FAQs

The right one depends on how your baby travels, not their age:

Please feel free to send us a photo of your pram setup and we'll tell you which one you need.

We also make SnoozeShades for car seats, twin and double buggies, travel cots, cots and cot beds. For those, see the questions further down.

It comes down to which seat your baby's in:

Most SnoozeShade pram, stroller and car seat products come in two versions, a classic black and a Deluxe, and there are two differences between them.

The first is the outer colour. The classic black versions are black inside and out. These are SnoozeShade Original, Plus Extra and Twin Extra. The Deluxe versions have a silver outer layer. These are Original Deluxe, Plus Deluxe and car seat Deluxe. Both are rated Most Effective, the top sun protection category for shade fabrics, and both block the same amount of light, so the choice is about the look you prefer, not how well they protect your baby.

The second difference is the fastenings. The classic black versions use hook-and-loop, while the Deluxe versions use quiet baby-safe poppers instead, so there's no ripping sound to wake a sleeping or noise-sensitive baby.

When you move your little one out of the lie-flat carrycot or bassinet and into the stroller or pushchair seat.

It's about which seat they're in, not their age, so as soon as they're in the stroller seat Plus is the one you need.

Plus comes in two versions, Plus Extra in classic black and Plus Deluxe with a silver outer. Both block up to 97% of UV and are rated Most Effective, so you can simply pick the look you prefer.

Yes. SnoozeShade for car seats and SnoozeShade for car seats Deluxe fit infant carriers and Group 0 and 0+ car seats, suitable from birth to around nine months.

Both block up to 97% of UV and are rated Most Effective. The double layer of mesh blocks 97%, and the zip-up see-out panel, single layer, blocks over 80%.

They use the same air-permeable mesh as the rest of the range to help your baby settle out of the sun.

Yes. SnoozeShade Twin Extra is made for side-by-side double buggies and works for a stroller seat or over a carrycot. Like Plus Extra, it has a zip-up see-out panel, so it blocks up to 97% of UV and is rated Most Effective.

For a tandem, where one seat sits behind the other, Twin Extra won't fit. You'd instead use two seat-appropriate SnoozeShades, one for each child: a SnoozeShade Original for a lie-flat carrycot and a SnoozeShade Plus for a stroller seat.

We make three: SnoozeShade for Travel Cots, SnoozeShade for Cots and SnoozeShade for Cot Beds.

The travel cot version turns a travel cot or portacot into a dark, calm sleep space, and the cot and cot bed versions are blackout canopies that fit over a standard cot or cot bed at home or away.

All three are made from the same air-permeable EziBreez® mesh.

Almost certainly. SnoozeShade is designed to be universal and fits the vast majority of prams, pushchairs and travel systems.

You attach it with the short straps provided, looping them to the frame or to each other. You don't need to use all of them, just enough for a secure fit, and there are no fiddly clips.

If you're unsure about your particular model, get in touch and we'll help.

Yes, easily. Every SnoozeShade has child-safe sneak-a-peek zips, so you can look in on your baby whenever you want without taking the shade off.

On the Plus range, yes. The zip-up see-out panel is a single layer of mesh your baby can see through, or closes for a darker, blackout-style space for sleep. You choose depending on whether it's playtime or nap time.

Yes. It shades from the sun and works as an insect net in summer, helps block wind and chill in colder months, and reduces light and stimulation indoors at any time of year.

It's not just a summer product.

Many parents do. We can't advise on specific monitors because there are so many types, but the mesh lets sound and air pass through easily, and the cot range has a top panel that folds back for a camera.

The most important thing is to keep any cords well out of your baby's reach, as loose cords are a strangulation risk.

The double layer of EziBreez® mesh blocks 97% of UV and is rated Most Effective, the top sun protection category for shade fabrics. That's the same on every pram, stroller and car seat SnoozeShade, whatever the colour.

On Plus Extra, Plus Deluxe, Twin Extra and the car seat shades, the zip-up see-out panel opens to a single layer so your baby can see out. That single layer blocks over 80% of UV and is rated Effective. That's why we say these shades block up to 97%: with the panel closed you get the full 97%, and with it open you still get real protection and a clear view out. The protection comes from the knitted structure of the mesh itself, not from a coating or treatment, so it doesn't wash out.

