swim shirts/sun protection

[simplicityissanity]

Does anyone have any experience or recomendations for the type of swim clothes that are supposed to offer sun protection. In other words instead of having to attempt to lather a bunch of sun screen on a squirmy LO there are clothes some are long sleeved and long pants, wetsuit like. Are there chemicals involved? Brand recomendations? Summer is coming, repeatedly putting on sunscreen sounds like a big hassle/ challenge. Thanks. 

[katelove]

Not a toddler yet but my 9 m.o. has a full length sun protection suit for swimming. There are no chemicals involved, it's just a densely woven fabric. 

This is the one she wears

http://www.brightbots.com.au/category/7/page/1/item/58

[lifeguard]

I've been a big fan of swim shorts & a rash guard top - preferrably long sleeved. They're easy to come by (so I usually get a couple so I always have a dry, clean one) & saves us having to do the sunscreen - I worry about the chemicals. Personally I don't worry about his lower legs & feet but if you have a child with more sun sensitive skin it may be more necessary.

[blessedwithboys]

I buy from coolibar.com for my Fitzpatrick 1 son.

I had found a sunblock that was completely natural.  It didn't need a preservative bc it was oil based not water based.  We hated it bc it was thick and sticky and impossible to remove when we finally came inside.  Then I read about nanoparticles and Vit A being linked to melanoma and decided to switch over to clothing-only protection.

I highly recommend coolibar or any similar product.  My kiddo can stay out as long as he's having fun and doesn't get a bit of color through the cloth.  (For comparison, my UAV-of-an-ex husband let him outside in just a pair of shorts for 10 minutes and he got a second degree burn.  That's how fair this kid is!)

[atlantafemme]

We've had our 20-month-old in these kinds of suits since he started going to the pool/beach. We have some from Coolibar, Target, Babies R Us, Carter's, etc. We still put sunscreen on his face, hands and feet and keep him in hats but I feel much better (and it's way easier) not having to slather his whole body and reapply the stuff. He's never gotten any sun through one of these suits. Like the above poster mentioned, it's because of the way the fabric is woven.

By the way, our nontoxic sunscreen of choice is California Baby No Fragrance.

[lunarlady]

We get ours from Lands End. Super cute with mix and match bottoms and tops. Well made and they dry fast. They are just like swim suit material, only more of it. I love it and wish I could find (and afford) one for me too.

[Ldavis24]

We buy our swim stuff from LLBean (I believe they own lands end last I checked)

They offer bathing suits (one pieces which is what DH and I prefer for DD) with matching rash guards that are full sleeves. These are 50spf and we love that. We don't have to slather on so much lotion on DD and we go to the beach almost every single day during the summer (we live on Cape Cod)...The rash guard kept her from getting color so well! We are going to get the exact same thing again only in a bigger size.

A word of warning about the sizing of the bathing suit. We got DD a 3T last summer and she was only 16 months really!! They run TINY! I love them though and they worked perfectly for us!

[justKate]

We do the same for my ginger baby.  coolibar.com or onestepahead.com

ETA: katelove, do you know whether Bright Bots are sold in the U.S.?

[chel]

i've never had a bad rash guard.  cheap target-ish to name brand, they all protect great.

one piece are great for infants/toddlers that sit alot.  my 10yr dd has worn top only since about 3yrs.

it took years to find one for me (most have too trim a fit for my body type) and i love not having to worry about as much sunblock lotion.

my dh like that he doesn't have to shave is back on the rare times he joins the family swimming.

have to agree llbean sizing in general is so off i can't order anything right.

not to mention some rash guard is designed for a super tight fit.  i always try to find it in a store locally.

[katelove]

Originally Posted by justKate 

We do the same for my ginger baby.  coolibar.com or onestepahead.com

ETA: katelove, do you know whether Bright Bots are sold in the U.S.?

Not sure if they are sold in the US but their website says that they deliver internationally www.brightbots.com.au