Testing New Summer Beach Gear
Prevention Magazine tests eight summer products.
July 27, 2008— -- Every summer, brand new gadgets, promising an extra dose of fun in the sun, rush in faster than high tide at the beach. But do these new products keep their promises? With the help of Courtenay Smith, executive editor of Prevention magazine, we put these new summer must-haves to the test.
PRODUCT: MD Skincare's Sunscreen Towelettes, $42
PROMISE: One towelette provides SPF 30 protection for your entire body.
RESULT: One towelette worked just as well as traditional SPF 30 suntan lotion.
PRODUCT: Flexi-Freeze's Ice Free Cooler, $20
PROMISE: After freezing the cooler overnight, it will keep contents cold without ice.
RESULT: We froze the bag overnight, put six soda/water bottles in it, and used the cooler normally throughout the day. The cooler's temperature rose each hour over four hours. The company says the cooler passed independent testing, and may have failed our test because it was not "fully frozen before the cooler was used."
PRODUCT: Cooltan's No Tan Line Bathing Suit, $40-$68
PROMISE: UV rays penetrate the bathing suit fabric to provide an all-over tan.
RESULT: After four hours in the sun, neither one of our testers had tan lines. The tan line-proof swimwear uses a polymer fabric that provides an SPF 6. The skin cancer foundation recommends using a minimum SPF of 15 or higher for all-over protection, which means that such a low SPF is unsafe and puts the wearer at risk for skin cancer.
PRODUCT: Solio's Solar Powered Phone Charger, $100
PROMISE: The charger harnesses the sun's rays to power electronics.
RESULT: After charging a cell phone for one hour, the battery went from dead to low.
PRODUCT: eGo's Waterproof iPod Case, $130
PROMISE: The case can totally submerge in water without damaging an iPod or the case's speakers.
RESULT: After being doused by waves at least 12 times, the iPod and case worked.
PRODUCT: Patagonia's Surf Brim Hat, $38
PROMISE: Stays on during intense waves and wind.
RESULT: Not only did the hat stay on, but it also provided significant shade from the sun, and its water repellent finish kept the hat dry.
PROMISE: Wearing the shoes tones from the waist down by stimulating leg muscles and glutes.
RESULT: Testers did not notice any difference after wearing the Fit Flops compared to traditional flip flops.
PRODUCT: Dick's Sporting Good's Nike ACG SPF Apparel, $40
PROMISE: Apparel treated with an SPF 30 UV finish blocks 96.7 percent of all UVA and UVB rays from the sun.
RESULT: According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, "light-colored, lightweight and loosely-woven fabrics do not offer much protection from the sun. That white T-shirt you slip on at the beach when you feel your skin burning provides only moderate protection from sunburn, with an average ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of 7."
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