FAQs

SnoozeShade is like a portable blackout blind for families on-the-go, allowing you to get out and about while still maintaining your baby’s sleep routine.

It’s the only baby sun shade of its kind to be endorsed by international baby sleep experts, be approved by the Melanoma International Foundation and to have won more than 80 awards including Mother & Baby Gold for Innovation, Dadsnet Gold and Made for Mums Gold.

Cara says: “Until I invented SnoozeShade, the only option for parents was to throw makeshift items like blankets or muslins over the pushchair. These aren’t always made of air permeable fabric, don’t provide sun protection and may simply fly off at the slightest breeze. You also have to lift them to check on your baby, letting in light that wakes them up.”

• SnoozeShade becomes a ‘sleep trigger’ for babies – like a bedtime routine or closing the curtains in the nursery. Your baby starts to recognise that when SnoozeShade goes on, it’s time to sleep.
•. SnoozeShade removes the external distractions that stop your baby getting to sleep. It creates a cosy, comfortable and healthy nap environment wherever you are.
•. Deeper, longer sleep with no interruptions means your baby gets the sleep that he or she needs - and we all know that well-rested, happy babies mean everyone in the family has an easier time!
•. Many parents also use SnoozeShade to prevent well-meaning people from touching and disturbing their sleeping baby.

Cara says: “As a mother, I invented SnoozeShade to use with my own daughter; therefore, safety has always been at the heart of SnoozeShade product design.

“For me, safety must come first above all else and I am proud that SnoozeShade is a ‘function over fashion’ product. I won’t compromise on safety.”

SnoozeShade has been through rigorous safety testing.

Click here to read about all the testing SnoozeShade products go through.

The colour of a fabric has little to do with how hot it gets but there are lots of great reasons why our fabric looks the way that it does:

• SnoozeShade is made from air-permeable mesh that has lots of small holes that allow fresh air to circulate easily
• SnoozeShade’s fabric has been tested multiple times by well-respected, independent laboratories and scores highly for air permeability
• Black is the best colour for UV protection, as it blocks the most UV rays without needing any chemically treatment

To find out more about how SnoozeShade’s fabric keeps your baby protected and happy, read this piece where we were helped by one of the UK’s leading thermal physicists to explain the science behind the colour versus heat question.

SnoozeShade’s unique fabric is actually better than breathable. It's air permeable.

Breathability is often used incorrectly - that is all about how a fabric wicks moisture away. Air-permeability is all about how easily air moves through something.

Fabrics called ‘breathable’ are not necessarily air-permeable, so avoid cheap copies and buy the safety-tested best.

I am also proud to say that a new test for suffocation and CO2 rebreathing was developed and our SnoozeShade mesh fabric passed both tests with flying colours!

All black SnoozeShades give maximum sun protection, blocking 99% of UVA and UVB rays, with a rating of UPF50+. Created especially for us, SnoozeShade fabric is also highly air permeable which means air passes through it easily.

The Deluxe range (outer colour silver) blocks up to 97.5% of UV (UPF40+). 

SnoozeShade offers the highest level of sun protection on the market and is approved by the Melanoma International Foundation.

While other sunshades claim to offer UPF50+ protection, many have transparent panels for baby to see out. This won’t offer the same sun protection and UV rays can get in.

SnoozeShade’s fabric is darker than others on the market because it offers the most protection; just one layer of our fabric blocks 80% of UV and we use two layers.

Clever, child-safe zips allow you to check on your baby frequently.

In a word - absolutely!

If we all lived in an ideal world we'd would only spend time indoors in the cool when it's hot outside. However, real life and routines don't always allow us to do this. If you're on holiday it's most likely going to be a lot hotter than home.

I always believe it's better to be armed with science so we can make educated decisions. When it's hot and humid, parents can worry that covering their pram will make things hotter for their little one. This is not the case when using a sunshade that has been made for this exact reason.

Let's talk about heat stroke:

There are three factors for heat stroke - humidity (70%), UV sun rays (20%) and temperature (10%). 

There's not much we can do about humidity levels, so by shading baby you’re doing the most you can towards reducing heat stroke (other than going inside to a cooler spot which isn’t always possible).

Regarding temperature, my fabric is a scientifically proven air-permeable mesh – this means air passes through it very easily.  The only way heat can build up is if it’s trapped.  Air cannot be trapped by my mesh.

If it’s a hot day, my products won't significantly reduce temperature (although parents report it’s usually 1-2 degrees cooler inside) - so be prepared that if it’s hot outside then it will be hot in the pram. Ensure your little one is well-hydrated and checked on regularly.

Why is my baby sweating more?

Humidity is the major contributor to extra sweat on humans - it affects the ability of sweat to evaporate. Typically, we rely on fresh air or a breeze to cool us down when we sweat. But when it's humid, the atmosphere has already absorbed a fair share of water vapour, so the sweat on our skin isn't able to evaporate as quickly. So it may seem that we’re sweating more but it’s the same as normal - it just can’t evaporate.

When it’s a humid or hot and still day we recommend using a bladeless or soft bladed pram fan. Do not face it directly at baby. Whilst it doesn’t actually make it cooler, it feels better for baby to have air moving and can help with sweat evaporation.

Keep your pram cool

One other thing that can contribute to increased temperature is the pram itself. Prams are generally made from metal and thick impermeable fabrics that can absorb heat. So, when possible, we advise that you push the hood back as far as you can so warm air can escape through SnoozeShade’s mesh and also keep the pram in the shade (in use or not) as this helps keeps it cooler. 


