Top five windscreen covers for summer weather
Protective reflective surface under the windshield of the passenger car parked on a hot day, heated by the sun's rays inside the car
Windscreen covers are handy. In the winter, they can prevent the outside of your windscreen from frosting over and, in the summer, they bounce the sun’s rays back into the atmosphere to stop the inside of your car from turning into a pressure cooker.
Most modern electric cars come with an interior pre-conditioning system that can be programmed to lower the temperature of the cabin before you set off so you don’t scorch your buttocks on your sun-baked leather seats. But most second-hand cars for sale don’t have such a luxury – so you’ll need to keep out the heat the old-fashioned way by using a windscreen cover.
If you don’t want to faff about with a sunshade, the alternative solution is to keep an eye on your local weather forecast and, if you know it’s going to be hot, park your car in the shade to keep the interior cool. But you can’t always be near somewhere shady, so we think a windscreen cover is a handy accessory to keep in the boot of your car for your own comfort.
Scroll down for our list of the top five windscreen covers on sale now. They’re so affordable, it’s a no-brainer. The cheapest ones are less than a tenner, so you’ll soon see your investment back after a couple of hot days.
This won’t cover your entire windscreen, but it will do a good job of reflecting most of the sun’s UV rays. That’ll keep your car’s interior cool and save your dashboard from being cooked like a piece of crackling. When you’re not using it, it folds up to almost nothing for easy storage.
Unlike the rest of the covers on this list, this AA number has tabs at each end that you pass through the side windows to hold it in place. Simply lower the windows, feed the tabs through and close the windows to secure it. It also protects your car against frost and sun – face the black side out for the former and the shiny side out for the latter.
If you want a well-fitting sunshade, look no further. EcoNour’s offering comes in five different sizes – and the firm has even designed a handy chart that tells you which size is right for each make and model of car. It’s made from polyester, it’s foldable and it comes with its own storage bag.
This one isn’t what you’d call high-tech, but sometimes simple is best. It’s basically a big plastic sheet with some suction cups. Simply stick the suction cups to the inside of your windscreen and enjoy your cooler car interior in the summer months. It’s also double insulated, which makes it a bit more efficient and a little sturdier. We reckon it’s worth the extra few quid.
We’ve arrived at the Rolls-Royce of windscreen covers. Beinear’s offering is made from thick and durable Oxford fabric with a waterproof coating – and it’ll protect your car from sun, snow, ice and UV rays. It also comes with a rather natty set of side mirror covers and a handy storage bag which will keep the ensemble tidy when not in use. Installation is a bit of a nuisance, though. You’ll need to fiddle with straps, hooks, magnets and drawstrings to get the full kit on your car.