Living in Melbourne, Australia where it’s known for its hot summer weather (40 c/104 f degrees) and knowing we would be driving our twins around a bit to visit family and friends, we needed window shades for our car to keep things cool.
This post explores:
- What car window shades are used for
- What to consider when buying car window shades for your children
- Types of car window shades
- Whether car window shades are legal
- Some of our favourite car window shades on the market
What Are Car Window Shades Used For
Car window shades are a great option for anyone that’s looking to keep the sun out of your car. By having car window shades you’re:
- Stopping heat from getting in the ar and making it hot for your little one
- Stopping nasty UV exposure that is linked to skin and eye cancers.
What to Consider When Buying a Car Window Shade
Sun Protection and Effectiveness
No surprise that the most important part of buying sun shades for your car is how effective they are at blocking out sun. We recommend looking for window shades that are capable of providing at least 97% blockage of UV light coming through.
Another thing to note is the effectiveness of sun shades will ultimately depend on how good of a fit the shade is for your window. We’ve seen some shades that only cover 50-60% of the window. It pays to measure your window before buying and getting something that’s most suited for your window to maximise coverage.
Installation and Mounting
Generally most car window shades that are purchased after-market use suction cups to securely mount to the window. The only downside with suction cups is they may not allow you to lower the window with the window shade mounted.
Lately we’ve begun to see magnetic mounted window shades which as the name suggests uses magnets to quickly clip on to your window. This is our second preferred option after shades provided by your car manufacturer as they provide a similar great fit. Generally magnetic mounted window shades can have the windows go down/up unlike suction mounted shades.
The other options include static cling technology which is essentially a vinyl wrap which attaches to the inside of your window and blocks the sun out. Similarly to the suction cup installation method, static cling can also be problematic when you are winding the windows down as it has a tendency to get stuck.
The final option and most preferred is to purchase when you are purchasing your car. Obviously this won’t be applicable for most people. Generally car manufacturers will include this as an optional extra and will have mounting points on the inside of the window so you can install car window shades quickly while still being able to wind the window up and down.
Cost
Buying sun shades for your car shouldn’t be an expensive exercise so be sure to shop around. From our experience, you should be able to get something for both rear passenger windows (assuming you have twins) for around $20-30.
Type of Window Shade
Car windows shades attach to your windows using various different styles. We list these below:
- Manufacturer provided window shades are generally provided at the time of purchasing the car and work with mounting brackets on the inside of the window. These are our most preferred option as they are generally very seamless and less obtrusive.
- Collapsible window shade that attaches to the window using suction cups
- Static cling window shades attach to the outside part of the window and essentially wraps the window with sun protection. Unfortunately with this style, you cannot wind down the windows as it will otherwise get stuck.
- Door frame sun shades as the name suggest fits over your whole door frame. The window shade is locked into place when the door of the car is closed.
- Roller shadow windows provide you with a window which you can roll up or down. The shade is mounted to the window from the inside using suction cups.
aokway Car Window Shade
What We Liked
What We Disliked
The Aokway Car Window Shade is a great option for anyone looking for a magnetic mount window shade.
Things we liked about the Aokway Car Window Shade included:
- Can still see through mesh thanks to window shades using mesh design that block rather than reflect the sun
- Blocks 98% of UV light which helps keep nasties away
- Easily mounts to window thanks to magnet design
While things we didn’t love about the Aokway Car Window shade included:
- Magnets could be stronger with some users reporting that the screens have a habit of falling down. We suspect this might be because the magnets aren’t aligning well with the metal on their car window so this might be more of a problem with certain cars compared to others
- Window shade could be darker. While the shade blocks out 98% of UV light, some users reported that it’s not as dark as other window shades on the market.
All in all, the Aokway Sun Shade is a great option for anyone looking for a magnetic mount window shade.
Looking to Buy?
TFY Universal Car Shade
What We Liked
What We Disliked
The TFY Window Car Shade is an easy to mount car shade that is placed over the window and then securely sits in place once the door is closed.
