Start with the problem, not the shade. A hot west room, glare on the TV, neighbors who can see in, a fading floor and a bathroom window each call for a different film, and the darkest film is rarely the answer. This guide matches each problem to the films we cut to size, explains the three numbers on a spec sheet, and shows how to pick a shade you'll still like in a year.
Match the film to the problem
| You want to fix | Look at | Shade | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| A hot room, and keep the view | Nano Ultra Vision 70 or 50, Symphony 50 | Light | Neutral, low reflection. Blocks heat without a tinted look. |
| A hot room, a tinted look is fine | Symphony 35 or 25, TrueVue 30 or 15 | Medium to dark | More heat and glare cut, dimmer room. |
| Glare on screens, west-facing rooms | Symphony 25 or 15, TrueVue 15, Silver 20 | Dark | See how to cut glare. |
| Privacy in the daytime | Solar Gard Silver, New Silver Reflection, SunTek Silver 20 | Reflective | Works while it's brighter outside than in. Not at night with the lights on. |
| Privacy day and night (bath, door, sidelight) | Frosted, stripes and patterns, rice paper | n/a | Light comes through, the view doesn't. See privacy at night. |
| Fading floors, furniture and art | Clear UV Block, or any film here | Clear | Every film we sell blocks 99% of UV. Clear UV Block does it without changing the window. |
| Heat on double-pane or low-E windows | Sentinel Plus Silver or Stainless Steel exterior film | Medium to dark | Goes on the outside, so the glass stays cooler. See film on double-pane glass. |
| A dark room (nursery, media room) | Blackout Opaque | Opaque | Single-pane glass only. |
| Winter drafts | Window insulation kits | n/a | Film helps a little in winter; a shrink kit helps more. |
The three numbers that matter
Every film page and the film specifications table give the same three figures.
- Light let through (VLT). The shade. 70% is barely tinted, 35% is a medium tint, 15% is dark, 5% is limo black. This is the number the shade name comes from.
- Solar energy rejected (TSER). How much of the sun's heat the film keeps out. This is the number that cools the room.
- Reflection. How mirror-like the outside looks. Reflective films give daytime privacy; neutral films keep a glass look.
The point most people miss: darker is not cooler. New Silver Reflection 20 and TrueVue 5 both reject about 82% of solar energy, but one lets in 14% of the light and the other 5%. Nano Ultra Vision 70 lets in 67% of the light, more than a lightly tinted car window, and still rejects 40% of the heat. If heat is the problem, compare the energy number first and pick the lightest shade that gets you there. Solar film vs. window tint explains the numbers in more detail, and TintCenter's how window film works has the physics.
Our films compared
Figures are from each film's spec sheet: light let through, solar energy rejected and the outside reflection, for the lightest and darkest shade of each line. Prices are per square foot; each window is rounded up to the next whole square foot.
| Film | Look | Light through | Solar energy rejected | Outside reflection | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Ultra Vision 70 / 50 / 40 | Nearly clear to light neutral | 67–38% | 40–60% | 9–17% | $3.75 |
| SunTek Symphony 50 / 35 / 25 / 15 | Neutral, low inside reflection | 47–14% | 50–79% | 16–54% | $2.65 |
| Solar Gard TrueVue 40 / 30 / 15 / 5 | Neutral charcoal | 39–5% | 51–82% | 14–45% | $3.15 |
| Solar Gard Silver 50 / 35 / 20 | Reflective silver | 51–18% | 50–78% | 19–55% | $3.15 |
| SunTek Silver 35 / 20 | Reflective silver | 34–16% | 64–79% | 36–58% | $2.35 |
| New Silver Reflection 50 / 35 / 20 | Reflective silver | 41–14% | 60–82% | 33–64% | $2.20 |
| SunTek Solar Bronze 35 / 20 | Warm bronze, lightly reflective | 37–21% | 61–78% | 25–37% | $2.55 |
| Sentinel Plus Silver 35 / 20 (exterior) | Reflective silver, outside the glass | 34–16% | 67–82% | 41–61% | $2.95 |
| Sentinel Plus Stainless Steel 45 / 25 / 15 (exterior) | Cool steel grey, outside the glass | 45–15% | up to about 75% | low to medium | $2.95 |
| Clear UV Block | Clear | 89% | 15% | 6% | $2.15 |
| Blackout Opaque | Black, no view | 0% | 85% | 4% | $2.25 |
| Frosted, patterned and rice-paper films | Translucent | varies | low | low | $2.75–2.95 |
Pick the shade
- Light (50–70%). You'll notice less heat and a softer light, and visitors won't notice the film. The view out stays natural. Choose it for living rooms, kitchens and anywhere you want to keep the daylight.
