buzzfeed Press
This Simple Addition For Your Car Can Cool It Down By Tens Of Degrees
Images
BuzzFeed and our publishing partners may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Read More If your car is stuck outside in the sun for hours, you need this. Erica Kam is a freelance contributor for HuffPost Shopping based in New York City. Though it’s best to park your car in the shade rather than direct sunlight to keep it cool, sometimes parking or driving for long periods in the sun is unavoidable. Luckily, there is one simple addition you can buy that’s designed to keep your car below triple-digit temperatures (and keep everyone and everything in it safer from the heat): a car shade. Car shades can cool your car by about 8% to 25%. In FOX10 News’ test, which measured the temperature of a car with a sunshade and another without, the sunshade cooled the car by about 20 degrees. Car shades are available for both your windshield and your windows, and many are simple to install and remove as needed, not to mention affordable. Some are made of reflective material to repel sunlight from entering through your windows, others are breathable mesh that won’t disrupt your visibility out of the windows, and many are easily foldable and store them when needed without fuss. If you don’t already have a sun shade or two in your car, and you’re tired of burning yourself on an overheated steering wheel or seat, then here are some of the best options on Amazon to keep your car cool. If you liked the concept of the other single-panel, foldable, and reflective windshield shade mentioned earlier on this list but couldn't find it in the right size, this Econour windshield shade comes in nine sizes, from XS to 5XL, to cover your entire windshield. (The medium size is also available in a two-pack.) It's similarly made of durable, reflective polyester and comes with a storage pouch to stow it easily when not in use. The quality of the shade has impressed many reviewers so far, and the product has a 4.4-star average rating across over 100,000 reviews. Promising review: "So I live in Louisiana, and I was struggling with my car being literally scolding hot every time I got in after work with the 110+ degree sun bearing into my car all day. I bought this to try and alleviate some of that heat, and it does just that. Now, yes, it's still hot in my car, but it's not scalding enough to burn my fingers just touching the steering wheel. It is way cooler than without the visor, and I'm not burning myself anymore. Highly recommend if you are in the south, this will help more than you realize." —TomiCakes Don't forget about your backseat — whether you're driving around friends, children, or pets, your passengers deserve a cool car, too. These 21-by-14-inch window shades come in a four-pack and have a lightweight, dual-layer design with mesh on one side and a static cling on the other. They couldn't be easier to install or remove, according to reviewers — just stick the static cling side of each shade to your window and press it down to make sure it stays in place, and peel it off to remove. Promising review: "I love the ease of applying to my windows. I have a Kia Soul, and these are great on all 4 windows. There is just a small outside edge of light around the screen but nothing to cause an issue. I can see fine through the passenger-side and rear window screens, continually up. I do take my driver's side screen down for driving. I live in the Phoenix area, and we have recently reached 117 degrees for a couple of days. With my dashboard sunscreens in place, these really help with the interior heat while parked outdoors at work. So easy to apply and reapply. Love them!" —grandmaT Get them from Amazon for $12.99 (also available in two-packs and four-packs). This Magnelex windshield shade is made of a reflective polyester material, which reflects away light and blocks out heat and UV rays. It also comes with a steering wheel sunshade to keep your steering wheel cool and protected. The sunshade is foldable and fits in the provided pouch for easy storage when not in use. It's available in six sizes, and while there is a size chart provided in the images on Amazon, many reviewers advise measuring your windshield yourself to make sure you get the proper size for your car. Promising review: "You guys. Your search ends here. You cannot beat this product, especially for the price. I've purchased this twice now — first, for a road trip to Texas in late July, and I was so happy with it I bought another for my other vehicle when we returned. We have a Ford Freestyle (2007) and a Ford Edge (2019) - the large fits both. Be sure to enter your car in their search engine so you are certain what size you ought to get. People. The temperatures in Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas on our trip were over 100 degrees every day. The last few days, it got up to 104-106. Record-high temps, but this snazzy little piece of plastic saved our poor thighs and backs from having the skin peeled off them after being parked out in the sun. Even after a full day in a wide-open parking lot at a water park, our car was at least 15-20 degrees cooler than it would have been otherwise, and the seats were shaded. I really cannot sing the praises of this sunshade enough. The wheel cover is a nice bonus, but the windshield shade did such a good job that we really didn't need it. If it ever breaks or tears, I will buy it again immediately. Do it!!" —The Yellow House If you have larger side windows and need a larger shade to cover them, this two-pack from PEMOTech comes in three sizes, up to XXL, measuring 31.5 by 47.2 inches. The shades are made of double-layer mesh and have a stretchy, pouch-like design that's open on one end, so they fit on the windows by just sliding over the top of the open car door. They're suitable for many different types of windows, from curved to rectangular. Just make sure you don't use them on sliding car doors, since they're not made to fit those, or when it rains, since the pouch-like design means that part of the shade is on the outside of your car. Promising review: "We purchased these for our trip to California and just to have in general. They actually ended up being really good. I love that they go around the whole window frame, and you can still roll your window up and down. But it definitely makes the inside of the car darker and cooler, so the sun isn’t in your kids' faces. It provides a lot more coverage than a standard stick-up sunshade for the side windows that usually fall down or break easily. And if these get dirty, I can throw them in the washer real quick, super easy." —Amanda Get a two-pack from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in three colors). Made of two foldable pieces, this windshield shade by EzyShade is designed with reflective technology meant to reduce heat by 82% and leave your car 15% cooler than alternative brands. They come in four sizes, and every purchase includes a non-slip sticky dashboard mat for your phone or other small items you want to keep within easy reach on your dashboard. Promising review: "These shades are a perfect fit (size M) for my 2018 Mazda3 hatchback windshield, and they are so easy to fit and use. Being a person who panics when it comes to puzzles, I was expecting to fail at folding the screens into the tiny package the pictures show, so I was surprised at how easily I could do that. Joy. We had a 94-degree day when these arrived, and I could sense the sigh of relief from my car’s interior—immediate respite from the sun beating down. Really nice product, I’m so happy with this choice" —Gari Thompson Get a two-pack from Amazon for $13.99+ (also available in a single pack). If some of the other shades' folding mechanisms seem a little complicated, this one is even easier by comparison: Able to fit into a compact sleeve when it's not in use, this windshield shade can be opened and shut like an umbrella to fit your windshield (the handle leans against the dash once it's in place). It's 57 by 33 inches, has an anti-scratch edge and is available in five sizes. Promising review: "Bit of a skeptic at first. But my car is noticeably cooler when using this, like 20 degrees cooler. It does fold up enough to fit into the door pocket of my Ford Edge. Still getting the hang of putting it up and down. Glad no one is in the passenger seat. But like if you left something in the car, this would buy you some time." —Angie Window shades tend to be darker and offer less visibility to drivers, which makes this kinder Fluff four-pack so remarkable: It contains two semi-transparent shades that are darker for the backseat, and two transparent shades so putting them on a front side window doesn't prevent you from being able to see out them as you drive. They're available in three sizes, have a twist and fold closure and have a UPF rating of 50+, meaning they're adept at blocking out most harmful UV rays. Promising review: "I was a bit skeptical at first as already having “ceramic” tint on the windows of my vehicle. But with this recent heat in VA I’m willing to try anything to reduce the sun exposure to the interior. All I have to say is these are worth EVERY penny! After leaving my vehicle outside all day, using these shades and windshield shade there was at least a 20 degree cooler difference inside the vehicle. It was warm inside but not sweltering! And the leather seats and steering wheel don’t roast me now! Totally recommend!" —Turbokinetics Get a four-pack from Amazon for $14.90+ (available in three colors). Another fun kids' option, this window shade is made for steel-framed door windows and has a curtain design, so little ones in the backseat can close it for protection but slide it open when they want to peek outside. It's 27 by 19 inches, claims to block 95% of UV rays, and comes in 23 patterns. Promising review: "This little shade was great for our road trip! Blocks out the Sun plenty, so it stayed nice and cool in the back for my two-year-old. Whenever she wanted to look out the window, she could pull it down by the magnets on her own. Very easy to put up. Legit just magnets to the car door. Will be buying another for the other side!" —Joslynn