5 best manufacturers of car sunshades

Updated: 02/28/2021 16:33:16

Expert: Boris Vladimirovich Filatov

*Review of the best according to the editors of expertology.ru. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective in nature, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before purchasing, consultation with a specialist is required.

In sunny weather, the car interior becomes very hot, and many elements lose their original color under the influence of ultraviolet rays. To solve this problem, sun blinds were invented. They replaced tinting after the tightening of Russian legislation. Another task performed by car curtains is to protect the interior of the car from prying eyes. Today, the domestic market offers many different models that differ in design, size and price. To choose the most suitable option for your car, you should listen to the recommendations of our experts.

Is it possible to install Trokot curtains in 2021?

Yes. It is legal. But don’t confuse warm with soft! Everything is very simple - nowhere in the current legislation will you find a direct prohibition specifically on installing curtains, as well as any other items on car windows. At least board them up with plywood!

But here you need to understand that road safety legislation is so strict not because legislators simply wanted it (although it is possible that this is also why). A car is a source of increased danger, as it weighs a lot and is difficult to stop. So, all these requirements and restrictions to improve road safety are almost always concentrated on one important condition of the prohibitions - only when the vehicle is moving.

The same applies to curtains - there is no need to confuse the possibility of installing them on a car and the ability to drive a car with them.

② Edge material

The edging material is also different. If TROCOT uses a rubber edging, which, unfortunately, is only glued to the frame of the car blind itself and can make a squeak when touched with plastic, and also does not allow you to replicate the sharp corners of the car window opening. In this comparison category, our company EscO uses edging made of high-strength and elastic fabric material, which is not only glued on the frame, but also stitched in two lines at once, which gives very high strength. And it fits perfectly on the door trim, repeating all the angles as much as possible, without spoiling it or making extraneous noise.

Will there be a fine?

Yes, it will, if the curtains are installed on the front side windows (and if you suddenly decide to install it on the windshield). And it will be imposed specifically for driving a car with curtains installed on the windows - be it Trokot, Esko, Laitovo, Legaton or any other manufacturer. Its size is 500 rubles.

To be more precise, not just for driving, but for operating a vehicle under conditions in which this very operation is prohibited.

And the violation here is simple. The traffic rules have a special Appendix listing faults and conditions under which it is prohibited to drive a car. This document contains clause 7.3, which literally prescribes the following:

7.3. Additional objects have been installed or coatings have been applied that restrict visibility from the driver's seat.

But let’s figure out why manufacturers who claim that their curtains are fully permitted under traffic regulations and there should be no complaints from traffic police officers are, to put it mildly, lying!

You will also be interested in:

• In Russia, tinting has been completely banned, including rear windows - true or not?
• Is it legal to tint taillights?
• New traffic regulations: The traffic police have prepared amendments and fines - is this true or not? When do they take effect?

Laitovo

“So, the best car curtains are Laitovo” – this is the verdict of most drivers and experts. The brand is German, so the quality is appropriate:

• durable steel frame;
• wear-resistant fabric;
• huge selection.

One of the few European brands that produces screens for the domestic Lada, both for the Soviet classics and for the modern model.

There are 50 Laitovo brand stores in Russia and it’s better to buy there. In auto stores you often find outright fakes, and they have fewer standard sizes.

Advantages

So, here's why it's better to buy Laitovo frame curtains:

1. Really great choice. It is much larger than that of “EscO”, and all standard sizes correspond to the description.
2. Excellent quality. According to drivers, Laitovo outperforms TROCOT. In addition, you don’t have to wait a month for production and delivery.
3. Very easy installation.
4. Low price. The kit costs about 1200 rubles.

Flaws

As such, Laitovo has no shortcomings - only a couple of unpleasant nuances:

1. Lots of fakes. This is the norm in auto stores; about 80% of Laitovo screens are fake. Therefore, it is better to choose official stores for purchase.
2. Noticeable deterioration in visibility in bad weather. However, the rain makes the view much more difficult. It’s not critical - everything can be seen, but small details are lost.

