KMS

Excellent. I'll go for the Crystalline, as although I would love to get Vkool, I cannot seem to find it available in the US. Thank you!

That film was exterior only. they make another which is interior or exterior with slightly lower performance specs: R50 SR CDF (Silver) Total Solar Reflectance 27% Total Solar Absorption 34% Visible Light Transmittance 49% % Visible Reflectance (exterior) 26% % Visible Reflectance (interior) 25% The specs are actually superior to Vkool, but Vkool then again isn't silver.

Thank you very much for your reply! The roof has a visible tint, although it seems (to me at least) very slight. As I'd like to balance minimizing changes to the appearance vs maximizing heat/IR reflection, which option would you think would provide greatest reflection with the least reduction in transmission? There are 3M approved installers near me, so Crystalline is not a problem, but in your opinion would you think I might get a noticeably better result from an architectural film? I wish 3M published more comprehensive performance information for Crystalline like is often done with the architectural films. I looked at this architectural film from Eastman: RHE50 ER HPR (Silver) Total Solar Reflectance 30% Total Solar Absorption 32% Visible Light Transmittance 49% % Visible Reflectance (exterior) 26% % Visible Reflectance (interior) 24% Would something like this be reasonable to consider, or do you think it would be bad idea? In other words, in your opinion, is it worthwhile investigating architectural film for my vehicle, or do you personally think that would be a waste of time? Thanks!

So then you disagree with all of the posts made by other members?

Regardless of the foolishness above, I'm guessing my options boil down to 3M Crystalline or a superior sputtered film, if such a thing is available in the US market. If anyone has any insightful - rather than argumentative - comments, such would be most welcome.

How very disappointing. Your reply is filled with nonsense. First, ceramic film primarily absorbs IR, and it is this absorption that is the cause of thermal breakage. The film absorbs heat, the glass heats unevenly, and the consequence is stress. Second, a moving vehicle will shed heat far more rapidly than a stationary vehicle, as the moving air will cause the exposed surfaces to shed heat. This is also why a fan cools you. Or a breeze. You know what those are yes? Ceramic film will trap the heat energy on the glass, where it can be more easily shed by a MOVING vehicle. You know how I know this? I know this because I SEARCHED THIS FORUM BEFORE POSTING and PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM HAVE WRITTEN EXACTLY THIS. Finally, perforated film blocks all forms of radiation, because it's made of OPAQUE film with holes. The OPAQUE portions block EVERYTHING because they're OPAQUE. Also, FYI: Here's a quote from one installer who gets it: "Ceramic films are designed to absorb the sun's heat, preventing it from passing through into your vehicle's cabin. Sounds great, but this technology only works if your car is in motion allowing the air to push the heat away from the vehicle. However, if you are sitting in traffic or a parking lot, there is nothing to move the heat away from the glass. The heat will continue to build up until it radiates heat inwards toward you. So the amount you feel when driving versus the amount you feel when sitting still is vastly different. All Ceramic films work this way, including the brands we carry. 3M Crystalline technology is more advanced than Ceramic technology. While it absorbs some heat, the vast majority is redirected away from the glass, keeping you much cooler whether you are driving or not. Even though a select few Ceramic films can hang with Crystalline when the car is in motion, none can touch it while sitting still." https://dynamicappearance.com/blog/3m-crystalline-is-better-than-ceramic/ And from this forum: "We sell both Llumar/3M and was previously a Huper dealer. I had Huper Ceramic on one of my cars and switched to Crystalline when we picked up 3M. I felt a huge difference in heat rejection...my tinter said the same thing when he switched his vehicle too. Unlike Ceramic films that absorb the heat, Crystalline redirects a good portion of it away from the vehicle. This means less radiating heat inside the vehicle when the it is not moving." https://www.tintdude.com/forums/topic/91270-please-help-me-choose-a-film/?do=findComment&comment=1445602 And another from this forum: "Crystalline is very effective at reflecting the near-infrared (part of solar energy) rather than absorbing it, which occurs with ceramic products." https://www.tintdude.com/forums/topic/92507-is-this-cluster-of-blurry-regions-normal-on-my-model-3-front-windshield/?do=findComment&comment=1451402 And another: "Ceramic and most other films absorb a majority of the sun's energy (radiation) and then generate far infrared radiating toward the cooler side of the glass. Ceramics can create a radiator effect in the vicinity of the glass it is applied to, especially on the cooler side. That said, if your vehicle is not traveling fast enough to create serious cooling of the glass exterior surface, greater than the inside cabin temp using AC, the absorbed heat will move toward the cabin. A friend learned that by having a (high absorption) ceramic film on his windshield of his truck. He was baking while driving with AC and eventially removed the film. 3M Crystalline might very well be the best choice for windscreens, since it has the technology to reflect a lot on the intense portion of near infrared, while all other films absorb it." https://www.tintdude.com/forums/topic/93777-tinted-windshields-negate-windshield-sun-shades-tinted-sunroofsexplodingcrack-glass/?do=findComment&comment=1456777 There are plenty of other posts with similar content. Do you disagree with all of these posts from other members? Jeez.

You made some assumptions that don't apply to my request. First, blocking ALL of the heat is absurd. My hope is to reflect as much solar energy as I reasonably could without making the roof opaque or blinding other drivers. Second, I'm not concerned about solar energy absorbed when parked - my issue is solar energy that comes through the roof when I'm in the car and moving. Uh, no. Ceramics ABSORB - I want to REFLECT. My thought was to place 50/50 black/white or black/silver perf on the INSIDE of the glass. And although it WOULD reflect solar energy, I doubt that perf would be the best solution. I freely admit that this is not my area of expertise, so my ideas about solutions are not well-informed. Would a metallic film reflect more energy than a Crystalline? Would a sputtered film work better? Are there sputtered films (akin to V-Kool) readily available in the US? I'm seeking neither a perfect solution nor a bargain DIY solution. I'm seeking advice regarding the best options for professionally installed solutions that would make a significant difference.

I'm considering tinting the entire vehicle, but I've got to do something about the panoramic roof. It acts like a radiator in direct sun. I've searched the forums here, as well as other sites, but have yet to find (understand?) the best tint/film options for my panoramic roof. The Outlander roof is tinted, but allows a great deal of solar heat. The cover is merely a single layer of thin, opaque, dark (on both top and bottom, dumb) fabric that does very little. I don't want to install anything that merely absorbs solar energy and radiates heat. I'm seeking a solution that actually reflects IR, UV, and possibly even some visible light, if that's possible. My understanding is that both dyed and ceramic tints absorb IR, and that 3M Crystalline may reflect most IR between 900-1000nm, but that seems more like crafty marketing than anything as most IR energy is between 700-900nm. I've read that V-Kool reflects IR, but I haven't seen that it's available in the US. Also, I lack the skill to DIY this, so I'd like to use something that's readily available to skilled US installers (PA/NJ/DE area, preferably). If I can't find a tint that actually reflects solar energy, I've considered covering the roof with perf window wrap (white outside / black inside). The look wouldn't be ideal, but it would probably work. Thanks in advance!