Window tint percentages
A window tint percentage is how much visible light the film lets through: of the films here, 70% lets through the most and 5% the least. Here is every shade on the same 3D car, seen from the driver’s seat in daylight.
Tint percentage chart
Rendered from WrapColor’s own 3D Tesla Model Y, with one film on every side and rear window. Tap a shade to try it in the window tint simulator, by day or at night. Most shops charge the same for every shade; the window tint cost calculator shows what each film type costs.
What each percentage means
| Film | Lets through | Blocks | On Cybertruck front door glass (72%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70% | 70% of visible light | 30% | 50% gets through |
| 50% | 50% of visible light | 50% | 36% gets through |
| 35% | 35% of visible light | 65% | 25% gets through |
| 20% | 20% of visible light | 80% | 14% gets through |
| 15% | 15% of visible light | 85% | 11% gets through |
| 5% | 5% of visible light | 95% | 4% gets through |
35%, 5% and 70% tint
What does 35% tint look like?
35% film lets through 35% of the visible light and blocks 65%. It sits in the middle of the shades here: darker than 50% and 70%, lighter than 20%, 15% and 5%. On the Cybertruck’s front door glass (72%), 35% film leaves 25% of the light getting through. See it from the driver’s seat in the simulator, or at night.
What is 5% tint?
5% film lets through 5% of the visible light, about one twentieth, and blocks 95%. It is the darkest film on this page. On the Cybertruck’s rear window glass (26%), 5% film leaves 1% getting through. On one Cybertruck owners’ forum page, three owners reported 5% on their front side windows Cybertruck Owners Club. Compare it with 20% and 35% in the simulator.
What is 70% tint?
70% film lets through 70% of the visible light and blocks 30%, the lightest film here. AAA calls a 70% VLT very light and a 15% VLT quite dark AAA. On the Cybertruck’s windshield glass (76%), 70% film leaves 53% getting through. Owners on the same forum page reported 70% film on the windshield (two owners) Cybertruck Owners Club, and one owner’s thread describes 20% on the front doors with 70% over the factory-dark rear glass Cybertruck Owners Club.
How dark the window looks is the shade you choose, not the film type: dyed, carbon and ceramic film differ in heat and price. The window tint cost guide compares the film types.
Film alone versus film on glass
The percentage on the box is the film alone. On the car it sits on glass that already blocks some light, and the two multiply. These are the Cybertruck’s windows with each film over them:
| Window (factory glass) | 70% film | 50% film | 35% film | 20% film | 5% film |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front doors (72%) | 50% | 36% | 25% | 14% | 4% |
| Rear doors (23%) | 16% | 12% | 8% | 5% | 1% |
| Rear window (26%) | 18% | 13% | 9% | 5% | 1% |
| Windshield (76%) | 53% | 38% | 27% | 15% | 4% |
| Glass roof (3%) | 2% | 2% | 1% | under 1% | under 1% |
Measured by an owner with a calibrated meter (±2%) in August 2024 Cybertruck Owners Club. Tesla doesn’t publish these figures. Use the window tint calculator for your own glass.
Day and night
The percentage measures light passing through the window. It doesn’t say how a window looks at night, how much of the cabin shows from outside, or how much heat a film blocks: those depend on the film type and on the light outside and inside the car, so ask for the film’s data sheet and look at a sample in person. To compare shades side by side, try them in the simulator at night from the driver’s seat; it’s a 3D illustration, not a measurement.
Most common choices
Some owners pick different films for the front and the rear. On one Cybertruck owners’ forum page, owners reported front side windows at 5% (three owners), 15%, 20% and 35%, and windshield film at 70% (two), 50% (two) and 45% Cybertruck Owners Club. Another common Cybertruck pattern is 20% on the front doors with 70% film over the factory-dark rear glass Cybertruck Owners Club. These are what owners chose, not what’s allowed where you live.
Questions
What do window tint percentages mean?
VLT, visible light transmission, is the share of visible light a window lets through. A 20% film lets through about a fifth of the light; a 70% film lets through most of it.
What is the darkest tint?
Of the films on this page, 5% is the darkest: it lets through about one twentieth of the visible light.
Is a lower percentage darker?
Yes. The number is how much light gets through, so 5% is darker than 20%, and 70% lets through the most of the films here.
What does 35% tint look like?
35% film lets through 35% of the visible light and blocks 65%, in the middle of the shades on this page. On the Cybertruck’s front door glass (72%), it leaves 25% getting through.
What is 70% tint?
The lightest film on this page: it lets through 70% of the visible light and blocks 30%. AAA calls a 70% VLT very light. On the Cybertruck’s windshield glass (76%), it leaves 53% getting through.
Does the factory glass count?
Yes. Film goes on glass that already blocks some light, and the two multiply: 20% film on glass that lets through 72% leaves about 14%. An installer’s meter reads the finished window, glass and film together.
Is my tint legal?
Tint laws differ by state; check your state’s DMV or state police.
Run a shop? Put a free 3D wrap and tint visualizer on your website with Peel.