Do you need a car sunshade for your baby?
The top reason for purchasing a car sunshade is to protect your baby from harmful UVA rays which can cause sunburn and damage to the skin, as well as dehydration and heatstroke, according to the NHS.
Windows in the back of a car don’t usually provide any protection against these rays, so it’s vital that you find a quality sunshade to protect your small passenger. Protective sunshades also help to bring down the temperature of the car, lowering the risk of your baby overheating, which can happen quickly.
Tinted car windows may be an alternative to keeping the temperature cool inside the car, but a tinted side window doesn’t provide protection from all UV rays. So even if you do have tinted windows, adding car sunshades or roller blinds for the windows will help to provide even greater protection for your baby’s delicate skin.
Read next: 8 tips for keeping your family safe on the road
How many car sunshades do you need?
If you have a bigger family or often drive with pets and passengers, it’s definitely worth considering buying two or more window shades for your car. Many of the car sunshades on our list come in packs of two. If you’re planning on parking in the same spot for hours, it might also be worth getting a car windscreen sun shade like the EcoNour Car Windshield Sun Shade. This will help to keep the car cooler, whilst protecting the dashboard and steering wheel from sun damage.
Read next: UK car seat regulations explained
How to choose a car sunshade for your baby
There are many different types of car sunshades to choose from, including blinds that stick onto the windows with suction cups, to roll-down blinds and window socks which offer full coverage.
Before purchasing a car sunshade, it’s a good idea to ask yourself the following questions:
Protection: Possibly the most important question you need to ask yourself before deciding on a sunshade is, will it protect my child against the sun’s harmful UV rays? The good news is that all of the car sunshades on our list offer a good amount of protection from the sun.
Size: Will this car sunshade fit my car? Some sunshades are unsuitable for larger windows. Others can be overlapped or stretched to fit. Check the measurements before buying.
Installation: Is this sunshade easy to install/remove? Sunshades can be installed in various ways. Some use suction cups, while others rely on static to stick on to the window. You should consider whether you want to keep the blinds up all the time or remove them after each use.
Storage: Is the sunshade easy to fold up and store? If you’re planning on removing the sunshades regularly, think about whether they’re easy to store. For instance, some blinds fold down easily and some come with a handy storage bag. Others may not fold down, meaning they’ll take up more storage space. If you plan to use them intermittently, then a roller blind is a good option as this can stay on the window but be wound up after use.
Pack size: How many sunshades come in the pack? Most car sunshades come in pairs of two, but sometimes they’re only available individually. Check the number in the pack before buying to ensure you have enough and that you are getting the best value for money.
How do you use sunshades in a car?
This depends on the type that you buy. Some car sunshades like the JellyBabaBaby Car Window Shades stretch to fit over the tops of car doors, while others are applied using suction cups or static cling material that attaches easily to a clean window. Of course there’s also the roller-blind style like the LittleLife Car Roller Blind that can roll up or down a window or adjustable sunshades that can be stretched and moved to fit different-sized front or rear car windows.
It’s always a good idea to measure your car windows and select appropriate sunshades that’ll fit and offer the maximum sun protection.
What is the best car sunshade for babies?
After researching a variety of different car sunshades and reading many real, honest reviews, we believe that the best sunshade for a car is the JellyBabaBaby Car Window Shade. Easy to install, these stretchy shades will cover your whole window with ease, but allow for opening to let in a welcome breeze, while keeping harmful UV rays out. Therefore, they offer multiple benefits at a good price point, which makes them a good choice, overall.
How we chose our car sunshade recommendations
Recommendations from real parents
First, we scoured the Mumsnet forums to find out which car sunshades for babies our users rated highly and which ones they weren’t impressed by. We rely heavily on the tried-and-tested recommendations from the 8 million parents in our Mumsnet community each month. That’s a lot of honest, impartial advice.
Expert advice
It’s important to us to ensure that our information represents the latest recommendations from experts, and we research each product thoroughly to make certain that it lives up to its claims.
For this review, we consulted experts such as the Automobile Association (AA) and took note of what they recommended in terms of sun safety whilst in the car, plus we evaluated the Skin Cancer Foundation’s guidelines for limiting sun exposure, which included advice on the best type of UV shields for better protection in the car.
Consumer feedback
After collating all that information, we trawled the Internet and left no stone unturned to find plenty of other online reviews to determine which car shades for babies had received the best recommendations, taking special note of the material used, price point, versatility, ease of use and installation, and durability.
Celebrated best products
Finally, we cross-referenced all of the above information to find the best car sunshades that had received the best reviews and recommendations across the wider web to bring you a selection of the best ones at various price points. We think there’s something here for every family and type of car.
About the author
Laura Cooke spent nearly 19 years writing for local newspapers before going into freelance journalism. She has written for a range of publications including the i Newspaper, Business Insider and Stylist, and has researched and written a large number of baby product round-ups for Mumsnet - from the best baby thermometers to the best outdoor toys. Laura lives with her husband and two young daughters in the south of England.