Ceramic Vs. Regular Tint

[Flamingsword]

In my opinion the ceramic actually is the darker looking tint from the outside.

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[PandaJL]

As others said - the darkness isn’t what is different from ceramic vs. regular. The heat certainly is. My husband got a ceramic tint on his Polestar recently, and it’s a night and day difference in getting into that car on a hot day. It still warms up, but it feels more akin to getting in 20 degrees cooler vs. scorching. I’d highly recommend ceramic - especially if you’re in the south. I’m in the northeast and still think it’s worth it

 

[j2.pictures]

As others said - the darkness isn’t what is different from ceramic vs. regular. The heat certainly is. My husband got a ceramic tint on his Polestar recently, and it’s a night and day difference in getting into that car on a hot day. It still warms up, but it feels more akin to getting in 20 degrees cooler vs. scorching. I’d highly recommend ceramic - especially if you’re in the south. I’m in the northeast and still think it’s worth it

I am in Northern California where the summers are hot and the winters are mildly cold (2 hrs North there is snow)

 

[Borderline Jeep]

Ceramic tint is much better than normal tint. Ceramic stops the heat that normal tint doesn't.

I had a Mazda CX3 in Saudi Arabia. I did ceramic tint on all windows. I even did the windshield, which for that, I used clear ceramic tint. It was so hot there that I had to do it.

 

[Chugiakguy]

I just had the windows in my 2022 Willys Sport ceramic tinted --- 30% on the door windows, 70% on everything else (including the windshield). The 70% tint only darkened up the hardtop and rear windows slightly, and it is not really noticeable on the windshield from outside, and only slightly from inside.

I went with the ceramic tint because even though my Jeep is new (as of three weeks ago), it does not have air conditioning --- it is, according to my dealer's factory rep, the very last Wrangler ever made without A/C. So I was mainly going for the ceramic tint's heat-rejection properties. But I also wanted the windows slightly to moderately darker for privacy reasons, and just to cut the glare of the typically low-angle sun in Alaska.

 

[jollyjerry]

I’ve done ceramic and regular on other vehicles. Ceramic was better for heat rejection. Did the windshield with 90% and that made the biggest difference in comfort. My Willys sport has smoked rear windows. They’re dark, but still heat up. Haven’t tinted since only use it on weekend trips.

 

[jollyjerry]

I just had the windows in my 2022 Willys Sport ceramic tinted --- 30% on the door windows, 70% on everything else (including the windshield). The 70% tint only darkened up the hardtop and rear windows slightly, and it is not really noticeable on the windshield from outside, and only slightly from inside.

I went with the ceramic tint because even though my Jeep is new (as of three weeks ago), it does not have air conditioning --- it is, according to my dealer's factory rep, the very last Wrangler ever made without A/C. So I was mainly going for the ceramic tint's heat-rejection properties. But I also wanted the windows slightly to moderately darker for privacy reasons, and just to cut the glare of the typically low-angle sun in Alaska.

I’m cursed with other non-ac vehicles. Don’t mine manual doors, windows, mirrors, but man, I love having AC

 

[Chugiakguy]

I’m cursed with other non-ac vehicles. Don’t mine manual doors, windows, mirrors, but man, I love having AC

And I used to love air conditioning too, and used it all the time when I lived in the Lower 48. But we just don't get too many days where it is really uncomfortably hot here in Southcentral Alaska. Plus, the A/C compressor in the pickup that I've been driving for the past 26 years died about 7 years ago, and cheap and lazy bastard that I am, I did not bother to repair or replace it. And you know, I've gotten pretty OK with driving without A/C.

Now, the one thing that will be different in the Jeep in that regard is that, in the (single cab) pickup, I could just reach behind my head and slide open the rear window in the center, getting a good breeze blowing through the vehicle when it was hot. In the Jeep, that will not really be an option! But I am already planning on rigging up a system to keep the rear (tailgate) window partially up, and secured from bouncing, when it is really hot and I am doing any long-distance driving (I wouldn't drive around town like that to any extent, though, due to the greater chance of having exhaust fumes coming into the vehicle from the rear).

