Review – SnoozeShade Plus

Isabelle was a nightmare to get into a routine and finally at the age of 7 months we cracked it, it wasn’t a strict routine but we liked to keep to a sleeping pattern. During the summer months putting Isabelle down for a nap was a struggle, it was too bright so our solution was to close the blinds. This was all well and good at home but what if we were out and about? We had to plan our days around her naps which meant we could only go ou at certain times, a nightmare when you have things to do like shopping etc. Couldn’t we just skip nap time? Isabelle is a very stubborn child and without her routine all hell breaks loose, she needs her afternoon nap. If we miss her nap or wake her up is causes problems when we try putting her to bed in the evening and means that we have a very grumpy and unhappy baby for the rest of the afternoon.

Finally the answer to our problems came when we were asked to review the SnoozeShade Plus, we no longer wanted to be ruled by nap times

The SnoozeShade Plus is a  sleep-aid,  designed by Cara to help your child get off to sleep and stay asleep whilst out and about. The SnoozeShade Plus is also acts as a sunshade protecting baby from the sun with the highest sun protection – UPF50+.  This is particularly great for those very sunny days when the hood of the pram doesn’t shade enough to protect your baby from for harmful exposure to the sun and stops the sun from getting in their eyes.

The SnoozeShade Plus is designed to be a universal fit for prams and strollers including 3 wheelers and even fits neatly under raincovers so can be used even in the lovely English rain. The SnoozeShade Plus works by blocking out 94% of light which creates a cosy environment allowing your little ones to have a restful nap without light disturbance.  The SnoozeShade Plus attaches on to the pram with elasticated Velcro strap fasteners which fit around the prams frame. The SnoozeShade is quite wide and long in length so it can be used as your child grows up to the recommended age of four as well as being suitable from birth.

Clever Stuff eh?

One of the great features of the SnoozeShade Plus is the Sneak-a-Peak section. This is a small zip that can be conveniently opened to check on your child whilst causing minimal disturbance.

When not wanting to block out the light completely the SnoozeShade Plus has an innovative ‘lookout’ window for baby to see out. This is great for Isabelle as she loves to watch the world go by when we are out and about. Even though the lookout layer blocks 80% of UV rays, additional sun protection should be used such as sun lotions, protective clothing and hats when in look out mode.

My first impression on the SnoozeShade Plus was that it was very compact and light, I wasn’t expecting anything huge but it did surprise me as to how light it actually was. It came in its own handy little bag which would easily fit in the basket of your pram/stroller and even in your changing bag. I was a little concerned about the air flow when using the SnoozeShade Plus but I needn’t of worried, it comprises of a double-layer of soft breathable fabric which allows air to circulate inside even with the lookout window closed.

On testing it I discovered that Isabelle remained cool which surprised me as she is a very hot child and sweats quite a lot (she takes after daddy) even when using the raincover that is designed for her pram she becomes quite warm.

I could see Isabelle’s legs thrashing around underneath the SnoozeShade (she is a very fidgety child) but she wasn’t able to take the SnoozeShade off and it remained perfectly in place. Our first test was a big one, we ventured out to the bustling city centre shopping centre which is full of bright lights and lots of noise at peak times. It was nearing her nap time at 2pm so we took the opportunity to start her nap routine by offering her a soother after her drink. She was tired but was very much trying to fight her sleep so she could carry on looking around at the people passing buy and all of the bright colours. Time to bring out the big guns, out came the SnoozeShade.

After a couple of minutes getting her to settle (no tears just frustration that she was missing out) there was complete silence from the pram, not wanting to push my luck I left it a further 5 minutes taking time to have a drink before I checked on her using the sneak-a-peak. Low and behold she was flat out and remained that way as I ventured in and out of the brightly lit shops. She slept for over an hour which is longer than she usually naps for.

The SnoozeShade fits perfectly on my Quinny Buzz 3 with lots of material left over on each side, even when I adjust the position of the seat the SnoozeShade moves with it.

I am deeply impressed with the SnoozeShade Plus  taking it everywhere with us and only wish I had known about it sooner. We have been asked by other parents when using it what it was, we explained about the SnoozeShade and that we could not recommend it enough.

Usually I would take photos when testing products but being a silly mummy and still suffering from what is commonly known as baby brain I forgot to bring my camera with me out on our travels.

You can see an an instructional video on how to put on the SnoozeShade here and also buy your SnoozeShade Plus here or from major retailers such as Boots, John Lewis, Mothercare and Toys R Us. It is retailing at £29.99 which is a little on the steep side but more than worth the money hen you consider that you can now go anywhere and your little one can sleep peacefully. Other products available are the SnoozeShade Original and the SnoozeShade for Infant Car Seats.