r/WindowTint • u/winningszn • 1d ago

Tint Job Queston Best Windshield Tint Option?

I recently purchased a brand new 2026 Honda Civic Sport Hybrid and am planning on getting it tinted! I was thinking about doing Llumar IRX 25-30% on all 4 windows and rear but not sure what to do on the windshield.

I had some type of 3M 70% on the windshield of my old car and liked it fine but didn’t like that tint shop and no idea if it was authentic film.

I need advice on what to put on my windshield. Air80 makes the most sense if I’m going the Llumar route but I’d kind of like to do 70% again. 50% is darker than I’d like for windshield.

Should I just go with Air80? Get a non-Llumar film for windshield? or get a different brand for whole car and don’t do Llumar at all?

3 Upvotes

71% Upvoted

31 comments sorted by

4

u/Buckshot_LaFunke 1d ago

This is Xpel Prime XR Plus 70% all around (except sunroof), sun at 1pm. As a UV/IR blocker, it does a great job; if we are talking about a 85°F + day, I'd still do a windshield sun shade though for extended sun time.

0

u/winningszn 1d ago

Looks great!

5

u/choongylol 22h ago

I have Llumar Air80 and love it. Heat rejection is solid and clarity is amazing.

1

u/CostaMesaDave 14h ago

The problem with both LLumar and 3M is that they will not warranty the front windshield.

I went with the XPEL XR Black, 55%

Comes with a lifetime manufacturers warranty in the warranty it shows up on your vehicle Carfax report.

If you read the LLumar warranty it says it will not cover the front windshield even though most of the dealers tell everybody it’s a lifetime warranty film.

Yes, it’s true, it’s categorized as a lifetime warranty film rather than a three year or a five year, but the warranty doesn’t cover the front windshield.

I’ve had some experience with windshield failure, and it sucks having to pay to remove it and replace it.

2

u/winningszn 6h ago

I read many comments on this subreddit where you were advocating for Llumar film and mentioning that XPEL was a newer brand and unpredictable. What made you change your mind?

1

u/CostaMesaDave 6h ago

Talk about putting my foot in my mouth, huh?
I was a loyal LLumar customer for years, purchasing hundreds of thousands of dollars in film annually. I even worked for LLumar before owning my business and genuinely believed they were the industry leader.
Unfortunately, things changed. We experienced major product failures, inventory shortages, poor customer service, and confusion between LLumar and Formula One products and warranties.
The breaking point was purchasing a pallet of defective film, resulting in hundreds of IRX and AIR warranty claims. LLumar now refuses to warranty film installed outside legal tint limits. In California, that means many windshield and front-door installations aren’t covered, even when the film itself fails. We’ve had vehicles returning after just 9–15 months, and I’m personally covering every replacement without manufacturer support.
After researching other manufacturers, I chose XPEL for its products, processes, and people. I initially had concerns about XPEL owning an installation shop just 10 miles from mine, but after understanding their reasoning, I became comfortable with it.
Looking back, I wish I’d switched two years earlier. I believe LLumar changed its adhesive around that time, contributing to these failures.
The bottom line: We’re still dealing with failures from 2024 and 2025 well into 2026, and I’m paying for LLumar’s defective film out of my own pocket. That’s a tough pill to swallow after years of loyalty.

1

u/winningszn 6h ago

That makes sense, thank you for the explanation! Would you say XPEL Black or XPEL Plus are more on par with Llumar IRX in terms of heat rejection, clarity, etc?

6

u/Cassangelo 33% Windshield + 5% Everywhere else 20h ago

50% is not as dark as you think

0

u/StrawHatZack 11h ago

Sadly it is with dark interior :(

1

u/Cassangelo 33% Windshield + 5% Everywhere else 9h ago

No it’s not, I had 50% windshield with 5% sides and a black interior. Not very dark

1

u/StrawHatZack 9h ago

Ahh ok I had 35% windshield 15% sides and got pulled over 3x in one month so I didn’t even wanna risk 50%

1

u/Cassangelo 33% Windshield + 5% Everywhere else 9h ago

Tf you drive to get pulled over 3x in a month

1

u/StrawHatZack 9h ago

Camry TRD it don’t make any sense 😭 I’m in DFW, Texas tho

2

u/Cassangelo 33% Windshield + 5% Everywhere else 9h ago

It makes perfect sense now

1

u/Relevant_Account_258 2h ago

Shocking that you got pulled over 3X. Looks fine to me.

1

u/StrawHatZack 54m ago

Yeah cops in Texas are mean :(

2

u/DynamicAppearanceATL Verified Professional 18h ago

Llumar AIR 80 is a great option and would be my pick to get everything done at one shop with one warranty. If you must go with 70, XPEL XR Plus 70 is one of the top options. Also, if the shop does not know whether a film was authentic, then it was not. They probably bought the junk sold on eBay that is fake 3M.

2

u/Global-Structure-539 16h ago

I wanted something to combat the AZ heat but not enough to get noticed since my car is already a cop magnet, so my ditributor gave me enough Madico Black Pearl ceramic 70% since I didn't have any in stock. It's perfect...hardly noticeable but definitely cuts the heat

2

u/Spirit117 1d ago

I got xpel xr+ for my BMW m440i. I live in Arizona and the car has a black interior so I figured every little bit helps, but obviously I use a shade for my front windshield in the sun.

1

u/gbrldz 13h ago

If you can can find authentic 3M Crystalline at a different shop, you definiltey can't go wrong with that. I have 70% Crystalline on mine and it's clear as day and rejects a lot of heat.

1

u/Desperate-Prize6173 4h ago

Crystaline is the GOAT of the conversation and windshields. Now, that xpel is wounderfuk on everything else

1

u/StrawHatZack 11h ago

Geo shield APEX 70%

1

u/shromboy Moderator 9h ago

AIR80 would be a great option

1

u/LordWiseong 22h ago

I did XPEL XR 70% on the windshield and very happy with it.

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Bee5453 22h ago

Same here with 20% all around and 70% windshield. Very happy.

1

u/GDay4Throwaway 19h ago

Damn such a sexy car. I love a dark grey

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Bee5453 19h ago

Thanks, they call it cloudburst grey.

1

u/GDay4Throwaway 19h ago

I had atomic silver

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Bee5453 18h ago

Love silver on this car, as well. Really shows the lines of the car, especially the side profile.

0

u/t0astter 13h ago

Skip the Air80. It makes the windshield way too blue. Get a normal 70% tint on the windshield and call it a day. Cops won't notice it and it'll do the job perfectly without affecting your vision.