G-Von

Is it beneficial to get UV blocking ceramic tint for our front windshield? I'm told that newer cars already have UV blocking characteristics in all of our windows including the front windshield.

So basically paying for UV ceramic tint is wasteful is what I'm getting at.

C63amg Tokyo

Depends if it's important or not to you if you want to help protect the interior of your car. The UV film can be clear or tinted. My rear windows are tinted glass not a film, which I hate and I'm actually in the process of removing haha and will put in new clear glass with a clear UV film on all my windows.

As far as your car, I'm not sure if it has any UV film on the windows already, but you could check with where you purchased the car.

In my opinion I would definitely get a UV film or UV tint if you like tints. Tinted film can reduce temp by 20% which is massive plus the harmful rays will be blocked.

Good luck!

C63amg Tokyo

Sorry my previous post didn't address your question very well.

Better check with the dealer if your front window has UV protection or not. Even some newer cars do not have it.

QWKSNKE

Might depend on your location. As an example, here in the US, I believe the glass in all cars have had some type of UV blocker for about 25-30 years. Maybe longer. I never thought much about it until I added transition lenses to my eye glasses. I have not been in a car that would allow my eye glasses to 'tint' (even cars manufactured in the 80's) so there is definitely some type of blocker in the windows from the factory.

However, I wouldn't call the tint you are referring to a waste of money in climates where there is high heat and lots of sunshine such as Arizona as the UV ceramic will add more blocking ability and help the car interior stay cooler. How much cooler than regular tint, I don't know.

For my Alabama climate, I would say it is a waste of money over regular window tint

SCAMG13

Don't do it!!!
I had film installed when I replaced my damaged windshield.
The shop that did it layer it down perfectly and I even left it on for weeks but the film would distort your vision as it is swept back at such an angle.
You could see through it perfectly while the glasss was out of the car and at a 90 degree angle but when you lean it back to mimic the angle of the car it was distorted.
I don't recomend it.
I can't recall exactly which film we used but it was a premium brand and fairly pricey.

Mbm6f

One of my buddies had an Autobiography Edition Range Rover. Double 5% all the way around and 20% on the windshield. I HATED driving it - only drove it once at night. I've driven other cars with tinted windshields at night too and I can't stand it. I would highly advise against any tinting of the front windshield. It can also cause distortion in some cars due to the angle of the glass. I would just go for the side windows, a strip along the top of the windshield, and a sunshade to protect the car from UV when parked.

jshimer23

I had tint put on the front windshield. Used Air Blue 80. I didn't have any distortions and in fact, most people can't tell it's tinted. It has a blueish tint but people don't realize it until you point it out.

If you have polarized sun glasses you kinda get a rainbowish hue looking out but honestly you get used to that really quick.

It decreased the sun and headlight glare without making it impossible to see at night as well. Heat reduction is noticeable but not drastic. Hot days are still *** hot.

would I do it all over again? eh, maybe, maybe not.

G-Von

Thanks everyone! This is all great feedback.

To QWKSNKE's point, my dad also mentioned that he can tell his 2007 Camry has UV blocking windows because of his UV-tinting glasses.

I like the idea of just getting a strip across the top of the windshield. I sometimes drive with polarized sunglasses so, yeah... full front tint might be an issue. I do live in SoCal where it does get pretty sunny and hot but luckily my car stays parked in a garage.

Andrewwilson

I do some tinting - I have access to a lot of different brands and styles - hard to answer. Some film causes distortion, some doesn't. Heat and heat shrink while install can also play a bit of a factor. Really though its next to impossible to say which will cause distortion as every film is different in the laminates, dye, metallic layer (if used) and what the IR resistance is. I have personally found ASFW LEGEND is an extremely high quality film, haven't tried it on a windshield yet, but it should be clear. Lightest you can get is 50% though

QWKSNKE

Yep, forgot about that part. I never used ceramic but have had 50% tint on the windshield of several cars. Like you mentioned it helped greatly with headlights at night but did cause a rainbow when wearing sunglasses.

I loved having the windshield tinted when I was younger but now my eyes don't appreciate it.