Photo by Erik Mclean:
A windscreen cover can be a vital piece of kit and they come into their own in two extremes of temperature. They are handy at proving shade and reflecting away the heat of the sun so that your car’s interior doesn’t turn into a small oven in the height of summer.
They’re also good when the reading is at the other end of the thermometer and your car needs chipping out of the ice in the morning. By covering up your windscreen you can save both time and your fingers by reducing the amount of glassware that you need to defrost before setting off to work.
Many modern cars have systems such as self-defrosting windscreens, but if 2nd hand cars are more your thing, then this simple bit of kit will do the job just as well.
Theoretically, any windscreen cover will do the job, but not all are created equal. No matter what you want a cover to do, here are the best options for your car.
Best windscreen covers for keeping out the sun
EcoNour Car Windshield Sun Shade
Price: £15.99
There are five different sizes of the EcoNour windscreen cover, and you can either use the chart that will tell you which version will fit your car or you can use the arguably simpler method of getting out a tape measure and working out which one is best for your car.
It is held in place thanks to a couple of large overlapping metal circles but it folds down neatly and comes with a storage bag to keep it in when you don’t need it.
Plastific Front Windscreen Sunshade
Price: £15.99
This is a simple design, but one that will do the job. You unfold it, pop it in place on the inside of your car’s windscreen and it keeps out the sun. There are a handy set of black suckers that will keep it fixed in place on the glass, so it doesn’t fall away once you have parked your car and headed off for the day.
Best windscreen covers for sun and frost
AA Windscreen Sun Shield and Frost Protection
Price: £7.99
Where sunshade covers sit on the inside of a car’s windscreen, ones that are designed to prevent the glass frosting up go on the outside of a car. This AA option features a couple of tabs that you pass through the car’s open windows. Wind the windows up and then it’s held securely in place.
It’s also double sided – one is black to absorb heat and protect against frost while the other is white in order to reflect the sun’s heat and keep the cabin cooler. It’s also great value.
Beneir All Weather Windscreen Shield
Price: £17.99
Many windscreen covers are a little flimsy and lightweight, but that isn’t the case with this Beneir shield. It’s made from heavy-duty fabric with waterproof PVC coating which means it is designed to keep out snow, ice, rain, hail and dust.
It is also designed to keep out UV rays, to protect your car’s cabin in the summer too.
It’s also got some handy covers for the door mirrors, which could save you a little more work with the ice scraper on a frosty morning. All that said, though, it is a little fiddlier to install and take off, so it is one that might be a bit frustrating if you are in a rush in the morning.
