Buying guide for Best car window shades
Car window shades are especially good for babies and kids, who are easily bothered by the sun in their eyes. And since it's easy to get sunburned through the glass of a car window on hot days (and baby sunglasses are often removed and played with), a shade is a great way to protect their delicate skin from ultraviolet rays.
Whether you’re in the market for a car window shade for yourself, your children, or someone else, you may have some questions first. For example, how well can you see through a car sun shade? This depends on their opacity. Can you roll down your window with a sun shade on it? This depends on the type of shade you have. Also think about how you might prefer to attach the shade to your car; some fixture types may suit your vehicle and your situation better than others.
We researched the car window shade market and found the Enovoe Car Window Shade to be our favorite. Enovoe shades attach to windows via static cling — they couldn't be easier to affix and remove. They come in a pack of four, and you can overlap them for greater coverage if you desire. They block 97% of harmful UV rays but still let passengers see out of the window fairly clearly.
Car window shades
This fixed sun shade attaches to car windows using the power of static cling. You just place it on the window, run your hand over it and it sticks in place. Each one measures 14 by 21 inches. They don't provide full coverage, but they cover most of the average car window, and you can overlap them for better coverage of large windows.
They're made from a black mesh material that blocks around 97% of UV rays, yet you can still see through them fairly well. These come four to a pack, which is a good value if you have multiple windows to cover.
This magnetic stretch shade from Munchkin sits in place and doesn't retract once applied. It stretches to fit windows of up to 18 by 34 inches, attaching via magnets and providing excellent coverage.
Since it attaches to the window frame rather than the window itself, you can roll the window down while keeping the shade in place. It's made from a black safe-view mesh that blocks glare without blocking passengers' views. Munchkin sells them in packs of one or two.
With four in a pack, you get more than enough shades to cover all passenger windows of a sedan. Or, you could use them to cover the windows of more than one vehicle. Kinder Fluff includes two transparent shades and two semitransparent shades. They fix in place via static cling, and you can overlap them if you choose.
The transparent shades let a little more light in than the semi-transparent ones. They also give passengers a slightly better view out the window. Notably, you can choose from two sizes: 12 by 20 inches or 16 by 25 inches.
Thanks to the slip-on design of these Peyou window shades, you can roll your window down without having to remove the shade first. This product provides full coverage, blocking out light from the whole window without creating gaps for harmful rays to leak in.
They're made from a stretchy mesh that fits over most car doors. Before you buy, note that the window part of the door frame needs to be between 27.5 and 44.9 inches long and 16.5 and 19.7 inches high. You get two in a pack.
Looking for something other than basic black? This shade comes in fully opaque star, lion and unicorn designs as well as a black mesh option. It fits to the frame of the car door using magnets, so you can roll your window down with the shade still attached. You can also slide it out of the way like a curtain when it's not needed.
The Ggomaart shade fits windows of up to 18.5 by 27 inches. These unique shades are sold individually.
With a retractable roller design, you can easily roll these shades up when they're not needed and pull them down when they are. They fix directly to the window using suction cups, which stay in place nicely. They extend up to 17 inches but only measure 14 inches wide, so coverage could be better. They're made from black mesh that's easy to see out through and come in a pack of two.
These retractable shades come in a pack of two so you have one for each side of the car. As roller sun shades, they easily pull down and retract when not needed. They measure 15.7 inches on the fixed side by up to 23.6 inches on the retractable side.
You can use these shades horizontally or vertically, depending on what best fits your car windows. Suction cups attach the shades to the window pane.
These slip-on shades for car windows might not be universal, but they come in five sizes, from small to extra-extra-large, to fit most cars. They provide full coverage and allow you to roll your window down while staying in place.
Since you get two to a pack, you can put one on each side of the back of your car. EcoNour’s car sun shades are made from translucent black mesh.
Do you have a baby or small child who would be entertained by a fun print on a car window shade? Caramaz offers your choice of seven adorable animal designs. The company also makes a plain black option for those who prefer it.
These shades stick to car windows using static cling. At 12 by 20 inches, they offer decent coverage for medium cars. If you have larger windows, you can choose to overlap them. Two shades are provided per pack.
Buying guide for What to know before buying a car window shade
Types of car window shades
Two main types of window shades for cars exist: fixed shades and roller shades. You may find that one type suits you better than the other. Or, you might be happy with either style.
Fixed shades: Window shades that are fixed attach to the window and stay there until you remove them. Although they come in a range of sizes, you can find some that offer full coverage so there are no gaps around the edge where light leaks through. They're generally available in a wider range of fixture types and patterns than roller shades. And, because they fix in place, they’re trickier for kids to remove.
