Product: Soleil Chic umbrella ($35.95-$39.95) and hat ($39.95), 888-296-7673; www.soleilchic.com.

Key ingredients: 100 percent nylon with a 40-50 Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) rating.

The pitch: Blocks more than 97 percent of UVA and UVB rays; helps prevent skin cancer and premature aging.

How it works: The tight weave of the fabric and a chemical block woven into it act as a sunscreen. UPF indicates how much of the sun's UV radiation is absorbed. A fabric with a rating of 50 will allow only one-50th of the sun's UV rays to pass through.

Pros: A proposed regulation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises that wearing protective clothing is as important as limiting sun time and wearing sunscreen when it comes to decreasing UV exposure. Most of the more than one million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosed yearly in the United States are considered to be sun-related, according to the American Cancer Society.

Cons: This product has not received the American Academy of Dermatology seal of recognition, which requires extensive lab testing. Sun-protective clothing is not regulated by the FDA. There's no government standard for how much UV protection clothes should provide. A Good Housekeeping Institute test found that, out of 15 clothing brands claiming UV protection, two made false label claims and had a UPF of zero; several others rated lower than claimed. (This brand was not among those tested.) Like regular clothing, sun-protective clothing may lose its effectiveness if pulled too tight or stretched out, if it becomes wet, or if it is washed and worn repeatedly, the Skin Cancer Foundation warns. An umbrella or hat doesn't provide total protection because rays can bounce off water, glass and other surfaces.

Bottom Line: Don't let sun-protective clothing give you a false sense of security. Tightly woven, dark clothing and a wide-brimmed hat could offer the same protection for less money.