The best car sun shades for 2023
Car sun shades are one of the best accessories you can have for your car and what better time to prepare your car and your passengers for 2023 and beyond. Snap Shades has been in the car sun shade business for more than 5 years now and we’d like to show you what we’ve learned and why Snap Shades could be the perfect car sun shades for you in 2023.
Types of Car Sun Shades
As of 2023, you can get many different types of car sun shades online and at your local auto store. We’ve listed our top 5 car sun shades for 2023.
- Snap Shades – magnetic, model specific.
- Push in shades
- Sock shades
- Shades with suckers
- Shades with adhesives
1. Snap Shades – model specific magnetic car sun shades
At Snap Shades we consider our car sun shades to be the best choice for 2023 and beyond. Our shades are model specific, so they provide maximum coverage across the window frame and the magnets inside them make it super easy to install. They just snap on to any metal window frames.
Because they are installed on the inside of the car away from the window, you can use them with the window partially open while driving and they last longer as they stay away from the open environment. Our shades are also laboratory tested to government standards to provide up to 84% UVA/UVB protection, so you know what you’re getting with your car sun shades.
For years, we’ve been providing parents and campers with our car sun shades and we’ve found that because our car sun shades last longer and are of higher quality, people are extending the life by selling them online when they change cars.
The only downside to having Snap Shades is that they are model specific so we may not carry your model. However, we do have a template program, so if you have a car we do not have, reach out to us, if your car is eligible and you’re near NY, we’ll make a prototype for you, so get in touch.
2. Push in shades
Push in shades are also another option that car owners can consider. Similar to Snap Shades, these are typically model specific but due to their inherent installation method, you will not be able to use your window while driving as they will generally pop off due.
Some push in shades for specific vehicles cannot be made to cover the full window, so something for future buyers to look out for.
We would also recommend to check with the seller how much UVA/UVB protection their shades provide. Not all shades are created equal!
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3. Sock Shades
Sock shades have been around for many years, they come in various sizes to suit small vehicles like Toyota Corolla to large vehicles like the Chevy Suburban. These shades do an excellent job at providing coverage across the whole window but it comes at a cost, they wrap around the whole window frame, which exposes the sock to the rain, hail and shine. This means that these will typically last between 6 to 12 months depending on where you park your car and where you live. When these socks get drenched, it maybe seep into the inside of the car, which will lead to increased moisture in the car causing fogging of windows and may promote mould growth.
Some sock car sun shades require straps to fix properly to the door frame. The tension can cause the weather seals deform over time, which may lead to waterproofing issues and replacement of seals.
The other downside to these universal type car sun shades is that, they’re not guaranteed to sit well across the door frame, which leads to loose ends and bits that will sag over time. These socks car sun shades typically range up to 50 dollars a side, which can be costly to replace over the life of car ownership (3-10 years typical)
4. Shades with suckers
These shades have probably been around since the dawn of time. You lick them, put some olive oil on them and they can pop off over time due to the changes in temperature or from the rubber deteriorating over time. The main reason why you would choose these is that they are easy to find at your local car shop and they’re also very affordable.
The downside to sucker shades is that they don’t last long so they become throw aways. They’re also not model specific so you’ll find large gaps letting sun come through, not ideal for babies and toddlers. These car sun shades are also typically made of cheap materials and have very low UVA/UVB protection, they don’t provide much or any at all privacy.
5. Shades with adhesives
These shades are probably the most affordable out of all the car sun shades on the market. Using the tackiness of silicone, they adhere to window.
These typically come in all shapes and sizes, with very little UVA/UVB protection. Over the years, we’ve talked to many parents who have tried these, windows were accidentally opened with the shades attached but when they brought the window back up, the shades were gone! Stuck inside the door forever.
Depending on which ones you get, they tend to bubble up due to poor DIY installation technique which worsens overtime due to heat expanding the air bubbles. Similar to sucker shades, they provide poor coverage across the window and little protection from UVA & UVB.
We would avoid this type of car sun shades however, one of the advantages is that you can get them with cartoon prints on them which toddlers may like on road trips.
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Tinting vs Car Sun Shades
You can’t talk about car sun shades without talking about car window tinting. Tinting is one of the best solutions to reducing the amount of UVA and UVB coming into the car while providing high levels of heat reduction and increased privacy. However, there are actually different grades of tints that you get from tinting specialists at different prices points. You can get tinting for less than $200 for the whole car or up to $500 for premium tints, which may help reduce chances of bubbling or provide superior heat reduction. One of the biggest problem with tinting is the darkness and the privacy it provides, while you can install privacy tints, they must allow 70% of light to pass through, which may not be dark enough for some, especially for babies that are sensitive to the sun light. Some states/cities don’t allow any form of tinting.
Car sun shades such as Snap Shades provide further heat reduction as it is a physical barrier between the sun and your passengers and do not fall under tinting laws of all states*. Because car sun shades are mesh, it will soften/diffuse the sun glare. This is one of the main advantages why people such as parents and campers love our Snap Shades. Further benefits of car sun shades also include protection while the windows are down and the tinting no longers provides protection. This also allows air to flow through the mesh and provide natural circulation within the car.
One major point of difference between car sun shades and tinting is that, car sun shades are removable and if you have a Snap Shade you can sell them online to another person, extending the life of our shades. This could mean a minor cash back on your Snap Shade purchase if you switch vehicles unlike window tinting, which will be a sunk cost (but the new owner of your old car will love you!) and another item not in the land fill.
