Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Information about UV Blocking for Tinted Windows

Which brand of window tint did you install?

  • 3M

    Votes: 41 18.4%
  • Suntek

    Votes: 29 13.0%
  • Llumar

    Votes: 54 24.2%
  • Madico

    Votes: 4 1.8%
  • Solarguard

    Votes: 5 2.2%
  • Xpel

    Votes: 54 24.2%
  • Other (professinoal install)

    Votes: 33 14.8%
  • Other (DIY)

    Votes: 3 1.3%
  • Motoshield

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    223
This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
I installed 15% Llumar all the way around. Originally I was doing it for aesthetics until I started shopping for the reason for the price differences. I did all windows but the front windshield and roof. I did it about 2 weeks after delivery so I can't honestly say if there was a noticable difference in any type of power consumption, but I do love the way she looks.
20190501_173551.jpg
 
I'm in the South Bay Area and had my M3 tinted at Mr. Tint with ceramic film, which they said was from Solar Gard. According to the Solar Gard website, the ceramic film filters 99% of UV. Wonder if that's true...

While looks was definitely the primary factor and had me scheduling my tint job on the day my car was delivered, I found the heat coming through the roof glass to less than comfortable on a warm, sunny day. Even with the roof tinted with the ceramic film (with 40% solar energy rejection), I use the Tesla roof sunscreen most of the time.
 
Are you testing different grades of each manufacturer or the base-level tint? I'd be interested to know the difference between base, ceramic, metallic in blocking UV. I know they have differing levels of heat transfer, is that the same?
IR rejection is closely related to heat transfer. UV is more important for skin protection. Can be completely different values for a given tint.
 
I had Autobahn Ceramic i3 installed on the side and back windows. Had Llumar 80% on the windshield. It makes such a difference. Car is SO MUCH COOLER. I used Glacier Window Tinting in Arlington, TX. If you are in the DFW area, strongly recommended!

3C5CE5D5-2D49-42D5-916B-A4FD7D9FA9C9.jpeg


AE64D213-AC54-4987-990A-8DD38A1EAC78.jpeg
 
The Alpine results are super disappointing. After dropping $1000 to tint my S with Llumar Stratos and experiencing the dramatic heat reduction my wife wanted our minivan tinted. I decided to save $800 and do it myself so I ordered the material...but if the UV blocking is so poor I will reconsider.
 
Hello fellow Tesla owners,

Having just installed some window tint on my car, I'm curious if I'm now free from UV radiation while driving, so I decided to run a few tests to fulfill my curiosity.

img_2032.jpg
img_2048.jpg


I did some testing and the results were surprising and disappointing. According to my UV meter, the window tint was blocking 70% of the UV light, while a pair of $12 UV blocking reading glasses was able to block 99%. That's not what I want to see!

I was very curious, since there could be a hundred variables that could taint my result, I ended up running the following tests:
  • I used different UV metering equipment - (Solarmeter model 4.2 UVA meter, Sper Scientific UVA/B meter, homemade Arduino UV meter with an VEML6075 sensor)
  • For light source I tested with my UV flashlight, as well as direct sunlight
  • I tested performance of the tint alone, as well as the same tint installed on my car's window, in-case the glass itself blocks off some UVB radiation.
  • Besides my UV reading glasses, I also tested my car's front windshield, as well as a pair of transition prescription glasses, and they all blocked 99% of UV radiation.
  • I ordered additional window tint, from cheap tint sold on Amazon, to film from Filmvantage, SnapTint, and Suntek (with 3M on its way)
With all those variations, I was able to verify my results. My window tint did not block 99% of UV radiation. Nor did any of the other tint samples I obtained so far.

Lastly, I played with a very simple test - shine my UV flashlight onto my fiancé's pair of transition lens to see if the lens darken.

img_2089.jpg
img_2092.jpg


I left the UV light on for 30 seconds, and the performance between the window tint and the UV glasses is pretty apparent. Note that this is not definitive, as there is a chance that the transition lens reacts to wavelength above 400nm, but it help align with my UV meter's findings.

