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The dog days of summer are here, and that means your car is often an unpleasant place to start a drive. Fortunately, there are several ways to keep your car interior cool in the summer, and these are three of the best.

Ceramic tint can protect your car from summer heat

While nothing can keep the ambient temperature from warming up your car, ceramic window tint is the best way to keep your car interior cooler during these hot summer months.

Unlike vinyl and metallic tints, ceramic tint blocks both UV rays and infrared light. This added protection isn’t just good for clarity, but it helps block out heat as well. According to CeramicPro, quality ceramic tint blocks more than 99% of the UV rays that untinted windows let through. And even when compared to traditional options like metalized and carbon tint, ceramic tint offers up to 15% better UV protection.

Infrared light is what causes the oven effect inside your car in the summer. By blocking out over 85% of the sun’s infrared rays, ceramic tint is by far the best option for keeping your car interior cooler, even when there isn’t a cloud in the sky.

Temporary window shades keep your car cool in the summer

The look (and legality) of window tinting isn’t universal. If you’re not looking to shell out for ceramic tint, the next best way to keep your car interior cool this summer is with temporary window shades.

These pop-out shades fold neatly and can be slid into your seatback pockets or under the seats when not in use. And when you’re parking and want to block out the sun, these shades will reflect the sun’s rays to keep your car cooler.

Unfortunately, these universal shades don’t offer the type of complete protection you get from window tinting. But as an affordable way to mitigate the sun’s effect on your car interior, they do well enough.

Use a solar-powered fan to keep your car cabin cooler

Cars driving on a summer night
Cars driving on a highway in summer | Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images

One of the easiest and cheapest ways to keep your car cool in summer is to crack the windows open and utilize a solar-powered fan. This will help keep the air inside your car moving and vent the hottest air out even while you’re away.

For less than $30, you can pick up one of these fans and enjoy a cooler car each time you go for a drive. Just be aware of the weather so you aren’t accidentally leaving your windows open during a downpour.

Unfortunately, this solution doesn’t do anything to block out heat and harmful rays coming from the sun. In that sense, it isn’t going to protect your dash or keep your steering wheel and seats from scorching temperatures. However, it will make the air inside your car more palatable when you get in to start your drive.

Stay cool in your car this summer!

It’s not easy to stay cool when the sun beats down on a July afternoon. But, these tips can help make life a little easier and keep your car cool when parked this summer.

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