• Product: UVSunSense monitoring wristbands, $5.87 for a seven-pack, at www.amazon.com.

• The pitch: ''Convenient, reliable'' way to monitor exposure to harmful UVA and UVB rays for adults and children.

• How it works: The sun-sensitive wristband becomes dark orange- brown when it's time to reapply sunscreen and light orange or salmon when it's time to cover up or get out of the sun.

• Pros: Takes the guesswork out of how often to apply sunscreen and could reduce the chances of a painful sunburn or sun poisoning. Can be used in water. Cheaper than similar wristbands.

• Cons: The only study done showing the effectiveness of a personal UV dosimeter was a small Australian review that involved only 12 volunteers and was never published in a peer-reviewed journal. Much of the band's graphic design is orange, which can make it difficult to tell whether the band has moved into the sunscreen alert phase. The band can only be used one day per person, so it could get costly to keep relying on them. The wristbands don't contain sunscreen or protect against sunburn, so it's up to the user to respond to the colors and reapply or get out of the sun.

• Bottom line: It's much cheaper to follow the American Academy of Dermatology's recommendation to re-apply sunscreen of at least SPF 15 or higher every two hours. But this could be helpful as a short-term solution for getting kids in the habit of reapplying their own sunscreen.

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