We Compared 30 Sunscreen Sticks: Net Weight, UV Filters and Water Resistance

The August 22, 2026 audit compared 30 retained DailyMed label records by recorded net grams, active UV filters and exact 40- or 80-minute water-resistance wording. An October 1 review corrected one filter classification and a selection-description error. This is a comparison of label records, including two regional All Good records, rather than 30 independent US products or a current retail census.

The dated record findings: the 30 recorded weights have a 15 g median, a 4.2 g minimum and a 78 g maximum, an 18.6-fold range. Active-only classification gives 20 mineral-only and 10 chemical-only records, with none hybrid. Ten retained records supplied an 80-minute direction, three supplied 40 minutes and 17 supplied no exact duration in the checked text. The original weights and water-direction entries have not been refreshed across all 30 sources.

Size and label findings at a glance

The arithmetic mean is higher than the median because large recorded packages pull it upward. These are summaries of 30 label-record observations, including two All Good regional entries at 78 g; the median is not established as the typical US retail stick size. Net contents alone do not reveal coverage, glide, residue or number of applications.

All 30 sunscreen-stick records

Names link to the 30 retained source identities. The original selection description overstated deduplication: both the English-only US and bilingual export All Good Butter Stick records remain, with distinct set IDs and NDCs but the same 78 g size and 25% zinc oxide active. Blank SPF cells mean a clean number was not located in the checked display fields. Source text captured under an active heading can include a nested inactive section; only active declarations determine the corrected filter type.

What the numbers mean in practice

Compare grams, not just the height of the tube

Two packages that appear similarly portable may contain very different amounts. The label-backed range here is wide enough that net grams should be checked whenever value or trip length matters. We did not collect price because a stable, like-for-like current price was not available across every label record; price per gram would otherwise create false precision.

Mineral-only dominated this selected label sample

Twenty retained records list mineral UV actives and 10 list chemical UV actives only. Sugargirl was originally misclassified as hybrid because the captured active field also contained its inactive ingredient list. Its four active UV filters are avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene; titanium dioxide (CI 77891) is listed under inactive ingredients. None of the 30 corrected record classifications is hybrid. This does not establish comfort, white cast, sensitivity or application quality.

Stick format does not guarantee a water-resistance duration

Thirteen labels gave an exact duration; 17 did not in the checked record fields. The package instructions for the exact stick should decide use around swimming and sweating. Do not transfer a duration from another product by the same brand.

A practical decision matrix

For use-case recommendations, compare the HomeWise SPF guide for hands, chest and neck, sunscreens for around the eyes and scalp and hairline SPF guide.

Three familiar audited sticks

Affiliate disclosure: HomeWise may earn from qualifying purchases. Inclusion reflects the retained sample, not an overall ranking.

• Check current listings for Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen Stick SPF 40
• Check current listings for Coppertone Every Tone Invisible Stick SPF 55
• Check current listings for Hello Bello Kids SPF 50 Sunscreen Stick

HomeWise Research methodology

• Research completed: 22 August 2026
• Products/data points checked: 30 sunscreen-stick label records
• Primary sources consulted: 30 exact DailyMed labels
• Additional sources: 0
• Research type: Original data study
• Hands-on testing performed by HomeWise: No
• Last verified: 22 August 2026

Selection: the original search selected 30 DailyMed records with retained publication dates from February 2025 through August 2026. Lip balms, kits and some repeated records were excluded, but the claim that all duplicate bilingual packaging was removed was incorrect. Two All Good regional label records remain. The English-only record is a US OTC label; the bilingual record is marked export only and carries Canadian-facing packaging. Distinct source URLs do not by themselves prove independent products or US retail availability.

Collection and calculations: original net grams came from structured package quantities or principal-display text. The median averages sorted positions 15 and 16; the mean is 20.64 g across all 30 retained observations. Corrected filter classification excludes text after a nested inactive-ingredients heading and uses retained active declarations, including structured active fields. The original CSV and source dates are preserved, with the derived classification correction recorded separately. Four current source bodies were examined on October 1: Sugargirl, both All Good records and KINeSYS. This is a partial source check, not a new full-dataset verification date.

Limitations: this is a purposive label-record study with a retained export exception and repeated regional product identity. DailyMed does not establish current stock, price or the exact package offered by a retailer. The 78 g maximum comes from the two All Good Butter Stick records, whose structured dosage form is ointment. KINeSYS supplies the 4.2 g recorded minimum. The other 26 source bodies have not been refreshed. Original water-direction counts describe located text, including records with ambiguous or misspelled wording; absence of an exact readable duration is not proof that a product lacks water resistance. No weighing, application, pass-count, coverage or cast testing was performed, and no best product is declared.

See the face-sunscreen water-resistance audit for a separate 40-product format comparison, or return to the HomeWise skincare hub.