Mallitious
Member
What in your guys opinion is the best tint brand, and is getting one with a good heat rejection worth the extra money? Thanks, any info would be greatly appreciated! 
Best Tint Brand
- Thread starter Mallitious
- Start date
I just tinted my car and did allot of research, seems most installers like a certain brand and stick with it. The installer is more important then the tint. Yeah some of these new tints are pretty cool at heat rejection. Check out tindudes website they have some cool info there. Now I say all that and I went with a High-End Tint called Formula One Pinnacle which is a fully ceramic tint, no metal to interfere with GPS, Sirius Sat or Radar(This is why I bought it, I use a Valentine 1 with 360 degree coverage and the metal tints seriously reduce distance out back and sides) or any other radio type signals. These ceramic tints were designed for BMW's at first but now allot of cars come with there antenna's in the glass and the ceramic tints will allow this to work with no interference like metallic tints. There heat rejection is a tiny bit lower then a fully metallic tint but way higher then cheapo dyed or dyed/metallic hybrid tints, and its nowhere near as reflective as a metal tint. Look at the big names Formula One(What I got), Solar Guard HP, LLumar ATX is good, Huper Optic Drei is probably the best, they have a super 34% Tint(Not Very Dark) that has about the highest heat rejection of any tint and its very light for that much heat rejection. If I had to stay "Legal" I would have gotten the Huper Optic DREI 34% all the way around (300 bucks though). I live in FLA and the cops here are very forgiving on tint, just roll down all the windows if you ever get pulled and turn on all interior lighting, they'll never say anything here in FLA, its HOT, plus I hate the way the fronts tinted less looks which is the legal way, the cops have super dark tint too(I'll get pulled today for tint you watch). There's allot of tints, find a good shop, let us know what they carry and I'm sure you'll get an opinion from someone on here. I took some pics and posted them the other day, its here:
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123682435
How dark you looking to go makes a big difference in selecting a tint, I kind of defeated the purpose of these ceramic tints by going so dark, but as always the darker you go the better it looks and the heat rejection does continue to go up the darker you go. Its a little tough to see out at night and on extremely dark intersections I will roll them down to make sure some dipshit isn't riding sans headlights, but its not crazy limo tint either, If I could choose a perfect percent I prob would have gone with the formula one pinnacle ceramic 23%, but they only make it in 15 and 35 is next lightest(Llumar makes a Hybrid Metal/Dyed Film at 22% which would bee nice. I hate people staring at me when I'm singing the theme to Rocky or Top Gun or some stupid sh*^...LOL
Hope this gets you going, also if you want to stay legal do it, don't let your friends or the place talk you into something you'll regret. I know plenty of people with crazy dark 4% tint all the way around who also tint there windshields(DEF don't do that) who can't see worth a sh^% with no tint. I have very good eyesight and understand why the laws are there, so that's your call, also depends on the state. But I would recommend the same % all the way around, it just looks better, even if lighter!!
Tom
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123682435
How dark you looking to go makes a big difference in selecting a tint, I kind of defeated the purpose of these ceramic tints by going so dark, but as always the darker you go the better it looks and the heat rejection does continue to go up the darker you go. Its a little tough to see out at night and on extremely dark intersections I will roll them down to make sure some dipshit isn't riding sans headlights, but its not crazy limo tint either, If I could choose a perfect percent I prob would have gone with the formula one pinnacle ceramic 23%, but they only make it in 15 and 35 is next lightest(Llumar makes a Hybrid Metal/Dyed Film at 22% which would bee nice. I hate people staring at me when I'm singing the theme to Rocky or Top Gun or some stupid sh*^...LOL
Hope this gets you going, also if you want to stay legal do it, don't let your friends or the place talk you into something you'll regret. I know plenty of people with crazy dark 4% tint all the way around who also tint there windshields(DEF don't do that) who can't see worth a sh^% with no tint. I have very good eyesight and understand why the laws are there, so that's your call, also depends on the state. But I would recommend the same % all the way around, it just looks better, even if lighter!!
