Which? 2025: A £28 Sunscreen and a £3.75 Spray Both Failed
Price is no guarantee — in Which?'s 2025 test a premium £28 sunscreen failed UVA while a £3.75 spray failed SPF, both earning a 'Don't Buy.'
In Which?'s September 2025 test of 15 UK sunscreens, the £28 Ultrasun Family SPF30 failed UVA testing twice (9.1 and 9.5 versus the 10 needed to pass) while the £3.75 Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30 failed SPF testing twice (25.7 and 20.7 versus 30).
Consumer-testing analysts stress that SPF measures only UVB protection, so a product can carry a high SPF yet fail separate UVA testing — which is why independent labs assess both before recommending a sunscreen.
Questions we get a lot
Which sunscreens failed the Which? 2025 test?
Two of the 15 sunscreens tested earned a 'Don't Buy' rating. Ultrasun Family SPF30, priced at £28, failed UVA testing twice with scores of 9.1 and 9.5 against the 10 needed to pass. Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30, at £3.75, failed SPF testing twice, measuring 25.7 and 20.7 against the labeled 30.
Does a higher price mean better sun protection?
Not necessarily. In the 2025 Which? test the most expensive failing product cost £28 and fell short on UVA, while the cheapest failed on SPF — but plenty of inexpensive products passed. Price was not a reliable signal of protection. Independent test results are a better guide than cost.
Why does UVA testing matter separately from SPF?
SPF measures protection against UVB, the burning ray, but UVA contributes to aging and long-term damage and is assessed separately. The Ultrasun product passed on SPF assumptions yet failed the UVA threshold, showing the two are distinct. A genuinely broad-spectrum sunscreen has to satisfy both.
r/SkincareAddiction: 'My expensive Ultrasun just failed a Which? test — should I actually trust price as a signal of sunscreen quality at all?'