Trip Planning Tech & Gear The 7 Best Car Sun Shades of 2023 By Christine Luff Christine Luff Christine Luff is a New Jersey-based writer specializing in travel and health. She's covered everything from camping tents to natural sunscreens for TripSavvy. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 01/27/23 Share Pin Email We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Tripsavvy / Chloe Jeong Everyone has experienced the oven-like environs of a car's interior after the sun has been beating down on it for a few hours—the burning-hot seats and steering wheel, the dense and humid air that causes you to break out in a sweat and always takes too long to dissipate—to say nothing of the longer-term damage to your car's dashboard and console. But that experience can be easily mitigated with a sun shade, which stretches the length of your windshield to fend off the sun's heating rays. Other versions can also offer protection against ultraviolet radiation or add shade to the side windows and rear windshield (without obscuring your view), making the next road trip—or jaunt to the market—a thing of joy rather than a hot, blinding suffer fest. In addition to UV protection, look for price, visibility features, and size before making your ultimate purchase. The Rundown Best Overall: EcoNour Car Windshield Sun Shade at Amazon It will prevent your car from heating up to sauna-like temperatures. Best Universal Fit: EzyShade Windshield Sun Shade at Amazon It comes in two identical rectangular shades that adapt to your car's windshield. Best for Side Windows: Shade Sox Universal Car Side Window at Amazon Prevents back seat passengers from overheating. Best for Rear Windows: Brica White Hot Sun Shades at Munchkin The mesh fabric blocks against UV rays but also allows for visibility on your car's side windows. Best Collapsible: ShineMatix Two-Piece Windshield Sun Shade at Amazon Many reviewers noted that it was small enough to fit into back seat pockets. Best for Babies: Enovoe Car Window Shade at Amazon Boasts a dual-layer design, including a mesh side and a static cling back. Best Retractable: TWING Retractable Sun Shade at Amazon It uses a pleated design that can be retracted to one side of the windshield when it's not in use. Best for Smaller Cars: Magnelex Windshield Sunshade at Amazon It covers the entire windshield, giving you maximum protection from the sun. Best Overall: EcoNour Car Windshield Sun Shade Buy on Amazon What We Like Affordable High-quality Easily install What We Don't Like Strong smell Challenging to fold This quality car sun shade from EcoNour blocks the sun’s harmful UV rays, preventing your car from heating up to sauna-like temperatures. You won’t have to blast the air conditioning or worry about burning your hands on hot steering wheels and seatbelts. The sunshade easily pops out, so you can install it on your windshield in seconds. When you’re back in your car, you can simply fold it up and store it in the included pouch, which can fit in your car door pocket or center console. Made from high-quality nylon polyester material, this sunshade is lightweight but extremely durable. It also features a strong wireframe, so it’s sturdy and stays in place. With several different sizes, you can get one that fits your windshield perfectly, so you don’t have to worry about sunlight filtering through the edges. Despite its reasonable price tag, the EcoNour sun shade is built to last and will keep your car cool and protected. Price at time of publication: $26 Dimensions: 59 x 29, 64 x 34, 75 x 37, 64 x 32, 69 x 35 inches | Weight: 4.8 ounces Best Universal Fit: EzyShade Windshield Sun Shade Buy on Amazon Buy on EBay What We Like Two separate pieces Good heat reduction Comes with storage pouch What We Don't Like Challenging to fold For sun shades that'll fit most cars (while still providing the best coverage), consider the EzyShade Windshield Sun Shade. It comes in two identical rectangular shades that'll adapt to your car's windshield, allowing you to install them vertically or horizontally. Along with a better fit, overlapping the two sun shades ensures over 99 percent UV protection and over 82 percent heat reduction. Its double shade design also keeps your car cool, while the shades are easy to fold, install, and store away in the pouch. Price at time of publication: $27 Dimensions: Small, medium, large | Weight: 7.1 ounces Best for Side Windows: ShadeSox Universal Car Side Window Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart What We Like Can still roll down window Easy to install Comes with storage bag What We Don't Like Loses elasticity over time Not see through Sun shades on side windows can protect car seats and seat belts from heating up to hot temperatures. This ShadeSox side window sun shade provides UV protection, reduces sun glare, and prevents back seat passengers from overheating. Easy to install, the ShadeSox is a flexible, stretchy mesh that pulls down over the open car door like a sleeve. Unlike roller shades or stick-on tinting, you can roll down the window and still stay protected from the sun. And you don’t have to worry about your child pulling it down or the shade falling off. Each set comes with two shades as well as a bag for storage. Price at time of publication: $30 Dimensions: Stretchy, one-size | Weight: 5.3 ounces Best for Rear Windows: Munchkin Brica White Hot Sun Shades Courtesy of Munchkin Buy on Munchkin.com What We Like Easy to install Dual attach system Retract button for easy rollup What We Don't Like Doesn't fully cover window Using a sun shade on your rear window can help prevent the back seat and kids’ car seats from heating up and helps keep backseat passengers cool and comfortable. The Brica White Hot Sun Shade from Munchkin comes in a pack of two rear window shades. The shades come with adjustable clips or suction cups, so you can choose how to hang them on your windows. These retractable shades are made of mesh fabric and feature a button you can push when you want the shades to be rolled up. The mesh fabric blocks against UV rays but also allows for visibility, which can help against motion sickness. Best of all, these shades include an indicator that will glow when the car gets too hot. Each shade measures 14 x 17 inches. Price at time of publication: $16 Dimensions: 14 x 17 inches | Weight: Not listed Best Collapsible: ShineMatix Two-Piece Windshield Sun Shade Buy on Amazon What We Like Compact Affordable Easy to