Does your car need its windows tinted?

Window tinting is not an essential part of car ownership, however, not only will it make you look cooler, it’ll make your car cooler too. There are plenty of benefits of window tinting, besides aesthetics. Made out of a variety of scratch and UV resistant materials, window tinting will continue to provide benefits to your driving experience beyond the style points. 

What are the benefits of tinting my windows? 

Well, where do we start?

It keeps your car cooler - not just style-wise. 

By blocking out the sun's heat and keeping the temperature inside the car steady, not only will you use less air conditioning, you’ll be as cool as a cucumber come summertime. 

Increases your security.

By keeping the contents of your car hidden from those looking in through the windows, this can discourage crimes of opportunity. And if you’re having a bad hair day, they’ll hide that too. 

Blocks harmful UV rays. 

The better quality tints will help stop harmful UV rays damaging your skin. If you’re stuck in traffic often, or just do a lot of driving, this can seriously help with avoiding skin cancer and skin aging. 

Cuts down unwanted light.

By reducing the amount of light allowed through the window this can keep your eyes focussed on the road. You won’t get blinded by high beams or have to don the sunny’s on a long summer’s day drive. 

Improved fuel economy. 

Now that your car is staying nice and cool in summer, you won't have to crank the air con as often. This puts less strain on the air conditioning and engine which improves your fuel economy. You can save money by looking better… what’s not to love? 

What is window tinting actually? 

Simply put, window tinting is like sunglasses for your car. Made out of see through polyester which sticks to your windows, with a scratch proof layer on top to prevent damage. 

There are many different types of window tint, ranging in prices depending on your needs

Dyed Film: It’s durable, offers good visibility and blocks some of the sun's rays and most importantly it’s a cheap window tinting option. It comes in a variety of colours and is versatile enough to be applied to any car window. However, it doesn’t offer UV protection like some others. It also doesn’t offer good heat blocking abilities. meaning your air conditioning will have to work harder than a ceramic tinted car. It is also prone to discolouration over time, so you could lose the style points. 

Metallic Film: Metallic film offers durability and good visibility as with dyed film, however it is far better at blocking out UV rays. It is known for having a shiny and reflective nature due to the metal flakes and is far more resistant to fading than the dyed tint. It has good heat blocking abilities and will be more economical in the long run. Due to the metal content it is known for creating interference with phone signal and GPS devices.

Carbon Film: Carbon film has carbon particles mixed into the makeup of the tint. The composite has the ability to block UV rays and will not fade over time. They offer a sleek and reflective face and still provide excellent visibility. Their excellent reflective properties keep your car far cooler and your air conditioning can breathe a sigh of relief. 

Ceramic Film: Ceramic film is the best tint on the market. In every category, ceramic is the best. It offers the best UV protection - stopping up to 99% of rays, the best heat protection and thus the best for your fuel economy, the best visibility, it will not fade even in the New Zealand summer sun! And will not interfere with any electronics. What could possibly be the downside? Well it’s also the most expensive, but many consider it worth the price.

Important Note: In New Zealand we have window tinting laws that must be adhered to, so it’s worth looking into what type of window tint is best and is legal. 

How to tint a window? 

How do you go about applying a car window tint? Well it’s a skillful process that is really easy to get dead wrong. 

Some professionals will have a printer and cutter to precisely form the exact tint for your window. Others will cut the tint right before application to ensure it has the perfect fit for all the glass in your car. 

To start off with, the windows are cleaned and dried to ensure no dirt or other residue will affect adhesion or create bubbles. 

Next up, an outline of the window will be taken and then the tint cut against that outline. 

The film will then be cleaned, heated and prepared to be stuck onto the window.

The window will then be sprayed with a soapy solution. This ensures that the tint can be moved around without bonding to the glass.

Once in position, a hard card will be used to force all the moisture out from behind the film and remove the soapy barrier between the tint film and the window. This will allow the tint to stick in the exact required place with no bubbles.

How much does window tinting cost on my Lexus?

It ranges on the vehicle and how much tinting material is needed for the glass. A typical cost would be in the $200-350 range. 

Also you have to consider what material you will use. Dyed film is about $60 for a roll of film and ceramic is over $220. So the quality plays a massive part.

You can tint your own windows, but we’d advise against it. There’s nothing worse than having to look through a bunch of bubbles.