Think shade

Ever since I launched, my products have been regularly used by parents in hot climates eg Texas, Nevada, California, Australia, New Zealand and the UAE.

Parents in hot countries know that it's even more important to shade a little one from the sun as just a few cases of sunburn in childhood can significantly increase the risk of skin cancer in later life. Shade really is the safest option.

Helpful tips
 for being out in hot weather

* If it’s hot and sticky outside, it will be hot and sticky inside the pram or stroller. Get to a cooler place. Consider buying a small bladeless or soft bladed clip-on pram fan

* Try to avoid going out between 11am and 4pm when it’s very hot and UV levels are high


* If you’re not moving around, seek shade and turn the pram or car seat out of direct sunlight


* Be sure to check on your baby’s comfort regularly


* Pull your pushchair hood back under the SnoozeShade; pram hoods are not breathable and can trap hot air

All SnoozeShade products block 94% of light, which means it will be significantly darker inside your baby’s pushchair, cot or car seat.

SnoozeShade helps your baby sleep by removing visual distractions. How many times has your baby fought against going to sleep because they are interested in what’s going on around them?

Your child can still make out shapes and movement and tell if it’s day or night but it takes away their ability to latch onto anything stimulating.

Parents have reported that even normally 'nap-resistant' babies will nap happily under their SnoozeShade, no matter where they are.

One question we’re often asked (jokingly) is: ‘is it soundproof?’ No it’s not but, having said that, parents have successfully used SnoozeShade at weddings, at festivals, in airports, at theme parks and in brightly lit shopping centres with great success because it takes away their baby’s ability to latch onto anything stimulating. It's more what a little one sees that stops them from sleeping rather than what they hear.

The end result is a well-rested child, which is great news for everyone.

We know it would be easier to have a couple of long straps to attach to your pram. However, these would be an entrapment and strangulation risk and go against our safety standards. So we have plenty of short straps to ensure your SnoozeShade will fit.

The most important thing to note is that you may NOT need to use ALL the straps. So don't think it doesn't fit because you haven't used them all.

You also don't always have to attach straps to the pram - they can be attached to each other around the back or under the pram.

The easiest thing to do is visit our instructions page, find your SnoozeShade and watch some of our quick demo videos to help you fit your SnoozeShade.

Alternatively, you can also click here to contact us and we can help you personally.

In one word - YES!

You can use SnoozeShade products at any time of year when you want to encourage your baby to sleep in the pushchair, baby car seat or cot, or when you want to protect them from strong sun.

In cooler months, SnoozeShade stretches over foot muffs and keeps light rain, wind and chill at bay. It’s great at protecting your baby’s eyes when the sun is low in the sky in the Spring, Autumn and Winter or on a bright sunny Summer’s day.

It's also great for protecting from cats, mosquitos, midges and other biting insects.

Yes, but don’t just take our word for it.

Consumer group and respected test site Which? said: “Our tester was impressed. Her baby slept for twice as long as he usually would when in his buggy. It even helped her baby get to sleep in the middle of a noisy toddler group.”

Using SnoozeShade helps you maintain your baby’s sleep routine wherever you are – in restaurants and cafes, while camping, in shopping centres, at theme parks, in airports and even during festivals. The possibilities are endless.

All SnoozeShade products are guaranteed for one year from the date of purchase.

Cara says: “I'm very proud of the fact that we set such high standards in our manufacturing
that we very rarely get faults. We have about a 0.1% fault rate which for a sewn product is very very low!

I also often get told by customers that they are using their SnoozeShade on their second, third or fourth baby. I make them to last!"

We sell many thousands of SnoozeShades every year and the vast majority are perfect. If, however, a fault occurs, please click here and our team will be happy to help you.

You can also sign up for an extended, quibble-free warranty for two years - simply sign up here.

If your baby is under six months, doctors worldwide recommend they are kept out of direct sunlight completely. This is because their skin does not have enough melanin to prevent burning.

If you can’t prevent your tiny baby being exposed to the sun (such as at a wedding), apply a small amount of sun cream and wash it off as soon as you're out of the sun.

If your baby is lying-flat in the pram, use your SnoozeShade as an overhead canopy to block the sun.

Over six months, you should use a child-friendly (preferably organic and reef-safe) sun cream on all exposed areas of skin of at least UPF30+.

You can also protect your child’s delicate skin by using lightweight, long sleeved and legged clothing, sun hats and baby-safe sunglasses. Seek shade as much as you can and try to avoid going out in the midday sun.

For further advice on keeping your child safe in the sun, we recommend the UK’s NHS advice here which states:

"Babies less than 6 months old should be kept out of direct sunlight. Their skin contains too little melanin, which is the pigment that gives skin, hair and eyes their colour, and provides some protection from the sun.

Older babies should also be kept out of the sun as much as possible, particularly in the summer and between 11am and 3pm, when the sun is at its strongest. If you go out when it's hot, attach a parasol or sunshade to your baby's pushchair to keep them out of direct sunlight."

If you're travelling abroad, it's worth checking local advice for the country you are visiting - particularly if it's a hot country where UV levels may be much higher).

Top tip:

There are now many weather apps for your mobile phone that give localised UV levels. If UV levels are higher than 3 it is time to seek shade.