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Whether you’re hitting the road early in the morning or as the sun starts to set, visibility can be a challenge. No matter which direction those rays are shining, the sun’s light can blind you or leave you squinting and uncomfortable as you struggle to see the road in front or to the side of you. And even if you aren’t driving, bright sunlight and harsh glare can leave passengers uncomfortable, too. There’s a simple solution, though: sun visor extenders. These handy products attach right to your existing sun visors or your windows to offer better coverage and visibility. With an extender, you can block out the sun from more positions, get more shade, and fight blinding glare better. And there are plenty of different styles available. Which ones are best? We’ve found the top sun visor extenders for you right here.
Best Sun Visor Extender Reviews & Recommendations
Best Overall
Glare Guard Polarized Car Visor Extender
Best Value
TFY Car Visor Sunshade Extender
Best Year-Round
Sailead Polarized Sun Visor Extender
Easiest Installation
Wanpool Anti-Glare Anti-Dazzle Vehicle Visor
Most Versatile
Visormates Side Window Sun Visor Extenders
Best Flip-Down
Trillium Worldwide Glare Vis’r Sun Shield
How We Selected Sun Visor Extenders
In order to choose the best sun visor extenders available in the midst of the many different products online, we sorted through those options by looking for extenders that offered a mix of quality, durability, ease of use, and top-tier sun protection. We sought out sun visor extenders that could be installed without difficulty and moved (and of course extended) easily while behind the wheel. Durable materials — and products that offered extra perks like UV protection and polarization – were frontrunners. To assess the quality and longevity of each of our product picks, we also took a look at real-life experiences with them and their performance over many days and miles.
Our product selections, rankings, and awards for this story are based on research. While we haven’t conducted real-world testing on all of these products yet, we’ve looked at consumer testimonials and data, tutorials, and general discussions on social media and in forums. We also consider price and specification in the context of the segment. And, of course, we rely on our institutional knowledge of the automotive landscape to weed out weak products.
Buying Guide/What to Look For
Sun visor extenders are simple – at least, the kind that already come with your OEM sun visors. When you’re looking for a product that can enhance and extend your sun coverage even more, you have a ton of different options. Luckily, we’ve got all of the guidance you need to find the right sun visor extender, the best features, and all of the road sun coverage you might want right here in our buying guide.
What to Consider When Buying Sun Visor Extenders
Types of Sun Visor Extenders
Window-Mounted
Window-mounted sun visor extenders attach to the passenger and driver windows in your vehicle. They are easily removable, reusable, and adjustable for your convenience. These visors can hang just at eye level or can cover up the entire window to completely black out the sun, so you can see the road more clearly. While these sun visor extenders can be moved around and swapped between windows, they are a bit more cumbersome than other options. However, if you want a lot of coverage from side-angled sunlight, they’re a great pick.
Visor-Mounted
A visor-mounted sun glare visor attaches to the built-in visor in your vehicle. It can be connected by velcro, straps, or screws. This type of visor can also work in several different ways to block the sun from your view. It can either hang down in front of your eyes or extend outward to the side. Some visor-mounted products even do both! The advantage of opting for this style is the variety you’ll enjoy — you can extend in multiple directions, all while still moving your visor for the perfect placement to block out sunlight.
Sun Visor Extender Key Features
Material
Many built-in sun visors feel frail and flimsy, so you want to find a well-made and high-quality extender. If you want one that connects directly to the visor, make sure it’s durable and sturdy enough to stay in place while you drive. It shouldn’t move even with bumps, vibrations, and sudden stops. The same goes for extenders that attach to the windows. Since you can remove and reuse them, find one that will hold tightly to the glass.
UV Protection
One of the most important features in a windshield visor extender? How well it protects you from the sun’s UV rays — or its UV protection. Driving in direct sunlight can have the same effect as if you spent the entire day outside. An extender that offers UV protection will ensure you don’t get a sunburn or other side effects of UV rays, like sun damage inside your car. If you live somewhere particularly sunny, you’ll definitely want to buy a visor with enhanced UV protection.
Polarization
Sure, sun visor extenders can literally block the sun’s light. But if you opt for a polarized product, you’ll also get a reduction in brightness and glare, all without losing some of your visibility. Polarization helps you see clearly even when the sun is shining so brightly you’re struggling to keep your clarity. It essentially dims the brightness and glare, all while still allowing you to have a wide window to see everything out of your windshield or side windows.
Sun Visor Extender Tips and Tricks
As with something you do for decades upon decades, you pick up a few tips and tricks along the way in terms of selecting the right product, and/or using it. That’s the case with us and sun visor extenders. To help you bridge the information gap, here’s a selection of what we’ve learned along the way.
- Sun visor extenders aren’t just for sunny weather — they can be used to help reduce the glare of the sun off of the snow too. In a snowy region, a visor can make a huge difference.
- You don’t have to fully remove the sun visor extender when the sun is down. You should be able to fold the visor out of sight.
- You’ll want to find a visor extender that will fit your window or built-in visor properly. Some may not be equipped to fit in certain vehicles, such as SUVs, trucks, or compact cars. You can trim or cut some visor extenders if they are too big.
- You shouldn’t have to fuss around to install a visor extender. Every type of extender should fit snugly and firmly on either the visor in the car or onto the window with ease and take just minutes to get in place.
FAQs
Q: How can I extend the sun visors in my car?
Any of the products we’ve mentioned above can be used to extend your car’s existing sun visors. While some cars have OEM visors that slide out to offer extra length, adding an extra accessory like those we’ve highlighted here can help block out sunlight from different angles and offer you better protection in the face of blinding brightness and glare.
Q: How much does a sun visor extender cost?
Adding a sun visor extender to your existing visor is pretty affordable. You can find options like the TFY Car Visor Sunshade Extender for less than $20. Other options can run between $20 and $35, depending on material, size, and other details.
Q: How long does a sun visor extender last?
This depends on a few factors — but the material your extender is made out of and the kind of wear and tear you’re putting it through are two of the most important. With normal use and durable material, you should get a few years out of any extender.
Final Thoughts
Our top pick is the Glare Guard Polarized Car Visor Extender. Its polarized technology helps reduce the sun’s rays, improving your vision on your drive. However, if you’d like to save some cash, get the convenient and budget-friendly TFY Car Visor Sunshade Extender.