SPF stands for sun protection factor. It is a measure of how much UVB exposure it takes to cause sunburn on skin with sunscreen compared with skin without it. It is not a timer, and it does not mean you can stay in the sun that many times longer without consequences.
The useful shopping rule is simpler than the marketing around it: look for broad-spectrum protection, SPF 30 or higher, and water resistance if you will sweat or swim. Higher SPF can help, but no sunscreen blocks everything, and application matters just as much as the number on the bottle.
So SPF is one part of sun protection, not the whole plan. Shade, clothing, hats, and reapplication still matter if you actually want the sunscreen to do its job.
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