The Best Sprinter Van Window Covers [Our Top Pick]
58 shares One of the very first accessories we bought for our new Sprinter van were insulated window covers. Good Sprinter van window covers keep…
One of the very first accessories we bought for our new Sprinter van were insulated window covers. Good Sprinter van window covers keep heat out of the van in summer and keep the van warmer in winter.
We also love to both stealth camp and stay in campgrounds, and window covers are essential for our privacy.
Typically, you’ll either see black or silver reflective window covers on campervans. We chose to go with black for the extra stealth factor. When looking at our van from a distance, you can’t tell anyone is inside, you just see a black void. It almost looks like you’re staring into an empty cab!
In this post, I’ll tell you about the best Sprinter van window covers we’ve found, and tell you about a few other choices on the market.
Table of Contents
Why We Chose Sprinter Van Window Covers by VanMade Gear
There’s a reason many companies go with window covers by VanMade Gear. We first learned about the covers from our Flarespace flare kit, which are two large fiberglass flares that allow us to sleep sideways. The half-slider windows in those flares are covered by small insulated VanMade Gear covers.
I looked on VanMade Gear’s website and found a variety of covers for any Sprinter van window! I ordered one for the front windshield and one each for the driver’s and passenger’s front door windows. We didn’t need any for our side windows from Wilderness vans as they already come with screens and covers.
Here are some reasons why we love window coverings from VanMade Gear:
Good Insulation
Window shades by VanMade Gear are insulated with Low-E SSR aluminum-backed insulation. On a hot day, the insulation blocks UV rays and 97% of radiant heat – I’ve put my hand on the sun-side of the shade and it’s way hotter than the interior of the van! The insulation also means the van will retain more heat during cold days or nights.
A Perfect Fit
VanMade Gear’s window shades are super easy to put on and require zero installation hardware. With the front window shade, all you do is slide the shade around the rearview mirror and secure it using the driver’s and passenger’s visors. It locks in place perfectly.
The front and side window coverings use powerful neodymium magnets that attach the shades to the edges of the window. They click into place and block out all light from leaving the van. We’ve tested this on a dark night, walking away from the van and not seeing any of the lights blazing inside. This means the window covers are working just right.
They’re Low Profile
If you choose the black exterior color for your shades, you’ll blend in more with your surroundings. This is great for stealth camping or even boondocking. If you don’t care as much about stealth, you can choose a marine-grade reflective exterior for an exposed-foil finish and even more heat reflection.
Easy to Store
The window coverings we chose from VanMade Gear are really easy to store. They fold up when not in use and we either set them between the driver seat and passenger seat, or slip them into our Mercedes Sprinter van’s garage under the bed.
Lots of Variety in Sizes and Colors
While we only ordered a window covering for our front windshield and front doors, you can order a variety of different sizes depending on what you need for your Mercedes Sprinter van. Here are some of the shades you can choose from:
- Front windshield
- Front doors
- Crew window shade
- Sliding door shade
- Rear door covers
- Quarter panel shade
- Front door mosquito net
Speaking of variety, VanMade Gear’s shades come in more colors than any other shade on the market. For the exterior, you can choose between Black Ripstop fabric and Marine Grade Reflective. Interior colors come in black, olive-gray, silver dust and khaki.
A Couple Negatives about Window Shades by VanMade Gear
The window shades we have from VanMade Gear are pretty darn perfect, but there are a couple of things to be aware of.
They’re Expensive
If you buy window shades for a Mercedes Sprinter van from any company, they are going to be quite expensive. You’re looking to spend between $200-$300 per shade. The front windshield shade is $325, for example, and the two front door shades are $225. If you add up all those prices, adding shades to every window in your van could get quite spendy.
Money Saving Tip: If you want to make your own window shades to save on price, check out this quick course by Two Wandering Soles: How to DIY your Window Shades
Long Wait Times
Like most campervan products, you’ll find a long wait time to get your hands on shades by VanMade Gear. Deliveries might take anywhere between 4-5 weeks.
Other Options for Sprinter Van Window Shades
If you don’t like VanMade Gear or want to try another company, there are several out there that are also making shades. Here are a few to check out:
The Wanderful’s Sprinter Van Shades
The Wanderful sells a variety of sunlight blackout shades for the front cab, rear doors, crew window, sliding door and vent fan cover.
The shades are made out of water-resistant rip-stop material, have foil-faced insulation and install into place with rare earth magnets. You’ll get complete blackout and privacy from these Sprinter van window shades.
They are very similar to VanMade Gear shades except they don’t come in a variety of colors.
Tourig Mercedes Sprinter Blackout Shades
Tourig also sells shades for Sprinter vans that are waterproof and breathable. Like the others, they add privacy and insulation to all your windows.
These Tourig window covers are made out of 5mm closed cell foam for extra heat-retaining/blocking properties, and are installed and removed using stiffening rods. These make them different from other covers on our list as they don’t attach with magnets.
The stiffening rods are meant to keep the shades in place during hot and cold temperatures when things tend to expand and contract.
Exterior Temptrol® heat-reflecting fabric blocks 95% of radiant heat and Interior WeatherMax® fabric has resistance to water, mold, and mildew.
Here are the Tourig shades you can get:
- Front windshield
- Front doors
- Rear doors
- Galley window cover
- Bunk windows
Making your own Sprinter Van Window Covers
If you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars outfitting all the windows of your van, you can choose to DIY your shades.
Katie and Ben of Two Wandering Soles have built THREE campervans and also made their own window shades. They are now offering an affordable tutorial on making your own shades, which includes step-by-step instructions, a thorough video tutorial, materials list and insider tips.
Two Wandering Soles saved over $500 making their own shades, and Katie didn’t even have any sewing experience beforehand.
Conclusion on the Best Sprinter Van Window Shades
All in all, we highly recommend our covers from VanMade Gear. We love that they fit easily with magnets, require zero tools and don’t let any light outside. The black exterior color is perfect for stealth camping while the marine-grade reflective is great for added heat-reflection.
We also love that VanMade Gear’s shades come in a variety of colors on the interior for a bit more of a custom look.
If you don’t want to pay top dollar and wait for the shades to be in stock, you can choose to DIY your covers with the help of this awesome tutorial by Two Wandering Soles.
We hope this helps you choose the best window covers for living in a van!
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