Best Window Tints: Block the Sun & Make Your Car More Stylish

The best automotive window tints for privacy and to keep the heat away

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PUBLISHED ON April 18, 2019

Whether it’s to upgrade your vehicle’s look or block light on hot days, the best window tint can completely transform your car or truck. Auto tints are applied to the glass surfaces of your vehicle, such as the windshield, rear glass, and side windows. The best auto tint has several advantages that will make driving not only more comfortable but also safer.

This window tint provides good heat reduction and has a 99% anti-UV rate. You can choose a shade up to 50%.

This scratch-resistant tint blocks 99% of UV rays and is non-reflective. It includes five tint shades, and the company provides thousands of tint patterns for 1990-2018 vehicles.

Written by Noelle Talmon

Published April 18, 2019

All of our reviews are based on market research, expert input, or practical experience with most products we include. This way, we offer genuine, accurate guides to help you find the best picks.

Benefits of Window Tints

• Keep your car cooler. During the summer or in hot climates, the interior of your car can get very hot. The best auto tint will keep the interior cooler.
• Block UV rays. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can be very harmful to the human body. It can cause a number of health issues, such as skin cancer (melanoma), cataracts, and premature skin aging.
• Cut down glare. When you’re driving, the sun can be very bright, which can cause eye fatigue. The best window film for cars is particularly useful if you’re driving a long distance on a sunny day.
• Get more privacy. The best auto window tint will conceal items inside your vehicle, particularly things in the back seat. It’s also more difficult to see people inside a car with a window tint.
• Reduce fuel consumption. Since window tints keep your vehicle’s interior cooler, you’re less likely to crank up the air conditioner. This reduces the amount of fuel you use, saving you money.
• Keep your interior from fading. The best-quality window tint will prevent the hot sun from penetrating the glass and fading your front and back seats, dashboard, and other interior areas.
• Boost glass protection. The best window tint film has an adhesive layer that may prevent the glass from shattering if it is struck in an impact. This can help protect you and your passengers.

Types of Window Tints

Dyed Film

This type of tint includes a layer of dye between an adhesive layer and a polyester top coating. The tint appears flat and opaque from the outside and gives the driver and passenger good visibility. Dyed film is non-reflective, less expensive, and blocks glare. However, it provides the least amount of heat and UV protection. It can also deteriorate in high temperatures. Eventually, UV rays will turn the dye from black to a shade of purple.

Metallic or Metallized Film

Metallic tints have a metallic look and feature an adhesive layer, a layer that blocks UV rays, a metallic layer that reflects light, and a protective outer layer. This type of tint does not fade, is very durable, and is great at reducing heat and UV reduction. However, it can obstruct radio waves and other electronic signals, such as a cell phone signal, GPS, or TPMS.

Carbon Film

Carbon tints block UV rays and interior fading. They reflect as much as 40 percent of infrared light with their dark, matte finish. They do not fade over time, and they help reduce overall fuel consumption because they cool your vehicle enough to reduce the amount of air conditioning you need.

Ceramic Film

The best ceramic tint features ceramic particles that are non-conductive. It performs very well and is the newest type of tint on the market. It blocks up to 99 percent of UV rays, reduces glare more than other types of tint, and does not fade. It keeps your vehicle at the desired temperature and does not interfere with electronic signals; however, it’s more expensive than other types of tint.

Factory

Several car manufacturers offer you the option of having a factory tint. Windows are permanently tinted via a process known as «deep dipping.» While this darkens the glass, it is not the best car window tint for heat reduction or UV protection. Typically, factory-tinted windows have a VLT index of 15 to 26 percent. This can cool your car’s interior but won’t offer a lot of privacy or protect you completely from the sun.

Top Brands

Suntek

SunTek is headquartered in Martinsville, Va., and is under the Eastman umbrella. The parent company has more than 60 years of experience in film production and technology. One top product is the Suntek Window Films Carbon 18 Black 40 Inches by 100 Feet 1.5 Millimeter Non-Fade — CARBON 18 40X100.

MotoShield Pro

MotoShield Pro is based in Commerce, Calif., and focuses on using nano-coating protection for your car inside and out with an easy-to-clean, ultra-smooth surface. One popular product is the MotoShield Pro PreCut Ceramic Tint Film All Windows Any Shade.

3M began as a small-scale mining venture in Northern Minnesota over a century ago in 1902. The company operates in 70 countries and produces more than 60,000 products. One popular auto window tint is the 3M 1080 G12 GLOSS BLACK 5 Feet by 7 feet (35 Square Feet) Car Wrap Vinyl Film.

LEXEN

LEXEN is based in Catonsville, Md., and is a Formula One/LLumar-authorized window tint dealer. One of its top products is the LEXEN 2 Ply Premium Carbon 20 Inches by 100 Feet Roll Window Tint Film.

Gila Window Film is manufactured by CPFilms Inc., a subsidiary of Eastman Chemical Company in Martinsville, Va., which has over 60 years of experience in film production. One popular product is the Gila 550001807 Heat Shield 5% VLT Automotive Window Tint DIY Heat Control Glare Control Privacy 2 Feet by 6.5 Feet (24 Inches by 78 Inches).

Window Tint Pricing

• Under $25: There are several window tints on the market in this price range, but they sometimes cover just a couple of windows and not the whole car. A few may be applied with static cling instead of adhesive.
• $25-50: Some of the best window tints fall into this category. You can get a decent-quality product for this price, and they typically come in larger square footage.
• Over $50: Window tints can cost upwards of several hundred dollars. More expensive products tend to be more pliable and easier to use with curved surfaces. They also are more resistant to bubbling and peeling.

