Car Shades Review | carshades.co.uk Review

What We Say

What are they?

Carshades.co.uk offer tailored fitted shades for a large range of cars, with the aim to provide:

• Protection from UV rays
• Protection from Glare
• Security
• Shading
• Protection from heat
• Protection from bugs

Designed and manufactured in the UK, Car Shades are the world's largest range of tailored to fit vehicle privacy shades. Available for more than 400 vehicles, their shades give 100% window coverage of rear passengers, load area and tailgate windows. Sunny days make for a great summer but can easily turn your car into a sauna on four wheels. The shades will considerably reduce the cabin temperature by blocking out sunlight. Offering up to 95% passenger protection from UV rays, Car Shades will help protect children, pets and other rear passengers from heat and sunburns, making their journey safer and more comfortable.

So how do these differ to getting tinted windows? Well, as soon as you open your windows you lose any benefits of tinted windows, the sun protection, security etc. With car shades these continue to offer protection whether your windows are open or closed.

How we Tested it?

Car Shades kindly provided us with two sets of shades to trial across two different vehicles. These were fitted as per the manufacturer's instructions.

Fitting was relatively straightforward however due to the design of one of the cars it did require some clips to be stuck to the window frame - time will tell how long these last, however the other car didn't require any sticky clips which is a big bonus.

The only downside of testing this product in winter sun comes at a premium regardless we fitted these and patiently waited for some winter sun.

We Liked:

• Starting with the fitting; any competent person could install these, it doesn't take a brain surgeon. Instructions are provided, ours were in black and white, however they list all the colour PDF installation guides on their website also.
• It makes it difficult (but not impossible) to look into the car from outside, but certainly adds a level for privacy.
• If you wanted to temporarily remove the shades it's a doddle, just unclip them and store it away in the provided zip bag. After they've been removed it's very difficult to know they were there.
• They fit perfectly to the windows with no gaps around the outside as you would expect from a tailored fit. They are also made from a thicker mesh material than you would find on cheaper shades.
• We tested having the window all the way down and going down the motorway at 70mph, the shades didn't budge.

We Didn't like:

• As mentioned, the vehicle that required stick-on clips made it a bit fiddly to fit"€œ but I suspect this would be the case with any shades. However the windows and the vehicle that didn't require stick-on clips were fairly easy.
• The price - these don't come cheap at £60+, however it is a quality product which should last the life of the car so you could argue it's an investment worthwhile for the benefits you receive. Also, it's worth pointing out that you not only receive shades for the rear windows but also the port shade and boot windows too.

Overall:

We've tested these for a good few weeks putting them through their paces and it's hard to fault them. If you are looking for an aftermarket car shade that will probably last the life of the car then we would certainly suggest you check out Car Shades.