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 sunrays, 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 comprised of polyester. Some films use a thin coating of colored dye and metal fragments that line the top level 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 tint. 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 at 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 weak 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% ultra violet (UV) and infrared (IR) rejection – which means, you are protected from harmful UV rays and incoming heat amount from the sun.

Our Phantom S9 Film is our best film that blocks the most heat. To put it to the test, we put it up against a traditional dyed film and clear glass.

Are you an ice cream lover? Check out this video and see for yourself how Phantom S9 outperforms other films from keeping you and your ice cream cool! ?

Why You Should Care About Reducing Interior Heat

Hot temperatures inside your vehicle can cause health problems and the premature deterioration of your interior. As you can see, a large part of a vehicle’s surface area consists of windows. Windows not only allow light to pass through, but they also absorb the accompanying heat. Due to this, the interior temperature can heat up by over 19 degrees in a matter of 10 to 15 minutes. A couple of hours later, the heat can exceed outside temperatures by as much as 50 degrees.

Entering a car with excessive interior temperatures can produce dehydration, heat stroke and the disintegration of cellular material. You may not feel the symptoms of these disorders, but they can start occurring as soon as your body temperature reaches 104 degrees. Just think about the cumulative effect of this over time.

There is another hidden danger related to hot interior temperatures. Most car interiors are primarily comprised of plastic. Man-made materials and heat are a dangerous combination. Heated plastic can release harmful toxins into the air.

The plastic components of your interior can produce Benzene gas when subjected to prolonged periods of excessive heat. This chemical compound has long-term health effects on the human body. Benzene is carcinogenic and can lead to anemia, immunodeficiency disorders, and even cancer. The good news is that you can help avoid these harmful effects by tinting the windows of your vehicle to minimize heat absorption.

In Summary: Does Window Tint Block Heat?

When wondering does window tint help with heat, you can feel comfortable knowing the answer is Yes. Window tint blocks and absorbs harmful sunlight that not only makes your vehicle uncomfortable but also harms your health. Considering the research, it’s surprising that cars are still being manufactured without window tint in stock condition. If you have such a vehicle, it’s not too late to take advantage of window tinting.

Rayno Window Film has several dealer shop locations that can add a tint to your vehicle in no time. Rayno uses top-quality tinting materials to ensure that you get the highest level of privacy, heat protection and shading you’re looking for. And don’t forget, yor ice cream will thank you for it, too, when you keep it cold with window tint! Contact your local Rayno window tint shop to learn about all the options available to you.