The best rash guards you can buy

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The Insider Pick:

A long-sleeved, hooded rash guard is the best for most people because it offers the most protection and compresses to your body without trapping too much water and slowing you down.
Our top pick is the Patagonia RØ Long-Sleeved Sun Hoody rash guard because it ticks all the boxes, looks decent, and dries quickly.

A little protection never hurt anyone, and if you're going to be swimming, surfing, or skin-diving in the sweet summer sun, it's worth giving yourself a buffer from its loving-but-merciless rays. And while a rash guard may not entirely prevent a jellyfish's wrath or a plague of sea lice, it will almost certainly diminish the intensity of their offensive.

Rash guards are essential for surfers, especially those with body hair. Wax and hair, as we all know, don't go too well together unless we're intentionally removing hair, and the case is no different with surf wax. Even if you don't have body hair, surf wax can really tear up your skin leaving you with something like a rug burn, or, uh, a rash. Don't get a rash. Wear a rash guard.

While a constrictive lycra top is probably optimal for performance's sake, that might not be your goal at all (it's hardly mine). Loose-fitting rash guards are more comfortable, and while they're also liable to welcome unwelcome critters into your torso region, they still keep the sun away. Likewise, if you're swimming in a pool, I couldn't think of a reason why you'd need a tight-fitting rash guard.

Rash guards also come in short- and long-sleeved designs, with and without hoods, pockets, and loops for more secure surf bathing. We've got an assortment of functional styles below, and while I don't like to recommend short-sleeve rash guards, all of our choices are available in that cut, too.

Here are our favorite rash guards:

Best overall: Patagonia RØ Long-Sleeved Sun Hoody, $69.00
Best quick-drying: Hurley Quick Dry rash guard, $45.00
Best for surfing: Patagonia RØ Hoody, $65.00
Best thermal: O'Neill Thermo-X Rash Guard, $69.95
Best hybrid: O'Neill 24/7 Hybrid Zippered Hoody, $59.95-$64.95
Best for casual use: Land's End Swim tee Rashguard for women, $34.95

Read on in the slides below to learn more about our top picks.

The best rash guard overall

Why you'll love it: More casual swimmers and surfers prefer a looser fit, and you'll be comfortable in Patagonia's RØ Long-Sleeve Sun Hoody without losing too much speed in the water.

Patagonia's Men's RØ Long-Sleeve Sun Hoody is my go-to rash guard for all activities aquatic, when and where temperatures permit. It's comfortable in and out of the water, I don't get too hot in it, and it's fine for the bar and grill in a pinch. Patagonia's Sunshade Hoody for women ticks all the same boxes, though many women also like wearing the men's RØ Hoody.

The Hoody rash guard is basically a more-relaxed, less-technical version of the regular RØ hoody that's designed for more rigorous sports. But I find that I'm not trying to win — no less compete — in any tournaments, and I merely enjoy myself in the waves, which involves being comfortable and avoiding sunburn. It also has thumb loops to keep the sleeves from riding up, which is a great bonus.

If you just need something for a day at the pool, in which stinging and biting things are usually not found, a looser-fitting rash guard is also probably your best choice. If some wicked creature has indeed surreptitiously filed into the bottom of your swimming pool, well, you've probably got bigger problems, my friend.

Although Patagonia's shirt has stitching like a wetsuit, it comes in colors that are subtle enough not to announce the fact that you're donning swimwear to dinner. I personally appreciate that, because while summer nights are long, I hardly ever leave myself time to run home and change after being on the water, and more often than not end up arriving at dinner wearing exactly what I surfed, swam, or fished in that day.

While I might smell — my sincerest apologies to past and future dinner companions — I like to think that I (usually) look (sort of) okay. Deny all you like, but I know I'm not the only one.

There aren't as many reviews on the web for Patagonia's RØ Long-Sleeved Sun Hoody as there are for our other Patagonia pick, the RØ Hoody, but I've owned, and used both, extensively. Patagonia's website only includes one (5-star) review by a very pleased verified buyer.

Pros: Lightweight, quick drying, comfortable when wet and dry (not too hot)

Cons: Stitching is a giveaway that it's a rash guard, if you're trying to hide that fact, no pockets

Buy Patagonia's men's RØ Long-Sleeved Sun Hoody from Patagonia for $69.00

Buy Patagonia's women's Sunshade Hoody from Patagonia for $69.00

Buy Patagonia's women's Micro Swell rash guard from Patagonia for $85.00

The best quick-drying rash guard

Why you'll love it: Hurley's Quick Dry series is quick-drying, lightweight, comfortable in extreme heat, and unbelievably easy to pack for trips.

While Hurley's Quick Dry Icon Shirt maybe isn't the most stylish, its lightweight, airy feel makes it the most comfortable UPF shirt both in and out of the water.

