Windshield sun shades are nothing new – they have been around for years and serve as critical shade or privacy. They also do an incredible job of reducing heat and UV damage. For those camping in their 4Runner though, WeatherTech has a full, custom-fit set that easily installs into each window. This 8-piece set keeps your vehicle cooler and gives it the best privacy possible.
During summer, I dog sport with my two long-coat German Shepherds. Living in Florida, our summers are absolutely brutal in terms of heat and sun. As such, these shades are critical in keeping our dogs safer during training and competitions.
Table Of Contents
Overview
The WeatherTech SunShade kit rolls up inside the windshield screen and secures with an integrated Velcro strap. This allows you to pack the whole kit neatly for transport and storage. The only downfall is that the roll is decently thick if you are tight on space.
Each shade is made of thick insulated foam with a reflective surface that helps protect the interior from heat. The thick material allows them to stay in place using their precision fit.
Each shade is labeled with its corresponding window for easy identification.
Easy Installation
Installation and removal are a breeze. The precision fitment of each shade keeps them in place with friction fitment only – no adhesives to mess with.
It only takes seconds to install each shade – line them up in the window frame and trace your fingers around the edges to push them into place.
The friction fitment is secure enough and we have not had any issues with them falling out of place while opening and closing doors. As you can see above, the rear hatch shade stays in place even when the hatch is opened.
To remove, each shade has an integrated pull tab.
Double-Sided For Summer & Winter
For the summer, the shades have a familiar reflective coating on the exterior facing side of the shade that reflects the UV and radiant heat to keep the interior of the vehicle much cooler.
On the reverse side, there’s a black heat retention coating. During the winter, using this side of the shade helps it absorb all the radiant heat around your vehicle. It will also help keep your windows from freezing and frosting over. Being in Florida, we haven’t been able to test this functionality.
Black-Out Interior
Most covers are pretty thin, unlike the thick insulating material that WeatherTech uses. As a result, they let in a significant amount of light. The kit thankfully blocks out almost all external light. The only light that gets through is a little bit around corners and the cut-out for the rearview mirror.
Make sure you set your alarm during your camping trip because you won’t be woken up by natural light using this kit.
Final Thoughts
This SunShade kit is incredible and easily one of the best ones on the market. Its performance and window coverage are superior, as most WeatherTech products are. If you need more cabin privacy and insulation, this is the gold standard.
As for downfalls, I really only have one – the bulk of the roll when you put everything together. Those who use their 4Runners for camping know how important and precious space is. It would be great for them to offer a “Lite” version with thinner insulation material so that the overall package was more compact. However, the pros definitely outweigh the cons with these.
I use mine solely for the purpose of winter camping. These are a game changer if you sleep in your truck. They keep heat in as well as they keep it out.
I understand the comment about the shades being bulky when you combine them all and roll them up – can these not be folded when storing them instead? This would save the need to find storage for the bulky roll.
Made a set for mine and it cost ~$70
I did for mine as well using the reflective bubble insulation sheet and tapped off the outsides – cost we ~$20. I store these by folding them in 1/2 and placing them on the side of my rear drawer system, takes up no room at all.
Mind sharing the brand of reflector used and what size role you needed?