Every Tool You Need for Sun Safety
SunUp isn't just a UV meter. It's a complete personal sun protection system with 10 integrated features — including a full in-app Sun Safety Guide library.
UV Monitoring & Forecasting
SunUp delivers real-time UV Index readings for your exact GPS location, updated every 15 minutes from professional weather services. See the current risk level, today's hourly UV curve, peak UV time, and a full 48-hour forecast — so you can plan your week of outdoor activities in advance.
What's included:
- Real-time UV Index, updated every 15 minutes
- 48-hour hourly UV forecast
- Peak UV alert (when UV will be strongest)
- Color-coded WHO risk scale (Low/Moderate/High/Very High/Extreme)
- Altitude-adjusted calculations (4% increase per 1,000 ft)
- Surface reflection factors (snow, sand, water, concrete)
- Cloud cover adjustment — accounts for 80% UV penetration
Personalization Engine
SunUp is the only UV app built on the Fitzpatrick Skin Classification System — the medically validated method for measuring skin's UV sensitivity. Input your skin type (I-VI), age range, and gender, and SunUp calculates your unique safe exposure window. A Type I person and a Type IV person face radically different risks at the same UV level — SunUp knows the difference.
What's included:
- Fitzpatrick skin types I through VI (all classifications supported)
- Type I: Always burns, never tans — Celtic, very fair
- Type II: Usually burns, tans minimally — Fair, Northern European
- Type III: Sometimes burns, tans gradually — Medium skin
- Type IV: Burns minimally, tans easily — Olive, Mediterranean
- Type V: Rarely burns, tans deeply — Brown, Middle Eastern
- Type VI: Never burns, deeply pigmented — Dark brown/Black
- Age-adjusted UV sensitivity (children, adults, seniors)
- Gender-specific activity recommendations
Activity Planning (12+ Activities)
Different activities expose you to different amounts of UV radiation. A swimmer faces reflected UV from water. A skier faces reflected UV from snow (85% reflectivity). A cyclist is moving through changing UV conditions. SunUp accounts for these differences and delivers activity-specific safe exposure times, SPF recommendations, and protective gear checklists.
What's included:
- Hiking and trail running (altitude + terrain factors)
- Beach and swimming (water reflection + surface exposure)
- Cycling and mountain biking (speed, exposure duration)
- Gardening and yard work (face/arm exposure patterns)
- Skiing and snowboarding (85% snow reflection)
- Fishing and boating (water reflection + prolonged exposure)
- Golf (midday exposure during peak UV)
- Running and jogging (outdoor exercise planning)
- Children's outdoor play (school recess, sports)
- Camping (multi-day UV exposure management)
- Outdoor events and festivals
- Construction and outdoor work
Air Quality Intelligence
SunUp is the only UV safety app that also monitors Air Quality Index (AQI) — because outdoor safety isn't just about UV. Poor air quality from wildfire smoke, pollution, or allergens changes whether you should go outside at all. SunUp combines UV and AQI data into a single go/no-go outdoor recommendation.
What's included:
- Real-time AQI (Air Quality Index) readings
- AQI scale: Good (0-50), Moderate (51-100), Unhealthy (101-150), Very Unhealthy (151+)
- PM2.5 and PM10 particle monitoring
- Wildfire smoke detection and alerts
- Combined UV + AQI outdoor safety recommendation
- Special warnings for children, elderly, and respiratory conditions
- 5-day AQI forecast alongside UV forecast
- Geographic AQI heatmap (select locations)
Plan for Family Members
Check UV safety for any family member individually — enter their name, age, skin type, and relationship to get personalized recommendations specifically for them. Currently each family member is checked one at a time. Full saved multi-profile management (persistent profiles per person) is coming soon.
What's included:
- "Plan for Someone Else" — check for any family member on the fly
- Individual skin type (Fitzpatrick I-VI) per check
- Age-specific recommendations (child, teen, adult, senior)
- Name and relationship tracking (child, spouse, parent, friend)
- Pediatric skin sensitivity adjustments
- Senior skin protection guidance (thinning skin, medications)
- Saved multi-profile management — coming soon
- Remote location monitoring — coming soon
Smart Tips Library (230+)
SunUp's 230+ personalized smart tips are contextual — they change based on your current UV level, activity, skin type, and time of day. Not generic sun safety advice you've heard a thousand times — specific, actionable guidance matched to your exact situation right now.
What's included:
- 230+ total tips in the library
- Context-sensitive: updates based on current UV + activity
- Skin type-specific tip categories
- Activity-specific protection strategies
- Seasonal sun safety guidance
- Medication interaction warnings (photosensitizing drugs)
- Clothing and gear effectiveness tips
- Sunscreen science: SPF ratings, broad-spectrum, reapplication
- UV-blocking window film and car safety
- Eye protection — UV and cataracts
Sun Protection Gear Recommendations
SunUp is built by GearTOP — manufacturer of UPF-rated sun protection gear with 700,000+ customers. The app recommends GearTOP products alongside selective picks from other trusted brands, matched to your activity and UV level.
What's included:
- Activity-matched gear recommendations
- GearTOP Navigator Hat (UPF 50+, 4.6/5 stars)
- GearTOP Discoverer Hat (wide-brim sun protection)
- Curated picks from other trusted outdoor brands
- UV-protective clothing recommendations
- SPF-rated sunscreen guidance
- Sun gloves and balaclava recommendations for extreme UV
- Gear checklist for planned activities
UV Exposure Tracking & History
Track your cumulative UV exposure over days, weeks, and months. SunUp logs every session — your activity, the UV conditions, your estimated exposure dose, and your protection measures — building a comprehensive UV health history that helps you make informed long-term decisions.
What's included:
- Daily UV exposure log
- Weekly and monthly exposure summaries
- Activity-by-activity history
- Cumulative UV dose tracking
- Skin health trend analysis
- Seasonal comparison reports
- Export exposure data for dermatologist visits
- Access the 20+ topic Sun Safety Guide for skin health education
Push Notifications & Alerts
Stay protected with smart, non-intrusive alerts. SunUp notifies you when UV reaches your personal risk threshold, when it's time to reapply sunscreen, and when conditions change during your planned outdoor activity.
What's included:
- UV threshold alerts (customizable per skin type)
- Sunscreen reapplication reminders
- Peak UV time warning (daily)
- Weather change alerts affecting UV exposure
- Air quality deterioration warnings
- Pre-activity UV briefing
- Safe time countdown timer
- Evening UV summary report
Sun Safety Guide — In-App Library
SunUp includes a full Sun Safety Guide built directly into the app — a comprehensive library of 20+ topics covering everything you need to know about protecting your skin from harmful UV rays. No internet search required. The answers are already in your pocket.
What's included:
- Sun Safety Essentials: Why Sun Protection Matters, UV Index Quick Reference, Know Your Skin Type (Fitzpatrick Scale)
- Age-Specific Protection: children, teens, adults, and seniors each face different UV risks
- Gender-Specific Protection: male and female skin differences explained
- Protection Methods: Sunscreen (SPF, application, reapplication), Protective Clothing & UPF ratings, The Shadow Rule, Eye & Lip Protection
- Health & First Aid: Medications & Sun Sensitivity, Special Conditions, Sunburn First Aid
- Vitamin D Balance: how to get what your body needs without overexposure
- Science & Environment: Air Quality interaction with UV, Seasonal Safety, Protection Intensity Matrix
- Tap any topic to read the full article — written in plain language, not medical jargon
All 10 Features. 100% Free.
Download SunUp and get lifetime access to every feature listed above — no subscriptions, no ads, no limitations.
Download Free on iOS