Disclaimer: I received a pair of BUFF UV arm sleeves to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!
When I first started running in 2011, I didn’t own a smart watch, a fuel belt, compression socks, nor any arm sleeves. Now, I don’t know what I would do without all of the amazing running accessories I have found!
One of the latest accessories I have discovered are BUFF UV arm sleeves. I’ll be honest and say that up until this point, I mainly used knee high socks with the toes cut off as my make-shirt arm sleeves. Now that I own a pair of real arm sleeves, I won’t be going back to the altered, cotton knee-high socks ever again!
When my BUFF UV arm sleeves first arrived I was a little skeptical. I wondered if they’d fit, if they’d be uncomfortable, and if I’d get too hot. Fortunately, I used the sizing chart (shown below) before ordering, so yes, they fit! Yes, they were comfortable (besides the minor inner arm irritation due to the tag. Perhaps I’ll end up cutting the tag off.)! No, I did not get too hot. 
My fist time taking out my new BUFF UV arm sleeves, I headed to the nearby levee for a short evening run. I thought I would feel claustrophobic in the arm sleeves, but thankfully that was not the case. As soon as I began to sweat a little, the sleeves actually helped to keep me cool. As stated at BUFFusa.com, “The highly breathable polyester material wicks moisture, is comfortable next to the skin, and blocks harmful rays.”
Next, I wanted to test out the BUFF UV arm sleeves for a longer run, so I packed them in my bag when I headed to Reno, Nevada for the Downtown River Run marathon. Yes, I wore the arm sleeves for the entire 6 hour, 26.2 mile race! At the start of the race it was 37 degrees Fahrenheit. At the finish line, it was close to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The sleeves helped to keep my warm at the starting line and cool towards the finish line. When I started getting warm during the race, I simply poured water over the sleeves at the aid station. With the sleeve’s breath-ability and moisture wicking technology, I stayed nice and cool while keeping my arms protected from the sun’s damaging UV rays.
Speaking of the sun’s rays, one thing I learned during the Downtown River Run was to put sunscreen on my hands. Can you tell where the BUFF UV arm sleeve ended?
I tested the BUFF UV arm sleeves again during the Rina’s Run half marathon. Again, the sleeves helped to keep me warm at the starting line and cool toward the end of the race. I didn’t have to worry about my arms getting sunburned since the sleeves provide UPF 40+ protection! (*Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) measures the amount of UV radiation that penetrates a fabric and reaches your skin. A fabric rated with a UPF of 40 will allow only 1/40th of the sun’s UV rays to pass through.)
Some of the other things I love about the BUFF UV arm sleeves are the reflective elements strategically placed for better visibility in low-light conditions, the elastic upper with engineered silicone grip so that the sleeve is held comfortably in place, the ease in pulling them on and off as needed, and that the sleeves are light, packable protection that fit nicely in a pack or pocket.
If you have any questions and/or comments about the BUFF UV arm sleeves, please feel free to leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you!
BUFF® USA will be sponsoring the weekly #Bibchat on Tuesday, June 6th at 8pm CST on Twitter. You could win a set of UV BUFF® USA Arm Sleeves for chatting! You can also check out BUFF®USA on Facebook and Instagram!
Check out some other BibRave Pro bloggers who have reviewed the UV Buff Arm Sleeves!
Until next time,
