The Best Rash Guards for Men: Keep Your Watersport Dream Alive
Every sport can be dangerous, from driving lightning-fast cars in motorsports to hitting the mighty sea waves while surfing without the right gear. But it isn’t the thrashing waves that can chafe your skin. The coarse beach sand, burning sun rays, and jellyfish stings also threaten your bare skin.
Rash guards are key to keeping you protected and safe if you are on a family’s day out to the beach or plan on hitting the waves on your surfboard. While it may look like your ordinary t-shirt, its synthetic and breathable properties provide better protection than most swimsuits without hindering your performance or comfort.
They also protect you from the sun's harmful UV rays or the irritation you get after spending hours in the salt water. Rash guards have become a staple for surfers with UPF protection, quick-drying, and sweat-wicking properties. If you have a passion for watersports, we have listed the leading rash guards for men of 2024.
Our Top Picks
The Highest-rated Rash Guard for Men You Can Buy in 2024
Best Overall
As one of the most trusted brands for swimwear and surfing accessories, seeing the TSLA’s long sleeve rash guard taking the top spot on our list should be no surprise. The polyester and spandex protect your skin from rashes and chafes, and the enhanced elasticity also allows you to make flexible movements comfortably.
This long full-sleeve shirt gives a tight fit preventing any ride-ups while swimming. The high-density but breathable polyester fabric has built-in UPF 50+, offering optimum UV protection from the sun. Not to mention, the embedded quick-dry feature disperses the sweat away to keep your body temperature from exceeding the safe limit making it qualify as the best overall rash guard on the list.
Pros
- Features built-in 50+ UPF protection
- Elastane components allow flexible movements
- Provides a snug fit to prevent rollups
- Wicking fabric evaporates any sweat or water
Cons
- It may have uncomfortable fitting under arms
Most Comfortable
Long-sleeve and tighter rash guards can become too constricting and warm in the scorching summer heat. Besides all those laid-back water lovers, the Kanu Surf’s short-sleeved swim shirt made from soft and lightweight fabric takes the front rank. This short-sleeve swim tee is made out of 100% polyester and offers a looser fit than standard rash guards.
No need for sunscreen anymore because the fabric qualifies with UPF 50+ rating for blocking the UV rays from the sun. The crew neck shirt also comes with wicking technology that evaporates water or sweats quicker than a standard t-shirt, making it fit for athletes and regular surfers, swimmers, and runners.
Pros
- It is machine washable
- Made from 100% polyester
- Wicking technology disperses sweat quickly
- Loose fit and short-sleeves provide better comfort
Cons
- Doesn’t provide adequate UV protection
Ideal for Swimmers
O’Neill’s basic skin rash guards take the spotlight for a rash guard that features a perfect blend of comfort, performance, and safety. This crew neck guard is made from a fine, skin-friendly blend of polyester and spandex that won’t weigh you down when damp. The slim-fit design suits all sorts of watersports but specifically aids athlete swimmers.
Since the shirt isn’t skin-tight or snugged to your body, it allows you to breathe without much constraint. The rash guard has been equipped with UPF 50+ UV protection throughout, offering the highest level of protection from the scorching sun. The minimal seams allow easy and flexible movement for swimmers and divers alike.
Pros
- Lightweight and stretchable
- A slim fit design allows flexible movement
- Offers 50+ UV protection from the sun
- Breathable material disperses sweat quickly
Cons
- Not machine washable
Best for Sun Protection
NaviSkin designs practical and reliable protection from the sun as a leading brand in designing quality swimwear and surfing attire. This full-sleeve rash tee is made from 100% polyester that offers a pull-on closure blocking harmful UVA and UVB rays that might damage your skin. With UPF 50+ fabrication, you can have fun under the sun in utmost comfort.
The NaviSkin rash guard features a looser fit with no-chafe comfort, making it perfect for all outdoor sports and activities. The raglan seam cut provides a maximum range of motion for your arms and shoulders, facilitating your workout sessions as well.
