UV Standard 801 is a normative document issued by the International Testing Association for Applied UV Protection. The member institutes of the International Testing Association for Applied UV Protection have set themselves the objective of determining the UV protection provided by a functional product in such a way that the strains and stresses imposed on the material in practice are taken into account. With this objective UV Standard 801 goes far beyond the requirements of the Australia/New Zealand standard (AS/NZS 4399:1996) and remedies its principal weaknesses.

UV Standard 801 is applicable to all flat functional products, such as textiles, clothing, shoes, awnings, sunshades, leather, films, etc., which can in any way protect human beings against UV radiation. The transmission of UV radiation (UVA and UVB) is measured and the UV protection factor determined on the textiles being tested.

The UV protection factor is a figure which expresses the extent to which the self-protection time of human skin can be multiplied by a functional product which protects the area of skin to be shielded from direct sunlight. The self-protection time of human skin (approximate safe period of exposure to the sun) depends on skin type. If a UV protection factor is stated for a functional product, the self-protection time of the human skin can be multiplied by this number.