use What We Don't Like Doesn't fit all cars Some sun shades can take up a good portion of your trunk when not used, but the ShineMatix Two-Piece Sun Shade folds up compactly to save storage space. You simply twist and fold the two shades over each other into a small circle, wrap the circle with the elastic straps, and then tuck the shade into its carrying case. Many reviewers noted that it was small enough to fit into back seat pockets or the space between the passenger seat and the car's console. When not folded up, this sunshade consists of two identical rectangles that measure 12 x 11 inches. It's made of high-density nylon that protects against 99 percent of UV rays and is available in three different sizes, so you're guaranteed to get one that fits your windshield properly. Price at time of publication: $19 Dimensions: 12 x 11 inches | Weight: 6.4 ounces Best for Babies: Enovoe Car Window Shade Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart What We Like Affordable Dual layer design 4-pack What We Don't Like Doesn't cover entire window Although most cling sun shades are made to protect your baby from the sun, the Enovoe Car Window Shade stands out for several reasons. In addition to blocking over 97 percent of harmful UV rays, the sun shade boasts a dual-layer design: a mesh side for visibility and heat protection, as well as a static, cling back that offers easy window installation and removal—without the use of adhesives. The 21 x 14-inch shade will also fit most side car windows, including SUVs, minivans, large sedans, and other full-sized cars. Keep your baby (and car) cool with the Enovoe shade, which comes in a pack of four. Price at time of publication: $20 Dimensions: 21 x 14 inches | Weight: 1.06 ounces The 7 Best Travel Car Seats of 2023 Best for Smaller Cars: Magnelex Windshield Sunshade Buy on Amazon What We Like Comes with storage bag Bonus steering wheel cover What We Don't Like Better for smaller cars Challenging to fold If you have a smaller car, this Magnelex sun shade is a great option to keep your vehicle cool and protected from sun damage. It's made of a reflective polyester material that blocks heat and sun. This shade is 59 x 31 inches, and users love that it covers the entire windshield, giving you maximum protection from the sun. When you're done, you can easily fold up the car sun shade and store it in the included bag, which can be stashed under the seat or in the trunk. The shade also comes with a steering wheel cover sun shade, which fits over your wheel to prevent it from heating up and fading from sun exposure. If you have a larger car, the Magnelex sun shade also comes in other sizes. Price at time of publication: $17 Dimensions: 59 x 31, 63 x 33.8, 65.7 x 36.4 inches | Weight: 4.5 ounces The 15 Best Sunglasses of 2023, According to Optometrists What to Look for in a Car Sun Shade Size Whether you’re looking for a shade to cover your windshield when you park your car or semi-transparent versions to provide shade on the back or side windows, be sure that the desired shade fits your vehicle. Most brands have several different sizes per model, while others, like retractable models, can fit several differently-sized windows with a maximum length that typically exceeds most conventional vehicles. Storage size is also important if you plan on only using the shade periodically. Look for ones that collapse into a small, flat package for easy storage in your trunk or stashing in a car organizer or the back pocket of your car’s front seats. Price Most car sunshades are very reasonably priced, come in high-quality materials that offer reflectivity, and are sized to fit most vehicles. If you’re looking for ones with more custom options—retractable shades at specific sizes, shades that are customized to fit your vehicle seamlessly, or those with serious UV protection—expect the prices to increase. Visibility Naturally, sun shades designed to block out the sun and thus keep your car cool when it'sparked are made with high-quality opaque materials to fend off the sun's rays. But if you want to add more shade to the car's interior while driving—a nice feature to keep the sun off people when they're in the car and especially essential for protecting babies in car seats—look for models designed for the side windows and back windshield that boast mesh fabrics. These will let you filter out the sun's rays, cut the glare, and block UV without impacting the ability to see out the window. UV Protection Ultraviolet rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation in sunlight that can cause skin damage, from wrinkles and liver spots to skin cancer. They can also impact the eyes. That’s why UV protection is essential for any sunshades you plan to use on the side windows or the back windshield. They add a much-needed layer of protection, much like UV-treated sunglasses. UV radiation—combined with the extreme heat that can build up in a car’s interior—can also cause damage to your dashboard, seats, and consoles so it’s a good idea to look for sun shades with UV protection in all scenarios. Frequently Asked Questions Why should you use a sun shade in a car? Using car shades provides a myriad of benefits. They prevent the car interior from heating up in hot, sunny climates—lowering the internal temperature by as much as 40 degrees and keeping all the surfaces from being hot to the touch. They also can protect your car’s interior from fading due to sun exposure. Semi-transparent versions with UV protection even help block harmful elements of the sun’s rays and provide additional cooling shade and reduced glare on the side windows without sacrificing visibility. What about during the winter? Some sun shades are crafted with materials that absorb the sun’s heat and warm the car interior, making it a welcome respite after a day on the slopes. Does it matter which side faces out? Yes! If it has a silver side, that faces out to reflect the sun and heat. If there's a black side, face that in to absorb sun and heat not reflected. If it's the same color on both sides, it doesn't matter. Why Trust TripSavvy Christine Luff is a freelance writer specializing in travel and health. Christine has held staff positions are Reader's Digest and Ladies' Home Journal and has written for numerous magazines, including Allure, Women's Health, and Cosmopolitan. The 8 Best UV Umbrellas of 2023 Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Submit Continue to 5 of 7 below.