A note on how we measure UV protection: we've recently updated the way we measure sun protection, on the advice of experts in the field. Like most baby sun products, we've always quoted the UPF rating, and it's a genuine, independently tested result for our fabric. But times have changed and a new standard has developed. UPF is a clothing standard, written for fabric worn against the skin. There is now a standard written specifically for shade fabrics: the Australian standard AS 4174, which gives a UVE rating, short for Ultraviolet Effectiveness. That standard is what we have chosen to embrace moving forward, and every SnoozeShade is tested to it by ARPANSA, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, at their government laboratory. SnoozeShade is rated Most Effective, the highest sun protection category there is. Most Effective starts at 95%, and SnoozeShade blocks 97% of UV.

SnoozeShade was invented as a sleep shade first, with sun protection as a secondary focus. Across the whole range, wherever there's a double layer of EziBreez® mesh, 94% of light is blocked, which is what creates the calm, dark space that helps babies settle. Light blocking is separate from UV blocking, so this 94% is the same on every product, whatever the colour.

It's not pitch black, and that's deliberate: a little light still filters in so your baby can wake naturally. Many babies whose parents feel they need total blackout still sleep beautifully under a SnoozeShade, because it blurs the distractions that would otherwise wake them rather than shutting out every scrap of light. Cara, who invented it, jokes that she bores babies to sleep.

It's a fair question, and the answer is no, not with a mesh like this.

We chose a dark fabric because dark blocks the most light and the most UV. Before launch, Cara, who invented SnoozeShade, spoke to one of the UK's leading thermal physicists, who confirmed that with an open mesh the colour makes very little difference to heat.

That's quite different from something solid like a dark wall or a car roof. With SnoozeShade, air moves freely through the mesh, so heat doesn't build up the way it would under a blanket.

Not for sun protection. A parasol only shades part of the pram, the sun moves around as you walk, and it can't deal with UV that reflects up off the ground or scatters in from the sides.

An ordinary muslin draped over the pram blocks very little UV, and draping fabric over a pram isn't advised in any case. Both the Lullaby Trust and the NHS say not to cover a pram with a muslin, blanket or any cover that stops air circulating, because it can cause a baby to overheat, and both recommend a clip-on sunshade instead.

SnoozeShade is purpose-made to block UV while letting air flow through, so you get proper sun protection and airflow at the same time.

Safety is the starting point of every SnoozeShade, not an afterthought.

SnoozeShade isn't a toy, so it can't be certified as one, but it's designed against all the relevant parts of the safety standards for a newborn toy, which means it's safe enough for your baby to touch, kick and mouth.

Those standards drive details like short straps to avoid entrapment, heavy-duty zips that won't come off as a choking hazard, and certified baby-safe poppers.

The fabric and components are also tested to European REACH standards for harmful substances, including lead, phthalates, azo dyes, cadmium and formaldehyde.

Yes. SnoozeShade is designed to be safe from birth.

It isn't a toy, but it's built against all the relevant parts of newborn toy safety standards, which is rare for a product of this kind.

SnoozeShade Original and our car seat shades are suitable from birth, and Plus is for once they're in a stroller seat.

Yes, because SnoozeShade isn't a solid cover. It's made from highly air-permeable mesh, so air moves freely through it and it doesn't create a sealed space.

This is completely different from draping a blanket or muslin over a pram, which can trap air and heat.

We always recommend checking on your baby regularly and taking sensible precautions in hot weather.

A great deal, and we've invested tens of thousands of pounds in it.

As well as testing to international toy, textile and chemical safety standards, in 2021 we voluntarily commissioned a respected US laboratory to test for CO2 rebreathing risk, which is associated with SIDS, and for direct suffocation risk. SnoozeShade achieved the lowest possible risk level on both.

You can see the full list of standards we meet on our safety page: https://www.snoozeshade.com/blogs/news/is-snoozeshade-safe

On top of the lab testing, SnoozeShade is the only baby sun and sleep shade range approved by INPAA, the Infant and Nursery Products Alliance of Australia.

INPAA isn't just a stamp of approval. It helps write the safety standards the industry works to, including its own CO2 rebreathing standard and a product safety framework now published by Standards Australia.

Cara is INPAA's UK baby safety ambassador. In 2025 SnoozeShade won in the Tried and True (on the go) category at the inaugural INPAA Baby Safety Awards, judged by an independent panel of injury-prevention and product-safety experts.

It's better than breathable.

"Breathable" usually describes how a fabric handles moisture. What matters for your baby is airflow, and SnoozeShade is highly air-permeable, which means air moves freely straight through it.

