Why Car Sun Shades Matter for Hot Summer Drives

Summer road trips are a dream shared by many groups of friends and families, but they can easily turn into a nightmare if you’re not prepared. For most people, preparation means ensuring their car is in order and planning a good route, with plenty of stops and places to refuel along the way, but they often forget about one crucial element: preparing for the weather, and hot weather in particular. Here’s why you shouldn’t.

Cars: The Greenhouse Effect on Wheels

In school, you were probably taught about how the sun’s heat enters the atmosphere as shortwave radiation, but is reflected in long waves. The long waves aren’t able to penetrate the gases in the atmosphere as well as the short ones, so the heat gets trapped, raising the climate. Well, the exact same thing happens when heat passes through a car’s windows, which is why on warm days the interior can feel like a sauna.

The Solution: Car Window Sun Shades

Fortunately, there is a solution to cars constantly heating up, and it’s surprisingly simple. Window shades for cars are actually highly effective because they stop the shortwave radiation from making it into your interior in the first place. Most of it simply bounces straight off rather than passing through the window, keeping the overall temperature much lower. This helps prevent a number of possible risks that could cause untold trouble on a roadtrip.

Preventing Delays

Depending on how far you’re travelling and your end goal, your road trip may be running on a tight schedule. The last thing you want is to be sitting around waiting for your car to cool down after a short stop where you had to park out of the shade. A few magnetic car window shades will keep your car cool, so you can start your journey again straight away.

For families, window shades are a car accessory that can even make parenting easier. Leaving on time means a few less times hearing “are we there yet?” and also makes your car a much safer place for children.

Avoiding Health Risks

While everyone knows you should never leave your kids inside your car on a hot day, few realise that even getting into a hot car and driving off can be risky. Even with the aircon on full blast, trying to cool it down, a hot interior can cause dehydration and drowsiness very quickly, potentially leading to illness and accidents.

Protecting Materials and Furnishings

Heat coming in through the windows can also melt plastics, dry out leather, and cause fabrics in the interior to fade. It’s one of the main reasons car interiors seem to age, losing their freshness with time. Replacements can be expensive, but throwing a few sun shades in your windows usually is not. It’s a useful way to keep your car in good condition and looking fresh.

Conclusion

As you can see, car sun shades are a certified road trip essential. They have benefits for your comfort, health, and the longevity of your vehicle, making them well worth the few moments it takes to pop them in the windows when you park.