So now I'm very confused. Is there a specific way that "UV blocking" is measured by a standard committee which I'm unaware of?

I noticed that the most common equipment used in demo videos on YouTube are from EDTM, with their meters that display a percentage value. I'm curious as to how that value is calculated.

Their solar spectrum meter SS2450 detects UV at 350-380nm, while the UV Sentry UV1265 has a sensor that peaks at 380nm. Both seems to be very focused on UVA1 and doesn't seem to cover UVA2 and UVB. I wonder if that makes a difference with what I'm using. The closest I have is the VEML6075 which peaks at 365nm.

I have more window tint sample on order, and will be doing more testing in the coming weeks, and I will be sharing my results on my blog here. (WordPress.com) As well as this forum as often as I can.

So far, these are the results from my testing:

View attachment 407563

Upon further research, I found a 2008 report from WAAC(Western Association for Art Conservation) who tested a bunch of window tint and compared their UV rejection rate to the manufacturer's rate. They also found that some brands do not match their advertised rate. Most notable is 3M's Scotchtint Sun Control 66 only blocks 38% UV from their advertised 98%. I assume that today's 3M product works better, but we'll have to test to find out. Of their brands tested, Madico, Llumar, and Vista Window Film all tested at 99%, so I'll definitely try to get some films from these companies to test out. Unfortunately none of these brands are available online.

So to all fellow Tesla owners, beware that not all tint are made the same. I will keep testing more films when I get my hands on them. Professionally installed tint are not cheap and I hope that you're getting your money's worth.

If there are any members in the Bay Area, CA who has Suntek, 3M, Llumar, or other quality tint installed, I'd like to ask if I can drop by and test your window tint. :)
"I tested performance of the tint alone, as well as the same tint installed on my car's window, in-case the glass itself blocks off some UVB radiation."
 
Hello fellow Tesla owners,

Having just installed some window tint on my car, I'm curious if I'm now free from UV radiation while driving, so I decided to run a few tests to fulfill my curiosity.

img_2032.jpg
img_2048.jpg


I did some testing and the results were surprising and disappointing. According to my UV meter, the window tint was blocking 70% of the UV light, while a pair of $12 UV blocking reading glasses was able to block 99%. That's not what I want to see!

I was very curious, since there could be a hundred variables that could taint my result, I ended up running the following tests:
  • I used different UV metering equipment - (Solarmeter model 4.2 UVA meter, Sper Scientific UVA/B meter, homemade Arduino UV meter with an VEML6075 sensor)
  • For light source I tested with my UV flashlight, as well as direct sunlight
  • I tested performance of the tint alone, as well as the same tint installed on my car's window, in-case the glass itself blocks off some UVB radiation.
  • Besides my UV reading glasses, I also tested my car's front windshield, as well as a pair of transition prescription glasses, and they all blocked 99% of UV radiation.
  • I ordered additional window tint, from cheap tint sold on Amazon, to film from Filmvantage, SnapTint, and Suntek (with 3M on its way)
With all those variations, I was able to verify my results. My window tint did not block 99% of UV radiation. Nor did any of the other tint samples I obtained so far.

Lastly, I played with a very simple test - shine my UV flashlight onto my fiancé's pair of transition lens to see if the lens darken.

img_2089.jpg
img_2092.jpg


I left the UV light on for 30 seconds, and the performance between the window tint and the UV glasses is pretty apparent. Note that this is not definitive, as there is a chance that the transition lens reacts to wavelength above 400nm, but it help align with my UV meter's findings.

So now I'm very confused. Is there a specific way that "UV blocking" is measured by a standard committee which I'm unaware of?

I noticed that the most common equipment used in demo videos on YouTube are from EDTM, with their meters that display a percentage value. I'm curious as to how that value is calculated.

