As a parent, I am concerned with how to protect my children from excessive sunshine while driving. However, I’ve discovered that car window tinting and custom sun shades or window covers can solve the problem, so which is the best choice? I’ve explored the benefits to all of these options, and what the best course of action may be.
In this guide, I’ll take a close look at the benefits of both car shades and black window tint. While both have clear advantages, by the end, I’ll be able to show you the best solution I’ve found to protect my most precious cargo.
Sun shades are one option I discovered that offer a tailored protection for my little ones. Car Shades are a brand of sun shade that’s made for more than 800 different vehicle makes and models. These award-winning car sun blinds perfectly fit all the rear windows of your vehicle, including the boot. Unlike some other car window shades, the design covers the entire window and allows you to wind the window down for fresh air.
Let’s examine some of the main benefits of the car window sun shade.
One of the main reasons I was looking into purchasing car blinds or a sun screen for cars is to protect my children’s eyes and skin from damaging rays. Added exposure to the sun’s rays can lead to eye strain, discomfort and long-term damage. Car window blinds reduce the amount of sunlight that can enter the car, creating a safer environment for all my children.
Car Shade’s car sun shield is custom-made to fit my rear windows perfectly. It doesn’t matter if you drive an estate, a hatchback or an SUV, their window sunshades fit like they came from the factory. They also have styles available for today’s electric cars. Because no gaps remain when they’re installed, the sun’s rays can’t sneak through, offering me greater peace of mind that they are serving the purpose I need. Not only does this innovative design ensure maximum effectiveness, but it also provides a professional, tailored appearance.
By preventing direct sunlight from getting into the car, the interior will remain cooler and more comfortable, making those hot summer holiday trips much easier! With the lower interior temperature due to the rear windscreen sun shade, everyone can enjoy the drive, even on longer journeys. Also, it will save me from having to run the air conditioning as hard when it’s warm outside, adding to the efficiency of the vehicle. With car sun blinds, my pets can come along and enjoy the experience without overheating too.
Unlike some window shields for cars, I found that the Car Shades design allows passengers to wind the windows down with the protection in place. My family and I can enjoy the gentle breeze as it flows through the car without the threat of nasty bugs and UV infiltration! With a car sun protector in place, we won’t have to compromise on protection to receive comfort. While other options may use suction cups to secure shades, Car Shades supply more reliable secure clips that keep the sun shades for car windows in their place even when the wind blows through.
During my search I wanted to find the best sun shade around, so I’d have peace of mind knowing my kids are protected and comfortable all the time. Car Shades is recognised as a top product in the industry. The company has won the prestigious Gold Mother & Baby Award for the Best Travel Accessory Over £30. This accomplishment proves that the sunscreen for car windows is a popular option among parents like me and that Car Shades is a trustworthy brand. Also, as the car windscreen sun shade and other products are made in the UK, I am proud to be supporting a local company that understands my needs.
While there are plenty of car window blackout shades on the market, not all come from reputable brands. When choosing a sun shade for a car, it was important for me to choose a brand with a solid reputation, such as Car Shades. With their 30-day money-back guarantee, I was confident I would be fully satisfied with my window tint shades. I was able to try out a sun blocker for a car risk-free, without any obligation.
During my search I also discovered that car tint has many of the same benefits as sun shades, including the fact that the windows can be darkened to reduce the sun’s rays and that it’s easy to wind the window down for fresh air. However, there are some distinct differences when it comes to blackout car windows through tinting versus using shades.
First, the cost of privacy glass on a car can be more of an investment. The cost of having the rear window tint professionally tinted will be more than if I was to get the car rear window shade installed – something I would have to consider in my family budget.
Also, tinted glass for a car can’t be easily removed. Once you have the rear window tint installed, it must remain in place, unlike the rear window or car windshield sun shade, which can be removed at any time. This removable aspect further helps when I need to clean the car. Window tint can be easily scratched or damaged when using certain cleaning products, whereas the sun shades can be removed before cleaning to prevent damage.
