By Kate Doherty
Up until 2019, we flew our four-passenger airplane some 250+ hours per year for business. Then we traded in those three wheels for six and slowed down. There’s nothing worse than flying east in the early morning or west facing the afternoon glaring sun for hours with little sunshade protection. It’s more prevalent if you’re short, since sun visors don’t always shield your line-of-sight vision—whether you’re in the seat of an airplane, vehicle, or motorhome. Movable sunshades are just the ticket.
Reduce glare, not vision
The automatic shades in motorhomes are great for front-facing glare, but sometimes quartering slivers of bright sunlight affect vision comfort for both driver and passenger. We found these sunshades more effective, especially on the middle of our Jeep front windshield, to reduce glare without impeding vision as the sun visors don’t extend far enough. Because they are so flexible, they fit well in curved windshields.
Place movable sunshades on any glass window
We started using collapsible sunshades more than six years ago. We picked up our sunshades at the Sun ‘n Fun Airshow in Lakeland, Florida, and have used them religiously since.
Sunshades come in several forms and sizes. Some clip onto the bottom of the vehicle’s built-in visors. But that doesn’t dim the glare coming directly through the middle of the front windshield or the quartering front (both windshield and passenger side window). I’m relatively short and the seat in our Jeep Wrangler doesn’t raise in height, so I deal with unwanted glare from time to time despite wearing sunglasses and a visor. Reducing glare without reducing visual acuity makes these easy to use.
Movable sunshades are easily obtainable
There are many different kinds and styles available. So, when you venture out for that early morning hike or trail ride and you’re traveling directly into the sun, borrow that sunshade or two and better navigate the ride.
Editor’s note: These may not be legal in all 50 U.S. states, especially when used on the windshield. Use caution and check your local laws.
RELATED:
- Safety tips for driving directly into the sun
- 16 tips to make driving a motorhome easy for anyone
- How aging affects our driving
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In many states, police use a rule of thumb for any window tint: If they can’t see the driver from side or front, your windows are not transparent enough.
On my maiden trip in 2021, I stopped in Tucson to visit my uncle. After telling him about the sun issue, he gave me his since he didn’t need it any longer. I still have it and use it when needed. So handy and almost impossible to break!