How do I shade my baby from the sun? How do I offer my baby a safe haven when they're in the buggy or car? How do I prevent the sun from getting in my baby's eyes? or ensure they are protected from harmful UV rays? Last year I wrote a review of some options when it comes to buggy shades. They all had their pros and cons and I'm really pleased to say that over the last 12 months, the clever people at both Snoozeshade and Outlook have been tweaking their designs to make some significant improvements. Here's my take on the latest offerings when it comes to shading a baby from the sun - a buggy shade review and car shade review in one!
Snoozeshade Plus
The Snoozeshade Plus is a multi-purpose buggy shade that offers your baby sun protection and a nice cosy, shaded place to help them drift to sleep. These days the ONLY time that Lara naps for me is when she is in the buggy so when it is bright I need to cover her to help her fall asleep and the Snoozeshade is ideal.
The Snoozeshade Plus has responded to feedback by ensuring that your child can see out of the shade if they want to with a fold-down flap that reduces the thickness of the shade in front of their face. It has longer velcro tabs which now make it the easiest to fit of all the buggy shades I have ever tried and makes a quick removal of the Snoozeshade a realistic prospect.
Last year I complained that the Snoozeshade original didn't allow me quick access to Lara. The plus features a much bigger zip-open slot for me to see Lara as she sleeps. I'm also happy to see that the length has been made greater so that Lara's long legs don't stick out.
The fabric on the Snoozeshade Plus is, as ever, soft, flexible and very lightweight while still offering UPF50+ sun protection throughout the WHOLE product.
SnoozeShade plus retails for around £30 . If you want to find out more about the Snoozeshade then there are some brilliant videos about how to use and fit them on their youtube channel.
Outlook Shade-A-Babe
The Outlook Shade-A-Babe has changed a lot since I last tried it. The fabric is now a lot lighter which means I can fold the buggy with it still attached and the fabric is softer against Lara's legs. The Shade-A-Babe has a really nice big zip-open section so that I can lift Lara in and out even with the shade attached to the buggy.
Although the velcro tabs are easier to fit to the buggy than in previous versions, I do still find the tabs too long and you have to make an effort to tuck them away. Also, the length of the Outlook Shade-A-Babe was one of the things I really rated about it in the past and it seems a bit shorter than I remember (Lara's feet poke out).
Despite this, I really rate the Shade-A-Babe as it is made to a very high standard. It is a little disappointing that you only get the maximum sun protection in the area over your baby's face but the ease of use makes up for this. I love the fact that you can roll down the front cover of the buggy shade and tuck it well-away inside its own little pocket, perhaps if your baby is taking a nap under a tree before moving away later.
The Outlook Shade-a-Babe costs around £30 for a single-buggy version and can be bought online from Cheeky Rascals and you can also find out more on their youtube channel.
Outlook Auto-Shade
Me and traditional car window shades do not get on. Since I got pregnant nearly 3 years ago, I have been through 5 different sets of window shades with those annoying stick-on suckers. The suckers either don't stick, or else I forget they are there and attempt to open the electric windows with them still attached (there is a sucker lodged inside the door cavity!).
The clever people at Outlook have invented a car window shade that DOESN'T USE SUCTION CUPS! And, you can open the window with the shade still in place because it fits over the whole car door, not just the window pane.
The Outlook Auto-Shade brings a gentle darkness to the back of the car and helps Lara to nap when she is in her car seat. I've found that they seem to shade Lara a lot more than any other window shade I have tried and because it is made from the same soft fabric as the Shade-a-babe, I know it offers good UV protection too.
The Outlook Auto-Shade comes in two different shapes for rounded or rectangular car windows. I think our car is somewhere inbetween because the fabric doesn't sit well at the corners and ruffles up - this causes it to flap in the wind and make a really annoying noise when we drive. Annoying enough that my husband won't drive when the shades are fitted.
The Outlook Auto-Shade sells for around £30 a pair and can be bought from Cheeky Rascals
Snoozeshade Plus
The Snoozeshade Plus is a multi-purpose buggy shade that offers your baby sun protection and a nice cosy, shaded place to help them drift to sleep. These days the ONLY time that Lara naps for me is when she is in the buggy so when it is bright I need to cover her to help her fall asleep and the Snoozeshade is ideal.
The Snoozeshade Plus has responded to feedback by ensuring that your child can see out of the shade if they want to with a fold-down flap that reduces the thickness of the shade in front of their face. It has longer velcro tabs which now make it the easiest to fit of all the buggy shades I have ever tried and makes a quick removal of the Snoozeshade a realistic prospect.
Last year I complained that the Snoozeshade original didn't allow me quick access to Lara. The plus features a much bigger zip-open slot for me to see Lara as she sleeps. I'm also happy to see that the length has been made greater so that Lara's long legs don't stick out.
The fabric on the Snoozeshade Plus is, as ever, soft, flexible and very lightweight while still offering UPF50+ sun protection throughout the WHOLE product.
SnoozeShade plus retails for around £30 . If you want to find out more about the Snoozeshade then there are some brilliant videos about how to use and fit them on their youtube channel.
Outlook Shade-A-Babe
The Outlook Shade-A-Babe has changed a lot since I last tried it. The fabric is now a lot lighter which means I can fold the buggy with it still attached and the fabric is softer against Lara's legs. The Shade-A-Babe has a really nice big zip-open section so that I can lift Lara in and out even with the shade attached to the buggy.
Although the velcro tabs are easier to fit to the buggy than in previous versions, I do still find the tabs too long and you have to make an effort to tuck them away. Also, the length of the Outlook Shade-A-Babe was one of the things I really rated about it in the past and it seems a bit shorter than I remember (Lara's feet poke out).
Despite this, I really rate the Shade-A-Babe as it is made to a very high standard. It is a little disappointing that you only get the maximum sun protection in the area over your baby's face but the ease of use makes up for this. I love the fact that you can roll down the front cover of the buggy shade and tuck it well-away inside its own little pocket, perhaps if your baby is taking a nap under a tree before moving away later.
The Outlook Shade-a-Babe costs around £30 for a single-buggy version and can be bought online from Cheeky Rascals and you can also find out more on their youtube channel.
Outlook Auto-Shade
Me and traditional car window shades do not get on. Since I got pregnant nearly 3 years ago, I have been through 5 different sets of window shades with those annoying stick-on suckers. The suckers either don't stick, or else I forget they are there and attempt to open the electric windows with them still attached (there is a sucker lodged inside the door cavity!).
The clever people at Outlook have invented a car window shade that DOESN'T USE SUCTION CUPS! And, you can open the window with the shade still in place because it fits over the whole car door, not just the window pane.
The Outlook Auto-Shade brings a gentle darkness to the back of the car and helps Lara to nap when she is in her car seat. I've found that they seem to shade Lara a lot more than any other window shade I have tried and because it is made from the same soft fabric as the Shade-a-babe, I know it offers good UV protection too.
The Outlook Auto-Shade comes in two different shapes for rounded or rectangular car windows. I think our car is somewhere inbetween because the fabric doesn't sit well at the corners and ruffles up - this causes it to flap in the wind and make a really annoying noise when we drive. Annoying enough that my husband won't drive when the shades are fitted.
The Outlook Auto-Shade sells for around £30 a pair and can be bought from Cheeky Rascals