In most cases, I found that investing in back window tint may not be as beneficial for me when the car seat sun shade is cheaper, easier to install and removable at any time. Also, with Car Shades, the configuration is completely customisable. I don’t need to put a shade on every window if I only need it for one. I can just purchase the window visor for a car or a windscreen shade and leave the rest uncovered!
A sun protector for car windows is designed to give me everything I need to ensure comfort and protection for my family for less money. A car sun shade cover is a great investment that provides years of protection. I was able to discover that whether I wanted a car windscreen shade or a complete kit, the team at Car Shades are always ready to help. They’ll help you to choose the right sun cover for cars and include a guide on how to fit Car Shades. As a premier provider since 2003, they’ve earned a solid reputation for helping customers just like me fit a windscreen sun visor and shades to any vehicle.
For over 29 years, a Mother&Baby award is a prestigious accolade. It means that your product is tried, tested and trusted by real mums, with real parents testing and trialling the entries. When researching, data has found that 96% of Mums agree Mother&Baby provides expert advice on products for them to consider and 95% agreed they trust products/companies advertised by Mother&Baby. Alongside this, 2 in 3 agreed that once they have found a product they will check the Mother&Baby review before they buy, so for Car Shades it is an absolute honour to win the prestigious Gold award for the second year running, especially against some other great travel accessory products.
Unlike the universal ‘sucker-pad’ sunshades and window socks, the Car Shades product is vehicle specific, meaning it fits specifically to the shape of the rear car windows including the boot to make sure there are no dazzling gaps to make for a much more pleasant journey for children and other rear-seat passengers.
Car Shades also won silver for Project Baby’s Best Travel Accessory 2022, which is the third year running Car Shades has picked up an award following the gold wins in 2020 and 2021.
Winning the Best Travel Accessory over £30 at the 2023 and 2022 Mother&Baby Awards shows the current stature of the brand within the parenting world and just how trusted the product has become. Fighting off stiff competition from some of the most renowned companies within that field, the accolade champions Car Shades in an extremely saturated market.
To see all Mother&Baby 2023 Award Winners click here
We’re absolutely delighted to receive recognition in an ever-competitive industry. At Car Shades we strive to achieve a high standard in every element of our business model, from manufacturing to fast deliveries and most importantly putting out a great product consistently whilst having a high standard of customer care, which has also been recognised by being awarded the ISO 9001 accreditation for Qualtiy Management.
We’re very proud to receive these awards that recognises our Car Shades as one of the best sunblind solutions in the market.
2021 was another great year for the sale of electric vehicles with an increase of 76.3% year on year, even alongside a market that was 28.7% below pre-Covid-19 levels. Last year, more battery electric vehicles were sold than over the previous five years combined with 190,727 registrations (11.6% of all new car sales). Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle also made up 7% or 114,554 cars. This means that 18.5% of all new cars registered in 2021 can be plugged in – which is truly amazing!
Government 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars
The Government has brought forward the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars to 2030 from the original 2035 date.
Environmental awareness
There is a growing awareness and desire from consumers to become ‘greener’ from the Government’s Net Zero target.
Improvement in technology
In the past, there have been questions around the technology of EV and the affordability of owning one. Charging infrastructure has also been developed to help support the growth, and now there are various charging solutions.
At Car Shades we are conscious of our impact on the environment and how we can help others too, so have begun developing our Electric Vehicle range. We currently supply car shades for the MG ZS SUV, the Mercedes EQC and Ford Puma which have been very popular. We are really excited to have developed our first Polestar in January and we are in development for producing Car Shades for the Ford Mustang MachE – so look out for those at the end of the month! We also supply Car Shades for a range of hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Corolla and Prius.
