Best Tint Brand ?

[f1anatic]

Buddy picked up a ride. Asking me what brand tint is best ? Holds color best, does not interfere with signals and so on. I know nothing about the various brands. I researched and came up with these and read some threads here but I am not sure what to tell him.

 

llumar

3m

huper optik

sun tek

formula one

 

Here's the ride:

http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/vehicles/explore/overview/class-E/model-E350W

 

Thanks.

[Drift Motion]

i hear from my local shop saying the use the suntech one...

[Th3Franz]

I have Llumar on my car. Been over 6 years now and the tint still looks brand new.

[rao]

http://www.bobthetintguy.com

[clarkwgriswold]

We used Global film when I tinted windows. Holds up pretty well.

[eldiablo]

Leeberbs tinted mine (and many other members) with Madico tint... guaranteed for life. Still looks new after 5 years.

http://www.madico.com/WindowFilms/Auto.asp

[maddoc]

Leeberbs tinted mine (and many other members) with Madico tint... guaranteed for life. Still looks new after 5 years.

http://www.madico.com/WindowFilms/Auto.asp

 

Same person, same tint...going on 1 year now. Just had Lee do my girl's STi as well .

[scoobydoobie]

LLumar

[Meltdown07]

F1- I've had Suntek on my LGT, Tribeca, and now my Z and can whole-heartedly recommend it. Lifetime warranty too.

 

Only other word of advice- get it done at a reputable shop.

[grimbeaver]

I'm running VKool and Huper Optik and both are great so far.

[docsmitty]

I think having the tint professionally installed (or at the very least by someone who REALLY knows what they are doing) is more important. Ask around about shops in your area, not brand of tint. I see many more issues with bubbling than I ever do with discoloration. You can ask the shop to use a film without metal so signal reception isn't affected.

[Mr. Sinister]

I went with Llumar CTX specifically because it doesn't block any signals. Otherwise, it would've been Huper Optik, then Formula 1.

[legacyman1657615403]

get it done at a shop that offers a lifetime warrenty.

[markyh]

I think having the tint professionally installed (or at the very least by someone who REALLY knows what they are doing) is more important. Ask around about shops in your area, not brand of tint. I see many more issues with bubbling than I ever do with discoloration. You can ask the shop to use a film without metal so signal reception isn't affected.

 

^So true. The bottom line is ALL tint is going to fade in time, there's no match for the power of the Sun. I know a couple of people that do it professionally, both of them for 15+ years. The installation is THE most important factor. Some tints will have more or less of an adhesive, some will be harder to shrink than others, and so on. Most important, DO NOT under any circumstances use any window cleaner with ammonia in it. Ammonia with ruin your tint faster than anything. It will turn your tint purple and delaminate. I've had my last 10-11 cars tinted and I've had so-called good brands fade after 2 years and some scratch at the slightest touch. I've had so-called cheap AutoZone store bought tint last years and look perfect. It seems most people think that the stuff you buy off the shelf at the auto parts store is junk, but that's 99.9% just because they tried to do the job themselves and not take it to a professional. If you've never done it before, don't. Take you car to a reputable shop with an experienced professional doing the installation.

[taliasocs]

I'm a bit confused on this issue also. I'm looking for very light on the fronts, light on the backs/rear. Goal is to protect the interior, reduce glare, and get as much heat reduction as possible without having to go too dark (sorry to all of those who believe "go dark or go home"). So far I've heard:

 

No metallic tints, they will mess up cell and nav system signals (rules out VKool and most of Llumar and FormulaOne, among others).

No died tints, they turn purple fastest over time (does this rule out 3M crystalline? some sites say the crystalline is dyed whereas others say it is not, and the same is true for the few tinter's blogs I've been able to access)

 

Which leaves..

Ceramics: 3M Ceramics vs Huper Optiks Ceramics?

Nanotech: 3M Crystalline vs Color Stable vs Llumar UV Shield vs FormulaOne UV Shield?

 

Definitely agree with finding a good shop - no way I will try this myself. I have a few recommendations from local friends so far.

[docsmitty]

Almost any shop should offer SOME non-metallic tint, and if it's a good shop the film will have a lifetime warranty against fading. Call the local shops and see what brands they offer, and if you have a real strong preference between the brands go that way...

[mclarenf3]

The local tint shop over here uses Solargard.com tint films. I've had two cars tinted with them, and they look great. The shop offers a life-time warranty on their tint jobs also, so they must be confident that the Solargard.com is a quality film.