Many car owners wonder whether tinting their vehicle’s windows will really help minimize the levels of interior heat.
The quick answer to whether window tint reduces heat: YES!
Window tinting is not just a way to keep other drivers from looking inside your car. It helps block sun rays, which lower the overall temperature of the vehicle.
The fact that a thin piece of film could help manage temperature levels seems a little astounding at first. However, there are perfectly logical scientific reasons why and how window tint can keep your interior cool while outside temperatures soar.
How Does Window Tint Keep Heat Out?
Automotive window tint acts as a barrier between the sun and a car’s interior.
The film itself is primarily made of polyester. Some films use a thin coating of colored dye and metal fragments that line the top layer of the film. The layers of the film help block thermal energy from the sun while allowing some light to shine through.
Rayno Window Film, on the other hand, invented a window film with nano-carbon ceramic technology. This state-of-the-art process combines ceramic and carbon particles to provide maximum coloring and high levels of heat rejection. Despite the incredible durability of nano-carbon ceramic films, the tint allows for increased visibility in all shades of outdoor light. Rayno Film will also last for years to come due to its high color retention.
You can tell how effective a certain tint is by looking at its light transmittance ratings. The term VLT% refers to how much visible light is transmitted through the film. VLA% indicates how much light is absorbed by the tint. VLR% shows you how much light is reflected back from the surface.
To understand these terms, picture a car that does not have any tint. This type of vehicle will transmit around 90% of visible light. Therefore, its VLT% will be 90. The same non-tinted glass will have a VLA rating of five, meaning only 5% absorption. Similarly, the VLR rating will be five. Under these conditions, most of the light will reach the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, you can expect that there will be almost no cooling effect.
How Effectively Does Tinting Your Windows Reduce Heat?
Although light transmittance ratings show how much light will be blocked, they don’t indicate how much cooling can be expected. Luckily, a few studies have been performed to address the question “does auto window tint reduce heat?” In 2012, M.A. Jasni and F.M. Nasir completed an experiment for the International Conference on Mechanical, Automobile and Robotics Engineering. In this study, the participants were able to show that window tinting does play a role in blocking heat.
Initially, the study seemed to suggest that sunshades were more effective than window tints. Later, it was determined that sunshades only provide a cooling effect for the dashboard area. The average sunshade on a vehicle without tint was only able to cool the interior air temperature by about 2 degrees Celsius. A car with tinted windows was able to reduce the ambient temperature in both the front and rear of the vehicle. In fact, the tint was able to cool interior air by up to 8 degrees Celsius.
The study by Jasni and Nasir produced some hard scientific evidence that window tints do work. However, it should be noted that the pair used a relatively light tint (around 65% to 85% infrared blocking) during the tests. What this means is that higher quality tints with better infrared rejection rates could help lower the interior temperature by even more! Some may ask, “Does window tinting reduce heat inside the house?” The answer is YES!
What Type of Tint is Best for My Vehicle?
Now that you know the answer to the question, “does window tint reduce heat?” you might wonder what type of tint is needed. There are several variations of tint on the market that provide different degrees of heat protection.
One of the most popular types of tint produced by Rayno is the Phantom series. This line is created as a hybrid carbon-ceramic film for high-performance applications. Phantom window tint supports driver visibility while providing dependable color retention. It is also extremely durable and will protect your vehicle’s interior from UVB and UVA rays. Phantom film also utilizes Rayno’s nano-encapsulated ceramic particle technology.
There are three classes of Phantom Series film. Phantom S5 has a clarity rating of less than one and its color is chic black. It also retains color 35% longer than competing brands. S5 film is available in seven different VLT ratings ranging from 5% to 50%. The S7 type has a deep and stylish charcoal color which maintains its color 38% better than other brands. This film is also available in seven different VLT levels. Finally, the Phantom S9 offers the greatest heat rejection and overall performance. You can expect that the S9 will retain color 54% better than other types. Phantom S9 will also provide nearly 100% ultraviolet