This post is a departure from my normal, but I need to share my awesome DIY for our Noggle that did not fit well on our curved pillar vent in the rear of our SUV. I looked high and low on the internet for a possible solution, and came up dry.
First of all, what's a
Noggle? It's a funny-looking, but totally amazing (and necessary if you live in the South) product that redirects air from your existing car vents. It's especially helpful for kids like mine who are rear-facing in their car seats and can get no direct air flow. This is simply miserable in the hot summer! I've tried several different products over the years to deal with heat, like an ice blanket to pre-chill the car seat, but they only work for a short time, are cumbersome, and you have to remember them each and every time when you get in and out of the car. Not that convenient. You just install the Noggle and that's it! (By the way, this is not a paid post. I paid full-price for my Noggle, and the company has no idea who I am!)
Now, the problem with mine is that we have adjustable curved side air vents in the rear pillars of our 2013 Kia Sorento. GREAT for forward-facing kids like my oldest, but practically worthless for my rear-facing kiddos. When I first installed our Noggle, I was dismayed that I could not get a flush fit. Not a fault of either Kia or Noggle, just different. We were losing a ton of air flow from the gaping sides.
So, I looked for a solution at my local hardware store. I went in knowing NOTHING about what I was going to need. I walked up and down practically every aisle, thinking outside the box. Rubber tubing? PVC sheeting? Accordian drain pipe? Plastic conduit? My imagination was running wild. I was just NOT seeing any good solutions. That's when I finally started down the cleaning aisle. It began with packing supplies...foam. Then, I saw it - foam furniture corner protectors! $7 for a 4 pack of heavy duty foam corners!
The tools I used are:
-Paring Knife
-Black Marker
-Hot Glue Gun
-Foam Corner Pad
(
Important note: I wasn't able to find this style online. The foam corners must be a mirror image on top and bottom.)
First, cut one corner pad in half along the seam line in the center of the pad.
Next, cut from the C-shaped end a 1" wide piece (before cutting, read through to the end first.)
Then, measure against the curve of the pillar vent and carefully cut out the shape of the curve from the foam pad with the paring knife. I just eyeballed and free-handed it.
With the marker, take the rectangle plastic Noggle vent connector piece, and on the flat edge trace the piece on the foam (picture above.) Use the paring knife and cut carefully along the marker line. Use the vent connector to test that it will fit inside the cut line, including at the bottom where it curves (you may need to cut a curve to accommodate it.) Be careful not to cut too deeply - you don't want to cut all the way through.
When the connector piece fits firmly in the foam cut out, remove it, then use the hot glue gun to run a bead all the way around the cut line, and quickly and firmly insert the vent connector inside.
At this point, take the piece to the pillar and test to see if there are any gaps when the foam goes against the pillar. In my case, I needed to build up the sides of the foam so that it sealed against the sides. I simply cut two more 1" pieces from the other end of the unused half of the foam corner to do this, then hot glued them on. If I were to do this again, I would make the initial cut piece at least 2" deep.
Now it fits perfectly against the pillar! Use the Noggle zip tie to attach it firmly in the vent according to the Noggle directions.
I attached the Noggle vent hose to the connector, and turned on the AC...the output efficiency was improved dramatically! So much more air was able to get through without being lost in gaps.
Hope this helps someone! Let me know how it works for you, or by all means, if you have a better (or more elegant) idea! I will definitely get one for my new baby when she arrives in a few months!
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