Hi Moms,
We recently purchased a convertible car seat for our 9 mo old so we have it rear-facing. We love the seat and he seems happy with it except that I didn't think about the sunshade issue until he started screaming as I was heading east on the freeway the other afternoon. It was then that I realized I really missed the canopy that was attached to the infant carrier car seat we used to have. We have a very slight tinting (enough to deter any violations) on the rear window as well as both back side windows. What are you all doing to keep the sun from smacking your babies in the face? I tried to look up products but anything I found, like a suction cup attaching roller sun shade for the rear window (which I thought was illegal), got very poor consumer reviews. Thanks in advance for any suggestions/advice!
Thank you everyone for such terrific advice and suggestions! Now I know what to shop for and we should have our baby boy riding in complete comfort very soon!
Happy Holidays!!!
~K.
http://www.snaptint.com/help.php?section=about
I have been having the same problem. I can't believe there aren't better options. The small squares don't block hardly any sun! especially not the back window! We got the Fisher Price cut to fit static cling shade and are having problems getting it to stick. So I found this website and it will be my next try. But it looks like you already have tinting-- is it not blocking the UV rays?
HI K.,
Here are some links to shades that we've used or know people who have
http://www.protect-a-bubusa.com/carseatsunshade.shtml
http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Car-Seat-Canopy-Navy/dp/B...
Our personal favorite and the one we use
http://www.elitecarseats.com/SolKool-Car-Seat-Shade.pro?s...
Do a Google Search for more options. Hope one works for you...
Hi, I have bought (and thrown away) every sun shade they make.
I ended up using one of my son's receiving blankets in the window. It's the right shape and it's the only thing that covers every possible place for the sun to slip in.
I just put it over the entire area before I close the door and then close it with a tiny bit over the top of the door.
It may look crappy but my baby never has the sun in his face anymore.
we used this one http://www.learningcurve.com/product/detail/Y3384A?locale... which we got at Target. We've had ours for over 6 years now and it's worked fine - it reduces the glare but doesn't reduce the driver's ability to see out the back window as much as the sun shades that have top and bottom suction cups (I think it has something to do with the angle of the sunshade). I'll add a disclaimer that many child passenger safety techs don't recommend using suction-cup devices b/c of the risk of them coming detached and becoming a projectile in a collision.
the sun shades are probably all you are going to find. It is actually unsafe to drive with the handle up or the sunshade up on infant carriers. If you were to get in an accident (heaven forbid!) the handle/shade can break causing harm to the child.
We switched our daughter at 4 months to a convertable car seat, and used the window shades when nessesary or if there was a passenger in the car, they would use their hand to shield the babys face. She eventually learned to turn her face away.
Some other ideas...
Age appropriate sunglasses.
and give him an old recieving blanket he can pull over his face (make it a game)
We had shades that stuck right to the window (perhaps through static -- there was no residue or anything like that. Our son is now 5.5, and unfortunately that's all I remember. I wanted to post anyway, though, to caution you about any shade that uses suction cups or other attachments. The suction cups (or other apparatus) can become a projectile in a traffic accident and harm you or your child. It's amazing to see how something as light as a tissue box can become deadly in an accident. Chances are (I hope!) that you will not be in a situation where the suction cups, etc., come into play, but I thought you should know that many professionals caution parents not to use these types of items for this reason. That's why we went with the static cling ones. It's possible that we found them at Right Start, but the only static cling shade I see on it right now has a foam roller, which could also become a projectile in an accident.
We had a monster baby so we had to switch him to a convertible pretty early on (like 4 months or sooner!) and honestly the only thing that really worked was draping the blankets wherever it needed to be. Usually rolled the window down and tuck it in.
Good luck!
I recently came across a new car seat shade cover for infants. I thought it was a great idea from a couple in my area that's getting started. It connected to the front and back seats to block the sun while still allowing you to see your baby in a rear seat mirror. It can be used in front and rear facing car seats. You can find it at www.newbieshade.com
i got a sun shade made for the back window at walmart. it does deflect the sun light but still allows you to see through the window. i really like it and it was pretty cheap. it was in the baby section in walmart...hope that works for ya!
What about those stick on shade films for the side window? I wouldn't use the roller things.
I don't know of any canopy things. We seriously just ended up getting the back windows tinted and it's been great! Good luck to you!