Their solar spectrum meter SS2450 detects UV at 350-380nm, while the UV Sentry UV1265 has a sensor that peaks at 380nm. Both seems to be very focused on UVA1 and doesn't seem to cover UVA2 and UVB. I wonder if that makes a difference with what I'm using. The closest I have is the VEML6075 which peaks at 365nm.

I have more window tint sample on order, and will be doing more testing in the coming weeks, and I will be sharing my results on my blog here. (WordPress.com) As well as this forum as often as I can.

So far, these are the results from my testing:

View attachment 407563

Upon further research, I found a 2008 report from WAAC(Western Association for Art Conservation) who tested a bunch of window tint and compared their UV rejection rate to the manufacturer's rate. They also found that some brands do not match their advertised rate. Most notable is 3M's Scotchtint Sun Control 66 only blocks 38% UV from their advertised 98%. I assume that today's 3M product works better, but we'll have to test to find out. Of their brands tested, Madico, Llumar, and Vista Window Film all tested at 99%, so I'll definitely try to get some films from these companies to test out. Unfortunately none of these brands are available online.

So to all fellow Tesla owners, beware that not all tint are made the same. I will keep testing more films when I get my hands on them. Professionally installed tint are not cheap and I hope that you're getting your money's worth.

If there are any members in the Bay Area, CA who has Suntek, 3M, Llumar, or other quality tint installed, I'd like to ask if I can drop by and test your window tint. :)

Hello fellow Tesla owners,

Having just installed some window tint on my car, I'm curious if I'm now free from UV radiation while driving, so I decided to run a few tests to fulfill my curiosity.

img_2032.jpg
img_2048.jpg


I did some testing and the results were surprising and disappointing. According to my UV meter, the window tint was blocking 70% of the UV light, while a pair of $12 UV blocking reading glasses was able to block 99%. That's not what I want to see!

I was very curious, since there could be a hundred variables that could taint my result, I ended up running the following tests:
  • I used different UV metering equipment - (Solarmeter model 4.2 UVA meter, Sper Scientific UVA/B meter, homemade Arduino UV meter with an VEML6075 sensor)
  • For light source I tested with my UV flashlight, as well as direct sunlight
  • I tested performance of the tint alone, as well as the same tint installed on my car's window, in-case the glass itself blocks off some UVB radiation.
  • Besides my UV reading glasses, I also tested my car's front windshield, as well as a pair of transition prescription glasses, and they all blocked 99% of UV radiation.
  • I ordered additional window tint, from cheap tint sold on Amazon, to film from Filmvantage, SnapTint, and Suntek (with 3M on its way)
With all those variations, I was able to verify my results. My window tint did not block 99% of UV radiation. Nor did any of the other tint samples I obtained so far.

Lastly, I played with a very simple test - shine my UV flashlight onto my fiancé's pair of transition lens to see if the lens darken.

img_2089.jpg
img_2092.jpg


I left the UV light on for 30 seconds, and the performance between the window tint and the UV glasses is pretty apparent. Note that this is not definitive, as there is a chance that the transition lens reacts to wavelength above 400nm, but it help align with my UV meter's findings.

So now I'm very confused. Is there a specific way that "UV blocking" is measured by a standard committee which I'm unaware of?

I noticed that the most common equipment used in demo videos on YouTube are from EDTM, with their meters that display a percentage value. I'm curious as to how that value is calculated.

Their solar spectrum meter SS2450 detects UV at 350-380nm, while the UV Sentry UV1265 has a sensor that peaks at 380nm. Both seems to be very focused on UVA1 and doesn't seem to cover UVA2 and UVB. I wonder if that makes a difference with what I'm using. The closest I have is the VEML6075 which peaks at 365nm.

I have more window tint sample on order, and will be doing more testing in the coming weeks, and I will be sharing my results on my blog here. (WordPress.com) As well as this forum as often as I can.

