Best Car Window Tints For 2023

Each state has its own laws about window tinting, and you should check your state’s regs on this AAA site before buying. No states let you tint your whole windshield, but most allow you to tint a five- or six-inch strip along the top (or down to the windshield’s so-called AS1 line). The laws for the side windows and the rear window vary. Police may use tinted windows for a pretext stop. The driver is pulled over for a possible minor violation (tinted windows, an air freshener hanging from mirror, tail lamp out) in hopes of finding a larger violation.

Keep in mind that if you’re applying a tint over factory-tinted windows, the total light transmission of both will be measured. We’ve read comments from users who bought a tint that matched their state’s limits and still failed their car’s inspection, possibly for this reason. In addition to the AAA website above, windowtintlaws.us provides a good explanation of each state’s laws, as well as some helpful articles about tinting (but be ready to sift through the ads).

Generally, window tints aren’t tricky to install, but they do require a few tools, a clean environment, and an ample amount of patience. The easiest type to install is a precut kit, which has been trimmed to fit your specific car model. With a roll of film, you need to measure the windows and cut the film to the right size yourself.

Once cut, most products are installed by spraying the inside of a window with a soap-and-water solution, positioning the film on the window, and smoothing it out with a squeegee. While many products come with a squeegee, it helps to have a good basic installation kit, which you can get for under $20.

Before attempting the installation, we recommend you read over the instructions that many companies provide on their websites. There are also many installation videos available, either on company websites or YouTube.

Compound curved glass, such as rear windows that curve in both directions, can be the biggest challenge for first-timers. Some companies advise you to shrink the film with a heat gun to get it to fit well, and there are a number of good YouTube videos, such as this one, that show you how to do it. A good heat gun costs about $30, or $50 as part of an installation kit. Other companies recommend installing it in horizontal strips, even though this can leave visible seams in the tint.

It depends on the type of film. According to Gila Film Products, the dyes and pigments used in basic dyed window-tint film will gradually break down from UV radiation. Presuming correct installation and proper maintenance, the company estimates they will last three to four years before beginning to fade. But this depends a lot on the environment you drive in and how much direct sun the car gets.

Films that reflect more sunlight, such as those with carbon or ceramic particles, will last longer, often five to 10 years.