If you prefer using a dedicated face sunscreen, if you’re looking for a reef-safe formula (which contains only physical UV blockers—no chemical filters), or if you need something that won’t stain white clothes, we have picks for you, too. In addition, although we don’t recommend that most people use a spray sunscreen, we do recognize that it’s the best option for some.

Coppertone Ultra Guard Sunscreen Lotion SPF 70 has a thin texture for its SPF rating, making it one of the easiest sunscreens to apply of all those we’ve tested. Coppertone says this formula is water resistant for up to 80 minutes, the maximum amount of time allowed for such a claim per FDA guidelines. At around a dollar per ounce, it feels and smells as good as sunscreens that cost seven times as much, and it comes in a bottle that’s easy to hold, easy to close, and easy to toss in any bag you might carry every day. Unlike many sunscreens we considered and some we tried, it won’t make you look like a ghost or smell like a Bath & Body Works shop. In fact, our testers found it smells like almost nothing.

SPF: 70

Type of protection: chemical

Broad spectrum: yes

Price per ounce (at the time of publication): $1


Also great No-Ad Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 Bulk quantity, best price No-Ad Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 is easy to apply and water resistant, and it offers broad-spectrum protection, leaves no white cast, and has no added fragrance. But it does smell somewhat of sunscreen, and the large bottle isn’t ideal for carrying around. Buying Options Buy from Amazon *At the time of publishing, the price was $20 .

If you prefer to buy in bulk, consider No-Ad Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50. Like the Coppertone formula, this No-Ad sunscreen is rated to be water resistant for up to 80 minutes, and it has a thin texture and is easy to rub fully in—even for people with significant body hair. Testers found this formula stickier than the Coppertone lotion, however. It comes only in a comparatively large, 16-ounce bottle, which you may find better for storing at home or toting in a large beach bag versus carrying around on a typical day. Members of our test panel found that, like the Coppertone lotion, the No-Ad formula did not leave a white cast and smelled only faintly of sunscreen.

SPF: 50

Type of protection: chemical

Broad spectrum: yes

Price per ounce (at the time of publication): $0.56

We think most people will be happy with the performance, look, feel, and price of a chemical sunscreen like the Coppertone or No-Ad lotion. But whiter zinc oxide and titanium oxide physical sunscreens and combination (physical and chemical) sunscreens are better bets for people who hate the classic smell of sunscreen, prefer a stickier texture, need a formula that won’t stain white clothes, want to be able to see where they’ve applied their sunscreen, or have an allergy to any ingredients commonly found in chemical-only formulas. In these cases, we recommend CVS Health Clear Zinc Sun Lotion SPF 50. It’s a zinc-based combination sunscreen that has all the features of a physical sunscreen while being a little easier to rub in than most physical-only formulas. The company says this formula is water resistant for up to 80 minutes. It smells like absolutely nothing. The drawback: It’s usually about twice as expensive as our main pick.

SPF: 50

Type of protection: physical and chemical

Broad spectrum: yes

Price per ounce (at the time of publication): $1.75

Spray sunscreens are deceptively difficult to apply adequately and generally cost around twice as much per ounce as comparable lotions. Still, the best sunscreen is the one you’ll use, so if you or your kid dislikes the application or feel of lotion sunscreens, try Banana Boat Sport Performance Clear UltraMist Sunscreen SPF 100. Of the three sprays we tested with a panel, it was the only one that everyone said they would buy. (Compared with our lotion picks, when applied properly, all the spray sunscreens we’ve tested—including this one—feel slick and greasy.) Banana Boat says the formula is water resistant for up to 80 minutes. It’s less expensive per ounce than many sprays we considered, and because it produces a more direct stream of mist than others we tried, more of it ends up on your skin if you hold the nozzle close to the surface—assuming you don’t lose much to a breeze. We found that this Banana Boat bottle was the easiest among sprays to hold, even when our hands were sweaty and slippery, thanks to a groove near the top. The formula smells more like sunscreen than the Coppertone or No-Ad lotion (and much more so than the scent-free CVS Health sunscreen).

If you are applying a spray sunscreen correctly, you’ll likely kill a whole bottle in a single beach day just to cover one person. But if it will bridge the gap to proper application, it may be worth the extra cost to you.

SPF: 100

Type of protection: chemical

Broad spectrum: yes

Price per ounce (at the time of publication): $1.34

Also great Thinksport SPF 50+ Sunscreen A reef-safe, physical-only formula Although it costs four times as much as Coppertone Ultra Guard, this “reef-safe” lotion was our panelists’ favorite physical sunscreen overall. Compared with our chemical and combination picks, it is more difficult to rub in, and it can leave a white cast. Buying Options $9 from Amazon You save $3 (25%)

If you prefer a sunscreen with only physical UV blockers, we recommend readily available SPF 50+ formulas from Thinksport. Formulated with “reef-safe” non-nano zinc oxide, which provides broad-spectrum protection, these water-resistant lotions performed well with our testers, many of whom have long used sunscreens with zinc oxide as the active ingredient and are therefore no longer fazed by their downsides compared with chemical and combination formulas—notably, that they’re more difficult to rub in and can leave a whitish tinge on skin. In addition to our pick, Thinksport SPF 50+ Sunscreen, Thinksport also sells versions for babies and kids. All three contain the same ingredients, save for different fragrances. Our testers largely preferred the original Thinksport formula, which has a somewhat fruity scent. We found that the baby and kids versions, which are identical apart from their branding, smelled sweeter and more artificial.

SPF: 50+

Type of protection: physical

Broad spectrum: yes

Price per ounce (at the time of publication): $4.33