Ceramic Tinted Windows: Why I'm OBSESSED

Trying to find a way to keep your family car cool during the summertime? I’m here to help.

When it comes to keeping my car cool in the St. Louis heat, I’ll do just about anything. I’ve seen and tried it all (sunshades, reflective visors, you name it) but still loading my kids into a hot car is BRUTAL. 

After driving a demo car with ceramic tinting a few years back, it changed my life! It’s a completely underrated luxury that just isn’t talked about enough – and that changes today. We’ve had it on our family car ever since so I thought it was finally time to share my thoughts on why I’m so obsessed with ceramic tinted windows.

I think this is such a great gift for parents when you have NO idea what to get them. It’s one of those things where once you experience it yourself, you don’t know how you ever lived without it.

What Are Ceramic Tinted Windows?

Think of ceramic tinted windows like normal window tinting, but so much better. Ceramic tinted windows use a special film embedded with nano-ceramic particles that are invisible to the naked eye. These tiny particles work wonders in blocking harmful UV rays, infrared light, and heat. 

How Does It Work?

The secret is in the particles used to make the tinting. To get specific, nano-ceramic particles, which are non-conductive and non-metallic, make up the entire sheet of tinting being applied to your window. Since the particles have no heat-sharing elements in them, it allows ceramic tinting to block up to 99% of UV rays and significantly reduce overall heat. 

This means that your car stays significantly cooler, making it much more comfortable (and safe) to load your kids into the car.

How Much Does It Cost?

On average, ceramic tinting costs between $200 to $800, which is usually $100 to $400 more than regular tinting. Yes, this is an expensive after-purchase cost to add to your car, but if you live in a part of the country that gets incredibly hot in the summertime, you know the lengths you’ll go to try and cool down your family car.

Top Benefits of Ceramic Tinting for Families:

When it comes to narrowing down what features are important to your family car, sometimes the day-to-day life can take a backseat. All the bells and whistles can look really fun at the dealership, but I want to talk about why ceramic-tinted windows will change how your family feels in the car daily.

Is it really that much cooler?

Honestly, yes. It makes such a difference!

Ceramic tinting can lower the interior temperature of a car by about 10 to 25 degrees which makes a HUGE difference when you’re getting into a hot car.

Yes, ceramic-tinted windows are an expense that is not typically budgeted into a car purchase, but if you live in a place where it’s unbearable to get in the car during the summer, then I highly recommend it for your family car.

It also provides glare reduction.

Ceramic tints also help in reducing glare from the sun and headlights, making visibility easier on the road. While this isn’t the main reason by any means I’d buy ceramic-tinted windows, it is a nice plus I wanted to mention, and have definitely noticed a difference driving with it.

Ceramic Tinting vs Traditional Tinting - What's the Difference?

This is one of the first questions I had when researching the difference between normal tinting and ceramic tinting. Here is the best way to break down how they differ:

Ceramic tinting provides better heat protection.

One of the biggest advantages of ceramic tinting over traditional tinting is its superior heat rejection. Ceramic tints block up to 99% of UV rays and infrared heat because none of the materials it’s made up of contain any heat-carrying elements.

I tested this myself by comparing the interior temperature of an untinted car to one with ceramic tinting after a few hours in the Missouri sun. The car with ceramic tinting was over 10 degrees cooler! This difference is significant, especially when it comes to loading and unloading kids from the car.

It offers superior window protection.

Ceramic tints are also more resistant to fading, bubbling, and discoloration. Traditional tinting can degrade over time, losing its effectiveness and aesthetic appeal. In contrast, ceramic tints maintain their performance and look for much longer. 

Tinting of any kind is an investment, but to me, the investment into ceramic-tinted windows is worthwhile knowing it will last way longer than traditional tinting.

We still love sunshades, too!

I know I talk ALL THE TIME about how much I love seeing sunshades in the second row of cars. Don’t get me wrong, these are still essential to family vehicles, but ceramic tinting is steps above what they can offer in terms of blocking the sun. Why not have both?

While sunshades can provide some level of protection from the sun, they are obviously only in the second row of your car. Ceramic tinting, on the other hand, offers permanent, all-around UV and heat protection on all windows. Once installed, you don't have to worry about repositioning or replacing sunshades.

Kelly, Would You Add Ceramic Tinting To Your Family Car?

I already have it! Our Ford Expedition has ceramic tinting and it is life-changing. Especially with the hot Missouri summers, trying to load three (soon to be four) kids into the car, the cooler interior makes a world of difference. 

It's been on our list to put it on Tyler's work truck as well. Now that we've moved to the new house and things are starting to settle down, we will finally make it a priority. The comfort ceramic tinting offers is too good to pass up, and it’s worth the investment for our family.

For those of you who live in places with unbearably hot weather, ceramic-tinted windows are something I would consider. The price is the highest you can get if you’re in the market for heat protection, but nothing else compares to the difference it makes in the car.

Do you use anything to help cool down your family car? Let me know in the comments! And to keep up with all the latest car-buying tips for families, check out my recent posts: