Pinnacle vs Huper Optik vs 3m Crystaline

[whodis]

How is Wincos in comparison to the 3 mentioned before?  Is it similar in performance?

[Slick]

TBH....I wasn't that concerned.  I have had several prospective clients who couldn't afford my services...they didn't concern me that much either. 

[BodegaBay]

19 hours ago, DynamicAppearance said:

 

On 4/19/2017 at 2:08 PM, whodis said:

After reading all the great and helpful information on this site, I've tried to narrow down my choices to 3 options... Huper, Crystaline and Pinnacle.... Pinnacle was added at the last minute since it seems to be a little bit more reasonable price wise.... Can anyone please tell me how the 3 compare in terms of heat rejection and quality?  I have a 2015 bmw 328i sedan.... just got it,, doesn't have any tint on it. 

 

...unfortunately the quotes I am getting for Crystalline are pretty ridiculous... premium product or not.... can't justify paying someone those kinds of amounts that I've been quoted.  If someone knows a reasonably priced Crystalline installer i

 

 

@whodis, 

 

I've had ALL THREE on my vehicles over the years and below are my experience in terms of your question regarding heat rejection and quality.  I'm just a consumer and rely on the info by the experts on this board.  There's plenty of good info by @DynamicAppearance and others regarding these three films in the search database.

 

F1 Pinnacle: I've have Pinnacle 35 (VLT) on my wife's Mazda minvan (all windows; no windshield) for 6 years now and it's a rock solid in terms of quality.  It's charcoal color has been unchanged throughout the years and I liked it's clarity without any hazing.  As for "heat rejection" - I've not been impressed with it over the years, especially after I've experienced Huper Ceramic and 3M Crystalline on my two other vehicles.

 

3M Crystalline: I had CR70 on my Subaru sedan (all windows + sunroof + windshield) for two years and it's a durable thick high quality film.  My only qualms with it is the color differences between the shades; the darker VLTs have a brownish bronze tint while the higher VLTs are has this hazy blue to it.  It's looks good from the inside but from the outside there's a definite hazy bluish tint to it.  As for heat rejection, I can't rave enough about it.  Even at the 70 VLT, I could sit in car on hot summer days and not feel like I'm roasting.  It's that good and worth every cent if heat rejection is your top priority

 

Huper Optik Ceramic: I have C70 on my Audi sedan windshield and sunroof and C50 on the side/back windows.  I chose the Huper over the Crystalline simply because I wanted a different color tint than Crystalline.  It has, IMO a rich classy reflective look to it I've not seen on other films.  The quality is very high, no scratches, no hazing and durable over 1 year so far.  It's heat rejection is noticeably less than Crystalline but greater than Pinnacle.  It was a happy medium choice for me to choose Huper for the looks over the performance.  

 

In terms of heat rejection, you have to be careful about asking this question.  If you are measuring TSER - Total Solar Energy Rejected ("The percentage of total solar energy rejected by filmed glass"), all these three films measure similarly.  What you should look for is the IR - Infrared Rejected specs ("The percent of infrared light rejected by the film on the glass.  Infrared light is primarily responsible for the heat you feel when driving.")  

 

 

 

 

 

Quote

19 hours ago, DynamicAppearance said:

If you are trying to keep the price a little lower, Pinnacle will be a great option with tons of heat rejection.  Huper Ceramic and 3M Crystalline will be a step above Pinnacle, but price tag is also higher.  I have ran both on one specific vehicle since we were a dealer for Huper and now Llumar/3M.  I honestly felt a difference when switching to Crystalline.  Our tinter did the same switch on his Mustang and he told me he also noticed a difference before I ever said anything to him.  This isn't going by numbers or a meter, just pure comfort we felt.

 

 

@DynamicAppearance, 

 

I'm thoroughly astounded by Crystalline's 97% IR spec across the line.  I could sit in my previous Subaru sedan with just 70% VLT coverage on all windows on a hot day and not feel like the sun is burning me.  Sure it was hot but a nice toasty feeling, not a sunburn feeling you get from the sun through glass sitting or driving at one focal point.  I love Huper's appearance but I can't deny Crystalline having a very noticeable bump with Infrared Rejection!  I'm very surprised IR spec is seldom talked about on this forum and won't even consider films that don't list them in their specs (I'm talking to you Formula 1 and Suntek!).

[BodegaBay]

Also @whodis, you should list your quotes here to see if it's actually reasonable.  They are high quality films that are expensive; some require expert install techniques vs. your avg. tint installation.  Also bear in mind the market you're in.  

 

For me, I live in a medium sized city and paid $700 for complete coverage with Crystalline and Huper.  I priced it in bigger markets like San Francisco area and those would be $1,000 to $1,200.  Just like anything, you pay to play.

[whodis]

19 minutes ago, Slick said:

TBH....I wasn't that concerned.  I have had several prospective clients who couldn't afford my services...they didn't concern me that much either. 

 

 

Yet you feel the need to keep quoting in a thread that doesn't care about you or how you run your business or how you rip your customers off.... it's kinda funny that way huh.... no one values anything you have to say here... yet you keep trolling on so keep commenting and I'll get a good chuckle every time. 