Pros
- Raglan seam design allows maximum movement
- 100% polyester fabric is lightweight and breathable
- The high-density fabric ensures UVA and UVB protection
- Moisture-wicking ability dries it quickly
Cons
- Not suitable for swimming
Ideal for Surfing
As a surfer who loves to ride the waves for hours on end, you will need a rash guard that provides maximum sun protection and clinches your body tightly, ensuring your muscles stay warm. The Quiksilver men’s long-sleeve made from pure spandex provides you with just the right protection and agility you need.
Thanks to the chlorine-resistant fabric, you don’t have to worry about your skin getting chafed even after surfing for hours in the water. The rash guard is also embedded with UPF 50+ sun protection, so you can skip the hassle of applying sunscreen every 60 minutes.
Pros
- 100% spandex provides maximum elasticity
- The tight fit makes it suitable for surfing
- Embedded with UPF 50+ sun protection
- Features moisture-wicking technology for quick drying
Cons
- Sizing may be tight for some
Buyer’s Guide To Finding a Rash Guard for Men
What may seem like a recreational activity for some and a passion for others, a day out on the beach carving through the gigantic sea waves is somewhat an extreme sport. Even if you keep yourself limited to the beach’s shores, the scorching sun rays will take a toll on you where the waves won’t hit you.
The only way to enjoy the exciting outdoor activity beneath the sun or inside the water is through proper gear. In the case of swimming and surfing, rash guards are the most vital and convenient safety measure. But are rash guards really important? Why not wear your regular tee to the beach?
Are Rash Guards Really Important?
The much subtler-looking water and the cozy warm sun don’t stay the same every time. Not to mention the sandy beach where you love playing volleyball with your friends. The salty ocean water, harmful UV rays from the sun, and coarse wet sand could chafe and damage your skin if not for rash guards.
Commonly referred to as swim shirts, rash guards are designed to keep you safe in and outside the water. They have become a staple attire for swimmers, scuba divers, and surfers looking to take on the ocean waves. Like your normal sunscreen, people who plan to chill out on the beach wear them to safeguard their skin from UV rays.
What To Consider When Buying a Rash Guard?
Whether you want to protect your skin from the burning sun rays or the chlorine-carrying water, consider the following things before buying a rash guard.
Fit and style
From the ones that look no different from your regular tee to the ones that snuggle up tightly against your skin, rash guards come in a variety of fits and styles.
The tighter fit is usually geared towards athlete surfers and swimmers, preventing them from ballooning up, weighing you down with their weight, or hindering your movement or flexibility. Instead, they improve your performance in the water while also keeping you comfortable.
Rash guards that feature a relatively loose fit suit the ones who come to enjoy themselves on the beach. They often use a fabric embedded with UV protection from the sun keeping your skin from getting burned. Like tighter versions, they also come in short and long sleeves allowing you to choose one as per your preference.
Material
Primarily made from synthetic fabrics like polyester, spandex, and nylon, these swim shirts are intended to keep you snuggled up and comforted and allow maximum body movement. In addition to their quick-dry ability, rash guards should also have flatlock seams and diverse fabric to keep your skin from forming abrasions.
UV protection
Besides keeping you safe from the salty ocean water, UV protection is among the primary reasons for wearing a rash guard. Like sunscreen, the quality of a rash guard is measured with UPF protection — the ability of a rash guard to protect against harmful heat waves. Some high-end versions with a dense fabric weave can block out a good portion of UVA and UVB rays from the sun, while others are layered with a UV deflective UV coating.
People Also Asked
Can a rush guard keep me warm?
Rash guards are normally made from polyester and spandex that are known to reflect, block, and absorb sun rays meaning they can’t keep your body temperature warm.
How do I wash my rush guard?
Typically, a rush guard ought to be washed by hand. However, some wash guards are machine washable. Check out the description before you machine washes your rush guard.
Should I buy a tight rush guard or a loose fit?
It depends on your preference and requirement. If you are a professional swimmer, surfer, or diver, you should buy a tight-fitting. But a loose fit will do if you want one to fend off the UV rays.