Best Window Tint for Tesla Model 3: Tint Options Explored

When selecting a window film for your car, it’s a good idea to go with the options that best fit the appearance and features of your vehicle. So, what is the best window tint for your Tesla Model 3?

The best window tints for Tesla Model 3 are crystalline series and ceramic series window films. These films strike a balance between aesthetics and performance, blocking out glare, heat, UV, and infrared light while maintaining your car’s aesthetic appearance. 

I will discuss these options in detail later in this article. First, let’s discuss some of the benefits associated with tinting your Tesla Model 3.

What Are The Benefits of Tinting Your Tesla Model 3?

Before we get into the recommendations, it’s essential to understand the various benefits associated with the best window tints and the problems they minimize. 

The benefits of tinting your Tesla Model 3 are:

  • Window tint protects your car from fading and discoloration.
  • Tinting prevents overheating in your car’s interior.
  • Tint preserves your car’s battery.
  • Tint enhances visibility or bolsters privacy.

Read on for more on these benefits.

Window Tint Protects Your Car From Fading and Discoloration

The Tesla Model 3 is a gorgeous automobile. Naturally, you want to maintain your car’s aesthetics, if not improve them. However, exposure to direct sunlight may cause cracking, fading, and even discoloration of your car’s interior. 

This fading and discoloration not only compromises the appearance of your car’s upholstery and interior surfaces but also negatively impacts your car’s resale value. 

Therefore, when selecting window tint, you need to ensure that your selection will block out these harmful sun rays. 

The best window tint is that which blocks out unwanted UV rays, maintaining the aesthetic appeal of your car while minimizing damage to the vehicle’s interior due to heat, UV, or infrared light. 

Tint Prevents Overheating in Your Car’s Interior

Your Tesla Model 3 can overheat when exposed to the sun, negatively affecting comfort. That is because harmful sun rays will raise your Tesla’s internal temperature and cause discomfort. 

Accordingly, the best window tint will ideally be the option that blocks out infrared light to keep you and your Tesla cool. 

If you’d like to find out if and how much Hot Weather Affects Teslas in general, check out this article that I wrote.

Tinting Preserves Your Car’s Battery

An increase in your car’s interior temperature not only causes discomfort for your or other passengers but can also potentially compromise battery life. 

That’s because as your internal temperature increases, you will need to switch on your car’s internal conditioning to keep the car cool. The longer your vehicle’s air conditioning system remains on, the shorter your battery life.

This shortened battery life will, in turn, reduce both the range and performance of your EV. Parallel to overheating prevention, the best window tint is the option that blocks out these IR rays. 

Anyway, on a similar note, I also wrote a somewhat related article about Tesla Overheat Protection. In this article, I also explain exactly how to enable and troubleshoot. Check it out!

Tint Enhances Visibility or Bolsters Privacy

Not only will a good window tint block out sun rays and prevent solar damage, but it should also enhance visibility. One of the drawbacks of darker shades is that they cause reflection and glare, especially if your car has a white interior. 

That makes it difficult to see through your windows. Accordingly, I recommend lighter tints that prevent heat damage while minimizing reflections. However, if you value privacy, darker shades are preferable.

Verdict 

In light of the above, the best window tint for your Tesla Model 3 blends aesthetics and performance. You need to determine how the window tint achieves the desired benefits with minimal drawbacks to make the proper selection.

What Are the Different Tint Options for Tesla Model 3?

Your tint choice will largely depend on your personal preferences and personal needs. Regardless, it is always a plus to know the various tint options available for your Tesla Model 3. 

There are two major tint options designed for Teslas:

  • Ceramic tint
  • Crystalline tint 

So, let’s discuss what sets these apart and determine which one might be best for you:

Ceramic Tint

The ceramic tint used on Tesla features 3M advanced nano-ceramic technology compatible with all 5G devices. It blocks up to 95% of infrared rays, making it an ideal option to minimize interior damage from solar rays while keeping your car cool.

Ceramic tint also rejects up to 66 percent of total solar energy to ensure optimal comfort even on warm, sunny days. This IR ceramic tint series also blocks up to 93% of sunlight glare, enhancing visibility while minimizing reflections. 

