Which tent material handles the sun?

Q. Dear Gear Guy, which tent material better handles prolonged exposure to the sun—150-denier oxford polyester or canvas?
–Curious Montana, Port St. Lucie, Fla.

A. Hello Curious. So your last name is Montana, but you’re actually from Florida? Very interesting. The question you posed is interesting too. For the answer, I checked with my friend Chris Pottinger, a tent designer with Big Agnes (www.bigagnes.com). Here’s what he had to say: “Canvas is kind of a general term so it really depends what the tent material is made of. That said, as a rule of thumb regarding resistance to sun exposure, cotton is longer lasting than polyester, and polyester is longer lasting than nylon.”

So, if the tent is made of cotton canvas then it will indeed be more durable to sun exposure than a polyester tent. There you have it, Curious.