Benefits Of Auto Window Tinting
Auto window tinting offers substantial protection for the driver and passengers inside, even if it’s just from long-term sun exposure. Excessive Sunlight can be bothersome but can be extremely dangerous when driving with sunlight directly in your eyes. I think we have all been put in a somewhat dangerous situation being blinded by the sun while driving without having sunglasses handy. Apart from the visibility issues, sunlight can pose a danger because of the ultraviolet rays that are emitted by the sun. Ultraviolet waves are very high energy waves that can cause skin damage, sunburns, whites to fade, cracking leather seats and paintwork, as well as fading trim & upholstery. Window tint film blocks 99% of harmful UV light both through the film itself and thanks to a special adhesive layer on its inner surface. By blocking out all harmful UV light you’ll also prevent upholstery fade which means no more expensive replacement costs for your car’s interior down the line!
Window Tinting can also reduce solar gain, meaning it will keep your car cooler in the heat. With window tint, you’ll save on fuel costs because your car’s AC/Heating will not have to work as hard.
Window tinting can also offer privacy by limiting the visibility into your automobile; this is ideal for people who work in professions where their car acts as a mobile office.
Window tint film comes in many different levels of darkness, each with its own heat rejection characteristics. You should choose which level you would like based on your local climate conditions. As well as being informed on state laws to determine your threshold for any possible risk of running into issues with law enforcement.
How Dark And Reflective Of A Window Tint Can I Get?
According to leg.colorado.gov:
“Current law normally requires motor vehicles registered in Colorado to transmit at least 70% of light through the windshield and 27% of light through other windows.”
leg.colorado.gov
While this may be the official law it is subjective in its nature and is hardly enforced.
Note that you can buy vehicles from big-name dealerships in the state of Colorado that are not compliant with this law. Some customers come to me and request for their tints to be matched unaware that the vehicle came from the factory out of compliance with this law.
In my experience driving with tinted windows that are 5% and below for years and having been pulled over in the past, the darkness of the tint has never even been mentioned by officers.
This is however at your discretion and level of risk tolerance. We can always provide you with a service and product that is within compliance with state regulations!
Which Levels Are The Most Common/popular?
VLT – visible light transmission is the metric by which window tint darkness is measured. This is a measurement of the percentage of light that passes through your windows. The percentages go from 0 – 100, with 0 being the darkest and letting the least amount of light through.
60% – At 60%, you get the privacy benefits of every lower level tint combined, which means very little light comes through.
55% – This is the most popular choice for automotive window tinting because it offers great privacy during the day but still allows enough light in so that you don’t feel like you are sitting in an “echo chamber” at night. With this percentage, if someone were to attempt to look inside your vehicle they would not be able to do so with much clarity, but you will still have enough light coming into your car that it does not leave you feeling like there is no light whatsoever.
45% – This option offers great daytime privacy and still blocks quite a bit of light from coming through at night making it more difficult for others outside of your vehicle to see in at night.
40% – By far one of the most common window tints, 40% allows just enough visibility to drive during the day without too much trouble, but provides excellent privacy for whoever is inside the vehicle at night.
35% – A step up from 30%, this tint offers a little bit more privacy and still offers good visibility. At night it may be difficult to see into the vehicle from the outside depending on how much light is available.
30% – A good shade if you want better privacy, but don’t want to go too dark. This may be the best option for Colorado residents as it is just above the threshold by law. Of course, this is always up for interpretation.
25% – Starting to get into a legal gray area in Colorado as it is just past the limit. People will be able to see inside your vehicle during the day, but it will make it harder for people outside of your vehicle at night to see into your car or truck.
20% – Technically this shade isn’t legal and you run the risk of getting a ticket and paying a fine if an officer pulls you over and notices that you have it on one or more windows. If you opt for 20%, just know that there’s a risk involved when trying to stay within the law.
15% – Another shade that isn’t even technically legal, but tint shops will apply 15% to car windows if you request it. Even though this particular shade is not permitted by law, it may be a good option for drivers who want to darken their vehicle’s interior without getting too much darker than normal window film can go.
Choosing your shade of preference is going to depend on your needs and risk tolerance. It is always a good practice to ask the shop you are choosing for guidance if you are still on the fence.