Top

We analyze the current legislation

So, paragraph 7.3 of the List of Faults indicates that if visibility from the driver’s seat is limited by any objects, then operation of the vehicle is prohibited. At the same time, operation in this case implies using the car for its intended purpose - driving it.

And Part 1 of Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation punishes even specifically for driving in the presence of conditions or malfunctions from the above List.

Visibility from the driver’s seat in this case is provided by the front “hemisphere”: windshield and front side windows. Thus:

• Trokot curtains cannot be placed on the front hemisphere of windows,
• but it is not prohibited to install them on the rear side windows and the rearmost traffic rules.

Please note that there is a difference here from conventional film tinting, in which the rear hemisphere can only be tinted if both rear-view mirrors are present. This condition contains the Technical Regulations on the Safety of Wheeled Vehicles. Paragraph 4.3 of Appendix 8 states this directly. But we are still talking about film, and not about frames, so in our case only the front hemisphere works.

Some curtain manufacturers assure potential customers that their curtains supposedly undergo light transmittance measurements. But this does not matter in the legislation of 2021. Measurement is required in the case of films. And they are separated from “additional items” in the same paragraph 7.3 of the List, for example.

And the fine for filming is provided for under another norm of the Administrative Code - Part 3.1 of Article 12.5. There we are talking specifically about glass with insufficient light transmittance. In our case, frame curtains are not part of the glass, but objects that, as we cited above, are illegal.

Other manufacturers simply refer to the experience of communicating with traffic police inspectors of drivers with their curtains installed on their cars. For example, on Trokot’s official website they link to one of these videos:

Below, the very first in the list we have attached this video.

In this video, the traffic police inspector does not react at all to the installed Trokot curtains. Of course, the fact that the employees did not fulfill the duties assigned to them by law to ensure road safety means that the employee himself must be held accountable - at least disciplinary.

But Trokot does not limit visibility!

Meanwhile, one of the most popular arguments of a number of manufacturers of these items, as well as motorists, when trying to challenge the decisions of the traffic police lies somewhat differently. Namely, in the incorrect interpretation of the law.

The point is that the curtains supposedly do not limit visibility from the driver’s seat – at all. “An additional item that limits visibility” is, for example, a video recorder on the glass or a navigator, various kinds of souvenirs and fragrances on the instrument panel, which at least somewhat block the visibility area.

The curtains on the windows have the shape of a grid, so they do not block anything from the driver. That is, the main criterion for violating traffic rules here is the supposed opacity of these items. Even a roof support pillar can be caught by some car owners as a prohibited item. But not the curtains.

This argument has no right to life for one simple reason. When trying to appeal a fine for blinds on this basis, the person hearing the case or the judge can actually delve into the case and begin to figure out what constitutes visibility. There is no such definition in the traffic rules. And the courts in this case are looking for normative acts that are similar in gender, where it may be.

And they will find it in the Technical Regulations. According to this legal act, visibility is a property of the car’s design (glass in our case), which characterizes the objective possibility and conditions for the driver to perceive visual information about the road, which makes it possible to control the road for road safety purposes.

But what completely and completely blocks part of the visibility has its own definition in the same paragraph of the regulations, and is called the “blind area”.

Thus, objects that limit visibility from the driver’s seat do not necessarily have to be things that create a blind area. Trokot curtains are also such, since they violate the objective possibility of perceiving visual information. And if you take into account how they often dazzle the driver’s eyes, then they can be considered objectively dangerous for road traffic.

TROKOT

Frame car tinting from TROCOT is widely known in narrow circles. The company operates throughout Eurasia, supplying products from Russia to Armenia, Germany and even Israel!

What makes its production method noticeable is that it is almost hand-made. Even after 9 years, most of the labor is done by hand. You can’t buy their products in a car store - TROKOT makes frame curtains only to order!

Advantages

1. Stable and good quality. Many people immediately rejected their frame curtains for cars: at first they were of terrible quality. But now they are really not bad, and in many TOP they are among the 10 best! In principle, there is no defect - everything is checked before shipping. In addition, there is a guarantee.
2. Easy installation. They produce frame car blinds with magnets: you just put them on and they lock into place.
3. Cool design. At least in the Russian Federation, “Trokot” curtains are truly the best in terms of design. True, and the most expensive.

