What are UV rays?
Every sunshade offers protection from the sun, but not all protect you from its dangerous ultraviolet (UV) rays. Although only a fraction of their solar radiation reaches the earth, UV rays are harmful to the skin because of their intensity and can not only cause sunburn but also increasing the risk of skin damage, premature skin aging or skin cancer. UV radiation goes undetected as it is not visible to humans and cannot be perceived by the other senses.
According to Germany's Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), UV rays are subdivided into the wavelength ranges UV-A (315 – 400 nm), UV-B (280 – 320 nm) and UV-C (100 – 280 nm).
Whilst UV-C radiation is completely absorbed by the earth's upper atmosphere, UV-A and UV-B rays penetrate all the way to the earth's surface. It is the energy of UV-B rays that has a particularly severe effect on the skin. Glatz parasols offer you maximum protection by blocking out 98% of these UV rays.
What is UV Protection Factor (UPF)?
The UV protection factor (UPF) indicates how much longer you can stay in the sun without suffering skin damage when using sun protection products such as a sunshade by Glatz.
The UV protection effect of a sunshade fabric cover depends on various factors such as the weight, thickness, colour and material. These should always be taken into account when choosing a sunshade.
Glatz UV Protection Standards
Glatz guarantees maximum possible UV protection of more than 98 percent for all sunshade fabric covers in the fabric classes 4 and 5. All fabric covers by Glatz are rated with an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) of 50+ in line with the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency standard on the sun protection scale from 15 to 50. This seal is awarded only to products that offer more than the maximum sun protection factor of 50.
GLATZ seeks even greater certainty: to determine more precise protection ratings, the sunshade manufacturer also has all of its covers tested for UV permeability in line with the internationally recognised UV standard (AS/NZS399) and certified by the independent SQTS (Swiss Quality Testing Services) laboratory. The result of this is the GLATZ “UV Protection” testing label, which guarantees the maximum possible UV protection of more than 98 per cent for all fabric covers in the GLATZ material classes 4 and 5.
How do Materials affect UV Protection factor?
The heavier the material is the more difficult it is for harmful UV rays to get through. Darker shades of colour also provide greater UV protection. Synthetic fabrics such as polyester and acrylic offer a far higher UV protection factor than natural fabrics like cotton. Polyester fabrics used by Glatz are UV stabilised and last many times longer depending on the intensity and duration of UV exposure.
For more information...
Please do not hesitate to contact us on 0345 605 2505 if you need any assistance. We are more than happy to help!
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