So what's the consensus on tinting?

[soonerdy]

Ceramic 55 on windshield and 30% on sides?

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[sourdoughbaker]

20% on front sides to match rear sides (which is around 23% from the factory based on one thread I read). nothing on windshield for me

 

[hemiarch]

In my case which mind you is in Arizona so kind of extreme, the factory rear window tint was useless for thermal protection as was the glass roof. Putting a very light tint on those helped tremendously not because it’s darker, but because it actually blocks the frequencies that make your cabin hot. What’s in there from the factory does absolutely nothing for that in my experience.
I then asked them to match the front windows to the back ones.
With respect to the windshield, I asked for them to come right up to the legal limit, rub up on the line a little bit, spit on it, and then settle down right there. It’s the single biggest contributor by far in my opinion. Also most expensive because it’s hard to do. It’s gigantic and requires two people to contort onto the megadash while also figuring how not to soak all the cloth and destroy electronics.
Very happy with the outcome. There was an immediate change in cabin temp, how hard the ac works and also privacy. I can see crystal clear with sunglasses on for FSD and also see very well at night.
Piece of advice, learn from my stupidity and don’t tint twice, pick a tint that has zero metallic content if you ever want to run a Starlink inside the car.
Also, if you have a wrap or even if you don’t, it’s nice to put a piece on the inside of the glass and wet the outside so you can see what color it reflects when you’re shopping/discussing products with your tinter.
Some of them can produce very cool results in the rain that contrast or match your wrap.

 

[JUSTICEQD]

Xpel 70 on front and 20 on front side. Biggest difference to heat etc was the front. I did the same on my X prior and wasnt sure if it would be as drastic on the CT but it was.

Find an installer that's done a bunch of CTs.

 

[Mattkalin]

50 on the windshield and 20 on the sides is what I did!

 

[Cybertruck2024]

No tint is always the best tint.

 

[hemiarch]

No tint is always the best tint.

Respectfully, I couldn’t disagree more especially in Arizona. Without a doubt the best mod I’ve done to the Cybertruck. By a mile.

 

[TickTock]

It depends on your driving patterns. Tint only helps with comfort for where sunlight shines directly on the occupant. So, if you rarely have sunlight shine directly on you through the windshield, adding any tint there is a waste of money and potential hassle if you go below the line or if the windshield cracks (Tesla has denied warranty coverage to windshield breakage if tint was applied). Tint will have zero impact on how hot the vehicle gets sitting in the parking lot or how hard the ac has to work on keeping it cool. The physics backs this up and every time someone has tested it it has been confirmed. That's not to say it isn't helpful. I have it on all my side windows to keep the sun off me and offer some privacy.

 

[hemiarch]

I don’t know how that can be true. There is a palpable difference in temperature when I put my had by a tinted window vs not in Arizona.
Also, before tint, my Starlink in the windshield and power bank in the back seat regularly cut off for overheating but not after. Finally, there is a noticeable difference in energy consumption for cabin overheat protection when parked.
Am I hallucinating this?

 

[Cybertruck2024]

There may be a heat difference with tint, I feel bad for those in climates where tint becomes necessary for this purpose. Because visually, tint is what a 17 year old does to make his Honda Civic look cool in the school parking lot.

 

[CyberT]

This is what I went with and couldn't be happier with my decision. I just returned from a road trip from CA to TN, passing through AZ, NM, TX, OK, and AR in the middle of July. The heat rejection was exactly what I hoped for. I was able to keep the cabin AC at 69 degrees and the fan speed at 2 when it was 105 degrees outside.

 

[TyPope]

He's right that temperature will be the same whether the car is tinted or not... Bear with me here.

Put a big flame under a pot and the water will boil. Put a match under the pot and the water will boil... eventually.

The RATE at which the truck heats up is the difference. Tinted or not, the truck will eventually reach the same temperature under the sun when you get in it after work... HOWEVER, tint slows down the rate at which the truck heats up so the air conditioner will work less to cool it down. ALSO, because the human body can shed some heat easily enough, you'll feel cooler inside if it's tinted (especially true ceramic tint) because the rate will be lower than the rate your body can release heat. Driving, therefore is much more comfortable with, let's say 'treated' windows because long gone are the days where you had to get dark tint to abate UV. Now, you can get almost clear ceramic that blocks most of the UV rays that heat the interior up quickly.

I'm pro-tint. But, not the windshield... tHaNkS mArYlAnD... had to rip it out of two vehicles...

For those saying "Window tint absolutely makes it cooler after a day in the sun"... Even if you tinted the windows with sheets of aluminum (100% UV blocking!!!), it would still get hot as crap in there.

Tint slows the rate at which the car heats up. It's possible, given the right circumstances, that tint can slow it down enough that the truck won't have time to heat up before you get back in.

 

[hemiarch]

He's right that temperature will be the same whether the car is tinted or not... Bear with me here.

Put a big flame under a pot and the water will boil. Put a match under the pot and the water will boil... eventually.

The RATE at which the truck heats up is the difference. Tinted or not, the truck will eventually reach the same temperature under the sun when you get in it after work... HOWEVER, tint slows down the rate at which the truck heats up so the air conditioner will work less to cool it down. ALSO, because the human body can shed some heat easily enough, you'll feel cooler inside if it's tinted (especially true ceramic tint) because the rate will be lower than the rate your body can release heat. Driving, therefore is much more comfortable with, let's say 'treated' windows because long gone are the days where you had to get dark tint to abate UV. Now, you can get almost clear ceramic that blocks most of the UV rays that heat the interior up quickly.

I'm pro-tint. But, not the windshield... tHaNkS mArYlAnD... had to rip it out of two vehicles...

For those saying "Window tint absolutely makes it cooler after a day in the sun"... Even if you tinted the windows with sheets of aluminum (100% UV blocking!!!), it would still get hot as crap in there.

Tint slows the rate at which the car heats up. It's possible, given the right circumstances, that tint can slow it down enough that the truck won't have time to heat up before you get back in.

Perfectly logical. For me, I’m much more comfortable even if the car looks like a high school civic.
Though honestly, I don’t think it looks too bad and I appreciate the extra privacy my family gets from it too. There is no reason people flipping off the Cybertruck on the freeway need to make eye contact with my kids.

 

[SlegMD]

Sure, convection is needed with tint to not have a heat increase when you are parked…

The other benefits are quite nice though.
-UV protection, protect yourself people, also reduced UV wearing in cabin
-heat while driving, in the southwest. Without I can feel scorching on my skin with AC on, tint changed that
-reduced glare while driving, have to get 50 or more, tried 70 on windshield and did not get this benefit. Did limo above the line too, love to glare reduction to the point I will not suffer without eyeglasses.
-privacy for yourself and belongings.

 

[hemiarch]

Sure, convection is needed with tint to not have a heat increase when you are parked…

The other benefits are quite nice though.
-UV protection, protect yourself people, also reduced UV wearing in cabin
-heat while driving, in the southwest. Without I can feel scorching on my skin with AC on, tint changed that
-reduced glare while driving, have to get 50 or more, tried 70 on windshield and did not get this benefit. Did limo above the line too, love to glare reduction to the point I will not suffer without eyeglasses.
-privacy for yourself and belongings.

Well said

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