So far, these are the results from my testing:

View attachment 407563

Upon further research, I found a 2008 report from WAAC(Western Association for Art Conservation) who tested a bunch of window tint and compared their UV rejection rate to the manufacturer's rate. They also found that some brands do not match their advertised rate. Most notable is 3M's Scotchtint Sun Control 66 only blocks 38% UV from their advertised 98%. I assume that today's 3M product works better, but we'll have to test to find out. Of their brands tested, Madico, Llumar, and Vista Window Film all tested at 99%, so I'll definitely try to get some films from these companies to test out. Unfortunately none of these brands are available online.

So to all fellow Tesla owners, beware that not all tint are made the same. I will keep testing more films when I get my hands on them. Professionally installed tint are not cheap and I hope that you're getting your money's worth.

If there are any members in the Bay Area, CA who has Suntek, 3M, Llumar, or other quality tint installed, I'd like to ask if I can drop by and test your window tint. :)

I just installed the XPEL Prime XR Plus 70 -- which has specs that state it has "99% UV Rejection". I'm concerned about skin cancer and my only reason for installing this tint was to block the UV rays. It would be great if you could test this product also and I'd be happy to contribute to your cost of buying a sample of it. Is there a way we can contact each other off-line and I could Venmo you some money for it?
 

Attachments

  • XPEL-PRIME-Spec-Sheet-v2.pdf
    30.7 KB · Views: 66
Hello fellow Tesla owners,

Having just installed some window tint on my car, I'm curious if I'm now free from UV radiation while driving, so I decided to run a few tests to fulfill my curiosity.

img_2032.jpg
img_2048.jpg


I did some testing and the results were surprising and disappointing. According to my UV meter, the window tint was blocking 70% of the UV light, while a pair of $12 UV blocking reading glasses was able to block 99%. That's not what I want to see!

I was very curious, since there could be a hundred variables that could taint my result, I ended up running the following tests:
  • I used different UV metering equipment - (Solarmeter model 4.2 UVA meter, Sper Scientific UVA/B meter, homemade Arduino UV meter with an VEML6075 sensor)
  • For light source I tested with my UV flashlight, as well as direct sunlight
  • I tested performance of the tint alone, as well as the same tint installed on my car's window, in-case the glass itself blocks off some UVB radiation.
  • Besides my UV reading glasses, I also tested my car's front windshield, as well as a pair of transition prescription glasses, and they all blocked 99% of UV radiation.
  • I ordered additional window tint, from cheap tint sold on Amazon, to film from Filmvantage, SnapTint, and Suntek (with 3M on its way)
With all those variations, I was able to verify my results. My window tint did not block 99% of UV radiation. Nor did any of the other tint samples I obtained so far.

Lastly, I played with a very simple test - shine my UV flashlight onto my fiancé's pair of transition lens to see if the lens darken.

img_2089.jpg
img_2092.jpg


I left the UV light on for 30 seconds, and the performance between the window tint and the UV glasses is pretty apparent. Note that this is not definitive, as there is a chance that the transition lens reacts to wavelength above 400nm, but it help align with my UV meter's findings.

So now I'm very confused. Is there a specific way that "UV blocking" is measured by a standard committee which I'm unaware of?

I noticed that the most common equipment used in demo videos on YouTube are from EDTM, with their meters that display a percentage value. I'm curious as to how that value is calculated.

Their solar spectrum meter SS2450 detects UV at 350-380nm, while the UV Sentry UV1265 has a sensor that peaks at 380nm. Both seems to be very focused on UVA1 and doesn't seem to cover UVA2 and UVB. I wonder if that makes a difference with what I'm using. The closest I have is the VEML6075 which peaks at 365nm.

I have more window tint sample on order, and will be doing more testing in the coming weeks, and I will be sharing my results on my blog here. (WordPress.com) As well as this forum as often as I can.

So far, these are the results from my testing:

View attachment 407563

Upon further research, I found a 2008 report from WAAC(Western Association for Art Conservation) who tested a bunch of window tint and compared their UV rejection rate to the manufacturer's rate. They also found that some brands do not match their advertised rate. Most notable is 3M's Scotchtint Sun Control 66 only blocks 38% UV from their advertised 98%. I assume that today's 3M product works better, but we'll have to test to find out. Of their brands tested, Madico, Llumar, and Vista Window Film all tested at 99%, so I'll definitely try to get some films from these companies to test out. Unfortunately none of these brands are available online.

