Help - what percentage ceramic tint?

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BBraquet

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I am having my back, sides and sunroof tinted with ceramic on my black (w/black wheels) 2023 Exp Limited this week. I have 4 kids and extras most of the time and this Louisiana heat is hot so 1) looking to beat the heat and 2) I want it to look good. I am looking for percentage suggestions on each glass, please. I don't want to have to roll down my front windows to see at night. I love my sunroof and want to have my shades open without literally melting.

Thanks!
 

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davep411

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Nice! I can't really offer much advice as I'm in the PNW and we don't get the same weather you do, but I've either just matched factory tint for the front sides, or just stick with legal limit (24%) in my area. I've had vehicles with really dark (and even legal limit) and get pulled over for it more than 3x in different cars. I've never tinted my front windshield, or sunroofs. All my vehicles had/have factory tint on the sunroofs.

I also live/drive in a lot of rural areas, so at night, even the factory % is sometimes dark enough I roll down my window to look out. But in city, or areas with light, its just the right amount.

Attached a PDF of legal tint limits for various states from a window tinting shop, but it is from 2018.

Good luck and congrats on the new ride!

Most recent/current vehicles (have had many over the years and tinted all if they didn't have it)
2012 Audi S4 Premium Plus White, black interior - purchased with SUPER dark all around, like 5% or something ridiculous, got pulled over 2x in that, redid the front sides to legal
2014 Ford Explorer XLT Sunset Orange black interior - match factory, pulled over 1x, cop pulled tint meter, apologized
2018 Ford F150 Lariat Black on Black - match factory pulled over 1x, cop pulled tint meter, apologized
2020 Audi S4 Prestige Grey with Black and Red seats - 24% all round, have not been pulled over yet!
2022 Ford Expedition Limited White with the black and mahogany seats - To be done soon at match factory

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ManUpOrShutUp

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15-20% would be an approximate match to factory. I have FormulaOne Pinnacle 15% on mine. I don't usually have to roll my windows to see at night, but every now and then I do. To be fair though, I live in a rural area with zero street lights so if a particular street has few houses or the houses are dark, it gets hard to see well w/ the tint.
 

LG_123

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higher quality ceramic tins is easier to see out of at night. There are different levels, it’s not just carbon vs ceramic.

I put 20% around the sides and back; paired with the factory 25% tint, it’s effectively a 5% tint that you can’t see into from the outside even with your nose pressed up against the glass. But I never have issues at night.

On the front sides I did 35% so I don’t have issues with the law and on the windshield I did 90% for heat control and it works wonders. The windshield still looks perfectly clear
 

d-rod

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Had our 2022 Platinum Max tinted last week. Went with Air 80 on front windshield, Formula One Pinnacle 30% on front side windows (to be legal in Texas), 15% on all others windows, and 5% Formula One Pinnacle on the pano sunroof. Very happy with it, huge difference in heat. No issues at night.

In our 2020 Max, we did Suntek ceramic 25% all around including the pano and nothing on the windshield. Doing the front window makes a HUGE difference, as well as going darker on the pano and back windows. Wife is super happy now.
 

Mr Big

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Had our 2022 Platinum Max tinted last week. Went with Air 80 on front windshield, Formula One Pinnacle 30% on front side windows (to be legal in Texas), 15% on all others windows, and 5% Formula One Pinnacle on the pano sunroof. Very happy with it, huge difference in heat. No issues at night.

In our 2020 Max, we did Suntek ceramic 25% all around including the pano and nothing on the windshield. Doing the front window makes a HUGE difference, as well as going darker on the pano and back windows. Wife is super happy now.
I didn't use dark tint on the pano because my wife likes to lay back and look out at the stars. Dark tint creates too much inside reflection at night. No issue in the daytime.
 

Boosted

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I used Llumar ATC 20 (Carbon) tint 25% VLT on my front windows and they are a little bit lighter than the back windows.

I used Llumar CTX 50 (Ceramic) tint 55% VLT on my front windshield and panoramic roof. For the windshield it's perfect. Just knocks the glare off, no noticeable reduction at night and gives a little privacy during the day. I wish that I had gone darker on a roof. The heat rejection is great on both areas with the ceramic film. I would have preferred a little darker roof tint to better reduce glare.
 

Mr Big

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I used Llumar ATC 20 (Carbon) tint 25% VLT on my front windows and they are a little bit lighter than the back windows.

I used Llumar CTX 50 (Ceramic) tint 55% VLT on my front windshield and panoramic roof. For the windshield it's perfect. Just knocks the glare off, no noticeable reduction at night and gives a little privacy during the day. I wish that I had gone darker on a roof. The heat rejection is great on both areas with the ceramic film. I would have preferred a little darker roof tint to better reduce glare.
Some states, Florida being one, you'll get a ticket to put any tint on the windshield. So darker than clear tint usually gets ticketed, resulting in having to remove the tint. This is why Air Blue 80 is so popular. It is not noticeable, and with laser cuts, you can't even see it. It gives all the benefits of the darker tint UV protection, without the noticeable tint.
 

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