Tom
Mallitious
Member
Wow, thanks for the awesome reply!! I wish more people would answer my questions so completely. As for the kind of tint I'm looking for, I live in a a fairly small city of 75,000 in Canada. I have a few shops to go to in my city and they seem to use 2 main tints. One is Llumar, and the other is Solar Gard. I was thinking about going with Llumar stealth with the metal in it for heat reduction but after looking into it more I'm leary because I use a radar and don't want to hinder it's preformance. The next guy I have talked to is using Solar Gard 15 series. He guarantees his work for 5 years and said that he stands behind all this work. Out of my options, what do you think will work best? Also, it is illegal in my province to tint my front windows so I'll only be tinting back window and and back passengers so darkness really isn't much of an issue. I like going as dark as possible and would like something that looks really black. Let me know what you think. Thanks a lot Sierra248!! BTW, your tint looks awesome!!
BTW, your tint looks awesome!!
Last edited:
Out of those 2, neither make a ceramic film, Now I have no idea how much it really affects radar, but I know in my valentine ones manual it says not to use behind metallic film and the ceramic film people use that as a selling point. Out of those 2, I would go with the shop you think does the best work. Also tip your installer before he does the car. If you decide to go with a metallic film, I don't think either of them make a completely metallic film, there both a dyed/metal combo called a Hybrid film, nothing wrong with these films they just will Fade eventually, living in Canada prob will make it last for a long time and add a garage to that mix and your good to go, shouldn't ever fade while you have it at least. Also all these films come with a lifetime warranty so make sure the shop gives you the warranty card and such. Now for the really black look your talking about there is no doubt just plain dyed films LOOK the best, they usually don't last long, especially here in Florida. The Hybrids are in between the blackness of a dyed and a all metal film. The full metallic are shinier. Now everyone thinks they have the greatest tint, "guy told me its Titanium Tint, no heat and last forever" well truth is the fully metal tints tend to shine allot, looks silver almost, I'm sure you've seen it. Now some are just made to look silver while others have full metal tints that they wanted for heat reduction but its shiny like silver too. Hope this helps, if you decide to give up on maximum radar(It only helps behind you, and there's no real options in ceramic there anyway and it will be way way cheaper) I think the Llumar Stealth in 18% would be very nice or the LLumar High Performance in 15 or 20% would be nice. As weird as it HP has better Heat rejections, see for yourself:
http://www.llumar.com/PDF/English/LLumar Auto Spec Sheet - NA.pdf
For Solar Guard I would look at the HP Films, be a little weary of the Quantum, its very shiny. Any of the other Solar Guard HP's are Good, look here:
http://www.solargard.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/Product_Performance.Stats_Auto_HP
If it were me, I'd choose who I believed was the best installer with the best shop and who's been there the longest. Then decide on Solar Guard or LLumar, there both name brand tints and won't break the bank either. Plus even though the guy told you a 5 year warranty(Which might knock him off list right there) you should get a lifetime warranty and any of these tints maintained with ammonia free cleaners should last at least 5 years, prob more.
No problem for the help, been researching for myself for a few weeks before I did mine, thought I'd share what I learned.
Tom
Tom
http://www.llumar.com/PDF/English/LLumar Auto Spec Sheet - NA.pdf
For Solar Guard I would look at the HP Films, be a little weary of the Quantum, its very shiny. Any of the other Solar Guard HP's are Good, look here:
http://www.solargard.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/Product_Performance.Stats_Auto_HP
If it were me, I'd choose who I believed was the best installer with the best shop and who's been there the longest. Then decide on Solar Guard or LLumar, there both name brand tints and won't break the bank either. Plus even though the guy told you a 5 year warranty(Which might knock him off list right there) you should get a lifetime warranty and any of these tints maintained with ammonia free cleaners should last at least 5 years, prob more.
No problem for the help, been researching for myself for a few weeks before I did mine, thought I'd share what I learned.
Tom
Tom
Mallitious
Member
After lots of checking online and actually going to see both shops I have decided on going with the dealer that uses Solar Gard. He had a photo album with all the tint jobs he has done, some extremely artistic custom jobs, and actually took me back into his shop to see some of the cars he was working on. He really seemed to take a lot of pride in his work, and also stood 100% behind the product that he used. I just got a great feeling after leaving this mans shop. He is more money than the other shop in town but I think with him you get what you pay for. Thanks for all your information Sierra248!
fourthmeal
Banned
for the next person who needs info on this, I second Llumar. It's top notch on my ride.
Mallitious
Member
Will do, I'm really looking forward to it. I feel so naked inside my car without tint!
