Windshield sun shades are invaluable pieces of equipment in the summertime.
Have you ever slipped into your car seat and immediately wanted to jump straight back out due to the burning seat? But you push through the pain and grab the wheel. Recoiling in surprise, your hands are now left with a long burn mark across the palm.
Don’t even get us started on the seatbelt! You want to drive off with the windows rolled all the way down so that the air can try and cool you down, yet this is almost always ineffective.
If this has given you flashbacks to a similar horrible time in your life, you need a windshield sun shade.
Seems simple enough, right? Drive to an auto store and pick up the first one that you see. Well, sadly it requires a little more patience than that.
There are plenty of windshield sun shades on the market, but that doesn’t mean that they’re all effective and worth your money.
Top 5 Best Windshield Sun Shades
OUR TOP PICK
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EcoNour Car Windshield Sun Shade
EDITORS CHOICE
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Castrol EDGE Bio-Synthetic Motor Oil
BEST VALUE
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AmazonBasics Full Synthetic Motor Oil
OUR TOP PICK
EcoNour Car Windshield Sun Shade
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The clear winner in our search for the best windshield sun shade is the model from EcoNour. Gone are the days of dreading slipping into the front seat of your car to sit in the least relaxing sauna possible. This sun shade protects the interior of your car from both heat and UV rays.
In fact, this model can reduce the internal temperature of your car up to 40 degrees! Installing this sun shade could not be easier so you can feel free to use it every day. What’s more, is that you can fold it up when you’re done and conveniently store it in the car door pocket.
The dimensions of this windshield sun shade are 64 x 32 inches, with a ring diameter of 29 inches. These measurements make the EcoNour sun shade optimal for medium-sized windshields. EcoNour is so sure that you’re going to love their model that they offer a money-back guarantee.
Pros:
- Reduces internal temperature up to 40 degrees.
- Folds up compactly to fit in a door pocket or under the seat.
- Money-back guarantee.
Cons:
- Not suitable for large windscreens.
EDITORS CHOICE
EzyShade Windshield Sun Shade
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The EzyShade windshield sun shade comes in three different sizes which are ideal for all sorts of vehicles.
You no longer need to struggle with too big or too small windshield covers thanks to the easy to use size guide that the manufacturer offers. The sun shade is made up of two rectangular shapes which can overlap if needed. This gives you more adjustability than if the shade was just one piece.
The shade is easily foldable into a small cover. When the pieces are folded away they can easily fit into the door pockets or underneath your seat so that the shade remains out of the way. If a high-quality sun shade wasn’t enough, the manufacturer also offers a free non-slip sticky dashboard mat.
The sport size, or small, measures in at 29 x 23.5 inches. The standard size is 31 x 28 inches, and the max size is 36 x 32.5 inches. Bear in mind that these are just the sizes of one of the rectangles and you get two altogether. For example, the overall width of the standard size would be 62 inches.
Pros:
- Three different sizes to choose from.
- Made from two pieces of material for a better fit.
- Free dashboard mat with every purchase.
Cons:
- Folding the rectangles might take a little longer than other sun shades.
BEST VALUE
Motor Trend Front Windshield Sun Shade
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Next up is a 58 x 24-inch windshield sun shade from Motor Trend. The edges are tapered so that the shade fits snugly onto the windshield with the visors and mirror for support. This sun shade will reduce the internal temperature of your car from 30 to 50 degrees.
Thanks to the reasonably large size, this sun shade is the ideal option for a number of different vehicles. This includes SUVs, trucks, vans, and cars. The lightweight sun shade also blocks harmful UV rays to avoid your interior from becoming damaged or sunbleached.
You can fold the sun shade up in a matter of seconds thanks to the accordion shape and velcro clasp. The folded size of the sun shade is impressively small so that your car won’t be cluttered while storing it. Choose between seven different colors, all of which offer the same amount of protection.
Pros:
- Tapered edges for the ideal fit.
- Works with a number of different vehicles.
- Seven colors to choose from.
Cons:
- The material is not the most sturdy.
RUNNER UP
KINGMAZI Car Windshield Sun Shade
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As opposed to the other windshield sun shades on our list, this model is more permanent as you can fix it to the top of your windshield.
When you need to use it, simply pull the shade from one side of the windscreen from the retracted bar. Similarly, once you need it to remove it, you can pull it back up to the side of the screen.
This makes it much easier for you to get in and go without having to spend time folding up the sun shade. If you use your sun shade every day without fail, a more permanent solution like this one might be better suited to you.
The high-quality polyester protects your car from UV rays and up to 85% of the sun’s solar energy.
The size of this sun shade is 61 x 27.5 inches, ideal for most medium-sized windshields. The retractable bar is suckered onto the windshield, which is not the most sturdy contraption. However, you can upgrade the sucker to a larger one.
Pros:
- A more permanent solution for windshield sun shades.
- High-quality material is durable.
- Protects the inside of your car from up to 85% of the sun’s solar energy.
Cons:
- You’ll have to upgrade your sun shade to get the most sturdy retractable contraption.
RUNNER UP
DPIST Van Gogh Starry Sky Car Windshield Sun Shade
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Last but not least we thought we’d include one of the best-patterned windshield sun shades on the market. This Starry Night themed sun shade will ensure that your car is the most beautiful in the parking lot. If Van Gough isn’t your scene, there is also a leaf pattern or flamingos.
The sun shade is 51 x 28 inches, making it compatible with almost any car model. The material is high-quality and durable, so you’ll be able to use this sun shade for years to come. Ensure that your car is kept cool every day with the DPIST sun shade, so what are you waiting for?
Once you’re finished using the windshield sun shade, you can fold it up thanks to the accordion-style, and store it within seconds. Likewise, putting the shade up is equally as simple before you get out of the car.
Pros:
- Fun patterned windscreen sun shades.
- Compatible with almost every car model.
- Very simple to install and remove.
Cons:
- Only suitable for small or medium-sized windscreens.
Best Windshield Sun Shades Buying Guide
Now that we’ve looked into the five best windshield sun shades to protect you from scorching leather and metal, let’s discuss the most important factors to consider when choosing your new car sun shade.
While this product doesn’t seem like a necessarily difficult thing to purchase, there are still some factors that can trip you up when buying one. The last thing you want to do is order one only to find that it’s not the best for you and have to send it back.
So, don’t forget to keep these factors in mind when comparing different windshield sun shades on the market.
Size
The size of the windshield sun shade is perhaps the most important factor to consider when looking for your new model, as you need to make sure that you don’t purchase one too small or too big.
While most cars have similar-sized windshields, if you have a larger vehicle such as an RV or a truck, you might need a larger alternative.
Using a sun shade that is too small will allow a gap of sunlight to get into your car and heat it up, rendering the shade useless. Similarly, a shade too large for your windshield might create drooping gaps that let the heat and sunlight in.
We would recommend you measure your windshield before looking for a sun shade so that you know exactly what you’re looking for.
Opacity and UV Protection
Some people want to use windshield protectors to ensure that their car furnishings do not fade from the UV rays.
If you’re one of these people, you should look for a sun shade that is opaque and will not let any light into your car. You can also get shades that protect the inside of your car from UV rays as these are unknowingly very harmful to your car interior.
An opaque windshield shade will often be the most effective so we would always recommend you looking for a model that will let absolutely zero light in.
Material
The material of your windshield sun shade should be heat-resistant and sturdy. The majority of shades come with a reflective surface that allows the sunlight to bounce off of the material and away from your car.
This ensures that no sunlight reaches the interior of your car. Having said that, they don’t always need this as long as the material is heat-resistant.
Nylon and polyester are often the most commonly used materials for sun shades as they’re durable yet lightweight and won’t take up too much room in your trunk.
If you opt for a nylon or polyester sun shade, you’re much more likely to get a lot of use out of the shade. Another added plus is that these materials are often not very expensive.
Style
The style of windshield sun shade that you opt for will depend on how often you’re going to use it. The main style is a shade that can be compacted and stored away in the trunk or the back seat of your car. These are best used for people who use their sun shade sporadically only when the weather forecast calls for it.
On the other hand, you can get more permanent windshield sun shades that can be folded up and down whenever you get in and out of your car. These are better suited to people who want to protect their car interior from UV rays all year round, as it saves you a lot of time putting up a collapsable alternative every evening.
Ease of Use
Windshield sun shades are relatively simple to use in your car. Usually, they require little effort at all as you’ll simply place the material over the windshield and secure it with whatever the manufacturer has included. This is how easy it should be to use your model and you shouldn’t need to take longer than a few seconds to do so.
Similarly, the windshield sun shade shouldn’t take too long to collapse either. You won’t need to factor in too much additional time to remove the shade into your schedule, providing your model is a high-quality one. Impressive windshield sun shades will already have indents in them to aid you with folding it up with ease.
You can get windshield shades that come in accordion shapes that fold into themselves, ones that can be rolled up to conserve space or ones that fold up into flat squares.
Color
The color of your windshield sun shade isn’t the most important consideration to take into account, but it is still worth thinking about. If you only want a sun shade for functionality, then you might not care about the design of your model.
However, you might want to choose one that matches the color of your car or that has a nice pattern on it.
There are plenty of colored or patterned designs on the market, so if you don’t just want a black windshield sun shade, feel free to peruse the market and find one that you fall in love with.
Warranty
Depending on the price of your windshield sun shades, some manufacturers offer a warranty for you to take advantage of should anything go wrong with your model. When brands offer their customers warranties, we think it speaks volumes about their trust in their product.
If a manufacturer is willing to offer your money back or a replacement product, they don’t think that you’re going to need to enforce it. This often means that their product is more durable and reliable than a product without a warranty.
While this isn’t always the case, at least you’ll have a warranty to fall back on should your windshield sun shade falter within the allotted time frame!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best color for a sun shade?
Sun shades work by reflecting the sunlight and heat rather than absorbing it. Lighter colors tend to absorb less light and allows it to bounce back away from the sun shade. White is the best color for reflecting light, but yellow has also been shown to be effective here.
On the other hand, darker colors tend to absorb more light and heat, making them the worst colors for sun shades. Black, dark blue, and brown are among the worst colors for sun shades.
Windshield sun shades are often made from reflective materials, and these can be covered by colors or patterns. As long as the reflective surface is still there in the makeup, the light will be reflected away from the car and the interior will remain cool and protected.
How do you install a windshield sun shade?
Installing a windshield sun shade should be very easy and not take any time at all. Firstly, you’ll want to open the sun shade in the car so that you don’t damage it when pulling it through the door. Next, position the bottom edge at the bottom of the windshield and the top edge at the top of the windshield.
Open the car’s visors and push them all the way towards the windshield so that they keep the shade in place. Make sure that the indent for the mirror is placed properly around the mirror to avoid any UV rays coming in through the gap. That’s it, you’re all done!