With hundreds of tints on the market, I think you'll agree with me when I say:
It's damn hard to find a good one.
Luckily for you, I've made a pick of 5 tints that really are worth the money they cost.
I've even made a cool comparison between them to help you buy the perfect one for your needs and budget.
Another key thing to consider is whether the tint you want is legal in your state or not.
Have a look at our window tinting percentages page to check that before you buy any tint.
Automotive Tint Comparison Chart
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | TYPE | VLT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOP PICK! | 1. MotoShield Pro Precut Ceramic Tint Film
|
Type: Ceramic | VLT: 5% - 70% | VIEW ON AMAZON |
| Runner Up | 2. Install Proz Double Ply Window Film
|
Type: - | VLT: - | VIEW ON AMAZON |
| Best Metallized | 3. Black Magic
|
Type: Metalized | VLT: 5%, 20% | VIEW ON AMAZON |
4. Solar Nano Ceramic
|
Type: Ceramic | VLT: 70% | VIEW ON AMAZON | |
5. Gila Heat Shield
|
Type: Dyed | VLT: 5%, 20%, 35% | VIEW ON AMAZON |
Best Car Window Tint Film Reviews
The sun may make your car look good when it’s freshly washed and waxed, but it’s hard on you, your passengers and your interior.
Done right, window tinting not only adds a sleek, professionally customized look to your car, but it also protects interior surfaces, upholstery, and your skin from the harsh UV and IR radiation of the sun.
If you want the best results for your money though, you need a quality tint film installed for your windows, and you need to ensure that the fit is perfect.
Professionally installed tint can be expensive, but there is another solution for DIYers: precut ceramic tint film.
These precision cut films arrive ready to install on your windows quickly and easily, and they will last for years to come.
Our pick for the budget conscious custom car person is the MotoShield Pro Precut Ceramic Tint Film.
You can shield your interior and passengers from 99% of the sun’s most harmful rays, and have your car look great without spending extra money.
Using precision cut tint film fitted according to factory specifications for your make, model and year makes a tint upgrade fast and easy. Here’s why we think you’re going to love this tint film.
The Good
The Not-So-Good
Pros
Cons
Adding window tint to your car makes sense from the perspective that you are preserving your car’s interior from sun damage, providing yourself with added privacy and keeping your interior cooler on hot summer days.
Choosing a tint film is a bit trickier, as you want to get a quality product that will last for years to come without cracking or fading.
For car DIYers on a budget, Install Proz Double Ply Window Film is a cost-effective option that lets you tint your windows and protect your car’s interior and your privacy.
It’s double ply, so it doesn’t peel, fade or turn purple with constant exposure to the sun.
At 20% visibility, it’s also in compliance with automotive window tint codes as outlined by local government authorities, too.
Here’s our review of Install Proz Double Ply Window Film (36x100’)
The Good
The Not-So-Good
Pros
Cons
Update: This used to be a great tint. Sadly, quality has consistently been dropping over the last months and it's NO longer recommended. I haven't yet found a good dyed tint worth making this top 5 to replace Gila. If you know one that's top of the class, please leave a comment below. Cheers!
This is probably the best dyed film for the price.
They also have films specially meant for curve windows (like rear windows) which will make the tinting process easier
- Two Year Limited Waranty, deep dyed technology for the longest color retention.
- Keeps the vehicles interior cooler.
- Rejects up to 78 percent glare.
- Glass breakage protection.
- Available in 35%, 20% and 5% VLT.
- The lowest percentages aren't legal in many states. For further infromation on this regard check our list of window tinting percentages per state.
The performance is the highest in dyed films at a extremely low price which will make tinting the whole car a very inexpensive procedure.
If you want to tint your windows yourself, check the video at the bottom of this page to see a step-by-step example done by a professional.
Lexen film comes pre-cut for your car so you don’t have to worry about anything but sticking it to the glass and enjoying a nice dyed tint.
This is by far the most convenient film from our list.
Installing window tint by yourself isn't tremendously hard, but when you have the pieces already cut, it gets so much easier and faster that is almost a matter of a few minutes.
- Model specific kit: Specify the Year, Make, Model, Body Type of vehicle
- Keeps the vehicles interior cooler.
- Non-Reflective Dyed Film w/ Anti-Scratch
- Glass breakage protection.
- Shades of 50%, 35%, 15%, 5%(Limo) tints
- Installer friendly film, scratch resistant, 99% of UV Block
- There are some cars for which Lexen doesn't have the measures for the windows, although not many.
Closing this best 5 list, we find Black Magic films.
We usually do not recommend metalized films because it interferes with signals like radio, GPS, phone and etc, but we thought we should include black magic as it is the best metallic film on the market.
- Available in 2.5%, 5%, 20%, 35% VLT
- Great heat reduction.
- High resistance film.
- Glass breakage protection.
- Interferences with radio and other signals.
- Made in China.
Benefits of Tinting your Windows
- It will help keeping the car’s inside cooler. Big deal if you live in places where summer sunlight feels like fire.
- Block harmful UV rays (one of the causing factors of premature skin aging, cataracts, and skin cancers)
- Reduce inside’s brightness and glare, reducing eye fatigue. If you drive long miles, this is vital.
- Give you more privacy, specially on the backseat area.
- Cool looks.
- Increased glass resistance to shattering (the adhesive layer will keep the glass pieces together)
You probably already had in your mind some of those advantages and maybe you didn’t know some of the others.
What is the best tint film material?
There are three main types of window tint, each one of them with its advantages and disadvantages, being some of the latter something to really consider before deciding what to install on your car.
- Metallic film
- CERAMIC FILM
Dyed window film is made by placing a layer of dye between an adhesive layer (that sticks on the window) and a protective polyester top coating.
It provides a flat and opaque look from the outside, and good visibility from the inside regardless the tint percentage.
- Less expensive option.
- Dyed film produces the darkest effect, and it’s non-reflective.
- Dyed film does not block radio waves.
- This film blocks unwanted glare from headlights and other bright lights.
- Easy to leave bubbles when installing.
- Offers the least heat and UV reduction of all tints.
- Under high heat, it can delaminate, with layers separating from one another.
- Over time, the UV rays will age the dye, fading it, and turning the color from black to purple-ish.
How to install window tint
The best window tint won’t look like the best if it is installed the wrong way.
But don’t worry! It really isn’t that hard.
You just need the right tools and someone to show you the step by step method.
In the following video, Ralph Van Pelt from FlexFilm shows in great detail how to install window tint.
Additionally, if your car already has some old window tint that you want to get rid of before you install your brand new window tint, you can check this guide on how to remove window tint from car windows.
Got Questions? Leave a comment below! I read every single one of them and try to answer in as much detail as I can 🙂
Cheers!
Hello friend!
Im looking into putting a tint to my car apart from the one that came with it. I am trying to understand which to use. I am looking for something that does not affect my visibility at night but keeps full privacy for me. I have seen tints that are like mirrored but I am unsure as what to pick. If you can help me I would appreciate it!
Thanks in advance!
Thanks for this review man really matters, especially to me cause I’m planning to install a tint to my car window.
Hey Vinay, yes these 5 in particular I’ve installed in a few occasions. Agreed Gila is absolute shite lately (there’s an update on its review) I haven’t done too many jobs on tints for the last 8 months so I’m to find some good replacements. Will update the list soon tho.
I haven’t tested any of these out and I have been in the industry for 18 years now. Thank you for helping me get out of the box as they say. Which would you say would be best to start out with? I have my own personal truck that I can try this out on.