10 best sunscreen sticks for easy SPF application

Immediately we were drawn to the sunny orange formula of this SPF stick, which has a summery fresh citrus scent. The packaging seems robust for chucking in our bag, and the twist-up tube releases just enough product at a time. It’s transparent on skin and this SPF manages to strike the optimum balance in achieving smoothing coverage without creating excess shine. Because of that, the sunscreen didn’t cause our make-up base to slide off, and instead added a subtle layer of SPF to be seamlessly topped up regularly.

Although technically an SPF lip balm, our tester has been using this slimline stick for sunscreen top-ups around the eyes. The twist-up SPF stick offers broad spectrum factor 50 protection, while including skin soothing ingredients such as argan oil, vitamin E and shea butter. We found it glides or dabs onto skin with ease, offering buildable product coverage that is lightweight on delicate skin around the eyes. Our tester likes the subtly sweet, creamy scent too.

This SPF has a roll-on applicator which releases factor 50 liquid Soltan sun lotion and is much less messy than squeezing it out of a bottle. We found the chunky shape offered great coverage across our whole body, including reaching underneath arms and legs. Being a kids’ SPF, we slathered the roll-on stick onto our entire family during a beach day. It’s water-resistant for additional sun protection peace of mind, although we made sure to apply extra SPF after going into the sea. The bargain price wins extra points too.

This multi-tasking SPF has two components – the nozzle, releasing SPF50 cream, and a SPF30 lipstick in the tube’s cap. You can alternate between the two, depending on which area of your face you’re focusing on, and the stick is ideal for lips. The stick element is quite small in proportion to the rest of the SPF tube, but its rounded shape neatly hugs lips and leaves a thick creamy-scented coating, thanks to ingredients like synthetic wax and vanilla. We appreciated this effect on days our lips were chapped.

This broad spectrum SPF30 stick smells like banana and contains calming ingredients vitamin E and aloe. The twist-up stick is very easy to use, releasing a transparent balm-like SPF which we smoothed over the skin on our face. It’s quite handy to cover places like the tops of ears too. We were careful to keep it out of direct sunlight though, to prevent the stick from melting. As a vegan-friendly buy that is water-resistant, the stick has a noticeably light case for carrying around.

As the name suggests, this sunscreen stick is completely transparent on skin.  We’re fans of the refreshing citrus scent, fun purple packaging, and how effortlessly the stick glides over both face and body. Lightweight and suitable for sensitive skin, we think that because the formula is infused with oils and has a slight greasiness, it works best on drier areas. Both sweat and water-resistant to boot, the substantial stick is a decent size which would last for ages.

This treat SPF buy is also tinted to cleverly double up as a demi-matte make-up base, which we were particularly impressed by. The mineral sunscreen includes moisturising ingredients shea butter and mango seed butter. Our tester noted the softening SPF stick creates even coverage that balances the complexion and doesn’t budge at all. The water-resistant formula is a smoothing, tinted SPF50 stick that stays put, without any product sliding off. We liked how fresh our skin looked with this on too.

This clear broad spectrum stick is presented in a twist-up tube and has a moisturising finish from nourishing ingredients such as Amazonian oil. We saw a glowing effect, minus any excess product residue and the formula absorbed into skin without feeling greasy. As well as creating coverage across our face, we also applied it to our neck, décolletage, and shoulders as a sunscreen top-up throughout the day. Our tester noticed a dewiness with use, and this stick doubled up as a highlighter for our cheekbones and cupid’s bow.

This white SPF50 stick comes in a lightweight twist-up tube, with silver detailing. Our tester found the formula spreads easily over the face and body and absorbs well. We didn’t see a chalkiness after application, and the SPF didn’t need much rubbing in either. The buttery finish from ingredients such as shea and cocoa butter feels comforting on our easily irritated skin too. Plus, there’s only a slight scent to detect, which would be ideal if you prefer SPF with minimal fragrance.

A transparent sunscreen option, this Coola number has a dreamy tropical coconut scent which immediately gets us in the mood for summer. The twist-up stick is wide enough to offer generous coverage with one swipe, and we found it quick and easy to top-up on the go. The formula has a comforting feel on skin, thanks to the inclusion of fruit and seed oil extracts. While we found the sunscreen stick to be softening, there was no greasiness or excess shine. Instead, we saw an invisible, moisturised layer which worked well both on bare skin and over make-up.