Is It Better to Use a Cardboard or Reflective Windshield Sun Shade?
Which material is better at keeping your car cool?
To keep your car’s interior cool on sunny days and protect its delicate materials, you absolutely need to have a windshield sun shade. When you buy one — which you can find at practically any big-box store or gas station — you’ll have to choose which type you prefer. Typically, this comes down to cardboard, plastic, or an aluminum-like reflective film. Which material is best for blocking light rays?
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Choosing the best windshield sun shade for your car
A sun shade blocks visible sunlight from entering through your car’s windshield and transforming from light energy into heat energy. Essentially, it’s like parking under the shade of a tree. Thus, the most worthwhile sun shade to use is the one that’s best as blocking sunlight.
Although cardboard and plastic sun shades look more attractive by featuring printed images from your favorite movies (the Millennium Falcon cockpit display is a classic), they’re not very effective at keeping your car cool. These materials simply absorb the light rays, which does stop them from entering the cabin but heats up the shade itself, still indirectly warming the car’s interior.
According to the staff writers at In the Garage with CarParts.com, “Metalized sun shades do a better job keeping your car cool because of their reflective properties, unlike other sun shades which try to absorb the heat.” These foil-like shades are covered in a reflective metalized polyester film — the same stuff that’s used for insulation in homes and food packaging. NASA even uses it in spacesuits to reflect heat radiation. It’s very similar to aluminum foil but more affordable and marginally less effective.
When you buy a sun shade, make sure you choose the one that works best. A metalized screen will keep your car cooler by reflecting light and keeping it out of the car.
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Aaron is unashamed to be a native Clevelander and the proud driver of a Hyundai Veloster Turbo (which recently replaced his 1995 Saturn SC-2). He gleefully utilizes his background in theater, literature, and communication to dramatically recite his own articles to nearby youth. Mr. Widmar happily resides in Dayton, Ohio with his magnificent wife, Vicki, but is often on the road with her exploring new destinations. Aaron has high aspirations for his writing career but often gets distracted pondering the profound nature of the human condition and forgets what he was writing… See more articles by Aaron.