Car Shades fit using clips to the frame of your windows and not the glass to allow you to still wind the window down whilst the shade stays in place. For this reason, we are currently unable to supply Car Shades for cars with frameless windows, such as the Tesla, but it is something we are working hard to be able to offer soon.
Our manufacturing operation is based in Nottinghamshire and is accredited with the ISO 9001 certification which is the international standard for quality. We manufacture right here in the UK not only to closely manage and maintain our standards of quality, but to also minimise our carbon footprint by not importing from all over the globe.
Referred to as a ‘sucker’ shade, given they are applied with plastic suction cups that stick to the glass, this solution is one of the cheapest options on the market at around £10 for a pack of 2. They come in a set size and usually collapse down into a small handy storage bag. They are also often available with printed characters on them to help keep little ones amused in the back.
Being a universal fit means sucker shades don’t cover all of the glass, therefore allowing the sun to still come through part of the window and into little eyes which can irritate them and make life stressful for others, including the driver.
They are very easy to fit, all you have to do is stick them on to your window, but as quickly as they are applied, they are also just as easily removed, especially by small hands and wandering fingers, and can easily lose suction and fall off of their own accord, which is not ideal.
Because they are applied to the glass, it means that you aren’t able to lower the windows whilst they are in place, which can be difficult if any passengers in the back start to feel a little queasy and you want to get some fresh air into the car quickly. You also have to be aware of accidentally pressing the wrong window button, the last thing you want is Peppa Pig popping off and cart wheeling down the motorway behind you!
While considerably less money, sucker shades don’t always last long due to the flimsy nature of the product and therefore can need replacing more frequently.
‘Window socks’ are an affordable and practical car blind, that offers full coverage of the passenger windows, and is at a similar price point to a ‘sucker’ shade. Window socks are also supplied in packs of 2 to cover just the rear passenger windows.
As the name suggests, these are like a sock that fits over the top of the entire door which means you have material on the outside of the door as well as inside, which does help provide a good level of shade.
Fitting is quick and quite straight forward, however many makes are supplied with straps at the bottom that need to be fastened or hooked on to the door somewhere to secure and tighten the shade, but the straps are prone to getting trapped in the door and catching the paintwork. You can however still operate the window whilst they are in place to allow air in to the car when required.
The big drawback with this solution is the appearance, given they are a universal size they don’t always fit the door tightly and therefore can be baggy and flap considerably when travelling, – especially at high speeds! This can be distracting and annoying for everyone, and when it rains, no one likes a soggy wet sock!
This solution is arguably the most comparable to Car Shades as they cover the window perfectly, and are applied to all rear windows of a vehicle.
Many new vehicles today are often supplied with tints already in place, so we often get asked “why would we need Car Shades when our windows are already tinted?”. Although the tint you have in place may offer you sufficient protection, many tints are only a partial tint, for example 30%. Therefore the addition of a Car Shade can really increase the sun protection for the those in the back, as well as further enhancing the appearance of the vehicle as it makes the window tints look even darker. The big difference is in the operation of the window, as soon as you lower the window, you no longer have any sun protection, unlike Car Shades that remain in place.
If you want to retro fit window tints to your car, this can be quite costly at around £100 upwards and is usually best fitted by a garage, although they can be fitted at home if you’re confident to get a perfect finish.
We like to think that Car Shades take the positives from all of the other solutions and combine them into one great car sun blind.
Firstly, they are vehicle specific and have been made to fit the size of your rear car windows perfectly as they have been made and sewn by hand at our factory in Nottinghamshire.
Our full sets of Car Shades come with shades to cover all rear windows of your car, including the boot,which are notorious for letting light into the vehicle for children and babies that you have rear facing.
Independent lab tests concluded that a Car Shade offers a 72% reduction in light compared to windows that did not have any sun protection in place, but it’s important to note that given Car Shades use a mesh fabric like sucker shades and window socks, so they do not offer a total blackout solution.
