CHOICE put nine brands of rashie vests to the test. While all passed with flying colours, we found cheaper brands provide good sun protection and won’t burn your budget. So if you don’t want to splash out on a $55 rashie, the $12 offerings from Kmart and Big W still offer excellent protection.
It’s worth remembering that after exposure to sun and chlorine and repeated washing there can be a big difference after two-three years use.
It would seem to be a better outcome, financially and performance wise (in the second year), to buy a ‘cheapie’ and replace it after a year than to buy an expensive one and keep it for two years.
Shame you didn’t rate Nova in amongst them. Aussie made In QLD. I’ll bet few/none of the others are!!!
While all the rashes may rate similarly for performance, many have either no sleeves or short sleeves which reduces their skin coverage and increasing the likelihood of skin damage.
Good point @phb, something to consider.
Thanks for the heads up @meawls, I’ll be sure to pass it on.
Has anyone looked at water wearable head coverings for wearing in the surf, or if at the pool or beach?
It would seem to me that everyone promotes wearing hats in the sun, but no-one promotes head covering when taking part in water based activities. This seems to be a BIG oversight in sun protection to me.
Very rarely have I seen anyone over baby age wearing hats when in the water, where they get the sunlight and the reflection on the parts of their body protruding from the water.
A startling example of the bad attitude to head covering is when kids partake in Surf Life Saving activities (Nippers etc.). When doing any activity with the club, It is compulsory for kids to wear the little skull caps (not sure of the correct name) in club colours that surely everyone has seen. 
These caps have NO SPF rating! If involved in a surf club, kids can be out in the sun every day of the week for up to several hours at a time with no effective head protection. There is no tolerance for any sort of hat with a brim to shade the eyes, or a flap to cover the neck or ears. This seems like a major failure of duty of care to me.
Surely when taking part in water based activities wearing a sun protective head covering is just as, if not more important than wearing a rashie?
@meltam sounds logical, sun protection should be a priority. It looks like Surf Life Saving surveyed it’s members about five years ago on this issue and majority decided to keep the iconic hats.
