Sassy Mama Recommends: Snooze Shade

My son, Alex, was born 4 months ago and, right from the start, has been an alert and active sort of child, bright, interested in everything, cheerful, and constantly on the go, (ok, so I may be a teeny bit biased!). The flip-side of this is that he absolutely HATES to sleep during the day, fighting naps and rarely staying asleep for longer than 45 minutes at a time. It’s almost as though he can’t bear to miss out on a thing, and this inability to switch off can have a very negative effect on his moods, as he quickly becomes overtired and grouchy, especially when out and about in his stroller during the day.

Having tried various combinations of parasols, scarves and muslins draped over the hood to block out the glare and visual stimulation for my boy to no avail, my Mother-in-law sent me a link to a product called SnoozeShade, and it’s been such a revelation for us I felt like I should share it with the Sassy Mamas! Basically, it’s a stroller cover that blocks out the 94% of the sun’s glare, providing a dark, cool space for your baby to doze, and offering breathable UV50+ sun protection – ideal in our hot and humid climate. It has a nifty ‘sneak-a-peek’ zip that allows you to check on Junior without waking them up, and folds up into a tiny mesh bag that can be conveniently hung from the stroller’s handles. On a personal note, it has helped Alex to sleep for up to 2 hours at a time for the first time ever, and has cut the amount of time it takes for him to drop off in half (with minimum complaining!)

Created by UK mum, Cara Sayer, who was tired of randomly pegging blankets to her stroller to keep her daughter asleep, the SnoozeShade has received rave reviews in Britain from a variety of credible testers, including ‘Which?’ magazine and was a finalist in the Practical Parenting and Pregnancy ‘Innovative Product of the Year’ award. Designed to fit any stroller, I tested mine for size on a Bugaboo Bee Plus, a friend’s Baby Jogger and a Maclaren Quest and found it to be a good universal fit. The SnoozeShade is also available for double buggies and carseats, as well as a cot version which looks great for travel and is definitely on our wishlist from Santa this year!

Available from Bumps to Babes, Mothercare, and via www.ShopinHK.com and www.BabyCentral.com.hk online in HK, the SnoozeShade Original is around HK$275, and worth every cent!