So to all fellow Tesla owners, beware that not all tint are made the same. I will keep testing more films when I get my hands on them. Professionally installed tint are not cheap and I hope that you're getting your money's worth.

If there are any members in the Bay Area, CA who has Suntek, 3M, Llumar, or other quality tint installed, I'd like to ask if I can drop by and test your window tint. :)
Hello fellow Tesla owners,

Having just installed some window tint on my car, I'm curious if I'm now free from UV radiation while driving, so I decided to run a few tests to fulfill my curiosity.

img_2032.jpg
img_2048.jpg


I did some testing and the results were surprising and disappointing. According to my UV meter, the window tint was blocking 70% of the UV light, while a pair of $12 UV blocking reading glasses was able to block 99%. That's not what I want to see!

I was very curious, since there could be a hundred variables that could taint my result, I ended up running the following tests:
  • I used different UV metering equipment - (Solarmeter model 4.2 UVA meter, Sper Scientific UVA/B meter, homemade Arduino UV meter with an VEML6075 sensor)
  • For light source I tested with my UV flashlight, as well as direct sunlight
  • I tested performance of the tint alone, as well as the same tint installed on my car's window, in-case the glass itself blocks off some UVB radiation.
  • Besides my UV reading glasses, I also tested my car's front windshield, as well as a pair of transition prescription glasses, and they all blocked 99% of UV radiation.
  • I ordered additional window tint, from cheap tint sold on Amazon, to film from Filmvantage, SnapTint, and Suntek (with 3M on its way)
With all those variations, I was able to verify my results. My window tint did not block 99% of UV radiation. Nor did any of the other tint samples I obtained so far.

Lastly, I played with a very simple test - shine my UV flashlight onto my fiancé's pair of transition lens to see if the lens darken.

img_2089.jpg
img_2092.jpg


I left the UV light on for 30 seconds, and the performance between the window tint and the UV glasses is pretty apparent. Note that this is not definitive, as there is a chance that the transition lens reacts to wavelength above 400nm, but it help align with my UV meter's findings.

So now I'm very confused. Is there a specific way that "UV blocking" is measured by a standard committee which I'm unaware of?

I noticed that the most common equipment used in demo videos on YouTube are from EDTM, with their meters that display a percentage value. I'm curious as to how that value is calculated.

Their solar spectrum meter SS2450 detects UV at 350-380nm, while the UV Sentry UV1265 has a sensor that peaks at 380nm. Both seems to be very focused on UVA1 and doesn't seem to cover UVA2 and UVB. I wonder if that makes a difference with what I'm using. The closest I have is the VEML6075 which peaks at 365nm.

I have more window tint sample on order, and will be doing more testing in the coming weeks, and I will be sharing my results on my blog here. (WordPress.com) As well as this forum as often as I can.

So far, these are the results from my testing:

View attachment 407563

Upon further research, I found a 2008 report from WAAC(Western Association for Art Conservation) who tested a bunch of window tint and compared their UV rejection rate to the manufacturer's rate. They also found that some brands do not match their advertised rate. Most notable is 3M's Scotchtint Sun Control 66 only blocks 38% UV from their advertised 98%. I assume that today's 3M product works better, but we'll have to test to find out. Of their brands tested, Madico, Llumar, and Vista Window Film all tested at 99%, so I'll definitely try to get some films from these companies to test out. Unfortunately none of these brands are available online.

So to all fellow Tesla owners, beware that not all tint are made the same. I will keep testing more films when I get my hands on them. Professionally installed tint are not cheap and I hope that you're getting your money's worth.

If there are any members in the Bay Area, CA who has Suntek, 3M, Llumar, or other quality tint installed, I'd like to ask if I can drop by and test your window tint. :)