We asked three readers to try out Car Shades – the world’s largest range of tailored fit vehicle privacy shades.
Susan Smyth
An IT entrepreneur from Dublin but living in the west of Ireland
I found the car shades extremely good on the rear passenger Windows and fly Windows, they completely prevented passengers from being affected by glaring sunlight.
Initially I found it a little tricky to make out the instructions as they on a photocopied piece of paper and the resolution on the photocopier was too dark, however during the actual installation of the shields it became quite clear quickly how to install them.
For anyone with children I would highly recommend them as they are made to measure and are very effective at shielding passengers from direct sunlight.
I would not recommend the rear window shade however as I feel it slightly obstructs the view during reverse motion, also it lessens the view through the rear view mirror whilst driving.
Declan O Sullivan, Naas
Father of three kids aged between 4 and 8, Declan drives a 10 year old Ford SMax
The shades arrived packaged in a large flat pack type cardboard box with very straightforward instructions on how to use them for installation.
I installed them straight away and can honestly say I had it done within 3 minutes. Each shade was cut perfectly to fit into each window in my car which is the old model Ford S-Max 7 seater. (2006) There were in fact 5 windows to be covered and each shade popped into the window frame with ease.
This was done in the evening time when it was dark and straight away the first thing I noticed was the privacy. I put my eyes right up to the glass but could not make out anything that I had in the back of the car. This was an added security benefit that I wasn’t expecting. The next morning I took the car for a drive on the school run so it’s first real test up. 3 kids sitting in the back ready to pull and tear at anything they didn’t like. But they found the shades to be a treat. They were still able to open windows and the shades remained fixed in position.
Importantly, whilst driving I was conscious of how much of my vision would be impaired when using the rear view mirror but the drop in vision is acceptable and hasn’t impeded my safety in my opinion. I can still see what’s going on behind me without too much trouble.
Another concern I had is that they would rattle when driving but to their credit they haven’t created one audible distraction since I installed them. They are an excellent fit!
Finally the last part of my review concerned the sun shining in on the kids which is obviously something that annoys them more than a dropped chocolate bar. And they are thrilled with how the sun is no longer burning through their retinas anymore! Honestly, they love that this issue which did cause them a bit of grief is now done and dusted and no longer a problem.
Overall, I love the privacy shades. They are so simple to use and install and have actually improved the look of my car! Out of ten? 9/10 One mark down because nothing is perfect!!!
Bernie Sheppard
Mum of two Bernie like most Mum spends a considerable amount of time in her car, she also blogs about skincare and cosmetics www.beautyminxblog.com=
I travel a lot with children in the back of the car and on hot sunny days this can become a nightmare if they get over heated. With car shades the glare of the sun was reduced dramatically hence keeping the interior of the car cool without the need to use air conditioning from Gear Hungry.
I was also pleased with the fact you could open windows without the need to remove the shades, with a fear of insects (manly wasps or bees) this was a major winning factor for me. I found with opening and closing windows the clips especially the smaller ones came loose and the shades would finally fall out of place. I replaced the smaller clips with the spare larger ones and this has helped. The two part rear window shades took a little getting used to, with a soiled black line down the centre I found this to be slightly distracting when reversing, but eventually got used to it.
I really liked that the car Shades are quite easy to install and when not in use the storage bag is a great help in keeping all the shades and clips together in one place. I would however recommend the use of the larger clips and extra clips used on the rear shades as I had one that kept falling.
I would certainly recommend them as they are easy to fit, can be removed at any time, added extra privacy. The reduced glare was great when the kids were watching films also reducing the cost of fuel by not using the air con.
If you would like to be in with a chance to win a car shades kit specifically designed for your car, check out our competition here
21st May, 2016
