Patagonia's "Short Sleeve Self-Guided Sun Shirt" Review: A UV-compatible mountain shirt perfect for the coming season is just too versatile

Summer is finally here. No matter what you do in the summer, you'll be exposed to strong sunlight all day, such as hiking, mountain climbing, canoeing, cycling, fishing, etc., so sun protection is unavoidable in such situations.

The ultraviolet rays at high altitudes are even stronger than you might expect, and light reflected on the surface of the water and snow also mercilessly attacks. If you accidentally neglect your care, your skin will become inflamed in a single day, so preparing for sunburn is essential for summer outdoor activities.

Sunscreen cream is effective for exposed skin as a way to protect it from sunburn, but even if you wear clothes, it does not completely prevent UV rays, so it is definitely better to take some kind of care.

So, what I've recently started to worry about is wearing clothes that have UV protection. This is because the fabric is UV-blocked to block UV rays and reduces damage to the skin and fabric. There are several styles available, including T-shirts, hoodies, and long-sleeved shirts, but recently I've come across this article, and I've thought, "This is perfect for a trekking during the real summer!", the Patagonia short sleeve self-guided sun shirt (hereinafter referred to as sun shirt) . I'd like to review it right away.

Main features of Patagonia Short Sleeve Self-Guided Sun Shirt

The Patagonia Short Sleeve Self-Guided Sun Shirt is a button-up shirt with UPF40+ UV protection, making it cool and comfortable even on hot and humid days. The recycled polyester material is highly elastic and quick-drying, and the regular fit shape combines good ventilation and style to blend in with both activity and everyday life. It is packed with practical features such as a wealth of storage including two large corrosion-resistant vertical chest pockets with a zipper, a double-layer collar that enhances sun protection, and a ventilation open to the back, making it an all-around feature for a variety of summer activities, such as an easy-to-access lens cleaner.

Favorite points

• High UV protection with UPF (UV prevention index) 40+
• A smooth, refreshing and comfortable fit
• Moderate stretching makes it easy to move
• A wide variety of pockets, lens cleaner, and a double collar that can be raised and highly practical.
• Excellent durability against rubbing and washing
• It can be worn from town to peak, and is versatile enough to fit a variety of activities.

Interesting points

• If you carry a backpack, the ventilation on your back will become hidden.
• It is better to use snap buttons and other easy-to-operate buttons.

Main Specifications and ratings

Detailed review

A loose silhouette that allows the wind to pass through easily. It's easy to wear directly on the skin or over a T-shirt

Whether it's a quick-drying shirt, UV protection wear, or insect-proof shirt, the most important thing about working wear is comfort. No matter how functional it is, in order to make it seem like you'll want to wear it for a long time, you'll end up wondering if it feels comfortable to wear. Without that it would be meaningless. There was no need to worry about that .

Wearing size 176cm, 64kg, S.

This button-up shirt has buttons on the back of the collar, and the buttons on both chests and the firm collar look like a safari shirt. When you put it on, it fits 64kg at 176cm tall, and even though I'm a slightly slimmer I don't feel cramped at all, and it's a slightly looser and larger size (but not too loose). You can put it on over a T-shirt or underwear, or even if you wear it directly on the skin, it won't slosh and the breeze will come out comfortably.

Not only is it comfortable to use, but it is also designed to be useful for activities, such as a long hem that prevents the shirt from slipping up when you tighten the hip belt on your backpack while hiking.

Quick-drying, smooth texture, and ventilation on the back makes it very refreshing

The soft, smooth and stretchy fabric feels smooth and refreshing to the touch. Although it is made of 100% polyester fabric, it does not show the texture of synthetic fibers (rustling) and is comfortable to wear, making it a place that makes you want to wear it in any situation, whether active or relaxed.

Furthermore, the polyester fabric is hard to absorb water and hardly absorbs moisture, keeping it smooth even when sweating or wet. I was surprised that after a long period of sweating hike, and after playing in the water, the moisture effectively spread throughout the fabric, and before I knew it, it had dried in no time.