Hurley doesn't offer the same Quick Dry model for women, and while this one is comparable, you'll have to put up with the large logo on the forearm of the sleeve. Instead, you might look into Patagonia Women's Micro Swell Rash Guard, which comes in more styled patterns and cuts.

I've spent a lot of time in Hurley's Quick Dry shirt and even though it isn't necessarily the best-made or most technical shirt on our list, it is probably the best for most people just looking to spend a day at the beach while keeping the sun at bay and staying cool. It's also the quickest drying shirt I've tested even when it's wet. That alone makes it my absolute favorite rash guard for surfing.

The most important note to make about this shirt may be that it's comfortable and lightweight enough to leave on after you've gotten out of the water. In contrast, heavier shirts can be a drag to wear wet and even leave you with a chill. This, my friends, is when you're most prone to make the dangerous, egregious mistake of removing your rash guard in order to sun-dry, only to realize hours later that you've forgotten to put it back on, and you're now beet-red.

There aren't a ton of reviews on the web, and none I'll link to, but I can say that Surf writer Chris Dixon and I fell in love with this shirt two years ago while testing for a surf guide at Wirecutter, and both of us still keep it in heavy rotation.

While 12 reviews may not offer a whole lot of confidence, they averaged out to 4.8 out of 5 stars. Some buyers complained that the shirt runs small, and it might, depending on how you wear your shirts. I was happy with my regular size. The only point I'll deduct is for staining — not that this shirt is built for fishing in the first place, but taking it out on the fishing boat was a mistake, albeit mine (especially since it was white).

My favorite rash guard of all time was the Hurley Dri Fit, and while you can still get it on Amazon, it appears that Hurley has discontinued it.

Pros: Ultra-lightweight, thin, packable, amazingly quick-drying, as the name suggests, odor-resistant

Cons: Stains easily (at least in white), stitching isn't excellent, but that's not to say it's unraveling on me after two years of heavy use around the world

Buy the men's Quick Dry rash guard from Hurley for $45.00

Buy the Dri Fit on Amazon while supplies last for $43.18

Buy the women's Hurley One and Only rash guard from Hurley for $35.00

Buy the women's Micro Swell Rash Guard from Patagonia for $85.00

The best rash guard for surfing

Why you'll love it: Patagonia's RØ Hoody is soft, lightweight, and comes with an all-plastic zipper that won't corrode, no matter how many times you take it swimming and forget to wash it afterward.

Patagonia's Men's Sun Shade Technical Hoody has been a personal favorite among the hooded rash guards for a while (the women's version is also very popular). I find them to be among the softest, best-fitting, best-styled of the UV shirts designed for outdoors enthusiasts. In a sea of abysmally large, flashy logos and prints, Patagonia stays true to tone, which earns points in my book.

For surfing, though, I've found no better hooded rash guard than Patagonia's RØ Hoody. It fits snuggly for optimal performance, and even in cracking, Fijian surf, the hood seemed to hold firmly. I use mine on especially long outings in the summer, and as much as possible when I'm in the tropics. The zippered pocket in the back is an excellent touch for keeping sunscreen, wax, or perhaps even a small pouch or flask (of water).

I've been fishing, surfing, and occasionally swimming in these shirts for years, and as a small disclaimer, I may be somewhat partial, but they're too comfortable and low-profile to ignore for this guide.

Patagonia's site has mostly positive reviews, but Patagonia's fans are generally a loyal legion whose reviews are probably best taken with a grain of salt. One reviewer did mention that the stitching on his shirt came apart right away, but I'm inclined to think that might stack up to an odd defect, because I can't say how many Patagonia rash guards and sun shirts I've owned, and through fishing, hiking, camping, and all the rest, I still haven't so much as loosened a stitch on any of them.

Backpacker magazine also had nothing but good things to say, and the same goes for the folks at Blister Gear Review. While we acknowledge that Patagonia tends to sit on its own high pedestal within the eco-conscious realm of the outdoors industry, the dependable quality of the company's clothes makes it pretty hard to come up with a reason why they shouldn't.

The only thing I'd recommend is that you not order it in black if you're in particularly warm water or weather, or especially prone to getting overheated. And, if you like a more relaxed fit, check out the Long-Sleeved Sun Hoody, which is a little more casual and a lot more comfortable out of the water, and the new Tropic Comfort II, which is a little bulkier, but more of a hybrid-style that's great for fishing and maybe a casual dinner out, too, depending on where you are.

Pros: Soft, comfortable, effective, and technical for anglers, button to cover face with hood, a handy and corrosion-free chest zipper

Cons: A little bulky, and not as cooling as Columbia's Solar Shade, no drawstring at bottom to keep shirt from riding up (but there is a loop to tie to the drawstring on your board shorts)