Three well-known sunscreen brands have failed the annual safety test conducted by consumer experts at Which?, raising concerns about the reliability of their sun protection claims.

The products that failed the tests are Asda Protect Moisturising Sun Lotion SPF30 High, Calypso Press & Protect Sun Lotion SPF30, and Bondi Sands SPF 50+ Fragrance-Free Face Sunscreen Lotion. The watchdog’s tests evaluated the sunscreens for their Sun Protection Factor (SPF) and UVA protection.

Asda disputed the results, stating they did not recognize the findings. Calypso maintained that its product met EU standards and regulations in independent testing.

Which? reported that Calypso’s Press & Protect lotion, priced at £8 for 200ml, only achieved about two-thirds of its claimed SPF30 in both rounds of testing. Similarly, Asda’s Protect Moisturising Lotion SPF30 200ml failed both rounds of the watchdog’s tests.

For the first time, Which? included face-specific sunscreens in their testing. They found that the Bondi Sands SPF50+ product, costing £7.99 for 75ml, significantly underperformed, failing to meet the claimed SPF and the minimum required UVA protection.

Natalie Hitchins, head of home products and services at Which?, expressed concern over the findings. It is incredibly concerning that some big brands failed our tests and did not offer the level of sun protection claimed on the packaging,” she said. However, she noted the availability of high-quality, affordable sunscreen options. Our results prove that there’s no need to splash out to keep you and your loved ones safe in the sun this summer and that many of the supermarket’s own-brand products can do a good job.

Among the successful products, Lidl’s Cien Sun Spray SPF30, priced at £3.29 for 200ml, was praised for its excellent performance in protecting skin. Aldi’s Lacura SPF30 Sun Lotion, costing just £2.49 for 200ml, also passed both SPF and UVA tests. Additionally, Lidl’s Cien Kids Sensitive Sunscreen Spray 50+ (£3.29 for 200ml) met its SPF and UVA protection claims.

An Asda spokesperson responded to the findings: “We recently had our Asda Protect Moisturising Sun Lotion SPF 30 High re-tested by a leading external provider using internationally recognized testing methods. These test results confirmed that this product has a sun protection factor of 31.5, and therefore we do not recognize the test results Which? has published. When Which? reviewed this same product in 2022, they awarded it ‘Great Value’ at that time and it passed their SPF test.”

Calypso Sun reiterated that all its products are independently tested and comply with EU standards and regulations. Bondi Sands did not respond to requests for comment.