Are Ceramic Tints Worth It?

Ceramic tints are seen as more of a premium option than alternatives such as carbon, metal, and dye, which leads many of us seeking out enhanced vehicular privacy to ask…why?

The superiority of ceramics tints is one of those things you’re often told about or read about on various forums across the internet, but it can be difficult actually distinguishing what it is exactly that makes it so much better than the more affordable options.

Well, to answer your question as quickly as possible, whether ceramic tints are worth it really comes down to personal preference and what you want your tints to be capable of. I personally believe that although ceramic tints are a little pricier, they’re well worth the excess when you see the benefits set out plainly before you, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do for you.

The Benefits of Ceramic Tints

The truth is that ceramic tints are more expensive than the alternatives for a reason, so let’s discuss what it is you’re paying for.

Night Vision

All tint types can help boost the privacy of our vehicles by denying access to prying eyes, but low percentage tints downward of 20% also obscure our own visuals when we’re looking out from inside our vehicles at night.

The only workaround is to open up all your windows when you hit the town after dark, which needless to say, can be incredibly impractical, especially in the winter months.

The particles in ceramic tints are quite small and completely transparent, which means they don’t hinder our vision anywhere near as much as, say, carbon tints, once the sun goes down.

So, by choosing ceramic, we can go darker with the tint, thereby improving our privacy without creating dangerous driving conditions — pretty neat, huh?

Minimal Glare

Those little see-through particles I just mentioned don’t just allow us to see clearly out of our tinted windows at night; they also have amazing light-absorbing qualities that help to cut down on glare from natural light and headlamps exponentially.

As newer cars are often fitted with insanely bright LED headlights, a coating that can mellow their harsh beam is great for our eye health and reduces the chances of an accident due to being momentarily blinded by other road-users.

This glare-reduction is unique to ceramic. Even carbon tints – the second-best option on the market – don’t have this ability. The carbon particles simply aren’t small enough to prevent light from worming its way through the film, which leads to glare and haze.

Durability

As we associate the word ceramic with fragile objects like vases and saucers, and carbon with tough things like golf clubs and bicycles, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s not resilient enough for your vehicle. However, ceramic is actually much more durable than the alternatives.

Furthermore, ceramic actually galvanizes your windows, imbuing them with enhanced shatter-resistance, so if you’re worried about broken windows, ceramic is the only way to go.

Infrared Protection

Both ceramic and carbon tints can help reduce the IR content in our vehicles — hurray! But ceramic has a clear edge in this department too.

Supposedly, high-quality carbon tints stop roughly 50-75% of the sun’s infrared content in its tracks, which is respectable, but well-fitted, high-end ceramic tints are hypothetically capable of blocking as much as 97% of the sun’s IR content.

If you’re wondering why that’s a good thing, infrared can cause an excess of free radicals in our skin, diminishing antioxidant levels, and ultimately, cause premature aging.

UV Protection

It’s the same old story with UV protection as well. Granted, carbon tints do a fantastic job on this count too, but ceramic once again has them pipped with its 99% UV protection rating.

Much like IR, UV can cause premature aging, and in severe cases of over-exposure, skin cancer, so it goes without saying how important it is to keep it out of our vehicles and buildings.

Zero Interference

The mirror-finish of metallic window tints may look killer, but they produce a lot of interference that can mess with GPS units, cell phones, and radios, but ceramic films have zero metal content and thus emit no interference whatsoever.

Is Ceramic Tint The Right Choice for You?

There you have it. Ceramic may cost more, but in my opinion, the excess is entirely justifiable. It’s simply a higher-performing material than the alternatives, but though it may be the best, the question remains…is it the right choice for you and your vehicle?

There are some features of ceramic tints, such as the enhanced night vision and reduced glare, that any driver would benefit from, but there are others, such as shatter-resistance, that may not be of much use to you.

If you’re not going to see the benefit of the advanced features ceramic brings to the table, you’re better off saving some money and choosing a more affordable tint.