The downside to fixed shades is that you must remove them whenever you want to see out of the window.
Roller shades: Retractable roller window shades are convenient because you can pull them down when you need shade and retract them when you don't. If you live in a climate that’s sometimes sunny and sometimes cloudy, you may greatly appreciate this feature.
While versatile, roller shade options tend to be more limited than fixed shades. They usually only come in black and affix to car windows via suction cups. What’s more, you won’t find any full-coverage options. And if you have fidgety kids, you may find that wandering little hands can retract them when left to their own devices, leaving the kids vulnerable to the sun.
Fixture type
As noted, car sun shades may fix in place in one of several ways. The most common fixture types are suction cups, static cling, magnets and a slip-on design. It's no secret that kids like to get into things, so if you're buying for a child who doesn’t tend to keep their hands still, look for one with a secure fixture.
Suction cups: It only takes a couple of seconds to fit a car window shade using suction cups. They're generally reliable, although they can lose their stick over time. It takes a little force to pull them off the window, so babies and little kids might not be able to manage it.
Static cling: Using the magic of static, these shades simply cling to the window. This makes putting them up effortless, and they're easy to remove, too. However, some parents might say they’re a little too easy to remove by kids who get bored in their car seat.
Magnets: These car sun shades attach to the window frame with magnets. They offer full coverage since they attach to the frame and not the window. Notably, they don't work on vehicles made from non-magnetic materials.
Slip-on: Also known as wraparound shades, these shades slip over the entire car window, front and back. They're extremely secure because they're dual-sided and fixed in place by the car door when it’s closed. However, the exterior part of the shade will be exposed to the elements, so you may not want to use them in wet weather.
Coverage
Consider how much of the car window your chosen shade covers and how much light will get through any gaps around the sides. As mentioned, you can find some full-coverage shades for car windows. There are also some much smaller ones that provide a degree of shade while still giving you a little glimpse of the outside.
Coverage is especially important when choosing car sun shades for babies and children because it's vital that you protect their skin from harmful UV rays. You can overlap some sun shades for better coverage.
Opacity
The opacity of a car window shade reflects the degree to which it blocks out light. The more opaque it is, the more UV rays it blocks. Thus, the more protection it offers from the sun. However, fully opaque shades don't let passengers see out at all.
Universality
Some sun shades are completely universal, meaning they would fit on any car window. Others only fit windows up to a maximum size.
You don't want to buy a shade only to find out it doesn’t fit your car, so be sure to measure your window first, and check your measurements against those provided by the manufacturer.
Color and patterns
Most shades come in plain black or dark gray. This is a practical choice that works for almost all buyers. However, you can also find shades in other colors and with fun patterns that are usually geared toward babies and children.
If you want something other than neutral black or gray, look for patterns with stars, rainbows and cartoon animals. Of course, it isn't essential to buy a patterned car window shade, but it may help keep your child happy and entertained on journeys.
Quantity per pack
Some shades are sold individually. Others come in packs of two or more. You can expect better value when you buy multiple shades together, so if you need more than one, consider buying a multi-pack.
FAQ
Q. How much do car window shades cost?
A. A single window shade can cost anywhere from $8 for a basic model to $25 for an elaborate one. You can also buy packs of multiple shades that cost approximately $10 to $50. While you'll pay more in total for a multi-pack, you'll usually pay less per shade.
Q. What's the difference between a window shade and a windshield shade?
A. Window shades are designed to fit the side passenger windows of a car to provide shade for those inside. Windshield shades, also called windshield covers, help prevent light and heat from penetrating the front window when a car is parked and not in use. They're made to reduce the internal temperature of parked cars so they aren't unbearably hot when you get inside.
Q. Do car window shades help minimize heat?
A. The main two purposes of shades for car windows are to keep the sun off passengers so they don't have to squint and to reduce their chance of sunburn. However, in the process of doing so, car window shades may also help reduce the temperature in a car.
By keeping the sun out, cars stay cooler inside. Passengers also feel cooler, as the sun isn't beating directly on their skin through the window.
Q. Can you roll the window down with a sun shade attached?
A. This depends on the type of shade you use. Some types let you roll your window down while keeping the shade in place. These are usually magnetic and slip-on varieties that don't attach to the window itself.
With roller shades, you can usually roll the window down partially, but only if the shade is retracted.
It's generally pretty easy to remove car window shades. Most people aren’t bothered by the task of taking them down and putting them up again later. However, you lose the shading and protection from the sun during times when you’ve taken your window shades down.