It's independently laboratory tested for air permeability to the British Standard BS EN ISO 9237. For context, anything over 100 cm³/s/cm² is classed as highly air-permeable, and our EziBreez® mesh tests between 424 and 800.

Air is never trapped against your baby.

CE marking only applies to certain product categories, such as toys.

SnoozeShade isn't a toy, so CE marking isn't legally required for it.

We go further than required anyway by designing and testing it against all the relevant parts of newborn toy safety standards, purely as a safety choice.

Yes. Safe sleep guidance advises against covering a pram with a blanket, cloth or anything that stops air circulating, and we completely agree with that.

SnoozeShade is air-permeable mesh, not a solid cover, so it lets air move freely while it shades your baby.

That's exactly why it's different from draping fabric over the pram.

SnoozeShade doesn't trap heat. Because air moves freely through the mesh, the temperature inside simply matches the air temperature outside.

What it removes is direct UV, which is a real contributor to heat stress and sunburn.

That said, no shade or cover can actively lower the temperature, and babies feel heat more than adults, so always check on your baby, keep them hydrated and dressed for the weather, and keep the pram in the shade when you're stopped.

No, and here's the honest detail.

There's no recognised scientific standard for testing how a fabric behaves on a pram, because the result changes with the air temperature, the sun, the wind and the pram itself, so it can't be measured repeatably against a set benchmark.

What can be tested is airflow, and that's the thing that actually matters, because heat only builds up when air is trapped. SnoozeShade is highly air-permeable, so it doesn't trap heat.

We also ran our own controlled test over a continuous 24 hours, and the temperature inside tracked the air outside almost exactly. You can read that test in full here: https://www.snoozeshade.com/blogs/news/24-hours-of-testing-snoozeshade-does-it-trap-heat

Yes, with sensible care. The air-permeable mesh lets air move freely even in high humidity, and the UV protection matters most in strong sun.

Because babies can't regulate their temperature as well as adults, keep them well hydrated, dress them lightly, check on them often through the zips, and avoid the hottest part of the day.

Never drape a blanket or muslin over the pram, as that does trap heat.

A fan can help on warm days by keeping the air moving, which makes your baby more comfortable, although it won't lower the actual air temperature.

Position it to circulate air around your baby rather than blowing straight at them.

We make a clip-on pram fan and an octopus pram fan designed exactly for this.

No, they're completely different.

A car is a sealed metal and glass box that traps heat fast. A pram under SnoozeShade is open and ventilated, with air moving freely through the mesh.

The temperature inside matches the air outside rather than climbing, and the UV that causes sunburn and heat stress is blocked.

It turns a travel cot or portacot into a dark, calm sleep space, ideal for holidays, visiting family or room-sharing.

Like the rest of the range it blocks 94% of light, so it's not pitch black, light filters in gently and your child can wake naturally, and there's a top panel you can fold back.

Multiple zips and windows let you check in or open it fully, and the mesh is air-permeable throughout.

They're blackout canopies that fit over a cot or cot bed at home or away, helping block early-morning light and bedtime distractions so your child learns to associate darkness with sleep.

They're especially useful in summer, in bright nurseries, or when sharing a room with siblings.

SnoozeShade for Travel Cots fits travel cots and portacots with a 95cm x 65cm mattress.

SnoozeShade for Cots fits most standard cots and mini cot beds that take a 120cm x 60cm mattress.

SnoozeShade for Cot Beds fits cot beds that take a 140cm x 70cm mattress.

If your frame is slightly larger than the mattress, that's fine, as the EziBreez® mesh has plenty of stretch to adjust to the frame. If you're unsure, just contact us.

It's simple. Machine wash at 30°C, tumble dry on a low setting, and don't iron.

Close the zips and hook-and-loop fastenings before washing to stop the fabric snagging.

Every SnoozeShade comes with a standard one-year warranty against manufacturing faults.

You can extend that to five years for free by registering within 30 days of purchase: https://www.snoozeshade.com/pages/warranty_form

Direct from snoozeshade.com, from Amazon, and from selected UK and international stockists.

In Australia, visit snoozeshade.com.au.

We're always happy to help, and there's no such thing as a silly question.

Tell us your pram or setup and we'll point you to exactly the right SnoozeShade and how to use it: https://www.snoozeshade.com/pages/contact-us-fast