Product Review

We already have a windshield sun screen blind for our vehicle, although it is starting to show signs of wear - so when Angela, the CS Email Representative for OT Online Success, offered me the opportunity to review a car sunshade screen, one of the many products they are representing, well – I couldn’t resist. 

We received the Sunshade Grande’ Jumbo blind and found it is easy to use and while it may fit as a rear window shade for some vehicles, it works best and is designed for the front windshield. The blind weighs only 68 g. (2.4 ounces) and is about 160 x 80 cm. (63” x 31.5”) in size. The blind protects against up to 99% UV rays, so your seat covers, dash and display windows will all be protected against the fogging or bleaching aspects of prolonged exposure to sun rays. Shades or blinds like these are so very helpful in keeping the vehicle many degrees cooler than outdoor temperatures. By keeping the interior looking newer, you’ll get a better price or have better trade in value when it comes to upgrading to another vehicle. 

When traveling and you have your pets with you a helpful tip is to blast the air conditioner as much as possible while you find a shady place to park. It is helpful if you can back into a shady parking spot, so the shade protects the back windows. Be sure to pour a bowl of water for the pets, and set up the blind to block out the sun in the front windshield. If you can, put up some baby blind sunshields on the side windows too. And try to be away from the vehicle for no more than 15 minutes. This has proved very helpful when we are traveling with our pets and both of us have to go in; otherwise one of us would stay in the vehicle where we could open doors and windows if it got too hot. For those of us who have to park outside at work or at the grocery store you can certainly feel much more comfortable with a blind like this at work, not only protecting your vehicle from the onslaught of the sun but also to prevent visual access to the front of your car (if thieves can’t easily see inside they are less likely to break in). With a sunshade blind like this you will no longer have the inconvenience of trying to drive with a hot steering wheel or sitting down in a pair of shorts or bathing suit on a burning hot seat. 

The first thing that appealed to me was the attractive silver case for the blind – it is really quite small, round and is very easy to store in the vehicle without taking up even half the space that our old reflective one did. Also, the case does not attract pet hair – another plus. It is nice to know that the screen will always be safe from damage like scratches or pokes from things in the vehicle and it will always be clean each time we bring it out to use it. 

Our vehicle is a Jeep Grand Cherokee – and this blind fits the windshield perfectly. The blind is constructed with a wire support and specially sewn fabric edges, and is made from what seems to be high-quality metallic-like reflective polyester (nylon) material. 

The blind slid out of the case easily when we first opened the package and folded open like a pop-up-tent – so very quick! I was worried we would not be able to fold it neatly enough to get back in the small case, but we were able to stuff it in there quite easily. There are two wire support circles in this blind, one for each side of the windshield. When you are putting the product away, simply fold in half and then grab the sides of the wire circles and twist to a smaller package. You’ll get the hang of it after a couple of tries… it is pretty easy to do. 

We didn’t have any issues with fitting around the rear view mirror, but a cell phone holder I reviewed some time ago and now use regularly did get in the way – the blind will bulge around it but for long periods of parking we might want to remove the holder for a better fit. However, the extra fabric on the edges doesn’t hold in place all the way to the edge even with the visors down – which might be due to the type of vehicle or windshield that we have. 

The company offers a 100% money back guarantee for the 1^st year after you purchase the blind. The company offers several sizes sizes: Standard/Medium, Extra Grande’ Jumbo, Grande’ Jumbo (the one we received) and the smaller Jumbo size. Be sure that you measure your windshield so that you get the right size. This Grande’ Jumbo weighs only 68 g. (2.4 ounces) and is about 160 x 80 cm. (63” x 31.5”) in size. 

You can find the exact product we reviewed listed on Amazon.ca (by the company X-Shade) under the heading “Car Sunshade Grande’ Jumbo” for $18.25 (CDN) or visit Amazon.com where it has a list price of $16.97 (US) but is currently on sale (as of the writing of this review) for $14.99 (US).