Flaws

The only downside is that you have to wait a long time. Production is almost manual, and monthly production is only 8,000 sets.

Skyway

entered the Russian market at the same time as TROCOT - in 2012. Outside the Russian Federation, it is a recognizable Chinese brand that produces the bulk of screens for domestic use.

Like most Chinese products, Skyway's frame curtains for cars are extremely cheap. There are sales representatives in 40 major cities of Russia, and their screens can be found in any store.

Advantages

1. Price. They are much cheaper than TROKOTA. The kit costs only 900 rubles - not much more expensive than a tint film.
2. Efficiency. Surprisingly, the curtains do a good job of reflecting light. In this regard, they are not inferior even to German companies.
3. Easy installation. Again, either magnets or simple latches are used. Installation takes no more than a minute. By the way, you can adjust the screen size to a specific glass - it’s not difficult.
4. Design. They look good considering their price.

Flaws

1. Weak fastenings and glue. Drivers often complain that Skyway screens literally fall off! At best, the latches snap off. At worst, the glue seam comes apart. It will not be possible to return it under warranty.
2. Marriage is common. Still, production is conveyor belt, and the screens are budget-friendly. The batch does not undergo full testing, so you may end up with defective curtains.

What is the fine?

500 rubles. The driver faces a fine under Part 1 of Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses for specifically violating the List of Conditions and Malfunctions. It can be paid with a 50% discount within 20 days from the date of the decision.

But a fine under Part 3.1 of the same article as for film tinting will be illegal. Simply because this standard itself provides for liability for insufficiently transparent glass, and curtains are not a component of the glass, it is an object foreign to their design.

Something else useful for you:

• Is there a fine for driving on summer tires in winter and winter tires in summer today? What date will it start?
• The new law on the nullification of traffic police fines - is it true or not?
• What is the fine and what else threatens for forgotten licenses and car documents?

① Materials

The main thing is the materials used in production. The most important of them is the mesh, which in turn will provide the effect of tinting the windows and will also be responsible for the view from the car’s interior. Compared to TROCOT, we use four types of light transmission, not just one. In order for each client to satisfy their needs, be it an alternative to tinting, a blind option for parking, or simply protection from the sun, dust and insects.

Is there a deprivation of rights for Trokot?

No. Deprivation of rights for Trokot is illegal and, in principle, in practice 2021 is not applied, since in this case it is impossible to impose even close standards for this traffic violation.

It would also be an illegal action for an employee to try to take your curtains away. The fact is that the legislation contains 2 possibilities to do this:

• through confiscation of the instrument for committing the offense,
• through its removal.

Confiscation is a separate punishment (which is applied, however, together with the main one - fine, deprivation, arrest or other). And a specific norm of the Code of Administrative Offenses should provide for confiscation. For example, if you drive with red lamps in your headlights, they will be legally taken away from you, according to Part 3 of Article 12.5. But in the case of application of Part 1 of this article, confiscation is not provided. That's why it's illegal.

The withdrawal is a little easier to carry out. But this is a procedural action, not a punishment. And it is used if you have removed the curtains, hidden them and thereby want to avoid a fine. In this case, the traffic police officer is obliged to inspect the car in search of curtains and then remove them.

But there is a catch - they must return them to you immediately after the fine is issued. The fine must be issued at the scene of the violation. That is, the legislation provides for the seizure of things only as evidence in a case of an offense (if we are not talking about prohibited things: drugs, weapons, and so on). And their return occurs immediately after the decision is made (Part 3 of Article 29.10 of the Administrative Code). And this is natural, because the inspector no longer needs evidence.

How to choose sun blinds

Design features.

Sunshades consist of several important parts.