It comes in multiple tint levels, giving you the flexibility to select the option that best matches your needs.

The advantages of this tint type are as summarized below:

  • Reduces glare
  • Minimizes heat build-up in your car’s interior
  • It does not interfere with cell phone signals
  • Light on AC usage to ensure optimal range

Remember that EVs are not like regular cars. They have temperature-sensitive battery packs and rely on complex electrical signals for optimal performance. These two features will significantly affect what window tints may be best for you since the wrong one will interfere with your Tesla.

Crystalline Tint

The crystalline tint series features a multi-layer optical film and nano-technology to block out heat better than darker films. It somehow does all this without compromising the car’s aesthetics. Each sheet has up to 200 layers of nano-technology film to achieve this goal. 

The crystalline series is designed with the driver’s comfort in mind. It blocks out UV rays to defend the car’s interior against discoloration and fading while optimizing the driver’s comfort. Believe it or not, it rejects up to 64% of the total solar energy and 99% of heat-generating infrared rays!

The crystalline tint series can also optimize your view by allowing visible light into the vehicle while keeping harmful heat out, ensuring that you can see clearly. With this tint, you can thus maximize comfort, enhance visibility and protect your car’s interior while maintaining your car’s original appearance.

The crystalline series also reduces glare by blocking up to 77% of solar glare. Because it is a non-metalized window film, it does not interfere with mobile devices, GPS, or satellite radio reception.

Speaking of satellite radio, check out this related article I wrote about Teslas and Sirius XM. I explained all the relevant options and how to best use both software together.

Crystalline vs. Ceramic Tint For Tesla Model 3

Crystalline SeriesCeramic Series
TechnologyMulti-layer optical film technology3M advanced nano-ceramic technology
Infrared rejectionUp to 99% infrared rejectionUp to 95% infrared rejection
Solar energy rejectionUp to 64% solar energy rejectionUp to 66% solar energy rejection
Glare rejectionUp to 77% glare rejectionUp to 93% glare rejection
Signal interferenceNon-metalized window film does not interfere with signal receptionThe metal-free design does not interfere with signal reception
UV protectionRejects up to 99.9% ultraviolet (UV) lightRejects up to 99.9% ultraviolet (UV) light
VisibilityEnhances visibility by allowing visible light into your carBlocks up to 95% of visible light for optimal privacy

Frequently Asked Questions

What Tint Type Should You Avoid for Tesla Model 3?

You should avoid metalized window film for your Tesla Model 3 since metalized window films interfere with radio reception, cell phone signal, and GPS transmission

Can You Add Window Film Yourself, or Do You Need an Expert?

You can add window film yourself, and you do not need an expert. However, if you are nervous about messing up the tint, you should take it to the professionals for the best application possible. 

So, metalized window tints will undermine your Tesla’s high level of functionality.

I recommend opting for crystalline and ceramic window films whose non-metallic design does not interfere with signal reception.

It is natural to be concerned about adding a window film to your car. After all, the last thing that you want is to damage your vehicle or ruin its appearance with a lousy job.

The video below provides easy-to-follow steps on adding window film to your Tesla Model 3 from the comfort of your home.

EV Speedy’s Take

There are several factors that you will need to consider when selecting the correct window film for your Tesla Model 3, such as:

  • Protection against solar heat, harmful UV rays, and infrared rays.
  • Degree of protection against glare.
  • Visibility versus privacy.
  • Signal interference.
  • Impact on your car’s appearance.

The best window tints for your Tesla Model 3 are the ceramic series and the crystalline series, which meet all the criteria for a good tint. Still, your choice will ultimately depend on your personal preferences, especially from an aesthetic standpoint, but you can’t go wrong with these two fantastic options.


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Erwin Meyer
Erwin Meyer

A renowned Tesla enthusiast, and successful entrepreneur, enlightens global audiences through his compelling EV narratives. Discover more about his electric journey on his About Me page. Venture to read Erwin's incredible story that's reshaping the future of motoring. Want to spark a conversation with Erwin? Visit his Contact page, and let’s electrify the world together.