Windows film expectations

I just got our 2019 tinted with Llumar ceramic at the same shop that does Huper tinting. He recommended the Llumar this time instead:

What did you do to your Prime today?

I can take my IR thermometer with me this week and see where the temps end up.

 

Had the IR thermometer with me the last 3 days at work and here’s what I got:

Day 1:
outside temp: 91 F
Interior temp: 114 F (measured on the front cloth seat)

Day 2: (used sun shade for windshield as the only difference)
Outside Temp: 93 F
Interior temp: 111 F

Day 3: (used sunshade with front windows cracked)
Outside temp: 88 F
Interior temp: 98 F

Of course I don’t have a comparison without the tint, but that’s a baseline.

Front windshield is tinted with the CTX at 80%.
Front windows are 50% CTX
Rear windows and hatch are 15% CTX:


It’ll be in the low 100’s next week, so glad I got the tint last weekend.

 

The window surface will always be hotter with tint, because the tint is absorbing heat. But at least in theory about half that heat radiates out and half radiates in, versus no tint where the heat makes surfaces in the car hot. The exception would be a mirrored tint, which would be a hazard to other drivers, or a tint that reflects infrared more than visible light, like a low-e coating. But I'm skeptical that "ceramic" tints can have any effect on heat.

 

My window tint guy said ceramic is just a scam to get more money. He noted that the infrared lamp test is not the same as sunshine.

It would be fairly simple to get a 12" x 36" piece of glass, apply normal tint to 1/3, ceramic tint to 1/3, and nothing on 1/3. Then set the glass in the sun over a black piece of paper and temp gun the surfaces.

 

I have the Huper Optik tint in my windshield and all I have noticed is I don’t need sunglasses as often. I was hoping my dash temp would go down. I still can’t put my hand on the dash when the sun is out and it’s over 80 degrees . Now I’m looking for a dash mat. Has anyone purchased a dash mat and if so, are you pleased?.

 

surface temp of the glass is not a good way to assess the performance of window tint.
the tint stops the UV and IR from going thru the glass. it can only do it two ways, absorb it, or reflect it.
most tints work via a combo of the two.
you need to compare interior temps, with and without tint.
also it doesnt matter what level tint you get, if you leave your car in the bright sunlight long enough, its gonna get hot.
main goal is to reduce UV damage to interior(and you) and reduce temps somewhat, and privacy.
i do find with my formula 1 pinnacle tint (15) and photosync (75) windshield, that i can cool the interior much faster and be more comfortable with the AC at a more mild setting, and fan at a lower speed. thus less heat is getting in.
without the tint the black dashboard was like a broiler radiating heat constantly, now its not that hot to begin with and cools down completely when i'm driving. which is exactly what i was hoping to accomplish. i had an 08 prius, it was never tinted, and the dash was always annoying in the summer. now on my 18 with the photosync, dash isnt a broiler anymore.

 

on the prime the windshield is the biggest window, if its not tinted you arent going to notice much improvement, not that much sun gets in side windows... they get tinted just for show...lol
get the front done, you will like it.
i paid 500 for the rest of the car, and 250 for front for photosync. but the llumar air 80 or similar will also be good, i got photosync because they had it, no idea if its better or not, but they say it is. air 80 or air 70 would be fine on the front. my photosync is the 75, i think i could have gotten away with the 65...
for the front its important that its a high quality film so the clarity is good...
also depending on your state, if you have inspection stickers, that can be problematic.
i do have stickers in PA, willsee next year how much of a hassle it is
i like the light blue color of tint on the windshield, i would not like the khaki tan color of some other tints, photosync is light blueish, very very faint.
air 80 is a bit more blue i think ?? keep in mind the coloration of the tint when doing windshield, you will be looking at it every day !!
i almost got huper on my prime, but was afraid the rear window shape would cause distortions...
post up more pics!!!

 

The tint guy I use wouldn’t attempt Huper on the hatch as it is too thick.

He’s done over a dozen Prime’s so I listened to his experience .

 

So this is all Huper Optik?

What tint % all around?

The windshield was $200 for me, but when it’s 100 F outside, the AC isn’t running full blast to maintain 76 F inside temp, so I know it’s working .

Looks great though.

 

i agree the photosync is a bit overpriced, but i wanted to try it, for the highest TSER, on the windshield. if could have tried a few different tints i'm sure i would have found one that felt like it was working as good, for less money... i will always choose the cheaper option that is almost as good as the best, rather then pay up for the best, that is only a few percent better than #2.
but i had no ability to try out tints. and didnt want to be disappointed since i know the front dash on the prius is a broiler !!!
so i folded and got the photosync. not disappointed. but will always wonder if air 80 or air 70 would have been just as good for 100 less
tint is a once per car option for me, and i keep a car 10 yrs or longer. so hopefully i'm a cool customer for a long time, makes me feel better after dropping 750 on tint !! yikes. plus i did the wifes car the same. so that was 750X2. luckily we got good rebates etc. so it was less painful.

 

The air 80 is performing well so far.

A lot better than having nothing at all. I notice the difference when driving in particular.

 

Exactly right. If you don't do the windshield you won't see huge gains while the car is sitting static. I was a little iffy on doing my windshield, but now I won't have a new car without it.

All I can say is that I was driving to Northern Cal while the outside temperature was 110 degrees F and I had my A/C set to 76 degrees (Eco mode) and auto. The fan never went about the 2nd bar.

70 percent windshield, 35 % doors and 20% rear. Huper Optik Autobahn.

 

Do these tint levels provide a bit of privacy from other drivers? I know that's not the intent of tint but it's an added benefit to some folks.

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