Would like to tint my windows at the back to keep my kids from bright sunlight. What should I be considering for the job (e.g. material, color, darkness, etc...)? I have seen some tints on cars that have bubbles, is this a material thing or workmanship? Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

bubbles are usually workmanship...
i did 30% on the rear and 50% on the front two windows, flows nicely and its not super dark either, just enough

 

agree with loccsta, large bubbles mean crappy work. but you will have small bubbles the first few weeks you get it done which is normal. they go away after a while.

you should stick with good companies like 3M. if you purchase cheaper film they'll start turning purple after a while. and see if you can find out the legal limit to how dark you can tint so you don't get hassled by the police. i have 35% tints all around except for the windshield which makes everything outside look just slightly darker and i still have great visibility at night.

 

I'd suggest visiting a couple of tint places near you to get a sense of what they offer and their pricing. Quality of product, price, and workmanship can vary drastically. Budget tint to cut down on glare can be had for $150 or you can spend $500+ on the high end ceramics (allow you to do lighter tint with good heat blocking). It's all in what your goal is and how much you are willing to spend. A visit to a few places will also give you a sense of their shop and quality of work.

 

I would like to do just the back...Since you're from Canada, would you happen to know what the legal limit is? 50% seems quite high. Also, I got a quote from Tint King in Toronto, do you know if they are good?

 

You'll barely even know 50% is on the window. If you're trying to reduce the amount of light coming through for your kids, you need 35% or darker. I've got 35% ceramic FormulaOne on all windows except the windshield. Couldn't be happier.

Bubbles are definitely workmanship. There will be "fisheyes" after it's installed, but once the tint solution dries, those disappear.

 

put up the rear sunshade if you have one

 

The rear sunshade is not good since my route takes me North in the morning and South in the afternoon, and the sun always hits one of my kids from the side at any given time.

 

Well in canada, any tint on the drivers and passenger windows is ILLEGAL. I still have it done though. And the rears, I wouldnt recommend going anything lower than 15%. You will start having problems seeing out the back windows at night.

Keep in mind your factory glass is tinted at 93% so it will actually be a little darker. Hence why I went with 35% on the back 3 because it actually makes it a little darker.

 

The other guys have pretty much answered most of what you are asking:

1) Check around at a couple places and find out what brands they use. Stick to name brand, made in USA film. I'm not saying that to support the USA (which I happily do), but you don't want cheap Korean film that will turn purple. 3M, Llumar, SunTek, etc.
2) I personally prefer hihger quality films with more Heat Rejection qualities which is why I chose SunTek CXP. Similar properties to high end ceramics, but at a lower price.
3) You should decide on the quality and type of film first, then you basically get the color it comes in. Each manufacturer has different hues in similar films, and each type of film usually has a slightly different color.
5) I would go lower than 35%. At night, with our darkening rear view and side mirrors, it makes it hard to see. You will definitely notice 50%, but you will probably wish you had gone darker if it is allowed by law. Like another user says, factory windows have a litle light rejection and the light transmission is almost never exactly what the film says either. (Just because it is called 35, doesn't mean it is 35%. It could easily be 32% ro 38%, and the manufacturers know this, and do advertise the exact VLT in their brochures.)
6) Ask around for references for local shops, and go with who you feel most comfortable with and get the best reviews from. They probalby use the best film as well. The bubbles are usually from poor workmanship.

 

does anyone have pics of their tint? i'm trying to see the difference between 35% and 50% which are my 2 choices.

 

interior color makes a difference. I have 40% with a black interior and it looks darker than if I had a tan or grey interior. Lots of tint posts and threads; best bet is to search.

 

One important thing to stress is to go with a ceramic tint. They block a lot more heat than a carbon tint. I have had really good experiences with Llumar ceramic tint. I had it on my 30% on my '03 Saab 9-3 Aero (sold), and currently have 30% on my S5 and 40% on my 3GS. Even though they are all the same color film (all gray, but different darknesses) the color looks different on each of the cars due to the glass color and existing tint on the factory glass.

Material: Ceramic!
Color: Grey (Lexus windows have a green hue)
Darkness: Depends on local law and your taste. No darker than 15% No lighter than 40-50%.

 

35% ceramic or 3M tint. Bubbles are workmanship of course so do some YELP research or ask around from friends/family/workers who have experience with tinted windows. 50% is too light. 20% might get you a ticket in most states

 

... had threads on tints before, just to recap that darker tint does not necessarily mean better reduction of heat and glare. Huper Optik and V-Kool provide superior films which do not need to be too dark to produce great infrared and glare blocking impacts.