If you go to the web sites of the major window film manufacturers (Huper, 3M, Llumar etc.) you can see what percentages they offer and they also show the performance numbers of each of their films.

 

I have Spectra PhotoSync which is focused on blocking heat. Works pretty well in my opinion, but it's not cheap.

 

the best tint for blocking (heat/sun/etc) is the mirror type tint....but its ugly as shti IMO.

 

Mirror tint is illegal here anyhow.

 

I Swear by tint. I wouldnt drive without it. In my opinion anything less than 20% is a waste of money. Illegal or not I have only been stopped once in 20 years of driving with dark tint. 35% is OK if you are not comfortable with night driving. 20% is a bit hard to look out of, but I wouldnt go anything less. I don't want anyone to see me picking my nose.

As for Huper optics DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY! I put it on last year (the most expensive and darkest I could get) hoping for a significant difference. I got none. I Spent over $800 and the effect is similar to normal 20% tint, except it has a mirror effect that makes it very hard to look out of on a sunny day! I will never buy it again. I want to rip it off but I can't justify it now that I spent the money.

All those who say they felt a difference don't know what they are talking about. Heat is heat and this tint does not stop it as you would expect... Its like this: Instead of it being 140 degrees in your car on a sunny day it might be 130! You will still sweat and it will still be unbearably hot in the car!

BEWARE!!! IT IS NOT THE SILVER BULLET THAT IT MAKES ITSELF OUT TO BE.

SAVE YOUR MONEY!

 

Perhaps you do not feel a difference in terms of heat, but I definately do. 100 degrees feels different from 95. It's only a net change of 5, but there is a noticeable difference. Tinting may not turn your car into a refrigerator, but it does feel different, at least to me.

Sun glare isn't as piercing as it feels in a naked glass car.

Again, tinting might not be your thing, but i think it's worth a TRY to at least see if you can feel the difference. Find a friend who has tinted cars and sit in it, both after a short bake and for a short drive. Then compare it to your untinted car.

 

Yes, but you can sit behind the tint all day and not get burned.

The only effective way to block heat is to park in the shade or use a car cover.

 

To me the most important thing is SAFETY. Here in Florida a lot of cars I see have all black windows so that you cannot see the driver. Being able to see the driver and where he is looking or maybe hand signaling is very important. This is also important for Law enforcement but it seems to be ignored for the most part.