Many people think that anything black gets hotter but, in reality, colour has very little to do with the creation of heat. More important is what material the product is made from and the amount of ventilation that it provides.
SnoozeShade fabric is an air-permeable woven mesh (with lots of small holes) that easily allows fresh air in and out.
Just to be extra sure we had the fabric tested by a well respected independent laboratory which showed that our fabric scores highly in air permeability (which means air gets in and out easily).
Black is also the best colour for UV protection as it blocks the most UV rays without needing to be chemically treated.
Most sunshades are black or dark coloured for this reason. A darker colour creates a shaded environment inside the pram. After all, you go into the shade to stay cool on a hot day. A quick test is to put your arm out into the direct sun – it burns, now put it in the shade – even if it’s still hot the burn has gone.
As we get asked this question so much, we asked one of the UK’s leading thermal physicists to explain the science behind the colour versus heat question.
"It might seem that a white shade would be cooler, but in fact the colour of the shade makes almost no difference! When it’s sunny, the best way to keep baby cool is keep him or her out of direct sunlight. And for this an opaque shade is best.
In direct sunlight(*) a typical baby is exposed to almost 100 watts of heat input and their delicate skin is exposed to intense UV. The best thing to help baby control their temperature and to keep their skin protected is to keep them in the shade.
And a dark shade is definitely better than a light shade which still lets some of the light through. And a shade which protects from all angles is best of all."
Parents often comment on how surprised they are when it feels cooler inside the pram on a hot day:
“It worked a treat, he fell straight to sleep every night and it seemed a lot cooler in his pushchair then it did in the entertainment venue, which was an added bonus as he suffers from severe eczema and the heat irritates him.”
“The mesh material allows air in, while keeping the light out. The interior of the carriage also stays nice and cool.”
“I have used it on the beach during our vacation and my 7 month old went right to sleep. The material lets air in but keeps the sunlight out. People were asking if my son was baking underneath and I offered to let them place their hand under to see just how cool it was inside.”
“My son naps best when it’s dark. It’s breathable so he doesn’t sweat. It’s always attached to our bugaboo stroller. We love it!”
If it is a hot day but with no breeze then SnoozeShade cannot cool the ambient temperature but it will not be hotter and, most importantly, your baby’s skin will not burn. UV heat contributes 20% towards heat stroke whereas the actual temperature only contributes 10% – so get in the shade!
Be aware that prams and car seats are often made from solid fabric and metal that may heat up and if it has a long low hood then hot air has nowhere to go which can make it stuffy.
In cases like this we suggest you retract the hood and use SnoozeShade to allow maximum airflow.