UV Buddy Bracelets Review – Staying Safe in the Sun

Before we made our move to Portugal in May, I started thinking about the fact we were going to live in a warmer country with a lot more sunshine. As a result, I also started thinking about protecting BattleKid’s skin, especially during the hotter summer months. Although I lived in South Africa until I was nine I don’t remember using sun cream when out and about, or beside the pool. But using sunscreen on BattleKid has become part and parcel of warm days ever since our first holiday when he was just 8 months old. I wondered was there anything else I could use and I stumbled upon UV Buddy bracelets. I was thrilled to receive UV Buddy bracelets to review for both myself and BattleKid and felt I was well equipped to tackle the sunshine we were heading to.

UV Buddy Bracelets are a novel way of ensuring sun safety is forefront on your mind. They are handmade bracelets (and other accessories) which also contain special plastic beads packed with pigments that change colour upon exposure to UV light. We all know that too much exposure to UV light can have long term damaging effects on our skin and by using UV Buddy bracelets we can ensure we can take the necessary precautions to protect ours and our family’s skin.

How do UV Buddy Bracelets work?

UV Buddy Bracelets include state of the art beads containing pigments which change colour when exposed to UV light from any source, including the sun, as already mentioned. In normal light the beads are white in colour. However, in ultraviolet light the pigments contained within the special beads change colour depending on the strength of the sun. These pigments can change colour about 50,000 times before it will no longer react to UV light. Remember that UV light is invisible to our naked eyes! The white bead changes colour from white to a medium colour, to a vivid colour depending on the strength of the UV light and length of time of exposure. This colour change lets you know it’s time to apply sunscreen. Here’s a video to show you how they work:

Why use UV Buddy Bracelets?

I don’t know about you, but in the UK and Ireland I was quite guilty of not being sure when to reapply sunscreen. On sunny days, I’d put it on BattleKid before we went out, but I was never quite sure when to reapply. Well, UV Buddy Bracelets can help you out. By keeping an eye on the special beads and their colour, you can get an indication if the sun’s rays are strong and therefore lots of UV light is reaching our skin and that of your children. If the beads are still white there isn’t a lot of UV light reaching your skin so no need for sunscreen. However, if they are changing colour or are vivid you need to reapply sunscreen and often.

For us here in Portugal, the beads have been a vivid colour all the time and so it’s been a good reminder to reapply sunscreen frequently if we’re out in the sun. If it slips my mind, I only need to catch a glimpse of mine or BattleKid’s UV Buddy Bracelets and it reminds me to reapply sunscreen if it’s been a while. It also reminds me to put sunscreen on us if I’ve forgotten before we have left the house.

Were we still in the UK, these would be great to pop onto BattleKid on days out in case the sun made an appearance or if some sneaky rays were getting through the clouds warranting the need for sunscreen. They’re not just for use when the sun is beaming outside!

What I loved about UV Buddy Bracelets and accessories:

• Good variety of accessories to choose from including bracelets, necklaces and phone charms.
• Good variety of bead colours to choose from.
• Very good value-for-money considering what they do.
• Great for reminding us to reapply sunscreen, even on slightly cloudy days.
• Very fashionable and trendy.
• A great safety conscious set of accessories.
• Can be used throughout the family by children and adults!

What I didn’t like about UV Buddy BRACELETS:

• Nothing.

One point to note, our UV Buddy bracelets are a constant vivid colour here in Portugal when we are outside. In one way, this is good as it shows the high strength of the sun’s rays and the high proportion of UV light reaching us. The beads are only white indoors. However, I still need to keep an eye on times as to when to reapply sunscreen. On cloudy days these bracelets might really come into their own to indicate if UV light is creeping through the clouds. So, for the UK and Ireland they would be really useful.

I was thrilled to receive some UV Buddy Bracelets for review, and both BattleKid and I have been wearing them when out about to remind me I need to reapply our sunscreen. They are lovely bracelets, very fashionable and really do jog my memory about sunscreen. I think they are a great product to use with children because, as a parent, there is nothing more important to me than protecting my child and his vulnerable skin.

So, if you are wondering what one product to invest in for the coming summer months or for your summer holiday, I highly recommend you get some UV Buddy bracelets for the family. They’re a great way to ensure you and your family remain protected in the sunshine.

Thanks for reading,

Cath x

*We were kindly sent a set of UV Buddy Bracelets for review. However, as always, these are my own honest thought and opinions of the product.

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