Putting tint on your car is truly a liberating experience. Many cars don’t come with a factory tint; as a result, you’ll usually have to purchase a tint film in order to add tint to your car. Tint is always a bit of a tricky subject. This is because many municipalities have ordinances and laws which control the amount of tint a vehicle can legally have, so if you’re planning on adding a bit of mystery to your ride, make sure that the tint that you select is legal where you live.
Tint has many uses on modern day cars. It can reduce the sun’s effect on your driving on bright days; it can also provide a bit of privacy when you’re in your car. Fortunately, there are many options out there for tint films that will let you darken your car’s windows with relatively little effort.
What to Consider
When it comes to window tints, there are a wide variety of choices to pick from. This is not always optimal because some products of window tint film are very low quality. As a general rule, the more premium the tint, the longer it will last and the more your finished product will look uniform and smooth. Effectively, this means that you don’t really want to skimp when you are looking for the best window tint films.
Think About a Tint that Will Protect You and Your Passengers
One of the best uses of window tint film is that it can keep some of the sun off of you so that you can see better when you are on the road. These tints can definitely reduce some of the annoyances of a particularly bright day, but in general, you’ll have to purchase a tint that has UV protection if you really want to avoid the sun’s damaging rays. Some window tints are UV reflecting, which is great considering that the sun is very dangerous due to potential burns and melanoma.
Know How to Maintain Your Tint
Once it’s first installed, your window tint film will be vulnerable to damage. You should wait a few days for the tint to settle on your windows before you attempt to roll them down or clean them. Once they are past this breaking-in stage, you should also try to maintain them so that you’ll have a nice-looking tint on your vehicle for years to come. For general cleaning, use a soft paper towel or a microfiber rag and ammonia free cleaner so that you don’t inadvertently damage your car’s tint.
The Four Categories of Window Tint
While there are multiple options for window tint out there, for films, there are really four overarching categories:
Carbon Films – Since your digital devices like your Smartphone, your tablet, and your GPS can be disrupted by the metal that’s in some types of window tint film, so having a non-metallic option is particularly useful. Carbon tint films help prevent things like dropped calls and even spotty radio or GPS reception.
Coating Window Tinting – This type of tinting solution is sprayed directly onto your windows. Since this can go wrong in a plethora of ways, it’s best to not attempt a DIY solution for this type. Dedicated window specialists will simply have the spraying devices to ensure that your tint is even and attractive. As a non-metallic option, this is also a good choice for those who have radio-enabled devices.
Infrared Films – These are designed to actively reflect harmful ultraviolet and infrared rays. Additionally, these types of films also have high visibility and high performance. This type of film is also non-corrosive and won’t fade with time.
Metallic Window Films – Metallic window films have a tendency to be very shiny on the outside, and as you may have guessed, also have a tendency to cause issues with device reception. On the other hand, they also reduce UV radiation, so there are some benefits to this type of film as well.
Item
Best Design Feature
Price
Rating
LEXEN computer Pre-Cut Complete Tint Kit for All Windows
Lexen included a bevy of gradients for this tint. You can select from 50 percent, 35 percent, 15 percent, and five percent (limo tint)
$24.99
8 out of 5
Mkbrother Uncut Roll Window Tint Film 35percent VLT 36″ In x 10′ Ft
This product has 99 percent UV rejections. This makes it perfect for protecting against the sun.
$23.00
3 out of 5
Gila 2.5 percent VLT Xtreme Limo Black Automotive Window Tint
This product really reduces glare. This is perfect for those more sunny days.
$13.61
7 out of 5
Diablo 36″ X 100′ Ft Roll 35percent Window Tint 2 Ply Professional Dark Charcoal Tint Film Bulk Self Adhesive
This product is a double-ply tint film, which is perfect for a nice-looking charcoal deep effect.
$109.99
3 out of 5
Auto Expressions Black Magic, Insta Cling, Jumbo 5percent
You can actually remove and reuse this tint film, which makes it a very DIY-friendly option.
$9.74
6 out of 5
LEXEN 20″ X 10FT ROLL 5percent LIMO SHADE WINDOW TINTING FILM
This product comes with a razor knife and yellow squeegee for installation.
$8.99
3 out of 5
PROTINT WINDOWS 36-Inch-by-10-Feet Window Tint Film Roll
This product does a great job at keeping your car cooler as it has good heat reduction.
$25.99
7 out of 5
1) LEXEN computer Pre-Cut Complete Tint Kit for All Windows
As a pre-cut tint kit, it’s very easy to install the LEXEN computer Pre-Cut Complete Tint Kit because it’s designed to easily attach to just about any window. Typically, pre-cut kits are a little less high-quality and reliable than those that you cut and heat shrink yourself, but this particular product looks great and is very reliable.
LEXEN also does a great job of reassuring you of this products high level of quality and reliability by backing it with a two-year warranty and offering free shipping as well. You’ll also have several tinting options with this kit; LEXEN has provided 50 percent, 35 percent, 15 percent, and five percent tinting options.
