by Mei Lele

September 3, 2022

do I need a car shade for baby

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When children are outdoors or travel by car on a sunny day, the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays harm infants' skin and health.

Parents start to look for a product that can protect children from UV rays. You want an affordable product that can keep your children from radiation and not make them uncomfortable.

The sunshade, however, is one of the most widely used strategies for lowering the temperature inside your car. These products have been around for a long time and come in many designs and setups. 

But the issue is, "Do I need a car shade? How can I keep my baby out of the sun in the car?" continues.

Do I Need A Car Shade For Babies?

It is crucial to think about sun protection for both you and your car. When exposed to the heat and UV rays of the sun, the car's interior could suffer damage. Window shields are an effective way to reduce heat and protect against UV rays.

Do babies need car window shades?

It depends on the car's interior. Many parents think they can get away with just lowering the cover of an infant's car seat on sunny days, but doing so could annoy babies who are naturally curious and prefer to investigate their surroundings. Of course, you will not have a canopy option if your child transitions into a convertible car seat.

However, some cars' rear windows are tinted as standard, while others have mesh sunshades integrated. Car shades might be worth considering if you are choosing a new vehicle.

Are car shades necessary?

Yes, to answer briefly. Even though a car left outside on a hot summer day would unavoidably have a warm interior, using a sun visor significantly reduces interior heat. Here is how:

  • Reduce the interior of the car temperature: Shielding and reflecting the light helps prevent the car's interior from becoming overheated. When you initially get in the car, it is simpler to breathe. By shielding the sun, you can avoid getting burned when you touch the seatbelt, steering wheel, or gearshift.
  • Protect your electronic goods: direct sunlight and high temperatures can harm CD players and car stereos. Modern automobile touch displays are especially susceptible to damage when parked outside in the sun for extended periods. A sun shade shields the vehicle's electronics from direct sunlight and increases the lifespan.
  • Protect the interior: The interior of your car can suffer significant damage from the sun. As the sun dries off their colors, dashboards and seats may start to fade. Due to the intense heat, they may even break and deform. The interior of your automobile may remain brand new for years with a simple investment in sunscreen.

Is a car sunshade worth it?

Yes, a car sunshade is worth buying because it is an affordable solution to protect your baby from the sun.

When you use a car sunshade, babies do not have to use sunscreen because your kids might not want to use that product. I will tell you the reason in the last part.

Also, car sunshades help to lower the inside temperature of your car. Traditional reflective models reflect solar radiation and dangerous UV rays from the sun, whereas non-reflective shades absorb them. The inside temperature has dropped by 30 degrees or more in several experiments.

What Types Of Car Sunshades Are Available?

In the market, you may see six primary categories of sunshades that I will list below, but standard, collapsible, and retractable car sunshades are the most common.

A standard one is for you if you need a cheap and easy-to-get car sunshade. This type of sunshade is pretty compact, so you can store them up even if there are passengers. The con of this product is the flimsy component, and the perfect-fit size is pretty hard to find on the market.

A collapsible car is more suitable for you if you prefer a compact and aesthetically pleasing car sunshade. This type of car sunshade provides excellent sun protection, is very simple to use, and is small enough to carry on a car with passengers. The downside of this product is it does not fit almost every type of windshield.

If you want a perfect-sized and one-hand operated, you should buy a retractable car sunshade. The ultimate pro of this product is when you are ready to drive, just disconnect it from the bracket on the driver's side, and it will automatically retract to the opposite side. The con of this product is the complicated setup and cost more expensive than the other two types of car shade.

Steel-ring sun shades might be the best sunshade because they are simple to fold and usually come with a helpful pouch. They may be readily kept in your car's cabin, such as in your door pockets because they fold into a small space. Many windshields can be used with higher-quality steel ring sunshades, which are also quite simple to install on your windshield. 

But before you buy, it is wise to double-check the proportions.

  • Umbrella car window shades have the best defense against heat and UV radiation, which create a canopy for the entire vehicle. Although your vehicle will be kept at the coolest temperature possible with umbrella car window shades, there are drawbacks. They are pricey and difficult to install and utilize.
  • You should purchase a customized roll-up sunshade to ensure it fits your windshield the best. Although roll-up kinds are more significant when folded and are less convenient to use than steel rings, they will perfectly cover your windscreen. 
  • Roll-up universal fit sunshades are also available, but they are less effective or practical than a lovely folding ring car window shade.

How Can I Keep My Baby Out Of The Sun In The Car?

