Car Window Sun Shades to Keep Cool When Driving
If you drive around with your family during the summer months, you’re familiar with how uncomfortable it can be with the sun beating down on you. If you park your car in the sun for just 90 minutes, your car’s interior can reach almost 50 ℉ hotter inside than the outside temperature! And even with air conditioning to keep you cool, you’ll still want to find some sort of refuge from the sun’s glare. Without some sort of protection, you can still get a sunburn from the ultraviolet light that penetrates the car windows. Luckily, there are car window sun shades that can save you and your car from the sun’s burning rays.
We’ll see that there are several designs of car window sun shades. Some are specifically for the side windows, while others are made for the front or back windows. They differ in how they attach to your windows as well: some attach by means of suction cups, while others use magnets or static electricity to attach to the window. You can find opaque sun shades, as well as semi-transparent shades, that will effectively block UV rays, but still allow you to see what’s going on outside.
Let’s examine some of the options among the 10 best car window sun shades in the Best Reviews Guide list. You’re sure to find a set of shades that will suit your car, as well as your family!
Types of Car Window Sun Shades
We can distinguish between the different types of car window sun shades by how they attach to your car window. There are three or four main types of sun shades:
-
Attaches by static electricity: These sun shades have a mesh side and a clear nylon protector side. You press the nylon side on the window and rub it several times to generate some static electricity. The shade will remain in place without any adhesive or even suction cups. This is the mode of operation of the Greenco 2-Piece Car Window Sun Shade.
Greenco 2-Piece Car Window Sun Shade
-
Attaches by magnetism: There are also sun shades for side windows that attach to your car door frame. These will only work if your car’s frame is made from a magnetic material. So, if it’s made from aluminum, you’ll have to use one of the other car sun shade options. This design of sun shade will allow you to roll down the window even with the shade attached. One example is the Aokway Side Window Sunshade. Aokway fashions sunshades that fit the front side and rear side windows.
Aokway Side Window Sunshade
-
Attaches using suction cups: There are holes in the sun shade to accommodate two suction cups. For best adhesion, you should wet them before attaching the shade to the window. One example of a car window sun shade that uses suction cups is the Holy Magnolia Universal Car Window Shade.
Holy Magnolia Universal Car Window Shade
One novel design is employed by the Manelord Sun Shade. It’s a retractable sun shade that you can raise or lower, according to the weather and the sun’s intensity.
Manelord Sun Shade
-
Slides over side doors: There’s a fourth type of car window sun shade, which you slide over the entire side door. (It’s sort of like putting a pillow in a pillowcase.) An example is the Goldflower Car Window Shade. This design allows you to roll down the windows if you want some cross-ventilation. Also, it is rather thin and lightweight, making it easy to store away when not in use. It’s suitable for hatchbacks, sedans, and SUVs with rectangular windows.
Goldflower Car Window Shade
What reviewers say
Here’s what customers say about their choice of car window sun shade:
-
Folds away compactly: Some customers were reluctant to buy sun shades because older versions of the product used to be large and bulky. That makes it a problem where to store them when you don’t need them. Fortunately, many of these car sun shades fold compactly into a small disc that you can even put away in the car’s side compartments!
-
Provides privacy: Another advantage of these car window sun shades is that they can provide you privacy, both for passengers as well as for your valuables. They can prevent people from looking into your car and possibly wanting to break in.
-
Can help remove glare: One customer said that they place a sun shade laying flat on their dashboard. This can reduce glare from sunlight being reflected off the dashboard.
Important Features
Here are some features of the best car window sun shades, which may help you decide on one model over another:
-
Make sure that it fits: It may be a challenge to find a car sun shade that fits your model exactly. Manufacturers of car sun shades make lists of car models, helping you decide which size shades will be best for you.
-
Opaque, semi-transparent, and transparent: You’ll see that there are opaque sun shades, which completely block all light from entering the car, such as the ggomaART Car Side Window Sun Shade. These are intended primarily for the side doors and the back seat passengers (the driver should have an unobstructed view to the right and left).
The totally opaque ggomaART Car Side Window Sun Shade. It can be moved to the side when necessary.
There are also totally opaque sun shades for the front windshield. These are intended more for when you park your car in a sunny area. The shades will help keep your car cool, as well as prevent the sun from damaging and aging the material of your car’s seats and dashboard. An example is the EcoNour 2-Piece Car Windshield Sun Shade. Two pieces will usually suffice to cover your front windshield.
EcoNour 2-Piece Car Windshield Sun Shade
AstroAI sells a 4-pack of sun shades, with 2 transparent shades and 2 semi-transparent shades. They recommend using semi-transparent shades for the rear seats, and transparent shades for the front, so as not to obstruct your view. They both are able to block 97% of incoming UV rays.
AstroAI transparent shades on the left, and semi-transparent shades on the right
Final Verdict
We went through some of the best car window sun shades. They don’t only keep your passengers cool while riding. They can also reduce fuel consumption since you don’t have to use so much air conditioning if your car doesn’t get so hot. They can also prevent sun damage and weathering to your car’s upholstery. All told, car window sun shades are a good investment. Look over the Best Reviews Guide list, and select a set of shades out today!