In terms of things we liked about the TFY Window Car Shade included:
- Easy to mount by placing over car door and securing in place when door is closed
- Blocks 98% of UV light
- Can move windows up/down with cover on the window
While in terms of things we didn’t like about the TFY Window Car Shade included:
- Flaps in the wind when the window is open which is bound to frustrate everyone in the car especially your little one
- Limited airflow when window is open due to material using a mix of micro fibre and mesh to block sunlight
The TFY Window Car Shade is a good option for anyone looking for a shade where they won’t be opening the windows often and more so rely on air conditioning.
Looking to Buy?
Qualizzi Car Window Sun Shades
What We Liked
What We Disliked
The Qualizzi Car Window Shade is another car window shade which attaches over your car window and securely stays in place once the car door is closed.
In terms of things we liked about the Qualizzi Car Window Shade this
- Installs by being placed over the top of the window and securely staying in place when the door is closed
- Can open windows up and down while in use
- Blocks 98% of UV light
- No issues with flapping when windows are open
- Ideal for big car windows
While there was nothing negative about the Qualizzi Car Window Shade that we could see.
All in all, the Qualizzi Car Window Shade is our pick of the bunch when it comes to window shades which are placed over the window.
Looking to Buy?
Winsall Auto Sun Shade
What We Liked
What We Disliked
The Winsall Auto Sun Shade is a little different to other car shades we reviewed in this post as it uses a roller mechanism for you to conveniently roll the shade up and down as needed.
In terms of things we liked about the Winsall Auto Sun Shade this included:
- Roller mechanism is handy if you don’t necessarily want your window shades up or down. Being able to bring them down when the afternoon sun hits is great
- Blocks out 97% of UV light
- Quick and easy install thanks to suction cups being used for mounting shade above window
While things we didn’t love about the Winsall Auto Sun Shade included:
- Durability isn’t great with some users reporting that the shades breaking over time
- Suction loses suction over time which may require you to find another way to mount to the window. This one ultimately depends on how often you are making the shade go up/down.
The Winsall Auto Sun Shade is a great option for anyone looking for a roller sun shade which they can bring down as needed. Just bear in mind the suction on these shades aren’t great and may cause frustration long-term. Glueing the shades instead may be an ideal option.
Looking to Buy?
Are Car Window Shades Legal
According to Paul Tan, you are allowed to use window shades to block light in rear passenger seats.
Where it becomes problematic is when you have window shades on your front passenger seat windows or your front windscreens. Although we’re not quite sure how you’d manage to drive with a shade on your front windscreen...
Most importantly, we recommend checking with your local DMV or car authority in your local state to be 100% sure.
Are Car Window Shades Worth It?
100% yes.
As we mentioned earlier in the post, car window shades are a must for anyone that lives anywhere warm and will spend time to time driving their little one around on warm days. They work great for helping keep the sun out off your child’s skin while also helping stop the car from getting too hot.
What Are Car Window Shades Made Of?
Car window shades come in various different types of materials but to summarise the main types:
- Mylar (polyester film) or aluminium foil which work to reflect the sun from your window
- Dark nylon mesh which works a bit different to the previous by blocking rather than reflecting light.
Affiliate Disclosure – This post may contain affiliate links where we may receive compensation if you purchase products linked below. As an Amazon Associate, I can earn from qualifying purchases. This doesn’t cost you anything and helps keep our little blog running. Read our privacy policy for further information.
Affiliate Disclosure – This post may contain affiliate links where we may receive compensation if you purchase products linked below. As an Amazon Associate, I can earn from qualifying purchases. This doesn’t cost you anything and helps keep our little blog running. Read our privacy policy for further information.
My name’s Alex and I’m a husband, dad to beautiful identical twin boys, cyclist, photographer and connoisseur of great coffee!
Help I’m Having Twins has been created for me to share what I found useful as a new parent and dad to twins.