We voluntarily choose to live in the driest city in North America (and almost the hottest) so we have to make extra efforts to keep ourselves and our kids cool in the summertime! The first summer we lived here, I didn’t leave the house past noon because my car would get too hot to safely travel in. Now that the kids are older and have more activities, staying home isn’t always an option! Here are 7 products for keeping your kids cool in the car that I’ve learned over the last few years!
Things to Buy
I spent a lot of time brainstorming and reading reviews to find the best budget and space friendly things to keep your kids cool in the car! Here are my top recommendations!
- Clip on, rechargeable fan – THIS is the one I have, THIS one is great too! Make sure you go with a rechargeable option, and grab the next item on this list so you never run out of a charge.
- Solar power battery bank – I can’t tell you how many times my clip on fan ran out of charge at the worst times! I received this solar power bank for Christmas and I don’t have to worry about the fan dying anymore! I keep the bank in my car so it’s always solar charging and can fully recharge my fan whenever we need it.
- Spray mister bottle – I think this is actually meant for doing hair, but it lets out the perfect amount of mist to stay cool in the heat! This bottle is a steal at $6 and the water goes a long way. This is great for cooling down car seats before loading your kids too. It makes the seats cool without getting them soaked!
- Mister water bottle – take the mister bottle one step further with this water bottle/mister combo! It’s soft sided so perfect for kids, and great for making sure you stay hydrated. And best of all, it’s just $11!
- Sun shades – these are an absolute must! Newer cars have built in sun shades, but if you aren’t lucky enough to have that feature then I recommend THESE! They stick onto the windows so they’re not a projectile risk, and I think they’re more effective than the rolling ones.
- Cooling car seat covers – even with sun shades, my kids car seats get really hot. I bought three of these seat cooling cushions to place over their seats when we leave the car, and they keep the seats from getting too hot! I just keep them in the car and my kids know to put them on their seats when we get out.
Another option is Little Bum Coolers! These are pricier, but cover the entire car seat and hold frozen ice packs for cooler protection. - The Noggle – my car doesn’t have great rear air vents, and with Hunter facing backwards he gets even less air flow. The Noggle reroutes air from the front seat of the car to anywhere else in the vehicle! It’s a safe option that keeps him cooler than the clip on fan!
Car Safety
One of the most heartbreaking, and preventable, causes of child deaths is being left in a hot car. It’s understandable how busy and distracted adults can forget they have a child in the car, but it is entirely preventable! I highly recommend visiting @safeintheseat on Instagram for ideas on preventing this horrible tragedy.
Staying Cool in the Stroller!
The best part about these 7 products for keeping your kids cool in the car is that many of them work for the stroller too! If you are dealing with little ones and hot summer temperatures this year, I hope some of these products work well for you too!
For tips on keeping your car clean and organized with kids, check out this post!