The fabric is not particularly thin, but the sweat absorbed by the highly sweat-absorbent fabric does not accumulate in the fabric, but rather spreads effectively to the surrounding area, resulting in the moisture evaporation effectively.

It looks like the sweat on my back just after climbing. The blurred outline of the sweat boundary is evidence that the fabric is highly sweat-absorbing and diffusing.

Furthermore, the ventilation on the back boosts this quick-drying property. Sun are highly UV resistant, so the fabric is woven quite closely, and it is not particularly breathable. As if to make up for this, the yoke part of the back is equipped with ventilation holes to let the air from the front of the shirt escape backwards, allowing heat and moisture to be quickly expelled. To be honest, I have never felt a sense of stuffiness while walking in this shirt, coupled with the airy cutting.

However, for this ventilation to function to the fullest extent, it is necessary to keep your back unobstructed, and in that sense, it would be a shame if you carry a backpack on your back, most of this ventilation will no longer function.

UPF40+ UV protection and high-rise double collar for efficient UV protection.

UPF (UV Protection Index) is one of the evaluation indicators that represent the UV protection performance of clothing. It is displayed in the range of 0 to 50+, and this is 40+ for Sun Shirts Simply put, this means that it takes 40 times the time to get sunburn, which is similar to when you're not wearing anything, so it has a sufficient sunburn prevention effect. By the way, polyester fabric itself is said to be sun-resistant.

Although it is short sleeves, the sleeve length is slightly longer, and the double collar design allows the collar to be raised, making it easy to prevent sunburn down to the smallest details.

I really want to wear short sleeves in the summer. In such cases, it's best to combine it with an arm cover.

If you're trying to protect yourself from sunburn, there are of course people who say, "Long sleeves would be better." Of course, I also admit that long sleeves are more protective than sun protection. A long-sleeved sun shirt would be nice too. However, in the heat that makes you feel tired of, if possible, you'd want to wear short sleeves.

I was vaguely thinking about whether there was any good way to balance sunburn and coolness, but when I saw the arm cover (it was for keeping warm at the time) that a participant at the offline event the other day had, I thought, "This," so I tried it out and found this to be quite good. I tried out a "module strategy" that combines short-sleeved sun shirt

What's better about this module strategy is that it allows air to pass through the short sleeves, so it's more airy than long sleeves. At the same time, it also protects against sunburn (of course, the arm cover also has a sun protection effect). A cap is used around the face and a collar is raised to protect the neck, and it has the effect of two birds with one stone, preventing sunburn without compromising the coolness of the summer. You can easily put on and take off if you don't mind the sunlight.

A variety of pockets and lens cleaner, and excellent practicality

As I write about it every time, the good tailoring and careful details that match the activities can be said for all Patagonia products, but this time it is still alive and well. The pockets on both chests have a normal button pocket on the front, and a large vertical, corrosion resistant zipper pocket on the back. The zipper pocket, which is particularly intended to store fly boxes, is large enough to hold a large smartphone, and was very useful for me, not fly fishing.

Under the flap of the right chest pocket is a hidden tool dock. You can hold your clip-on pen, sunglasses, and small gear for fishing.

There is also a lens cleaner sewn on the back of the right front of the hem, so you don't need to wipe your glasses and your sunglasses are always shiny.

Summary: From everyday life to hiking, running, bike, fishing, paddling... the ultimate versatile summer shirt that can handle any activity

Patagonia Men's Short Sleeve Self-Guided Sun Shirt

created by Rinker

¥12,100 2025/06/12

• Patagonia official online store

This short sleeve self-guided sun shirt is light and comfortable to wear, staying cool and dry all day long, full of essential UV protection and practical functionality, and I tried it out for a variety of activities, including hiking, running, camping, pack rafting and fishing, and it fits perfectly into almost everything, so there's no activity that doesn't suit me.

This time I only tried the short-sleeved type, but to be honest, I am seriously considering purchasing the long-sleeved type for spring and fall in this test. This ultimate versatile shirt can be worn without any discomfort after opening the door, from the field to the hot springs after descending the mountain, and is sure to be a great success in the coming summer season.

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