Is Ceramic Window Tint Worth It?

Our summer heat is in legendary abundance and the temperature in your vehicle pushes even higher because of direct sunlight. Yes there is the ambient weather to consider, but the visible and infrared light rays are the ones responsible for the "cook an egg on your dashboard" interior temps. Like the greenhouse effect, our windows will collect the solar energy (especially when parked) and expose anything inside the car to sweltering heat.

It's surprising how much heat you can avoid just by blocking some visible light. There are so many products for the home that take advantage of this principle (screens, curtains, awnings, shade trees, etc), and we even orient buildings to avoid direct sunlight coming in. The ultimate Arizona perk might just be covered daytime parking, that's a testament to how much visible light matters in our extreme desert climate.

When we reduce the transmission of heat, it becomes less painful to get back into your vehicle after being parked in the sun. Even a brand new car is going to take a little time to cool down if it's been sitting all day long. When we prohibit a large amount of the light from getting inside your car, the air conditioning can catch up faster and keep up more efficiently.

Every degree that tint can save you is a difference that you will feel. This applies to the air temperature but also the surfaces of your car itself. Sunlight is what turns your steering wheel and seatbelt buckle into hot lava, and a quality film can mean the difference between touchable vs dangerous until cooled.

Psychologically, our brains assign even more comfort to a slightly darker space (regardless of temperature). You'll also eliminate or at least greatly reduce the glare coming in which also makes for a much nicer experience.

Modern medicine tells us that UV rays are harmful to our health, and that we receive extreme levels of them in Arizona. While our bodies do get some benefit from them (some boost to our Vitamin D production, for example), the risks are significant and UV radiation is classified as a complete carcinogen - something to be protected from.

Your skin is about 16% of your body and your largest organ, and UV does damage in these ways:

• Tumor initiator (UV is a mutagen)
• Tumor promoter
• Atrophies the skin
• Creates wrinkling of the skin
• Leads to pigmentation issues

Over 1 million Americans are affected by skin cancer each year, and genetics can increase the risk.

We spend a lot of time in our cars, and we owe it to ourselves to be proactive in reducing our exposure to carcinogens. Commuting is more of a necessary part of modern life than a fun activity. Why risk skin cancer for something mundane like the daily drive? A good film will block 99% of UV rays, it is a no-brainer choice. Save the UV exposure for waterskiing and exploring the wilderness, experiences that matter.

You may be wondering about windshield tint, which is traditionally not part of a full window tint service. Yes, there is 99% UV blocking clear film available for your windshield. You do not need to leave this surface unprotected. Your dashboard and your skin will thank you.

Since we've pinpointed the two most important benefits of tint, let's now look at what an average film will bring to your vehicle. We'll use our Premium Window Tint as the example film. Notice that the darker you get, the more solar energy (heat and light) is kept out of your vehicle. The industry measurement is called "Total Solar Energy Rejection" and that number takes into account more than just opacity, for the full picture of heat rejected.