Which?, June 2025: 15 Sun Creams Tested, Two Don't Buys

Last updated November 8, 2026

Which? tested 15 sun creams in 2025 and named two Don't Buys: Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30 failed its SPF test twice, and Ultrasun Family SPF30 failed its UVA test twice, a finding Ultrasun disputes. The other 13 passed, and the article gives no measured SPF for any of the 15.

What the round was

Method, as Which? states it. Tested to British and internationally agreed standards, in independent labs whose identity Which? keeps secret. For SPF, sun cream is applied to a volunteer's back and a UVB lamp is shone on the area; the rating is based on the difference between the smallest amount of UVB that reddens the skin with and without sunscreen. For UVA, a spectrophotometer checks the amount absorbed, against the EU recommendation of a UVA protection factor at least a third of the rated SPF. Up to three samples are tested per product: a product that fails is retested on a second sample; if that second sample passes, a third is tested; failing either UVA or SPF twice makes it a Don't Buy.

What the body itself said about the limits

Republishing a number without the hedge that travelled with it changes what the number means. These are the qualifications the bodies published alongside the results.

We test sunscreens to approved British and international standards, in independent labs. Any product that fails is retested to confirm the results. If it fails either UVA or SPF tests twice, it's a Don't Buy.

Which?, on what a Don't Buy means — source

We select popular brands from a range of big-name retailers, aiming for the widest possible market coverage. However, as sunscreen testing is extremely expensive, we can only test a limited selection.

Which?, on what the round covers — source

Best Buys are our top sun cream picks, and this information is exclusive to full Which? members…

Which?, on what sits behind membership — source

When combined with the fact that Don't Buy sun cream reviews from our 2024 and 2025 tests were archived due to reformulation or retests, it means we don't currently have any Don't Buy sun creams on the Which? website.

Which?, on its Don't Buy page, dated 9 September 2026; it does not say which products were reformulated or retested — source

The two Which? named Don't Buys

This article gives a pass or a Don't Buy per product, not a measured figure, so neither row below has one. Morrisons failed on SPF; Ultrasun passed the SPF test and failed on UVA. The article's opening refers to the Morrisons product as “Morrisons SPF30 sun lotion” and names it “Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30” in its Don't Buy section; the second is the name used here.

Product Label Which?'s result What Which? published
Morrisons Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30 30 Failed the SPF test twice, passed UVA; no figure published “This sun cream spray failed our SPF tests, which check whether the product provides the claimed level of protection from UVB rays. We tested it twice, and it failed both times.” — source
Ultrasun Family SPF30 30 Passed SPF, failed the UVA test twice; no figure published by Which? “It didn't meet the minimum required UVA level for an SPF30 product in either the initial or repeat test.” — source

What the companies said

Morrisons. Which? reports Morrisons' response:

We informed Morrisons of our results, and it told us that it’s looking closely at the data and working with its supplier to carry out additional independent testing.

As printed by Which? — source

Ultrasun. Ultrasun disputes the finding, in a statement Which? prints. The figures in it are Ultrasun's, from its own independent tests, not Which?'s:

We conclusively support the results of our independent tests which found the Ultrasun Family SPF30 reached a UVB-SPF in vivo of 31.4 and a UVA-PF in vitro of 13.1, which equates to a 92% UVA absorbance.

As printed by Which? — source

Ultrasun's figures are the company's own and are not a measurement by Which?. The article prints no figure of Which?'s for either product.

The 13 that passed

Which? names these as passing both its UVA and UVB tests, in the article's list of products that have “passed our independent 2025 sunscreen tests”. The label SPF is the one in the product's name. Which? gives no measured figure for any of them, and reserves its Best Buys for members.

What happened next

Which?'s Don't Buy page, dated 9 September 2026, says Don't Buy reviews from its 2024 and 2025 tests have since been “archived due to reformulation or retests”, without saying which of those two applies to Morrisons or Ultrasun. The 2026 round records what Which? published for the following year.

Primary documents

SPF List did not test these products. 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.

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