Is Coppertone or Banana Boat better?

On the labels they're very similar: the same four filters, SPF 50, 80-minute water resistance and the same reapplication directions. Coppertone lists slightly higher percentages of avobenzone, homosalate and octocrylene.

Are Coppertone and Banana Boat made by the same company?

No. The Coppertone label lists Beiersdorf Inc, and the Banana Boat label lists Edgewell Personal Care Brands LLC.

How often should you reapply Coppertone Sport or Banana Boat Sport?

Both labels say to reapply after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating, immediately after towel drying, and at least every 2 hours.

Coppertone vs Banana Boat: Sport SPF 50 Sunscreen Labels Compared

Coppertone and Banana Boat both sell a big sport sunscreen lotion at SPF 50, and from the shelf they look almost interchangeable. Sunscreens in the US carry a Drug Facts label, so the fairest way to compare them is label against label. That's what this page does, using the labels published on DailyMed (the US National Library of Medicine's drug label database).

Coppertone Sport vs Banana Boat Sport Ultra: the labels side by side

Drug Facts item	Coppertone Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50	Banana Boat Sport Ultra Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50
Active ingredients	Avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 4.5%, octocrylene 8%	Avobenzone 2.7%, homosalate 9.0%, octisalate 4.5%, octocrylene 6.5%
Broad spectrum	Yes (Broad Spectrum SPF 50)	Yes (label panel says Broad Spectrum SPF 50+)
Water resistant	80 minutes	80 minutes
Apply	Liberally, 15 minutes before sun exposure	Liberally, 15 minutes before sun exposure
Reapply	After 80 minutes of swimming or sweating, immediately after towel drying, at least every 2 hours	After 80 minutes of swimming or sweating, immediately after towel drying, at least every 2 hours
Label also says	Free of oxybenzone, octinoxate, PABA, phthalates and dyes	Free from oxybenzone and octinoxate
Labeler	Beiersdorf Inc	Edgewell Personal Care Brands LLC

What's actually different?

Less than you'd think. Both use the same four sunscreen filters: avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene. Coppertone's label lists slightly higher percentages of three of them (avobenzone 3% vs 2.7%, homosalate 10% vs 9.0%, octocrylene 8% vs 6.5%), and both have octisalate at 4.5%. Both are labelled water resistant for 80 minutes, and the directions are word-for-word the same: apply 15 minutes before sun exposure, then reapply after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating, straight after towel drying and at least every 2 hours.

The "free of" claims differ a little. Coppertone's label says it's free of oxybenzone, octinoxate, PABA, phthalates and dyes. Banana Boat's says it's free from oxybenzone and octinoxate. Both labels list fragrance in the inactive ingredients.

Who makes them?

They come from different companies. The Coppertone label lists Beiersdorf Inc as the labeler, and the Banana Boat label lists Edgewell Personal Care Brands LLC.

Which should you buy?

On the labels alone, these two are very close: same filters, same SPF, same water resistance and same directions. So the choice mostly comes down to price, scent and how each one feels to you. Whatever you pick check the Drug Facts on the actual bottle, because sunscreen formulas get updated. For mineral and sport options from other brands, see Blue Lizard vs Sun Bum.

Sources

Coppertone Sport Lotion SPF 50 Drug Facts (DailyMed) (checked 10 Nov 2026)
Coppertone Sport range (coppertone.com) (checked 10 Nov 2026)
Banana Boat Ultra Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 Drug Facts (DailyMed) (checked 10 Nov 2026)
Banana Boat Sport Ultra SPF 50 (bananaboat.com) (checked 10 Nov 2026)

How we wrote this: we haven't tested these products. This page only uses what the brands publish on their product pages and labels (descriptions, directions and ingredient lists), linked under Sources. Words in quotes are the brand's own claims. Formulas, sizes and prices change, so check the pack you buy. This is general information, not medical advice.