The Princess and The Pickle: SnoozeShade Plus

In the last couple of weeks we’ve been trying out the SnoozeShade Plus. It’s a 2 in 1 sunshade and black out sleep aid for prams and pushchairs. It is made from soft breathable fabric which allows air to circulate and keep baby cool, while blocking out bright lights and other distractions, allowing baby to sleep while you’re out and about. The SnoozeShade Plus also has a lookout panel so baby can see out while awake but still be protected from the sun.

I found the SnoozeShade Plus extremely easy to fit onto the pushchair, with four Velcro tabs on each side. These can be positioned to suit the style of pushchair or pram, so it is pretty universal and can also be used on carrycots. When not in use it folds up inside a small carry bag which I was able to place on the pushchair handle without it getting in the way. It would even fit inside a changing bag.

The Pickle wasn’t a huge fan of the SnoozeShade Plus, as he likes to be able to have a good look around while we’re out and about. Our pushchair also has a free moving harness, allowing him to lean forwards or to the sides, so I think the SnoozeShade made him feel more restricted than he is used to, while this might help other babies feel cosy and secure.

The Pickle did not sleep while the Snoozeshade was in use, but he generally fights sleep anyway. I do think it would work much better with a younger baby, or a child who enjoys their afternoon nap! The fabric is breathable so keeps baby cool on hot days and can also be used indoors to block out bright lights in shops etc, to allow baby to sleep. The zip across the top lets you check on baby without disturbing them. I definitely feel this would work for babies who find it difficult to ‘switch off’ and need to be in darkness in order to sleep.

I do think this will come in handy in the hot Summer months (fingers crossed we have a few of those this year), as last Summer I was fastening muslins onto the hood as a sunshade. It would also be a great way of keeping insects away from baby. I’m unable to comment much on the sun shade aspect at the moment, as I was testing this in a very cold and snowy February. It did, however, prove very useful for keeping the cold wind out. In the rain and snow I found I was unable to use this alongside our raincover as the raincover zips onto the hood. However, you could easily place a raincover over the top of the SnoozeShade Plus if you have one which fastens onto the pushchair handles instead.

The SnoozeShade Plus is suitable for newborns and I think it would be a very useful product to have, especially in Summer. It is also suitable for toddlers, but as I explained earlier, The Pickle was unsure about it and I think it would work much better if you use it right from birth so the child gets used to it. It does have many advantages and is a very well thought out product. I’m hoping The Pickle will get used to it by Summer if I carry on using it for short periods while we’re out and about.