Stu

I am pretty sure most people tint their windows for appearance.

I want to know if tinted windows really keep the car significantly cooler in the summer sun.

I am sure some tints do a better job than others in keeping the heat out than other ..... what should I look for in a tint material if my main goal is keeping heat out of the car?

Thanks

Flat Four

If you want to keep heat out, get the UV-block tint. Most tint places will have a display with a heat lamp set up, UV tint on one side, regular tint on the other. You really can feel how much cooler the UV side is. I don't know much about tint, but that display made an impression on me.

LiCelsior

iTrader: (32)

yea...black is suppose to ABSORB heat. i guess the purplish tint is more effective.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

depends, most tint is metallic and the metallic particles help to reflect the heat. its why most tints will actually look kind of like a mirror if looked at head on when clean.

yes, tint helps a LOT, but if your car is black its going to hurt either way.

only recco is dont forget the sunroof, its a big glass panel on the roof and gets a LOT of sun

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Mo-in-law has a really nice ceramic type on her Accord. The past few days, getting into it isn't a big deal. (We've had some 90F+ days recently.) When I got into mine with a metallic, the inside was still mucho hot. Over the clear glass, it is better but mine compared to hers is night day difference. I want new tint.

Mine is Llumar metallic 35%.

Kansas

We also have Llumar metallic 35% tint on our cars. We don't tint our cars for the "appearance". Tint simply makes our cars more comfortable and decreases interior sun damage over the years. There is a huge reduction in heat transfer through the side windows when the sun is low in the sky on a hot day.

I always choose a neutral gray tint because gray causes the least distortion of colors outside the car -- the same reason that gray tinted sunglasses are recommended by opticians.

If there was a clear film that could provide the same benefits and comfort as a tinted film, then I would definitely choose clear.

j stuff

iTrader: (5)

think about it thisway

sun hitting your skin directly will be hotter than a shade on your skin

so yes its hotter without tint trust me

TJW98LS

iTrader: (1)

A black car either way is going to roast your ***** off.

If its a sunny day I leave the sunroof tilted and the cover open slightly to get air in and out but keep sun out of the car.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

I prefer the car without tint actually. When I was considering, I wanted one with about 65% transmission or so but the heat and reflection properties at the time weren't as good as those with less light properties. I'm sure they had some back then too but I was unaware.

Mo-in-law's car though looks dark and I don't like that. I dunno how the newer cars are with the UV glass and tint on top of that.