5% vs. 20% Tint: Which Is Right for You?

The tint percentage refers to VLT — visible light transmission, or how much light actually passes through the glass. Lower numbers are darker: 5% lets almost no light through, 20% lets noticeably more. Neither one is objectively "better" — it depends on what problem you're trying to solve.

5% is the classic aggressive, blacked-out look. It maximizes privacy — from the outside, you genuinely can't see in — and it's the most effective shade for blocking glare and afternoon sun. The tradeoff is nighttime visibility: at 5%, seeing clearly out of your rear and side windows in the dark takes more attention, and some states restrict how dark your front windows can legally go.

20% keeps most of the visual drama while giving up less daytime visibility. It's the shade we install most often, because it balances the look people want with windows that are still comfortable to see through at night. If you do a lot of night driving or live somewhere with strict front-window VLT laws, 20% (or lighter) up front paired with 5% in the back is a common, fully street-legal combination.

Whichever you pick, we'll always confirm your state's legal limits before we cut a single piece of film — that's part of the install, not an upsell.