less than 14 mph on rides, then you probably won't like them except for days that aren't that hot. The little bit of cooling effect that some claim to have built in to them just isn't enough when you start pedaling and generating heat.

Peal Izumi and Specialized are the two brands I've liked and used the most.

veganbikes

I use ones from Pearl Izumi that I got years ago, they do cool things down a bit once you get sweating or once they get wet as they are a cooling fabric. I don't wear them as much these days but for long rides in the heat and sun I usually will. I also could recommend the ExOfficio SolCool shirts I don't really cycle with them but in the summer they are great and even dry I notice they are cooler but like the PI stuff once wet they are nice and cool.

wolfchild

Not a fan of sun sleeves or arm warmers, no thanks. A lightweight long sleeve base layer offers good protection from sun and you can always roll the sleeves up if you have to.

shelbyfv

That may be why they don't work well for me!

mstateglfr 

I use sun sleeves. Some inexpensive amazon brand that's 2 pair for $9. Used em for years now and buy a set each season since ones that are old stain tan from dirt and sweat regardless of washing.

They are warm, but sunscreen seems to wick off my arms so.the sleeves are better.

ofajen

I use white ones most every ride in warm weather, just to cover my forearms, which have a more direct exposure to the sun. I prefer that to sunscreen. In cooler weather I’ll be wearing something with sleeves.

Otto

Speedway2

I just picked up 2 sets of sun sleeves and looking forward to trying them out.......

Mtracer

I have wore these RockBros Sun Sleeves on almost all my warm weather rides for years. They work very well for me. I live in a very dry area. They definitely help too cool. There is only one situation where they feel warmer to me. That's if I'm climbing with a breeze at my back resulting in zero airflow.

I think they work well by spreading the sweat out and then of course the resulting evaporation. Without them, sweat tends to run down my arms and be less effective. I could certainly believe they would be less effective in more humid environments where you just don't get enough evaporation. But they are very thin, so they certainly don't insulate even as much as a jersey would.

Being bright white, they also reflect sun quite a bit. Though mine have turned more a dull grey over the years due to either hard water or perhaps just throwing them in with my bibs and other dark colors.

On the other hand they fit tight, so you don't get the advantages of loose fitting covering absorbing the sun's heat and keeping it off your skin. But, I don't wear loose clothing when I ride. I hate things flapping around and there's the horror of all those aero losses.

Anyway, I'm a big fan just for the cooling, but I also like minimizing my sun exposure.

BobbyG

I've been using them for a few years now. It's very dry here at 6500 feet in Colorado Springs so they definitely keep me cooler. Also, when I wear them with a loose, wicking short-sleeved shirt they allow air to shoot up the shirt's sleeve and cool my arm pit area. On hot sunny rides before persperation kicks in, dowsing them with the water bottle provides instant cooling.

Baldy1953

I have several pair of sun sleeves. My doctor told me I need to protect my arms after freezing several spots on my arms. A bit of discomfort is a lot better than having skin cancer. I have found them to be warmer when I stop than while riding. They seem to do a good job of wicking the moisture away as long as I am riding.
I found the cheap ones off Amazon fade rather quickly when washing them often. Here in Florida the sun is strong and I sweat a lot.

unterhausen

I have some voler sun sleeves. As long as I'm sweating and it's below about 95F, I think they are cooler than nothing. If they are dry, then they are hot, but that's mostly a self-correcting problem.
They work as arm warmers at night as long as it's cool enough that you don't sweat, so that's nice.

easyupbug 

In summer down in Southern Az I have to use sunscreen and that is easier than the sleeves for my arms (which get zapped by my dermatologist every year) as I have to use sun screan for nose, etc, on the face.

pepperbelly

I have some quick dry long sleeve fishing shirts. Are those similar? It’s really hot in Texas right now. I am up for anything that will help.

Iride01 

Seems like that sunscreen isn't working out so well all by itself.

rbrides

Thats the quote of the day! indeed, I too recently had spots removed so avoiding the S-C is the goal. But it is very humid in my part of NC and really good sun screen might have to do during these hottest months, then sleeves in spring and fall.

rbrides

Yes, the good quality long sleeve fishing shirts work very well for most outdoor activities but mine are too loose fitting for road cycling. I have two from Columbia Outerwear and hiked for three weeks in Spain in the middle of the summer and was completely protected from the sun. It was great. But, again, for cycling, the tighter fitting cycling-specific sleeves seem to be the way to go. I'll attempt to wet them before riding next time to test for cool effect.

GhostRider62

I wore them everyday when riding cross the USA and do wear them early in the season before my arms get sufficiently dark. Some are better than others. A squirt of water on them does wonders

easyupbug 

Oh, SPF 50 works blocking 98% of the UV rays, but childhood damage in Southern AZ leaves basal cell carcinomas just waiting to blow up.

KerryIrons

For a seven hour ride, proper application of SPF 30 means that you get the equivalent of 14 minutes of direct sunlight. Obviously there are folks at high risk but for the vast majority, sunscreen works.

Baldy1953

The suggestion of wetting the sleeves works for me. Here in Florida, the humidity is above 95% a lot. I use the water bottle that I wet my head with and squirt some on my arms . It helps to stay a bit cooler at the water evaporates. I can tell the difference while moving, versus stopping. I try to find a bit of shade when I stop during a ride.