What’s the most popular window film shade?

What it really comes down to (1) the issue you want to solve with the film, (2) how dark you are willing to go with the film.

What Issue Are You Trying to Solve

Residential window film can help you solve many issues that your windows may be causing in your home. They are:

Space is Too Hot

Are your windows letting in too much heat from the sun? If your rooms are getting too hot to use in the warm months, window film can help.

Solar control window films like ComforTech™ Ceramic Series or Silver 15 Reflective are made to reject the sun’s rays. All of our films work to reject solar energy, but the darker the film you choose, the better the solar control performance.

Our strongest solar control film: ComforTech™ 05 rejects 85% of the total solar energy that hits the window by reflecting and absorbing it, preventing it from entering your home.

If this is your issue, look for the highest Total Solar Energy Rejected number on a film (or lowest Solar Heat Gain Coefficient) and choose the darkest film you are comfortable with.

ComforTech™ Ceramic Series Performance Specifications

Save on Energy Costs

This issue goes hand in hand with your rooms being too hot. If you are spending too much every month on your electricity bill because you are running your air conditioner on overdrive, window film can help you lower your costs.

The U.S. Department of Energy considers window film an energy efficient window covering. And, they estimate that window film installation pays for itself in electricity savings in as little as three years.

If this is your issue, choose the darkest film you are willing to install for the best solar control and most energy savings.

Block UV Rays

If you want to block UV rays from entering your home to protect your family or your furnishings from their harmful effects, the choice is a bit easier.

All of our window films block 99% of UV rays in the 300-380nm spectrum when applied to glass. This feature is independent of the color of the film because the UV blockers are added to the adhesive in the film.

And if you are looking for strictly UV protection without any tint, we have a 2MIL Clear UV window film that will give you just that!

Read more about UV protection here.

Reduce Glare

Is glare from the sun impeding you from viewing your computer monitor, laptop, or TV? Don’t strain your eyes trying to see what’s on the screen – or sit in the dark with the shades drawn – install window film.

Glare is a function of the amount of visible light coming into a window. So if you are looking to cut glare, opt for a film that reduces visible light. All window films have a measure called visible light transmission that indicates the amount of visible light the film allows through the glass.

To reduce glare, choose the darkest film you feel comfortable with and your eyes will thank you.

Read more about glare here.

Prevent Fading

Are your floors, furniture or décor fading from too much exposure to the sun? You guessed it, window film can help!

To choose a film, it’s helpful to understand what causes fading. And contrary to popular belief, it’s not just UV!

Visible light and heat also play significant roles in fading. So, to reduce the chance of your things fading, choose a film that blocks UV and reduces heat and visible light.

Read more about the causes of fading here.

Add Daytime Privacy

The final benefit of window film is that certain shades will create a one-way mirror effect on your windows and prevent people from seeing in your home during the day.

A common misconception is that transparent privacy film will provide both day and night time privacy – but this is not true. Any transparent window film will only be able to provide daytime privacy because the one-way mirror effect occurs when conditions outside are brighter than conditions inside the home.

ComforTech™ 25, 15 and 05, as well as Silver 15 Reflective all provide daytime privacy. Once again the darker you go with the film, the better the privacy will be in varying outside conditions. So for example, if it is a dark and dreary day outside, the ComforTech™ 05 will provide better privacy than the ComforTech™ 25.

We do offer an opaque film that provides both day and night time privacy called Matte White Privacy. It’s a white opaque film that mimics frosted glass and will prevent people from seeing in day or night. The white color keeps the space bright as it still lets in 66% of visible light. 

Read more about privacy film here.

Which Shade is Right for You?

There are a couple of ways that you can determine which shade is right for you:

Take Product Recommendation Quiz

You can answer a few quick questions in our Product Recommendation quiz and we will recommend the products that will help solve your issues while taking into consideration your personal aesthetic.

Order a Window Film Sample Kit

We offer a window film sample kit that includes 5”x7” pieces of all five shades of our ComforTech™ Ceramic Series film as well as a sample of our Matte White Privacy film and our Silver 15 Reflective film.

The kit costs $5 to purchase, but includes a coupon code for $5 off your first film purchase. It’s the definitive way to see how the different shades of film will look in your space and on your windows – both inside and out!