Window tint 3M Ceramic IR 50% all around

[frankysharpp]

Hey guys, I'm looking in tinting my GTI in spring.

I really like the 3M Ceramic IR color tone/effect and I know a lot of you guys will say go 15-20% all around! But having an all black interior, I'm really looking on a little shade effect like a 50% all around. If anyone could share experience and photos of a 50% 3M Ceramic IR or other brand 50% Ceramic tinting would be appreciated. I hope 50% Ceramic could also impact on the interior heat? Thanks!

 

[AdamSheikh]

Not 50%, nor 3M, nor a Mk7 lol, but here's Xpel XR Plus 30% all around. Also went with 70% on the windshield fwiw. Just dark enough to eliminate the fish bowl effect, but not entirely blacked out either. Heat rejection is incredible.

 

[Nineeightyone]

I don't have a photo immediately available, but we had similar thoughts when my wife wanted tint for her car. She pitched 50% Llumar IRX (IIRC) to the tint place -- they strongly recommended 30%, because 50% would be a barely noticeable difference. Ultimately we followed their insight and similar to what @AdamSheikh posted, the result is just dark enough to be effective, but wtihout looking too dark. Visibility outward isn't negatively impacted, but it definitely helps keep the heat down. Hopefully that helps a little.

 

[hans611]

I have 3M "Crystalline" CR40 on my deep black pearl Golf R, this is how it looks like.... imo, its perfect... you can still see decently well at night. (33% actual VLT)

Installed on the rear window, and all 4 doors (None in the windshield ofc, and actually none on the little triangle in the front doors either... they wanted to remove the A pillar trim....)

3M Crystalline - https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b00016683/

edit: I avoided ceramic bc of how it affects cell phone signals but i think that's overblown... 3M crystalline performs very similar to their Ceramic IR, actually a bit better infrared reduction, UV, total solar energy rejected, etc....

but it does have a slight blue hue, as you can kind of tell...

 

[rmchung1]

50% will look like nothing and you'll barely feel like you have the sun being shaded from the inside. 30/35% is what would be called "medium" tint. I've gone 35% on all my vehicles and they've been ceramic as well. Never had any issues with cell service.

You may want to go to a tint shop where they may have cars in the lot that are already done and hopefully can see what 30% looks like versus 20%. Don't go by what they have on display in the store as that will give no indication of what it looks like on a car.

 

[krs]

50% will look like nothing and you'll barely feel like you have the sun being shaded from the inside. 30/35% is what would be called "medium" tint. I've gone 35% on all my vehicles and they've been ceramic as well. Never had any issues with cell service.

You may want to go to a tint shop where they may have cars in the lot that are already done and hopefully can see what 30% looks like versus 20%. Don't go by what they have on display in the store as that will give no indication of what it looks like on a car.

Isn’t there a difference in light reduction, and heat reduction? You can get like a 80% on the windshield, and will still cut down on the UV and heat.

I have 50% on all my windshields, 30% around the rest. I rarely use sunglasses while driving anymore as the reduction on the windshield takes care of it all.

 

[hans611]

Isn’t there a difference in light reduction, and heat reduction? You can get like a 80% on the windshield, and will still cut down on the UV and heat.

I have 50% on all my windshields, 30% around the rest. I rarely use sunglasses while driving anymore as the reduction on the windshield takes care of it all.

yes exactly, even if you get the 3M CR90, it still blocks almost 50% of all heat... My previous GTI had a 15-20% VLT tint done by the PO and honestly at night it was way too dark....

I have really poor vision though, astigmatism, everything so definitely not in the windshield for me...

 

[AdamSheikh]

I avoided ceramic bc of how it affects cell phone signals but i think that's overblown

Ceramic tint doesn't affect cell signal at all. Metalized tint is what interferes with signal, but any reputable/high quality film these days will be ceramic.

 

[Cuzoe]

We just got 50% on the wife's car... it's going back to get something darker at the shop's very next availability.

 

[ChristopherNeil]

Do 35% all around and 50% on the windshield. No affect on nighttime visibility, dark enough to make a difference, and not dark enough to attract attention if you live wher tint laws are tighter.

Your tint shop should have a car or two that they can show you what it looks like.

 

[hans611]

50% on the windshield will obviously impact nighttime visibility, it would be ridiculous to say it would not.... Now if you don't care and are just avoiding attracting attention from the law, that's another thing.

Also, there is no jurisdiction were a full tint on the windshield is allowed.... some allow up to the AS-1 line... so its not a question whether the laws are too tight, but how hard they are enforced.... it will always be illegal.

 

[AdamSheikh]

I personally would stick to the lightest film for the windshield, typically 70%. I was skeptical about it since I'd never had film on my windshield, but I'm a believer now. It's as good as invisible but helps to reject a ton of heat. The car stays cooler overall and cools down much faster.

Technically not legal, but you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who can even tell the 70% film is there. 50% might draw some more attention, but I doubt it. Down here in FL though, people are rocking limo tint on their windshields (usually a clapped Altima or G35 lol) and never get bothered. It's the Wild West down here.

 

[Cuzoe]

I did 50 on my first windshield and it was great when driving into the sun, but not worth the night time visibility trade-off for me. I wear glasses, but don't wear sunglasses.

Did 80% when I replaced that windshield, and 80% on the wife's windshield. You would be very hard pressed to tell it's there, but the heat rejection is great.

 

[hans611]

50% on the windshield will definitely draw attention, the pics posted of my car above are with 50% all around, you can obviously tell its tinted.... the car used to look like an aquarium... especially if the rest of the windows are at 35%, the lower light inside the cabin will make the windshield look completely dark.

70-80% will pass, my dad did I think 80 in both of my parents vehicles (and with 35% in the rest of the windows) and you cant tell.

edit:

Down here in FL though, people are rocking limo tint on their windshields (usually a clapped Altima or G35 lol) and never get bothered. It's the Wild West down here.

Those windshields may look like limo tint, but they are probably 50%, its just the rest of the windows are limo 5-10%, so there is so little light in the cabin, the windshield looks super dark.

 

[krs]

Also, there is no jurisdiction were a full tint on the windshield is allowed...

That's technically not accurate.

https://dmv.nv.gov/pdfforms/do200.pdf

But not countering any of your other points.