What each tint percentage actually looks like on a car, plus which one suits your vehicle, lifestyle, and California legality.
Tint percentage = VLT (visible light transmission). Lower number = darker. Here's what each looks like in the real world.
Total privacy. You can barely see in. Common on rear glass for luxury sedans and SUVs. California-legal on rear sides & back glass.
Dark but you can still see passengers in good light. Most popular shade for rear glass on daily drivers.
Medium tint — looks "factory plus." Good balance of style and visibility. Very popular on Tesla Model 3 and Y rear glass.
Light tint. From outside it barely looks tinted at all but you still get serious heat & UV protection. The legal ceramic option for front side windows is usually 70% — even lighter than this.
Most North County customers go with 70% ceramic up front (legal heat rejection) + 20% or 35% on the rear. It looks great and stays California-legal.
Coastal Tint is North County San Diego's mobile window tint specialist. We come to your driveway with premium film and a lifetime warranty.