The Best Window Tint Brands

Tinting your car’s windows has a lot of benefits besides adding some privacy and elegance to your vehicle’s looks. Another obvious benefit of window tint is to keep your interior nice and cool, but it also blocks out harmful UV rays, helping prevent premature wear of your interior. It can also help reduce brightness and glare while driving, reducing eye fatigue on long trips. And in extreme cases, tint can also hold glass pieces together if any of your windows shatter.

Typically, you’ll want window tint to be installed by a professional, but that’s not exactly the most affordable route. If you love do-it-yourself projects, there are several companies that sell rolls of window tint or pieces cut specifically for your vehicle. It does take a bit of patience to install window tint, but if you’re up to the task, this article will recommend five brands of quality material as well as go in depth on how to choose the right tint for your car, and some tips on how to install your window tint.

For more information on car window tint, refer to our table of contents.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether or not you want to tint your car’s windows. But as we mentioned before, there are a lot of benefits to installing tint. Arguably the most important factor is the protection it offers, not just to your interior, but to you and your passengers. Tint helps block out UVA and UVB rays, which are directly linked to the development of various skin cancers. Most window tint will advertise it decreases the amount of UV rays by up to 99 percent.

Blocking UV rays doesn’t just offer protection for human beings, it also preserves your interior. Over time, cars with tinted windows will see less cracks in their leather as well as less fading of the dash and other interior parts, such as the center console and door panel. This means that vehicle will have better resale value compared to a vehicle that didn’t have tint for its life.

If you live in an area that often experiences warm or hot temperatures, window tinting can reduce heat inside a vehicle dramatically. Lastly, a minor benefit of window tint is that it can help prevent glass from shattering in an accident. Although modern vehicles do come with tempered or laminated side windows, the additional adhesive from window tint could help reduce loose pieces of glass inside the cabin.

Like most automotive-related products, window tint film is continually evolving. But generally, when you’re shopping for car window tint, there are four types of film to choose from: Dyed, Metallized, Carbon, and Ceramic. Each of these types of film have different features, properties, and pricing. Choosing the right one for your car will depend on your overall weather conditions and how much you’re willing to spend, but it’s important to know the differences so you make the right decision.

Dyed tint film is arguably the most popular, because it’s the most economical. Overall, they’re less effective compared to more expensive tint films, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. While these films do tend to block out UV rays while absorbing some heat, they’re mainly for aesthetic purposes and to provide privacy. Heat reduction tends to be average at best with dyed tint film, and this material is often what experiences the “purple” effect, where tint turns purple after a few years of use.

Metallized film isn’t as popular these days because it tends to interfere with electronics, such as cell phones, GPS, and even an in-car navigation system. This film type uses very small metal particles that has been embedded into the film, giving solid protection from heat and harmful UV rays. It is also more scratch resistant compared to dyed film and the metal used helps make your glass more shatter resistant.

Carbon window tint film has been a more popular option in recent years, since the material is non-metallized and won’t interfere with electronic signals. This tint also tends to have a matte appearance to it and can block around 40 percent of infrared light, helping keep your car’s interior nice and cool. Another benefit to carbon film is that it won’t fade or change colors over time.

Lastly is Ceramic film, which is essentially the highest quality film you can purchase, so long as it comes from a reputable manufacturer. It’s also the most expensive, since it uses ceramic particles instead of dye, metal, or carbon. This material can reduce 45 to 50 percent of solar heat from entering your car’s cabin while being resistant to glare and fading. Most Ceramic film will reduce UV rays by up to 99 percent, making it the most effective.

Before we dive into tint percentages and what they represent, the first thing you should do before purchasing tint is checking local laws and regulations. Each state in the U.S. has different laws when it comes to window tinting, and the tint percentage will dictate which product you’re allowed to legally use. Some states have stricter laws than others. For example, California drivers can only use 70-percent tint film on the front windows, while the back side windows and rear windows have no limitations.

The darkness of tint is measured by Visible Light Transmission percentage (VLT%). In the most basic sense, the VLT% describes how much light is let in, not how much light is blocked out – so 70-percent VLT means 70 percent of light is let into the vehicle. The lower the percentage, the darker the tint film.

Now keep in mind most vehicles come with slightly tinted glass straight from the factory, which means your car’s windows naturally do not let in 100 percent of light. If you want to be really accurate, you can have your vehicle’s windows tested to determine their current VLT% without tint. There are devices you can purchase to get an accurate reading, but an easier and much more affordable method is to simply ask a professional tint installer. Since their job is to work with tint and windows all day long, most will be able to tell just by looking at the glass.

Generally, factory windows will have a VLT% between 74 to 85 percent. That tint is applied by dying the glass, so you want to take it into account when choosing tint film, to make sure you’re staying within legal limits.