[whodis]

Bodega, Dynamic and Midtown..... I truly appreciate the feedback and help it is very informative.  I've narrowed it down to Huper and Crystalline for sure.  Heat rejection is the priority... I travel about 500 to 1000 miles a week in my car going from one of our real estate projects to another.....

 

Bodega, yes I totally agree markets matter.  But I've been quoted as high as 1100 for huper optik by a guy in Houston and as low as 600 in the same city... kinda throws you for a loop when you hear that. 

 

Then in Dallas, I had an installer warn me on the phone that people in the area were pulling switches on customers... using lesser film even though charging for the more expensive.  Don't know if it was a sales tactic or actually true.. but it gives pause for sure.

[DynamicATL]

17 minutes ago, BodegaBay said:

I'm thoroughly astounded by Crystalline's 97% IR spec across the line.  I could sit in my previous Subaru sedan with just 70% VLT coverage on all windows on a hot day and not feel like the sun is burning me.  Sure it was hot but a nice toasty feeling, not a sunburn feeling you get from the sun through glass sitting or driving at one focal point.  I love Huper's appearance but I can't deny Crystalline having a very noticeable bump with Infrared Rejection!  I'm very surprised IR spec is seldom talked about on this forum and won't even consider films that don't list them in their specs (I'm talking to you Formula 1 and Suntek!).

 

I love it and honestly would not go with another film.  Coloring is weird on the film though it doesn't bother me until you get to the 20%...that is some brown tint there.  I had Crystalline 20 on my rear window and had to remove it.  I ended up doing Color Stable 50 and a layer of Crystalline 40 on top to get to the desired 20%.

 

IR is not mentioned on the forum much simply because TSER already has IR included.  TSER is also recognized as the "official" heat rejection measurement.  The problem with IR is it is subjective to the person...some people will feel a greater difference than someone else.  So it is hard to have a level playing field when opinions are different.  Llumar/Formula One does not recognize IR as being an important measurement which is why they do not list a separate section for it.  The problem with 3M, sure it will be brought up, is the 97% is only a small portion of the wavelength versus Huper using all of it.  If 3M were to use the whole wavelength, then that number would be less.  IMO, I think why 3M focuses on that smaller amount is because that is what we feel the most of in the sun...so blocking more there than anywhere else.  That is my guess though.  I am with you and I believe IR is extremely important as it makes you feel more comfortable...that is a win for me.  I honestly think this industry is just not changing enough to keep up with new technologies and some of the thinking is outdated.  That is my opinion though.

[DynamicATL]

Just now, whodis said:

Bodega, Dynamic and Midtown..... I truly appreciate the feedback and help it is very informative.  I've narrowed it down to Huper and Crystalline for sure.  Heat rejection is the priority... I travel about 500 to 1000 miles a week in my car going from one of our real estate projects to another.....

 

Bodega, yes I totally agree markets matter.  But I've been quoted as high as 1100 for huper optik by a guy in Houston and as low as 600 in the same city... kinda throws you for a loop when you hear that. 

 

Then in Dallas, I had an installer warn me on the phone that people in the area were pulling switches on customers... using lesser film even though charging for the more expensive.  Don't know if it was a sales tactic or actually true.. but it gives pause for sure.

 

I believe Bait and Switch in this industry happens more than we think.  As long as you are getting a darker shade (30-40), the coloring is very unique on Huper Ceramic and 3M Crystalline.  Crystalline also has the 3M logo on that has to be removed, so you can ask to see the logo before removal.  Also installation on these films are harder than other films.  So when looking for a shop, make sure you see them posting up photos or sample vehicles with the film installed.  There are Huper and 3M dealers that can't install those films.  I know it sounds shocking, but plenty out there.

[BodegaBay]

...Heat rejection is the priority... I travel about 500 to 1000 miles a week in my car..
 
Bodega, yes I totally agree markets. I've been quoted as high as 1100 for huper optik by a guy in Houston and as low as 600 in the same city... kinda throws you for a loop when you hear that. 
 
...Then in Dallas, I had an installer warn me on the phone that people in the area were pulling switches on customers... using lesser film even though charging for the more expensive...

That's quite a dramatic difference between two different authorized Huper dealers in the same market! That would definitely make suspicious. Whichever film you choose, I recommend asking the dealer leaving a few watermarks on each wimdow after installation. It's easily wiped off by a water/alcohol soulition. Both Crystalline and Huper print watermarks all over their films to combat this type of shenanigans.

If you drive that much and your main priority is heat rejection, hands down I would recommend Crystalline. Make sure you get the windshield as well because what's the point of having 80% coverage?

[whodis]

18 minutes ago, BodegaBay said:

 

That's quite a dramatic difference between two different authorized Huper dealers in the same market! That would definitely make suspicious. Whichever film you choose, I recommend asking the dealer leaving a few watermarks on each wimdow after installation. It's easily wiped off by a water/alcohol soulition. Both Crystalline and Huper print watermarks all over their films to combat this type of shenanigans.

If you drive that much and your main priority is heat rejection, hands down I would recommend Crystalline. Make sure you get the windshield as well because what's the point of having 80% coverage?

 

 

I'd gotten both numbers off of the Huper dealer locator website so I assumed they are both authorized vendors...

 

After what you three have told me, I am heavily leaning towards Crystalline...  you have me even thinking about getting the sunroof covered haha.