 

[dragoneggs]

To the OP... my experience is that 'tint' is a separate animal than ceramic content. The percentage tint is equivalent regardless, but what I have noticed with Xpel materials that I have had installed on several vehicles... is that the higher end (ceramic) tints have a more blueish hue so if you are trying to match your OEM 'tint' you may need to dial back the ceramic content.

 

[j2.pictures]

Thank you all for your replies. I ended up going 5% ceramic tint all the way around excluding the windshield. I absolutely love the look, and I will post some pictures in my build thread

 

[6.2Blazer]

Alright, I've been reading a lot of threads on tinting recently and nothing seems to make sense... even in this thread.







If 20% = 20%, but 5% = 35%, but 35% also matches the factory tint on the back windows, but then 20% means just a tad lighter than 70% on the back windows while also matching well with all windows..................

Is there a standard for this crap or not? How can according to this thread 5% be equal to 35% which is equal to 20% which is just a tad lighter than 70%? And it's not just this thread. It seems like everything I read seems to come down to this convoluted notion of % basically meaning nothing.

If somebody could just please tell me what the actual % of tint is from the factory, so that I'm able to figure out what % to tint the front 2 windows in order to match that, I would be eternally grateful.

Your comments above are not what the other posts mean. 20% = 20%, 35% = 35%, etc.....
The "20% which is just a tad lighter than 70%" and other comments you make are not the right interpretations of what people are saying. I think what is causing the confusion is that people are talking about applying aftermarket tint on top of the existing factory tint. For example you have the factory rear windows already tinted to 20% and then add 70% aftermarket tint to that it makes it darker. On paper the factory tint allows 20% light transmission through the window, and then the aftermarket tint only allows 70% of that 20% through....so mathematically you have 70% of 20% = 14%, which is the new "tint" rating.

I have a vehicle with 20% on the front side windows (to match the factory rear windows) and another vehicle that has 35% all the way around. In my opinion the 35% causes very issues with visibility at night, while the 20% does. There have been many times when driving the 20% at night where you go to turn left but you can't really see anything and will roll down the windows, and also when backing up I will roll the windows down. Never been had that thought with the 35%. If it's warm not a big deal but I live in region that is regularly below freezing temps in the winter and especially at night, so it's not that pleasant. With 5% tint on the front side windows that's about like putting a curtain over them when driving at night....

 

[SBLACK502]

I have regular tint 5% all the way around and 35% on the entire windshield. My last 2 vehicles have been the same. Love it and can definitely tell a difference.

 

[Chugiakguy]

I have regular tint 5% all the way around and 35% on the entire windshield. My last 2 vehicles have been the same. Love it and can definitely tell a difference.

You must not do much driving at night!

Given that I have to roll the window down in my pickup, which has 30% tint on the side and rear windows, in order to see anything while backing up at night into my driveway, I can't even imagine what 5% tint would be like in that same situation.

 

[SBLACK502]

You must not do much driving at night!

Given that I have to roll the window down in my pickup, which has 30% tint on the side and rear windows, in order to see anything while backing up at night into my driveway, I can't even imagine what 5% tint would be like in that same situation.

I drive all the time at night and have zero issues. If I’m on a dark road with no street lights I roll down to verify before pulling out but if that’s the worst I have to do, I’ll take it to have my windows dark

 

[Chugiakguy]

I drive all the time at night and have zero issues. If I’m on a dark road with no street lights I roll down to verify before pulling out but if that’s the worst I have to do, I’ll take it to have my windows dark

Well, admittedly, my house sits in an utterly black hole, with no street lights or other lights around, with woods behind and to one side of my view as I am backing up. I always feel almost like I'm backing up into a cave, LOL.

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