- Medium (30–40%). A visible tint, like good sunglasses. Glare drops a lot, the room is cooler and calmer, and the view out is still clear in daylight. The most popular choice for west-facing rooms.
- Dark (15–25%). Strong glare and heat control and, in reflective films, real daytime privacy. The room is noticeably dimmer, and the view out at dusk is dim too. Best for media rooms, home offices with screens, and windows that face the street.
- Very dark (5%). Limo dark. For a room you want nearly black in daylight, not for a room you live in.
Two habits save regrets. Choose one shade lighter than your first instinct: film always looks darker on a whole window than on a sample, and the room is darker on a cloudy day than on the day you chose it. And look at the window from outside: a 20% reflective film is a mirror in daylight, which some people love on a street-facing window and dislike on a patio door.
Which windows first
Film earns its keep where the sun lands. West and south-west windows take the hot afternoon sun; south windows take it most of the day in winter and less in summer; east windows cause morning glare. North-facing windows get little direct sun, so film there buys privacy or UV protection, not much cooling. If the budget is tight, do the west and south windows of the rooms you use in the afternoon, and leave the rest.
Check your glass before you order
Most windows take any film. Double-pane and low-E windows take most films but not all: a dark, heat-absorbing film can stress the glass or the seal. Reflective films and exterior films are the safe choices there, and Blackout is for single-pane glass only. Film on double-pane and low-E glass tells you how to recognize your glass and lists which of our films are low risk on each type.
Inside or outside?
Nearly all film goes on the room side of the glass, where it's protected from weather and lasts longest. Our two Sentinel Plus films are made for the outside: they stop the heat before it reaches the glass, which is why they suit double-pane and low-E windows, and they're the answer for a window you can't reach from inside. Exterior films face the weather, so expect a shorter life than an interior film.
Samples first, then measure
A sample pack is $3.99 and comes with a $5 credit toward your film. Tape the samples to the window you have in mind and look at them at midday and again after dark, from inside and from the yard. Then measure the visible glass of each window, enter the sizes on the film's page, and we cut every piece to fit. A 30 by 40 inch window is 8.3 square feet, priced as 9, so it costs about $24 in Symphony or $34 in Nano Ultra Vision. Add the $9.99 tool kit if you don't have a squeegee and hard card, and read how to install home window film: a room takes an afternoon.
Common questions
Will film make my room dark?
A light film won't. Nano Ultra Vision 70 and Symphony 50 cut 40–50% of the heat while letting most of the light through. Medium and dark shades dim the room; that's what they're for.
Can I see out at night?
Through a neutral or reflective film, yes, as long as it's darker outside than in; with the lights on inside, a reflective film acts as a mirror from your side too. Frosted film hides the view both ways, all the time.
Do I need a professional?
No. The film arrives cut to each window, the tools are a squeegee, a hard card, a spray bottle and a knife, and the method is clean, wet, slide, squeegee. The install guide and the video cover it.
Does window film help in winter?
A little: it cuts the draft you feel from cold glass and the UV that fades furniture in low winter sun. For real winter savings a shrink-film insulation kit does more. We don't stock a low-E film at the moment; the energy-saving page has a sign-up if that changes.
How long does it last?
Interior films from Solar Gard, SunTek and our own lines typically last ten years or more when installed on clean glass and cleaned without ammonia or abrasives. Exterior films weather, so plan on fewer years outside.