Gear Review: Sun Safe on the Lake – Hi-Vis Kids Swim Shirt

Aug 14, 2025

Review and photos by Mathew Channer

An excellent quality Canadian product with a good balance of sun protection and features.

Not all gear is equal. It’s a motto you can apply to any industry, sport or activity. There is nothing worse than giving over your hard-earned dollars for a product that does a barely passable job at what it’s supposed to do, or worse, doesn’t do it at all. So when we decided to kick off Canadian Boating OnBoard’s new Gear Review column with Sun Safe on the Lake Hi-Vis Kid’s Swim Shirt, we were determined to be rigorous. And we were. Turns out this Canadian made product was more than up to the challenge of meeting—and beating—our high standards.

First Impressions—Bright, Strong, Supple

After an 18-year career on the water, including five years as a SCUBA diving instructor, I’ve been around enough swim shirts to write a book about them. Even still, the Sun Safe on the Lake Hi-Vis Kids Swim Shirt raised my eyebrows as soon as I opened the box. The UPF 50+, 2-way stretch, quick dry fabric is soft and supple to touch, but strong enough that you can aggressively stretch the material between your hands and watch it spring back into satisfyingly perfect shape. The high visibility colours are even brighter than they look on the website. I ordered one shirt in orange (Orange Popsicle) and another in green (Lime Time) and could clearly see them from hundreds of meters away while I was out in the boat and my two nephews were playing supervised on the beach.

Kid (and parent) Friendly Features

My nephews are age 9 and 11 and are complete water freaks who have to be dragged away from the lake every afternoon. Over 3 weeks they wore their shirts nearly every day, often for hours at a time in full sun. Watching them, I began to appreciate the extra care that goes into the design of the Sun Safe on the Lake Hi-Vis shirts to meet the rigors of children at play and to give both parents and kids the best possible time in and around the water. To start with, the shirts are sized larger than average children’s sizes, so kids have room to grow into them, meaning if you buy the correct size for your child this year it will likely still be a comfortable fit next year. This is a big deal for parents who already have to replace sneakers and many other clothing items at least once a year if not more as their kids grow. The loose fit also means the shirt doesn’t ride up at the waist and keeps tummies and lower backs out of the sun at all times, even when kids are rolling and frolicking around in the water.

Secondly, they are fastened with a 1/4 length zipper from sternum to chin, which makes them super easy to get on and off and is an especially great feature for parents with younger children who still need help getting their shirt on. Once the shirt is on and the zipper is closed, the collar sits midway up to the chin, protecting most of the neck from burning. Combine this with the long sleeves, with cuffed wrists to keep those sleeves firmly in place, and your child’s torso, arms and neck are fully protected.

Tough

Kids, especially boys, play rough with their things. But after three weeks of use and abuse, both Hi-Vis shirts looked almost exactly the same as they did when they came out of the packaging, and my nephews hadn’t once been sunburned (except when one of them forgot to put on his shirt!). And if your kids do get them dirty, the shirts are easily washable by hand with standard laundry detergent and even easier to dry by laying out flat in the sun. And, of course, the shirt is chemical free, meaning your sun protection won’t wash out with ongoing use.

Canadian

If the high quality and thoughtful features weren’t enough, Sun Safe on the Lake products are manufactured in Canada with Canadian-sourced materials. Products are designed by company owner and operator Jennifer Scobie, who grew up among lakes and now has her own family of little lake-enthusiasts, and who better to protect your kids in the water than a Canadian mother from lake country Ontario with kids of her own?

Price = Value

At $79 CAD retail, the Sun Safe on the Lake Hi-Vis Kids Swim Shirt sits around the top end of the pricing spectrum for a kid’s swim shirt. But you really are getting what you pay for. The larger fit and the extra features, all of which make life easier for parents and keep your kids wearing their shirts for longer, are more than worth it. Plus, it’s a truly locally manufactured product, made by, and for, Canadians.

The Verdict? Buy it.

The Sun Safe on the Lake Hi-Vis Kids Swim Shirt is as good as it gets. If you’re serious about getting a high-quality product to protect your children that will make your life easier and last multiple summers, go no further.