jasonlitka

I've seen a bunch of people refer to "Air Blue" but the Llumar site just calls it "Air" and doesn't say anything about Blue. Is that a separate product or is all the Air tint blue? I was looking at this stuff as well but I don't want my car going Superman Mode.

snagitseven

I would think they generally are exempt. Public tint laws are to protect the police during stops. On the other hand, police vehicles are marked or unmarked; unmarked can be used for surveillance. Police sit in their cars for 8 hours at a time. K9 cars need to protect the dogs from heat, etc, etc.

Maverick61

Can't answer about the inspection stickers since I ended up not having the windshield done - but the owner was more than happy to answer any questions I had so if interested you should just give them a call

Maverick61

They may have modified the name slightly since a few years ago when Blue was in the name. When I did the research all three of the films I looked at that met PA legal compliance but gave me the heat reduction / UV protection I wanted had a slight tint. Huper Optik Ceramic 70 had a grayish hue, the 3m Crystalline 70 greenish / brownish hue and the Llumar Air Blue 80 film a blue hue . But really the color is very very slight / not noticeable. You can see from my sig pic, I have a red car and the windows do not look blue

Hulamau

Just a little caveat on the idea of 40% 3M Crystalline on Tornado grey Metallic which is just a slight shade darker than Florett Silver Metallic that also has that silver sheen... This is just to add some more detail to my earlier comparison experience with the two top quality tint products of 3M Crystalline and Suntek CXP on light cars like ours. The very experienced dealer who first suggested Crystalline 40' all around and 70% on front windshield, definitely changed his recommendation when he saw my car in person.

We switched to Suntek CXP 35% for front door windows and CXP (Sunteks top of line Ceramic nano particle tint) at 18% (basically 20%) on rear door windows and far rear window.

That looked way better than when we did a first trial with a section of crystalline sample when matched to my car. At least with the five of us there in total agreement with four of them professional experts in the tint world and me the only novice who at least can tell what looks good.

The crystalline's slightly but definitely bluish hue combined with it being just too light for these light colored grey/silver cars didn't work as well in all of our unanimous opinions , including his three top tint installers who were there to do my job.

And He would have made a good $275 more had I stuck with Crystalline all around but the darker brown/black hue of the Suntek CXP looks fabulous and better brings out the contrast with the lighter grey/silver metallic cars we both have.

I did use the Crystalline 70 on front window and it's a great tint, but the bluish hue is not the greatest fit with our color cars though at 70% it's light enough that the blue hue doesn't clash with the Suntek on the sides. However, in hindsight s I noted in an earlier post, I'd probably go with Suntek CXP 80 or 70 on the windshield if I was doing it over.

Both Crystalline and CXP are very similar in quality, with CXP ... if anything... being very slightly clearer and sharper but it's a toss up really... Both are super clear and very sharp.. And both have excellent Vision at night out the car even with the CXP 18 on the three rear windows it is NOT too dark looking out from inside the car at all which was a nice surprise!

3M crystalline 70 blocks 50% solar heat gain via the windshield and you can really feel a big difference vs. no tint there at all, but CXP 70 blocks 44% which is probably close enough and hard to tell much difference compared to Crystslline 70 and both are a toss up in clarity and long term life time warranty etc, though CXP wins out on costs as its a good deal less.

Just my recent experience , but as good as Crystalline can look on darker cars, too. All of us doing the comparison on my car felt it was a bit weak looking on a light Silver or lighter grey metallic cars and that seemed to be as much from the bluish hue as from the lighter 40% shade.

Anyway, just go to a top tint outfit who carries and installs a lot of Crystalline and Suntek CXP ... If you only see one and can't do a direct comparison you'll probably never see the suble but notable difference in contrast and snap the CXP on the sides and rear at least brings to lighter shades like ours .... Same goes for Ibis White and Glacier White Metallic too.

fuzzydice

great info Hulamau, appreciate it.
Anyone know if the high end Llumar tint comparable to the Crystalline and Suntek CXP?

kobanna

Just for a visual, this is 3m Crystalline CR40 on my quartz gray metallic A8.

jasonlitka

Did you have the windows tested with a meter after you had the tint installed? If so, what % did it come out as? I had a reply over on AZ that said the factory level on his A7 was 81%. If that's the case for the A/S6 you'd fall foul of the laws with an additional 80% (which is actually 78% based on the spec sheet for Air).

If it seems like I'm being picky about this, well, I am. It's less about the potential of a ticket, I don't think anyone would give me one for being at 65% rather than 70%, but a friend of mine in IL had an insurance claim initially denied because his tint tested slightly below the 35% limit they have there (I think he used 40% film over 80% factory tint).

snagitseven

I believe the factory tint is closer to 90%, not 81%. If so, a 40% tint would be close to 36% and legal in a 35% state. I have an A6 and the tint guy showed me on his light meter that I was at 35% after a 40% tint.

Redd

I'd suggest going to the 3M web site and then drilling down to "locate a 3M installer" in your area. A certified installer usually has been in business long enough and knows their stuff. 3M products don't blister or fade, and 3M supports that warranty.

The same guy goes to each dealer in your area once a week and they double his charge, same in every other way. Suntek? Could be great, I don't know.

But a REAL INSTALLER will be able to tell you what is legal in your state, and to SHOW you the different tints that are available. Some of them (3M Crystalline) will cut 99% of all UV and IR light, even in the "clear" tint. Some are security tints, making it hard to smash a window. All of them are available to LOOK AT so you can decide which is the color and type you want. If, of course, you go to a tint guy and don't listen to the inflated aftersales manager (ha) at the dealer.

This is a very negotiable area. Even the tint guys will also discount further for cash.