For adults, we usually wear sunscreen to protect our skin from the sun. However, not every kid enjoys wearing sunscreen. 

Some kids do not like getting messy, and they are sensitive to different textures.

Their brain tells them that the sunscreen irritates or feels like worms are crawling all over them. Yikes! The term for this is tactile defensiveness.

When forced to touch various textures, some kids wriggle, sob, and immediately melt down.

Instead of forcing children to use sunscreen, there are different ways to protect your kids from the sun without using sunscreen.

Standard Sunshades 

The most typical sunshades are standard ones. These are the kind that unfolds like an accordion and is ordinarily quite affordable. The majority of the time, these are available for about $10. They function as intended, although they might be hard to install or take off before a trip.

What we like

  • Cost-effective 
  • Affordable
  • Widely available in shops 

What we don't like

  • Not good looking
  • Difficult to install

Big Ant Sunshade

The Big Ant is a little more expensive than ones found at your neighborhood dollar shop, but it is still well worth it.

This sunshade has suction cups on it to keep it attached to your windshield is its best feature. You will not have to worry about leaving your car on a hot summer day only to discover that your sunshade has accidentally slid out from under your visors, offering you no protection.

If you want a traditional-style sunshade at an affordable price, you should check out the Big Ant Sunshade.

What we like

  • Keep the car cool
  • Easy to use
  • Additionally, the suction cups feature a small handle that makes it simple to remove
  • Two elastic bands are also included with the shade to keep it folded for simple-storing purposes

What we don't like

  • Flimsy
  • Too small

Collapsible Sunshade

Standard sunshades are an improvement over collapsible ones. Most of them come in a little storage bag, making it easier to pack them in your car. They appear better than the accordion style and fold up quickly. They are more appealing and remain in place better than traditional sunshades.

What we like

  • Simple to install
  • Compact
  • Aesthetically pleasing

What we don't like

  • More costly
  • Not all fit every car

FH Group Foldable Penguin Print Car Windshield Sun Shade 

FH Group Foldable Silver Double Layer Collapsible Sunshade is your best option if you are searching for the best-fitting sunshade in its category that provides exceptional protection from the sun's intense heat.
The FH Group Foldable shade’s material is 190T Polyester providing ultimate UV protection to your kids. There are four sizes for you to choose.
For anyone searching for a stylish sunshade at a reasonable price, an FH Group Foldable sunshade is an excellent option.

What we like

  • Keep the car at a cooler temperature than the traditional car shade
  • Compact
  • Foldable
  • Easy to use

What we don't like

  • Weak suction

Retractable Sunshades 

Once you know how to install it, retractable sunshades are the easiest to maintain. Most have two brackets that attach to the windshield on either side using suction cups. 

Do not forget to fasten the sunshade to the passenger-side bracket after installing the brackets. To attach the sunshade to the second bracket, you must first slide it across the length of the windshield. 

After that, you detach it from the bracket on the driver's side when you are ready to drive, and it will retract to the other side on its own. The retractable sunshade is the most practical choice, although they are frequently more expensive.

What we like

  • One hand operation 
  • Perfect fit trimming

What we don't like

  • The most costly choice
  • Initial setup takes more time than other kinds of car shade

Aousthop Retractable Sunshade

The Aousthop Sunshade's automatic retracting feature is what I find to be unique about it after releasing it from the driver-side mounting bracket. The Aousthop Retractable Sunshade has a smooth function that expedites the procedure of taking down and folding your sunshade before you can start your car. 

If you want a practical solution that offers a tailored fit for optimal efficacy, you should consider purchasing the Aousthop Sunshade.

What we like

  • Cool down the temperature of the car
  • Easy to assemble
  • High-quality material

What we don't like

  • No sizing chart
  • More expensive than two other types of sunshade

Closing

Overall, we do need a car shade for babies every summer. However, to answer the question: "How can I keep my baby out of the sun in the car?"; it depends on your preference which sunshade you choose. 

As was already mentioned, each has advantages and disadvantages, but overall, they all serve the same purpose. I hope this post has helped to clarify how effectively sunshades keep your automobile cool during the summer heat.

About the author 

Mai Pham

Mai Pham discovered her passion for writing a few years ago and she never stop thinking about it ever since. She finally took the leap and created Live a Worthy Life to brag about her smart ass (mainly just for fun). Enjoyed the fun writing brings, now with her new interest in everything-baby-related, she created Mommy Instinct, to tell mamas that it's ok that they mess up, that they don't know what the hell they are doing, and that it's okay to sit back and relax for a while.

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