Key Features

Pre-Cut Versus Rolled

Pre-cut films are cut precisely to match the dimensions of your windows. Conversely, you must cut rolled tints yourself to make a proper fit. Pre-cut films are typically more expensive compared to the DIY version. If you are proficient at measuring, consider a rolled tint to save some money.

VLT Levels

The shade measures how much light can pass through a tint. The best types of window tint typically come in various shades of black and are rated by the percentage of visible light transmission (VLT) that enters the vehicle. Tints with a lower VLT percentage are darker, while tints with a higher VLT percentage are lighter. For example, a VLT with 50 percent means that 50 percent of the light will come into the vehicle. The best window tint percentage is up to you.

Best Window Tints

Stay cool and incognito.

December 5, 2019

Tinted windows are one of the best upgrades you can make for any car. It gives your car an extra sleek look, helps shield your interior from heat, and provides your passengers with a little extra privacy. Tinted windows can also help protect you and your car’s interior from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays.

If you simply want window tint that’s easy to install and pre-cut for your exact vehicle, we recommend the LEXEN Premium Carbon Tint Kit . With careful installation, it can produce great results for far less than a professional tint shop.

Are tinted windows worth it?

Assuming you don’t obstruct your view of the road, tinted windows can give you a much-improved driving experience, especially when you’re getting into a car that’s been sitting outside on a hot summer day. That means your air conditioner won’t have to work as hard in the heat.

Tinted windows can also help prevent others from seeing who or what is inside your car, while still retaining visibility for you and your passengers. And although you should avoid keeping valuables in your car, tinted windows can make your vehicle a less enticing target for break-ins.

If your car spends a lot of time parked outside, your interior materials are susceptible to damage from ultraviolet rays. With enough exposure and time, everything from plastic to leather will lose that new car feel. Many tint applications can block up to 99% of harmful ultraviolet rays. By our calculations, that’s an A+.

Different Types of Window Tint Explained

Dyed polyester tint is the most common and affordable type of window tint. As the name suggests, it’s constructed from a layer of dyed film sandwiched between the adhesive and polyester. For this guide, we’ll be focusing on dyed polyester tint, as it’s the most readily available online.

With metallic tint, you get additional protection from heat and ultraviolet rays, thanks to a reflective metallic layer. The catch is that the material can sometimes interfere with cellular and GPS signals. In this day and age, this type of window tint is probably not ideal for anyone who relies on their phone for phone calls or navigation while driving.

If money is no object and you want to keep your car cool at all costs, ceramic tint offers the latest and greatest advancements in the category. Most importantly, you can use your phone or GPS without any interference. You get what you pay for, which is more than all other types of tint.

Before You Buy

Regulations on tinted windows vary across the country. Many states restrict the minimum visible light transmission (VLT), colors, and location of tint. To avoid a visit from local law enforcement, check your state’s laws on window tint before you purchase and install it on your vehicle.

If you’re feeling crafty, you can save money by purchasing rolled tint and cutting it yourself. Others should consider pre-cut tint, which is cut and measured to fit your exact vehicle. Whether you have a Ford Mustang or a Nissan Murano , it’s always helpful to take the guesswork out of a DIY project.

Best Window Tints

Getting your windows tinted at a professional shop can lead to great results, but it might cost you a few hundred dollars. The LEXEN Premium Carbon Pre-Cut Tint Kit is available for a fraction of the cost and is customized to fit your car’s windows. According to the manufacturer, they draw from thousands of tint patterns for all kinds of vehicles.

The LEXEN Premium Carbon Tint Kit is available in several common VLT levels. From lightest to darkest, you can choose from 50, 35, 15 and 5 percent. When ordering, you do need to message the manufacturer with your vehicle make, model, year, body style, and the desired shade.

There are plenty of satisfied user reviews, with plenty of pictures showing off freshly tinted windows. Most are happy with the quality of the tint, especially for the money. There are some who had trouble installing the tint on their vehicle, which is to be expected for a detail-oriented project like window tinting.

The LEXEN Premium Carbon Roll Window Tint gives you a 20-inch by 100-foot roll of window tint to work with. It’s made by the same manufacturer from the same material as our pre-cut pick, with the same range of VLT levels from 50% to 5%. The only real difference is that you’ll need to cut it yourself.

Given that this is a less user-friendly product, there are positive but fewer user reviews for LEXEN Premium Carbon Roll Window Tint. Most reviewers are happy with the price and ease of application, although a few report user errors. If you’re comfortable cutting out your own tint, this is a great value.

Best Window Tint for Non-DIYers: Professional Installation

Realistically, not everyone has the skill, time, or interest to install window tint themselves. If that’s you, we recommend getting your windows tinted by a local professional. You can find nearby businesses and services through Angie’s List or Yelp . In some cases, you can even get a mobile installation done in your driveway.

Tint shops offer types of tint that typically aren’t available online, including metallic and ceramic. In most cases you also get a warranty with installation, which can be a lifesaver if something goes wrong down the line. A professional tint job tends to cost more, but it definitely has its perks.

If you’re looking to buy a new car , you can often get your windows tinted through the dealership before you drive off the lot. Considering that many people head straight for the tint shop after buying a new car, this can help you save some time during the car-buying process.

Each and every product featured here is selected by our editorial staff of car enthusiasts, and anything you buy through our links may earn TrueCar a commission. Although the prices are accurate and items are in-stock at time of publication, offers are subject to change without notice.