2) Mkbrother Uncut Roll Window Tint Film 35percent VLT 36″ In x 10′ Ft
To start, it’s very nice that Mkbrother provides free shipping with this particular product. Unlike the previous tint film, this Mkbrother product is uncut. This means that you’ll have to cut it to size when applying it to your windows. This is a very device friendly product because it has no metal in its compositions. This means that when you are using your GPS while visiting new places, you won’t have to worry about hearing the dreaded, “GPS signal lost.”
The heat rejection of this product is only 50 percent, but it makes up for this in UV protection – this particular product is able to reject about 99 percent of harmful UV rays. The product doesn’t include a squeegee or a razor, so you’ll have to purchase these products on your own.To Buy this product online on Amazon Click Here
For those who seek a truly incognito vehicle experience, the Gila 2.5 % VLT Xtreme Limo Black Automotive Window Tint does a great job in this regard. It has a five percent tint gradient, which means that you will be able to confidently see outwards, but those who are looking in will only see a deep black. When selecting a limo-grade tint, always be sure that it is legal in your area.
This product significantly reduces glare; about 97 percent of the sun’s brightness will be managed by this product. Despite the fact that this product isn’t pre-cut, it does have a great adhesive surface that will adhere to your window without a lot of elbow grease.
4) Diablo 36″ X 100′ Ft Roll 35percent Window Tint 2 Ply Professional Dark Charcoal Tint Film Bulk Self Adhesive
This Diablo film is a two-ply product, which means that the tint itself is much darker and thicker than many of its competitor’s products. The result is that the Diablo Charcoal tint film looks smoother and deeper than many other tints that you find on the road. At 35 percent, this product doesn’t have an incredibly dark tint, but its charcoal coloration really looks great.
Diablo designed this product to last for a long time; as a result, it won’t start to look purple or fade with age. The one drawback of this product is that it isn’t very easy for a non-professional to install, but it is doable.To Buy this product online on Amazon Click Here
5) Auto Expressions Black Magic, Insta Cling, Jumbo 5 percent
The “magic” part of the Black Magic is the fact that this product will cling to your windows using just static electricity. This means that you’ll actually be able to remove and reapply this tint film so that you can maintain visibility in overly dark environments. Once you unroll this product, all you’ll have to do is measure it out against your window and cut it to size with a razor.
Since it doesn’t adhere in a more permanent manner, the Auto Expressions Black Magic tint can bubble up against your window. If this happens, it’s relatively easy to reapply in a perfect manner. It’s also very competitively priced; you’ll be able to find it at most auto retailers for about $10. As everyone’s preferences are different, the Auto Expressions Black Magic comes in various gradients of tint so that you can darken it to your desire.To Buy this product online on Amazon Click Here
6) LEXEN 20″ X 10FT ROLL 5percent LIMO SHADE WINDOW TINTING FILM
Our second LEXEN product is a tint film that provides the highest degree of privacy through a five percent gradient. With this product, LEXEN really has provided everything that you’ll need. This means that they’ve included both a squeegee to remove excess water and a razor to cut grime and slice the product to the right dimensions.
This is a very premium product, which means that you can expect that the tint will be uniform and smooth when it’s installed. This tint is non-reflective, which is a great feature that will enhance your privacy. It even does a great job at blocking much of the sun’s radiation when you have it applied to your windows.To Buy this product online on Amazon Click Here
7) PROTINT WINDOWS 36-Inch-by-10-Feet Window Tint Film Roll
Our final product, the Protint windows 36-Inch-by-10-Feet Window Tint Film Roll is another limo-grade product that only allows about five percent of light to transmit through the tint. If this is too dark for your personal preferences, Protint also has options that range from five percent to 50 percent.
This Protint product also has a sizeable amount of heat reduction and UV rejection so that your ride will be comfortable and safe. As a matter of fact, this product can make the interior of your car 15 degrees cooler, even on a swelteringly hot day. The Protint Windows 36-Inch-by-10-Feet Window tint film roll is designed to be cut to the size of your windows, but it also comes with a plastic card that you can use to work out imperfections in the tint’s surface.To Buy this product online on Amazon Click Here
Conclusion
Having tinted windows in your car really adds a sizeable layer of customizability to your vehicle. You’ll be less hot, will have a more visible driving experience, and you’ll also have a sizeable degree of privacy as your make your way down the road. The products that we’ve featured in this guide are all excellent choices for those who want to add a little tint to their driving experience.
If we had to pick a product that really shined the brightest, we would pick the LEXEN computer Pre-Cut Complete Tint Kit for All Windows. This tint film is very easy to install as it is a pre-cut kit. This means that it’s pre-shrunk and cut so that it will fit your windows perfectly. Many people avoid pre-cut kits, but LEXEN did a great job at creating an easy-to-use, foolproof product that also has a wide variety of tinting options. As a matter of fact, you can even pick a five percent gradient, which is a limo grade of tint.
If we were to pick the best bang for your buck product, then it doesn’t get much better than the Gila 2.5 percent VLT Xtreme Limo Black Automotive Window Tint. This tint film is very dark and also has a very low price point of about $13. Additionally, it cuts the glare that comes into your car by about 97 percent, which makes those brighter days much more manageable.