Tips for Finding the Right Window Shades to Keep Your Vehicle Cool in the Summer

The atmosphere is getting hotter and hotter every year due to climate change, which is why keeping yourself and your prised possessions under the shade is crucial. But sometimes there is no shade – What do you do then? Well, when it comes to shielding your vehicle from the sun’s rays you should consider installing some accessories. Why? Your car can get as hot as 80°C when exposed for more than 2 hours to the hot sun. This can be the case when driving too but your vehicle doesn’t get as hot when moving.
While some automotive accessories are used to retain heat others are used to keep it away and these are window shades. With auto window shades your vehicle will go up to temperatures only up to around 47 °C, that is if it’s sitting in the sun. By installing side window shades you don’t only prevent your car from heating up but you also keep the interior from fading. You get a bit of privacy too and a bit of protection from theft.

Are Car Window Shades Legal?

Different states have different laws on which level of tint on the windows is considered legal. No matter the purpose of the tint usually most states allow for a 20% tint on the backside except for the northern territory. The same goes for the rear side again except for the northern territory allowing for 15% tint.

Types of Car Sun Shades

Magnetic

One of the most convenient solutions when it comes to keeping the sun from making your trip less enjoyable are magnetic side window shades. Relying on the power of the magnetic field, both a front and an auto rear window shade is attached to the inside and left there. No clips or suction cups just let the end of the shade gets attached to the window sill. Magnetic window shades are also quite stylish and reliable, there’s no mechanism to fail and no added hardware to install. 

Steel-Ring

You also have steel-ring shades that are easy to install and fold away either in the boot or your door pockets. They come with a pouch too and are usually made universal since the steel ring can be adjusted.

Accordion

An accordion sun window shade is more affordable than a steel-ring one because they don’t feature any metal in them. Accordion shades are easy to use and offer great protection from the sun but they are not as compact as steel-ring shades. This is because accordion shades are bigger when you fold them. 

Umbrella-Type

With an umbrella-type window shade, you essentially get a canopy that covers the whole car. This solution is great if your vehicle is parked but it does offer the best possible protection from the sun. Unfortunately, umbrella-type shades are not easy to install and not as affordable as other solutions on here.

Roll-up

A roll-up window shade is made for your vehicle’s windows. Although roll-up shades are not as easy to use steel-ring or magnetic ones and are bigger when folded they can cover every cm of glass. They are more effective but not as convenient, especially if you have a small car.

What to Look for in a Car Window Shade

Size

First and foremost, when looking for a front or an auto rear window shade you should look for the right size. A shade should fit the windows as best as it can. Make sure there are no gaps big enough to fit your finger. This way you will ensure that the shade you get will be effective in keeping your eyesight and interior safe from the UV rays. 

Protection

Talking about UV rays, they can be harmful. When it comes to long exposure, at least UV rays need to be filtered out by window shades. Although your car’s windows are already made to block UVB rays, UVA rays are what you should be concerned about. The higher the UVA protection of the shade the better it is for your skin. This is why you should look for auto window shades that offer at least 97% protection from UVA rays.

Visibility

But having too much protection also causes visibility issues. This can be the case with less expensive car window shades but high-quality ones do not have this issue. The latter is made using opaque materials that are as good at fending off UV rays as the level of visibility they offer. But if you want to add a little bit more shade to your windows, within the limits of local regulations, look for shades that use mesh fabrics. These types of side window shades block harmful UV rays as well as glare without preventing you see clearly.

Weight

Finally, for a car window shade to be safe, it needs to be lightweight. A light window shade is going to be crucial when in a crash as even if it does fly off it won’t injure anyone.