1. The main one is the mesh fabric. Many manufacturers use flexible polyvinyl chloride. Experts attribute resistance to fading to the advantages of this material. But, like all other synthetic fabrics, the environmental friendliness of such a curtain in the summer heat will be a big question. But the use of fabrics made from natural cotton is absolutely harmless to humans.
2. Various mounting methods are used on sunshades. Some manufacturers complete their products with suction cups, others offer to mount them using double-sided tape, and still others use electrostatics to hold the mesh on the glass.
3. For maximum comfort in operating the curtains, special designs for folding and unfolding and electric drives can be used. But the more bells and whistles, the more expensive the curtain will be and the more difficult it will be to maintain.

Varieties.

The most common types of curtains currently are:

1. The screens are a piece of polyurethane fabric with a silver coating applied to one of the surfaces. Thanks to the excellent reflectivity, the sun's rays do not penetrate into the interior, and passers-by can only see their reflection in the car window. Suction cups and rubber bands are used for fastening.
2. Another popular type of curtains are frame curtains. They are similar to tinting, but the effectiveness of such products is much higher (up to 70%). The curtains consist of a durable frame and elastic plastic with a darkening mesh. The shutters are attached using tape or suction cups, but to wash the inside of the window, they will have to be removed.
3. Sticker curtains are a plastic mesh that has a sticky base. Also, synthetic material can be held on glass due to electrostatic attraction.
4. The most practical solution may be roller shutters. Their advantage is the ability to open windows. Roller shutters are attached to the bottom or top of the door, and the leaf can be easily rolled up and straightened.
5. Frameless sunblinds look somewhat archaic. They are home curtains that slide to the sides and are secured with a strap. More advanced models are equipped with an electric drive.

We have selected the 5 best manufacturers of sun blinds for review. All of them sell their products in the trading network of our country. When allocating seats, the magazine's editors took into account the opinion of the expert community and reviews of Russian motorists.

Rating of the best frame car blinds

Kertex KRT-HND-17-0 Hyundai Solaris 2 2017

This product has a very convenient and simple installation - the curtain is held using magnets after it is applied to the metal door frame. Therefore, installation does not require much effort and time.

Depending on the size, one curtain has from 10 to 14 magnets. In addition to the fact that the accessory limits the flow of sunlight into the cabin, it also prevents small insects from entering the car and hides its contents from prying eyes.

The frame itself is made of metal wire and has a diameter of 4 mm. Cotton and polyester are used as the main fabric. The set includes five elements. Price - within 5500 rubles.

Kertex KRT-HND-17-0 Hyundai Solaris 2 2017

Advantages:

• Lots of parts included;
• Magnetic mount;
• Quick installation.

Flaws:

• Suitable for certain car brands;
• High price;
• Slightly interferes with visibility when driving.

Rating of the best roller blinds for cars

Roller blinds are already a little more expensive than screen ones, but they also protect much more from the sun's rays. Let's consider which models in this category are more in demand among car owners in 2021.

Brica White Hot, 1 piece

A special feature of this product is the presence of a special indicator, which, at elevated air temperatures in the cabin, changes color from red to white. The size of the net is 38x48 cm. You can install it on glass using suction cups or clips. Perfectly protects from sunlight and does not interfere with the view when the car is moving. The kit includes one curtain that is not installed on the front or rear side windows. The cost is about 1000 rubles.

Brica White Hot, 1 piece

Advantages:

• Color indicator indicating high temperature;
• Easy to use.

Flaws:

• Does not cover the entire volume of the window;
• One curtain included.

ALCA 513100 universal

Can be installed on both rear and side windows. The size of the entire product is 100x42 cm. Suction cups are used for fastening, so the canvas can be easily removed and installed on the window. The material used to make the mesh is polyester. Protects from sunlight entering the interior. The package includes two mesh sheets and fastenings to them. Price – 800 rubles.

ALCA 513100 universal

Advantages:

• Easy to use.

Flaws:

• Not detected.

ALCA 512100 universal

These roller blinds are installed on the side windows of the car. They have a length of 100 cm and a width of 55 cm. The darkened mesh does not allow ultraviolet rays to penetrate into the interior, thereby preventing it from heating up. Self-tapping screws, which are included in the package, are used for fastening. The set contains one roll. The price of the product is within 1000 rubles.

ALCA 512100 universal

Advantages:

• Protects from sun rays;
• Reliable fastening.

Flaws:

• One curtain included.