Mallitious
Member
By the way, I have had Llumar on all my other vehicles and it was top notch as Fourthmeal said. I think though as long as you go with one of the brand name tints and have a person that knows what they are doing, you should be fine. One reason with going Solar Gard over Llumar is that the guy using Solar Gard uses one of their tops tints. The guy using Llumar uses their bottom line, or their tint with metal in it and thats not what I wanted.
Last edited:
After lots of checking online and actually going to see both shops I have decided on going with the dealer that uses Solar Gard. He had a photo album with all the tint jobs he has done, some extremely artistic custom jobs, and actually took me back into his shop to see some of the cars he was working on. He really seemed to take a lot of pride in his work, and also stood 100% behind the product that he used. I just got a great feeling after leaving this mans shop. He is more money than the other shop in town but I think with him you get what you pay for. Thanks for all your information Sierra248!
You'll be very happy with Solargard - that's what I have on my car and I'm very happy with it. Won't ever bubble or turn purple. Good luck!
Mallitious
Member
Thanks Viper, Monday can't come soon enough! Wow, I can't believe I said that for Monday...
Hey fourth, where did you get your tint done? I am planning on doing this in about a week or two and from my research, I am narrowing down to either Formula One or Llumar. I had some help on the local section on this forum, but I don't know if those places offer these brands.
fourthmeal
Banned
That's easy. I got it done at Tint World. I chose them because they are the only guys around with a plotter-cutter for the tint. Blades don't touch the glass of the car. They pre-cut the shape on a plotter that anticipates the 3D shape. Overall, very pleased, and it was very quick. It certainly wasn't the cheapest, but the result is fantastic. One thing: I went too soft on the tint level for Vegas. I underestimated because I didn't want to have legal problems. Turns out nobody pays attention to that anyway.
BlackCherry06
Member
- :
- '17 CX-3 GT
I've had good luck with 3M on 10 of my previous cars and never had a single issue.
I just had my tint done at Tint King in Billerica, MA this Saturday. http://www.tint-king.com They get great reviews for their workmanship. "They're expensive but worth it" seems to be the consensus. The shop was very busy. I had Suntek Carbon 40 installed.
It's just a few days later and I have found a number of bubbles and ripples.
There's two on the driver's side window, near the side mirror. They're blurry and catch my eye all the time. They're about the size of a dime.
There are two in the top of the windshield, passenger side. I can't see them from the driver's seat, but they're visible from the passenger seat or from outside the car. These are slightly smaller in diameter than a pencil eraser.
There's a 1" long wrinkle in the rear hatch window, lower left corner. It's about 1/8" wide. I see it every time I walk by the car.
I haven't had a good look at the rear doors or the rear quarter windows.
Am I being too much of a perfectionist? Will this get better as the film dries out?
It's just a few days later and I have found a number of bubbles and ripples.
There's two on the driver's side window, near the side mirror. They're blurry and catch my eye all the time. They're about the size of a dime.
There are two in the top of the windshield, passenger side. I can't see them from the driver's seat, but they're visible from the passenger seat or from outside the car. These are slightly smaller in diameter than a pencil eraser.
There's a 1" long wrinkle in the rear hatch window, lower left corner. It's about 1/8" wide. I see it every time I walk by the car.
I haven't had a good look at the rear doors or the rear quarter windows.
Am I being too much of a perfectionist? Will this get better as the film dries out?
Tint King said:
fourthmeal
Banned
after 7 days, it is time to go back and have them redo it.
http://www.suntekfilms.com/carbon.htm
Don't know if this qualifies as the "best", but I got it installed a month ago, and it is fantastic. No radio/cell phone issues, not metallic looking, low glare.
Great value - 35% all-around in my MS3 for $120+tax
All-in-all, two thumbs up (thumb)
Don't know if this qualifies as the "best", but I got it installed a month ago, and it is fantastic. No radio/cell phone issues, not metallic looking, low glare.
Great value - 35% all-around in my MS3 for $120+tax
All-in-all, two thumbs up (thumb)
i own a tint company here in utah call tint & accessories and we use suntek window films and have had no problems with it. their carbon series film looks awesome and has lifetime warranty against fading, peeling, bubbling, and delamination. everyone thinks 3m is good but when it comes down to it there's others out there just as good. with 3m you're just paying for the name
Similar Threads and Articles
