Tinted car windows might seem like a feature of expensive cars, but having darkened car windows is actually really practical.
Many car manufacturers now offer the option of tinted windows or even automatically add a slight tint during production.
Benefits of Tinted Car Windows
One of the most obvious reasons for tinting your car windows is to block out the sun. Tinting even the top of your windshield can block out the sun’s rays to make sure that you don’t get blinded whilst you’re driving.
Wearing sunglasses is an option, but as the sun goes in and out of the clouds, it can become annoying and dangerous to be constantly taking them off and putting them on again. This is especially true if you wear glasses normally and need to swap over your normal and sunglasses.
As well as keeping the sun out of your eyes so that you can see properly, it’s important to protect both your eyes and your skin from UV rays. People are regularly encouraged to wear a layer of sunscreen every day, even on the darkest and wettest winter days. Tinting your car windows can block harmful UV rays that would otherwise be absorbed by your skin.
UV rays are dangerous and tinting your car windows is a great way of protecting yourself against them, especially if you’re driving regularly or often find yourself stuck in traffic.
Cost of Tinted Car Windows
The cost of tinting your car windows can vary greatly depending on how much you have done, where you go, and whether you have them done professionally or if you do them yourself.
As with most things, tinting your car windows yourself will generally be cheaper than paying for a professional to do it for you, but you do risk not doing it well. If you choose to go with a professional, then remember that you’re not only paying for the tint but also the mechanic’s time.
Using a professional also means that you will be paying for quality. That is the quality of the materials as well as the quality of the work.
To have your car windows tinted professionally, this can range from around $20-$50 per window, depending on where you go. So tinting the windows of your entire car can end up costing you hundreds of dollars.
If you choose to tint them yourself, then you can expect to pay around $15 to $20 per window so around $100 for the whole car. If you’re desperate to tint your car windows but don’t want to spend that much then you can buy cheap film online that will be around $5 to $10 for a roll of film.
Kit Costs
Another important thing to remember is the cost of the tools. Using a professional means that they will use professional quality tools. If you tint your own car windows, you will still need to buy a tool kit that is specifically designed for applying tinted window film.
This can be expensive and an unnecessary cost as you probably won’t be tinting more than a couple of cars over your whole lifetime, let alone at present. You will then be left with a tool kit that you will very rarely use which can be a waste of money.
Tinting the windows yourself can also cost you more money in the future if you don’t do a professional-quality job. Having a professional tint your windows will guarantee quality, but doing them yourself can mean that you won’t do a very good job.
If the work is poor or if the tinted film is cheap, then it will likely begin to peel more quickly than a professional job and will have to be replaced. This will cost you more money in the long run as you will have to replace the film (but you will find yourself using your tool kit again, which does add some balance to the cost).
Types of Window Tinting
It might be surprising but there are actually multiple materials that are used for tinting car windows.
The options for window tinting are:
- Dye Polyester. This is one of the cheapest options for a professional window tint but is not the best quality. Although it will provide some protection from the sun, it won’t be very much and it can fade over time. This material will usually cost around $25 to $35 per window.
- Ceramic. This is a very expensive option and can be difficult to find but will give you the best protection. Not only will this protect you from UV rays but it will also keep your car cool. This material will usually cost around $70 to $80 per window.
- Carbon Based. This window tint is infused with carbon particles that will block out infrared light as well as UV rays. This film will also keep your car cool and, as the film isn’t dyed, the color and tint won’t fade over time.There is a risk that, if the carbon particles are too big, then the light will bounce inside the film which can create a glare or a haze. If you want to tint your car windows so that you can keep the sun out of your eyes, then another material may be better or simply check what kind of carbon material is being used.
An Important Thing to Remember
The most important things to consider when you’re tinting your windows is the legality of it. It might be surprising, but some states have specific laws for window tinting.
Window tinting can be dangerous as other cars may need to be able to see through your rear windows to the other side of your car. If they can’t see through then there may be an accident.
The best thing to do is to check your state’s laws. The laws vary and some state that rear windows cannot be tinted and others restrict the level of tinting.