How to Choose the Right Window Tint Percentage for Your Car

Imagine driving down the highway on a scorching summer day, only to find that your car's interior feels like a sauna, leaving you feeling sticky and exhausted. If thoughts of relief from this sweltering experience have ever crossed your mind, then a window tint is exactly what your vehicle needs.

Choosing the perfect window tint for your car not only upgrades its overall aesthetics but also keeps your ride cool and protected from harmful UV rays. In this guide, we will help you navigate the world of window tints and reveal practical tips on how to choose the perfect one for your car—because staying cool shouldn't be optional!

Window Tinting Benefits

Car window tinting provides numerous benefits that improve the comfort, safety, and aesthetics of your vehicle. One major advantage is that it offers protection against UV radiation, which can be harmful to both your car's interior and your skin.

Window tinting films are designed to block out up to 99 percent of UV-A and UV-B rays, reducing your exposure to these harmful rays by a considerable amount. This not only protects your skin from damage but also helps to prevent fading, cracking, and discoloration of your car's upholstery, dashboard, and other components.

Sun Protection and Privacy

Window tinting offers unbeatable protection against prying eyes while also providing shade for privacy. With different levels of opacity available, drivers have complete control over how much protection and privacy they want. Higher percent tints provide more privacy and security, while lower percent tints give you more visibility.

Just like how sunglasses protect your eyes from the sun's harsh light and reduce glare, tinted windows provide similar benefits for your vehicle. A window tint percentage of 20% provides a good balance between privacy and aesthetics, making it difficult for someone to see into the car from the outside.

Glare Reduction and Aesthetics

When it comes to driving, glare from the sun can be a big problem. It can create a dangerous situation as it obstructs your vision and can cause temporary blindness. Window tinting can help reduce this problem by blocking the sun's rays from entering your car and making you more comfortable while driving. Moreover, it adds aesthetic value to your car by giving it a sleek and stylish look.

Glare reduction is one of the many benefits of window tinting. It's particularly helpful when driving during sunrise or sunset, when the sun is low on the horizon and directly in your line of sight. By installing window tint, you will significantly reduce the amount of glare that penetrates your car's windows. This will make it easier for you to drive safely without risking accidents.

Aesthetics is another important factor that contributes to people's decisions to install window tints on their cars. Today’s cars are designed to look sleek and stylish, so why not add another layer of style with a window tint? The right tint percentage can enhance your car’s exterior appearance, giving it an edgy vibe that speaks volumes about your personality.

Ceramic Window Tint Packages in Austin

Ceramic window tints are becoming increasingly popular due to their advanced technology. It offers superior performance compared to other types of window tinting films. These films are made using nanotechnology, which uses ceramic particles to block UV and infrared rays from entering your car. 

Ceramic tinting technology is a smart choice for those living in hot climates because it can reject up to 80% of the heat coming through windows while retaining high visibility.

Xpel Prime XR Ceramic Window Tint

If you're seeking the perfect balance between heat rejection and UV protection, XPEL Prime XR is the ideal choice. This window tint package offers exceptional performance, with up to 85% infrared radiation rejection and 99% UV coverage. Its dark charcoal color improves privacy both during the day and at night while also reducing glare for drivers, who frequently have difficulty seeing due to excessive glare from shiny surfaces like chrome roofs that are typical of modern cars. With XPEL Prime XR, you can enjoy all the benefits you need without having to resort to expensive alternatives.

XPEL Prime XR Plus Ceramic Window Tint

XPEL's Prime XR Plus Ceramic Window Tint gives you a lot of great benefits. This window tint package sets a new bar for protection with features like blocking up to 98% of infrared heat, being very clear, and blocking 99% of UV light in all shades. XPEL has everything you need to keep your car safe from the strong heat of a Texas summer.

XPEL not only does great work, but it also puts customer happiness first. Along with their best-in-class goods, they offer a full, transferable warranty for life. This means you can enjoy the benefits of their high-quality window tint and rest easy knowing it comes with a great guarantee. XPEL wants to make your life better by giving you not only security but also better viewing experiences, no matter when or where you are at home.

Window Tint Percentages

Window tint percentages refer to how much visible light transmission (VLT) is allowed through the car’s windows. The color becomes darker as the percentage decreases.

The most common types of tint percentages are 50%, 35%, 20%, and 5%. A 50% tint allows half of the visible light into your vehicle and is great for blocking UV rays and reducing glare while still allowing some visibility outside.

A 35% tint is darker than 50% but still offers clear visibility from the inside; it’s popular among car owners due to its sleek appearance and additional privacy without compromising significant loss of vision on highways or main roads.

A 20% tint is even darker and provides more privacy with reduced visibility levels. Tints of this variety are great for those who want to keep the contents of their car hidden from sight while providing a good balance of blockage between sunlight and aesthetics.

A lot of people tend to avoid a 5% tint on front windows due to legal restrictions in several locations. However, it is commonly used on the back windows of cars, such as limousines, to provide maximum privacy.

It’s important to note the restrictions that come with lower tint percentages. Different states have different regulations regarding this aspect of car customization, so be sure to check your state's laws before settling for a specific tint percentage.

Legal Considerations in Your Area

When it comes to car window tinting, one of the most important factors you need to consider is the legal regulations in your area. Each state has its own set of laws that dictate the maximum allowable percentage of visible light transmission (VLT) for car window tints. These laws are in place to ensure that drivers have sufficient visibility while operating their vehicles and to reduce the risk of accidents on the road.

In most cases, violating these laws can result in traffic tickets or fines. Depending on the severity of the offense, repeat offenders may even face license suspension or impoundment of their vehicle.

For instance, there is a State that has a policy where a vehicle's windshield cannot have tinting that allows less than 70% VLT. This means that the driver's side and passenger's side windows must allow at least 70% of the outside light to pass through. Rear-side windows and the back window may be tinted with any darkness, but their VLT must not be less than 70%.

In contrast, Texas allows a minimum of 25% VLT for both front- and back-side windows. However, in both states, limousines and commercial vehicles may have darker tints installed legally.

Following these laws doesn't mean you're stuck in a plain-looking vehicle with no privacy. By exploring different options for tints and considering what will work best within the given constraints, you can still achieve an attractive look while staying within legal boundaries.

Professional Window Tinting Installation in Austin, TX

At Authentic Details, we view every vehicle as a valuable asset that deserves the utmost protection, particularly when it comes to preserving the interior. We are excited to offer the XPEL Window Tint Film packages at our detailing shop in Austin, TX, which will provide improved safety for both surfaces and passengers.

We are dedicated to providing the best service to our customers, which is why we ensure that our installation team is well-versed in the window tinting regulations enforced in Texas, including Austin. Contact us at (512) 296-0183 today to schedule an appointment.