Tinted windows and kids window blinds

[youngsyr]

OK, typical worrying first time dad question follows!

My Evo X has factory tinted rear and rear side windows, I don't know what degree of tinting they are, but they look pretty dark to me.

Here's a pic to show the contrast between untinted fronts and tinted rears:



My question is, will this be sufficient for a baby's eyes, or do I need blinds as well?

[Bluebarge]

Congratulations. Those look pretty dark and should be fine.

[RicksAlfas]

As long as you don't drive on the sun, you'll be fine with normal windows. Or no windows!

Congratulations!

[kambites]

Visible light wont do a baby much harm, the question is how much UV they cut out.

[pimpchez]

Congrats mate ,i will try and catch you on psn at some point.

[JuniorD]

In my infant and formative tears I was ferried around in a VW Beetle with neither a baby seat, seat belts, window tints or shades. I'm quite shocked I lived beynd 5 years, at whch stage we had a Datsun 120Y. Though somewhere must be a rotten Datsun dashboard with my teeth marks still visible.

That said, when I see my wee ones in the back of my car squinting in the sunlight it breaks my heart enough to consider getting rear tints to augment or replace the crappy blinds.

[akirk]

if you blindfold the child - it serves two purposes
- no effect from the sun
- can't see your driving

[Dapster]

If you need to add blinds, nothing better than these.

http://www.windowsox.co.uk/

You can slip the over the car door and they look neat, allow you to open the window and are totally "set and forget". With those Boots style suction cup stuck on roller blind jobbies, it'll be a matter of seconds before your little one has figured out how to pull them off and smack himself in the head with them....

[youngsyr]

Thanks for all the replies - I'm thinking the tints should be enough for the heights of our British summer, but the Sox look quite good too.

[crossy67]

The factory tinted glass on that car will not block much if any UV. I am with previous posters that we're told to worry too much about things that you don't need to but if you do want something to worry about. Dark tinted glass/sunglasses (with glass lenses) will reduce the amount of light causing your pupils to dilate allowing more of the unfiltered UV in. Most plastic blocks UV so plastic glass lenses, laminated windscreens and window tinting film tend to be okay.

Stay safe out there

[solo2]

Dapster said:

If you need to add blinds, nothing better than these.

http://www.windowsox.co.uk/

You can slip the over the car door and they look neat, allow you to open the window and are totally "set and forget". With those Boots style suction cup stuck on roller blind jobbies, it'll be a matter of seconds before your little one has figured out how to pull them off and smack himself in the head with them....

Another vote for these as they help keep flies out the car too

[andrewparker]

They'll be fine, my car has 65% factory tints and they work well with no need for blinds.

[kambites]

Perhaps worth pointing out that the worst of all worlds is tints that cut out visual light but not UV; as with cheap sunglasses it'll cause the pupil to open and allow more UV to hit the retina than would be the case with no blinds/tints at all which can cause serious damage to the eye.

I'd be happy with no tints or blinds at all but there's no way I'd put a baby (or an adult for that matter) behind tints which haven't been properly tested for UV.

[youngsyr]

Have been reading around and it seems the windows are tinted glass and these often have very little impact on UVA, which is the type of light that causes premature ageing and skin damage - I guess you learn something new every day.

So, I will need to take a look at either getting a UV protecting film or blind in addition to what are already dark windows!

[Shaw Tarse]

When I were a lad we didn't have any of these tints or blinds, didn't hurt us

Unless you sat on a vinyl seat wearing shorts

[schmalex]

OP. If you tint the little one's eyes instead, it should be considerably cheaper and will have the added benefit of offering permanent protection.

[haggishunter]

How old are you? How are your eyes?

[C.A.R.]

I wondered this the other day too, since the rear windows on the family Nissan Note are quite dark, but when strapping my eldest daughter into her seat the other day when the car had been sat in sunlight the belt buckle was like molten lava! Sunlight also irritates both girls, but I thought having sun blinds on tinted windows would look odd.

Going to take them with us on holiday next week though!

[mikecooperuk]

I've got blinds, because the wife said so.... Fact is the seat my lad is in hides him well enough that the blinds don't do much.

My mates new Audi A4 has integrated window blinds in the rear doors, they're really neat. Was about a £70 option and worth it, makes the rear nice and cosy! Plus of course they're made to measure and hide away to nothing.

[hotchy]

Dapster said:

If you need to add blinds, nothing better than these.

http://www.windowsox.co.uk/

You can slip the over the car door and they look neat, allow you to open the window and are totally "set and forget". With those Boots style suction cup stuck on roller blind jobbies, it'll be a matter of seconds before your little one has figured out how to pull them off and smack himself in the head with them....

Someones redesigned tights for your car, clever.