Free Fly Bamboo Lightweight Sun Shirt Review

Bottom Line

The Free Fly Bamboo Lightweight Hoodie (men’s / women’s) is a silky, soft, casual hooded shirt with 95% sun protection. 

The Free Fly brand knows how to create irresistible fabric. Our gear analytics can not stop rubbing their arms or telling passers-by to feel the soft fabric while donning this top. Initially, this top also had great stretch. Unfortunately, this shirt does not wash easily, and a mistake could put the softness, stretch, and size in danger. 

This shirt would be perfect for someone looking for a casual shirt that values comfort and isn’t planning on breaking a sweat in this shirt. Because we found the fit not perfect for our body, we recommend trying this shirt on before dropping in.

How We Tested

We trail-tested this top in variable conditions, including 45-50-degree sunny days with a day pack on hikes that were about 5 miles long. We lab-tested the top with a 20-minute stationary bike ride to measure the breathability and wicking power.

Comfort

When we initially tried this top on, we fell in love with the soft fabric and how it felt on our skin. Like its cousin, the Free Fly Bamboo Shade Hoodie II, this softness followed us throughout our adventures, as did its amazing stretch and flattering drape. 

The fit, however, might not work for every body type. The sleeves were short on us, and though we have long arms, we found that to be a common complaint from other reviewers. Besides the sleeves, the rest of the sun shirt fit well and felt comfortable. 

While initial hikes were comfortable, we accidentally put this shirt through the normal wash and dryer and noticed that it lost its softness and stretch. After this wash, the ill fit in the arms and shoulders was even more apparent. It became so uncomfortable we don’t wear it anymore. Free Fly recommends turning the shirt inside out and washing it on a cold, delicate cycle. They advise against putting it through the dryer. 

While this was absolutely our mistake, we also feel it’s worth noting because most activewear can be thrown in the wash/dryer, so this top is a little “high maintenance.”  

Sun Protection

This shirt provides okay sun protection. It has a UPF 20+ rating that falls below the Skin Cancer Foundation’s recommendation for sun protective fabric. Despite this, a score of 20 blocks ~95% of UV rays from reaching the skin. 

The shirt also includes a hood and a neck gaiter. We love that when the hood is up, our neck is totally protected. The hood fits well and stays in place. It allows for extra room to fit a cap underneath. The neck is a little uncomfortable, pressing into our neck while hiking. We constantly had to pull it away from us on our adventures.  

This shirt also has thumbholes to help the cuffs cover the hands completely. One thing we didn’t like was the fit of the thumbholes. It hurts to put our thumbs through them. This is likely because of the fit issues we have with the sleeve length, so it might be comfortable for other body types.

Breathability & Wicking Power

The Free Fly didn’t wow us with breathability, wicking, or dry time. The fabric of this version is lighter than the Free Fly Bamboo Shade Hoodie II, so it dries a little bit quicker than its cousin, but it still took over two hours to dry after taking the shirt off. 

This shirt doesn’t wear well with a pack on or during high-exertion activities where you’re breaking a sweat. It felt great on a hike with a day pack along the flatter sections. However, when we began our climb, we noticed that an enormous amount of sweat started to pool on the skin and on the shirt. We couldn’t feel air circulating to help us cool off, either. 

When we took our packs off at the peak of our climb, the shirt clung to our back. It was drenched, and the fabric became very heavy. This peak was about 2 miles into our 6-mile hike, and we noticed the sweat stayed with us almost the entire time. For this reason, we don’t recommend this top for backpacking trips.

Versatility

This shirt is attractive enough to transition from trail to town, but be warned that it sponges up sweat and odor. It felt comfortable on casual hikes, bike rides, and short cool-weather runs. Because of the fit in the arms, it wasn’t as comfortable to wear under fleeces to run errands around town.

Should You Buy the Free Fly Bamboo Lightweight Sun Shirt?

Though this shirt has many redeeming qualities, we wouldn’t recommend it before trying it on to make sure the arms and neck fit well. It’s best for low-output recreating because of its lackluster breathing/wicking/drying powers.

The delicate washing recommendations—that must be followed or else the shirt loses its softness and stretch—turn us off, too. At the end of an adventure, we want to be able to throw everything in the wash without hassle. 

This would make a good shirt for casual hikes in the front country. It’s a great option for a sun shirt that wears well around town. We caution anyone who can’t be bothered by careful washing or has a shorter wingspan.

What Other Sun Shirts Should You Consider?

Find more great sun shirts in our full sun shirt gear guide. Here are some similar options to the Free Fly Lightweight Bamboo Hoodie:

Free Fly Bamboo Shade Hoodie II Review: Free Fly makes another hooded sun shirt, and we had a better experience. The fit was impeccable, and the stretch and softness were heavenly. It also provides UPF 50+ sun protection. 

REI Sahara Shade Review: This is a comparable shirt for someone looking for great sun protection and an ultra-comfortable shirt for casual adventures. The REI has a better price point and a UPF 50+ rating. Plus, its fit has been loved by CleverHiker gear analysts for years.  

Milk & Whiskey Chaser Review: This sun shirt is more expensive, but it’s made from a majority of modal rayon fibers, which have a comparable, silky softness to viscose. This top has a great fit and drape and wears well on and off trail. It also has a UPF 50+ rating.