Best window tint brand

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I would like to get everyone's opinion as to what brand of window tint is the best in terms of durability (not turning purple) and interior protection. We live in Texas with the scorching sun and need a window tint that can "take the heat"! I currently have Lumar on my Corolla and have been reasonably happy with it, however I can't locate any installers here in town. The tint shop I called today installs Aegis window films; I have never heard of this brand...
 
I had SunTek on my previous car and it was utterly flawless and I never took care of it. It was installed in a parking garage during a car meet and the guy said it was his favorite because he never gets complaints, it's consistent through batches, and doesn't fade or shrink. His explanation was it was as good as 3M but 3M has a nifty adhesive that comes of with the tint more easily rather than having to clean it a bit.
 
Second on 3M films, I've used them while in Guam and now Oklahoma, which would be a total of 30 years and never had any problems or fading.
 
Although the actual Llumar branded film is not available, have you checked to see if the FormulaOne line of films is available in your area?

My friend has been very happy with the ceramic-based FormulaOne Pinnacle film that I had installed onto her Mazda 3. The installer used FormulaOne Pinnacle 35% on the rear windows and the new Llumar Air Blue 80% on the front windows. The film blocks out an incredible amount of heat, doesn't fade and does not interfere with any electronics. Clarity is also better than the cheaper films, IMO.

Price was $400 to do all of the windows and was worth every penny.

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$400?! I'd freak out if I saw that bill.

I've never paid more than $150 on any vehicle for a tint job.
 
I've had SolarGard and Llumar. Both were good, though I prefer the brownish tinge of the SolarGard to the greyish tinge the Llumar had. They both looked totally black from outside though.

I've heard that glass cleaners cause tint to turn purple. Can anyone confirm this?
 
Originally Posted By: rpn453
I've had SolarGard and Llumar. Both were good, though I prefer the brownish tinge of the SolarGard to the greyish tinge the Llumar had. They both looked totally black from outside though.

I've heard that glass cleaners cause tint to turn purple. Can anyone confirm this?


Ammonia based cleaners will kill the color on any tint.

What you want to use is a little alcohol based cleaner and a microfiber towel. Most of the glass cleaner that you buy at a auto parts store is "tint safe" meaning it uses alcohol.
 
Originally Posted By: bigmike
$400?! I'd freak out if I saw that bill.

I've never paid more than $150 on any vehicle for a tint job.

If you use a GPS inside of your car, have keyless ignition, have a radio antenna built into the rear window or use a cell phone inside of your car, the sub-$250 tint jobs with metallic may have a negative impact on your electronic device's performance. Ceramic tint or dyed tint (cheap junk) is needed to avoid those problems.
 
Huper Optik is best for the blackest black and also heat rejection. Since you live in TX, I would suggest paying more for Huper Optik and get the best for heat rejection.
 
Originally Posted By: deven
Huper Optik is best for the blackest black and also heat rejection. Since you live in TX, I would suggest paying more for Huper Optik and get the best for heat rejection.

Huper optik is a very thick film that was not originally intended for automotive applications. It is difficult to install for this reason and on curved windows, it will result in ghosting. The only dealer that was willing to install Huper Optik around here wanted $700 for all 4 windows. Formula One Pinnacle Ceramic offers nearly the same heat rejection properties for just over 1/2 the cost.
 
Originally Posted By: bigmike
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Window_Film/Solutions/Markets-Products/Automotive/

3M tint is non-metallic, which is what I've always used. I've paid for tint jobs on 2 trucks (paid $100 and $60, respectively) and 2 cars ($100 and $150). These were all done by quality installers as well. Maybe $400 is the going rate in CA? I wouldn't think so, considering it's probably common to have auto tint like it is here in FL.

The FL tint market is quite screwed up due to the number of tinters. A friend of mine got all 4 windows tinted on his TL with FormulaOne Pinnacle Ceramic for $250 in West Palm Beach. I called six FormulaOne dealers in Northern and Southern California and the going rate was between $380 and $420. Even a tint with quality Suntek film is going to cost you around $250 here.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: bigmike
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Window_Film/Solutions/Markets-Products/Automotive/

3M tint is non-metallic, which is what I've always used. I've paid for tint jobs on 2 trucks (paid $100 and $60, respectively) and 2 cars ($100 and $150). These were all done by quality installers as well. Maybe $400 is the going rate in CA? I wouldn't think so, considering it's probably common to have auto tint like it is here in FL.

The FL tint market is quite screwed up due to the number of tinters. A friend of mine got all 4 windows tinted on his TL with FormulaOne Pinnacle Ceramic for $250 in West Palm Beach. I called six FormulaOne dealers in Northern and Southern California and the going rate was between $380 and $420. Even a tint with quality Suntek film is going to cost you around $250 here.


That's true - you can't drive down the road here w/o seeing several places that advertise window tinting. That said, it's still pretty difficult to find a good installer.
 
Hmm I used Gila from OReilly's on the 'stiva. I'm sure the pro's use something different for that car spending $40 to do the whole car versus the $200 I was quoted it'll work. The back window is hard part since it can't be removed. We'll see how it'll hold up I have some window glass cleaner that's approved for tint should be okay.
 
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