Bondi Sands SPF 50+ Fragrance Free Sunscreen: What CHOICE Measured
Last updated September 13, 2026
CHOICE measured SPF 32 against a label of SPF 50+ in June 2025; Bondi Sands rejected the finding, citing its own tested values of 72.8 and 73.6.
Bondi Sands had two products in the CHOICE round and disputed both. Its response is the only one in the set that puts specific competing numbers on the record: 72.8 and 73.6 for the two products, tested, it says, to the same Australian standard CHOICE used.
What was tested
CHOICE measured SPF 32, 12 June 2025
CHOICE measured SPF 32 against a label of SPF 50+. In the body's own words:
Bondi Sands SPF 50+ Fragrance Free Sunscreen – tested at 32
Method, as CHOICE states it: AS/NZS 2604:2021, incorporating ISO 24444 (in vivo SPF) and ISO 24443 (in vitro UVA); a 10-person panel under a solar simulator, run at Eurofins Dermatest in Sydney.
What the brand said
Bondi Sands disputed both of its results, citing its own testing under the same Australian standard, which it said returned SPF 72.8 and 73.6 for the two products.
We therefore do not share the assessment by Choice as it does not reflect our testing and evidence in line with the relevant regulations.
What happened next
Market status: no change has been published by any source cited here. Statuses in this story moved repeatedly between 2025 and 2026, so check the regulator before assuming a product is still on sale.
Alternatives that passed
CHOICE reported that four of the 20 sunscreens it tested returned a measured SPF at or above the claim on the label. Two of the four cleared the claim with margin: La Roche-Posay Anthelios Wet Skin SPF 50+, measured at 72, Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Lotion SPF 50, measured at 56.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Bondi Sands dispute the result?
Yes, and with figures. The brand told CHOICE it did not share the assessment because it did not reflect its own testing and evidence, and gave tested SPF values of 72.8 and 73.6 for its two products under AS/NZS 2604:2021.
How can two laboratories differ this much?
The TGA calls variability in the ISO 24444 test a known problem internationally and domestically, attributing it to differences between test subjects, differences in how technicians apply product, and the fact that skin redness is assessed by eye. A peer-reviewed 12-laboratory study published in 2025 found interlaboratory variability considerable and likely greater than the public and regulators expect.
SPF List did not test this product. The results on this page were published by the named test body or regulator; quotes and links go to the original publication. Brand responses and later developments are listed where they were published. Formulations change; a result applies to the batch and date tested.