June 25, 2021 / by Danny Mavis

Even with today’s incredibly powerful AC systems, it can be really difficult to stand the intense heat build up in a car in the summertime. Everyone tries to find a way to keep their car cool during summertime – whether it’s looking for a shady place to park it, keeping a window cracked, opening all doors, hoping for some of that burning air to leave. And while there are some ways that can help you speed up the cooling down process, why not find a way to avoid it heating up so much in the first place. This is where the simple, and yet quite effective items that attach to your car’s windows ­– car sun shades – come into play.

How do Auto Sun Shades Work?

People have been using car side window shades for years and years because they offer a simple, effective and fairly inexpensive way to keep your vehicle cooler in the hot summer days. They are easy to use and they work on quite a straightforward principle. They either reflect the sun rays or absorb them, keeping the interior temperature down, and allowing you to sit in your car without feeling like your skin will melt off. Nevertheless, there are more reasons why you should install quality auto window sun shades in your car, aside from your comfort.

When your vehicle is out in the sun, the dash and the seats absorb all the heat. If you have vehicle window shades, the heat that comes with sunlight will either be absorbed in them after it passes through the windshield – keeping some of the heat outside or reflecting it as soon as it enters through the windshield. 

auto window sun shade
source: ilsr.org

Benefits of Using Auto Sun Shades

A good-quality car sun shade is a great way to protect your and your family’s skin and eyes, regardless of the season, because even in winter the sun can be quite harmful. Furthermore, while quality sunglass lenses can help you avoid the bright sunlight or the snow glow, sun shades can protect your kids’ eyes from the brightness.

Auto side window sun shades also keep the harmful ultraviolet rays away from your skin and your eyes, which is extremely important with the harsh Australian sun and our extremely high UV radiation index. UV rays cause the skin to age prematurely, resulting in wrinkles and sunburns, and more dangerously, they can cause skin cancer. But they can also be quite harmful to your eyes, causing all kinds of health issues.

In winter, good car window shades will also keep the interior of the vehicle from becoming too cold, which can be equally as annoying. If you choose to buy auto window shades made of materials that absorb the heat on sunny winter days they can even help increase the interior temperature. 

Aside from comfort and skin and eye protection, auto window sun shades also offer protection to the car as well. Namely, electronics, such as music players, GPS devices, or anything you may leave inside, like a computer or a tablet, can be damaged by the sun, and a car sun shade will protect them. Furthermore, sun rays can damage many different materials, such as the ones used on the upholstery, the dashboard, the console, the steering wheel, something you leave inside the car, etc., and a car sun visor is a great way to avoid this.

rear window sun shade
source: brandigital.ie

How to Choose Auto Sun Shades?

With so many upsides of having car side window sun shades installed in your vehicle, it’s a great thing that they are quite inexpensive. But, before you buy them, there are several things you’ll need to take into account.

Of course, the first thing to do is measure your car’s windshield, especially if you are going for a universal fit. Remember that the more of your window you cover, the more it will protect your car from the heat. Next, to narrow down your choice a little bit, decide how many windows sun shades you want – do you want a car rear window shade, passenger window shade, front window shade? Furthermore, don’t forget to think about the materials. Look for a quality, durable, heat-resistant sun shade. To narrow down the search even further, you should also take the warranty, the design and the colour into consideration.

Another very important thing to think about is what type of installation suits your needs best. Do you want a fixed sun shade, a pull-down shade, accordion, foldable sun shade, universal fit or a custom fit? You can go for magnetic sun shades that feature magnets stitched into the frame of the shade, which will allow you to open and close the windows. This type of shades can be easily installed, they will cover the entire window, and they won’t be easy to remove by children. Alternatively, you can go for car sun shades that attach to the windows with suction cups. They are also very easy to install and use, but they are also easily detachable, which means that kids can remove them easily.

auto window sun shade
source: autoguide.com