Fitting is easy too. You can easily do this at home in around 10 minutes, and they fit using our special clips. This means the shades aren’t stuck to the glass, therefore you can still wind the window down, get some fresh air into the car – all whilst keeping the shade in place and stopping any nasty bugs from getting in as you continue on with your journey!
If you did want to remove your shades, for example if you were travelling at night and wanted to remove the tailgate shades, they pop out in seconds and are easily stored in the storage bag that is supplied as standard with all sets.
And finally, we really care that you love your Car Shades, so we offer a 30 day money guarantee – meaning if you don’t love them for any reason, you can simply return them for a full refund!
No matter how much you prepare for a family road trip, it never feels sufficient. Despite having the perfect accommodation, grandparents excited to see the family or plenty of attractions to visit, the long car journey can ruin the mood for everyone involved.
Car games are a great way to keep the children entertained, and they involve the whole family too! They can also make the journey more educational depending on what you decide to play.
We’ve put together a list of our top 4 car games to get you started!
A family favourite, the numberplate game is easy and fun! It involves looking out for a particular letter on a numberplate. The aim of the game is to spot as many letters of the alphabet as possible on the plates of the cars you pass. You can create a list of letters and tick them off as you go!
This one is also easily adapted to play with numbers instead of letters.
Another great game to play in the car with your children is the alphabet game! Similar to the number plate game, but this time your are looking for letters on street signs. Follow these simple steps below:
The word association game is another fun easy game – and one we love at Car Shades! One person begins and says a word out loud, the next player then has to quickly say a word that has some connection to the previous. For example if the first person said drink, the next could say juice and so on – simple! You are out if you repeat a word, can’t make a connection, or take a long time to make one. Players can also challenge if they feel the connection doesn’t fit.
Finally, a timeless classic – I spy! I spy is super simple, and all you have to is spot an object on your journey and say “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with…” and state the letter. Everyone else must then try and guess what you have seen. To make this a little easier for younger children, you could swap the words for colours, Eg. “I spy with my little eye something that is blue”.
We hope you enjoy playing these car games as much as we do!
In fact, 62% of parents admitted they didn’t adjust their car for the big day, and a whopping 57% of you confessed they didn’t think they needed to change anything except add in a car seat. We have teamed up with expert midwife and GlowMummy founder Sharon Salvage, to reveal the best way to prepare your car for a new-born baby.
Here are five essential things we recommended considering for leaving the hospital:
Car Seat: Babies will always need to be in a car seat, and they should be placed in the back of a car – ideally with a parent also in the back. It’s important to take regular breaks where you remove your baby from the car seat (every 30 mins to a maximum of two hourly). You should shop around to find the best new-born car seat to suit your needs. Isofix based car seats are an advantage because they lock into place without using seatbelts and will fit into most modern cars.
Clothing: Babies should be comfortably dressed to leave hospital, ensure you monitor their temperature. Although it’s instinctive, a baby may not need a blanket if they already have thick enough clothes on, but if you do want to use one, opt for cotton, cashmere, bamboo rayon, fleece or rayon materials.
Lighting and Heat: Depending on the month your baby is born, you will need to either heat up or cool down the car. Hitting the right ambience is important, 16-20 degrees celsius is the recommended temperature for a babies sleep environment. Car Shades will help keep the cabin cool on warmer days as well as having the benefit of reducing bright lights for babies delicate new-born eyes.
Sound: Babies generally love listening to white noise as this reminds them of life in the womb, so having this on in the car may be a soothing sound for them as they’ve just left the hospital. Gentle lullabies are a good idea to keep them calm throughout the journey too.
Remember the Mother – New mothers should also pack as comfortable as possible! Think about loose fitting clothes for the journey home from hospital, such as: Leggings or comfortable pants, maternity bra and a jumper.
It’s a scary feeling taking your new-born home, there are huge levels of responsibility, so we hope soon-to-be parents find our guidance useful to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible when taking your new-born home for the very first time.
To find out more about Car Shades click here
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