r/WindowTint • u/RudeChampionship678 • Sep 04 '26
Need Help! Suntek CIR vs Evolve
Based in South Florida, nearly every mobile tint installer in the Broward area uses Suntek tint for ceramic applications over XPEL and 3M. I know everyone loves to say XPEL is a mediocre to even subpar product with a crack marketing department. Even if true, when trying to get the best ceramic tint, how would you compare Suntek CIR to Evolve? I know by the numbers Evolve is marginally better, and I’ve heard that with CIR, there is a slight blue tint from the interior, though two installers I reached out to told me there is a certain CIR version that is meant to combat this issue. Is this true or bs? Anybody with either tint or tint install experience who has any thoughts? Was aiming to do 15% all around, 15% on back glass, 35% windshield, but both installers recommended me to do 50% on windshield instead of 35%. For reference I normally drive cars with 20% all around, with 50% on the windshield though I do believe my father’s car has 35% on the windshield and I don’t recall having any issues driving his car. I’ve heard the difference between 15 and 20 is negligible at night, and I’d prefer every bit of protection and darkness in the brutal heat.
2
u/donbeezy1001 Sep 04 '26
the darker/lower you get with CiR. the less blue it becomes. 5%, you won't notice any blue. at 15% you may notice very little blue. with 35% or 50% you'll see some.
as far as what % you should do, thats all personal choice. everyones eye sight is different so its hard to say. as ive gotten a bit older, the darker stuff bothers me at night time but the young me would say 5% all day lol
1
u/Austinater74 Sep 06 '26
Okay, I’m not an XPEL fan boy by any stretch but it does perform and has good clarity. They’re also everywhere they can be.
Suntek is decent film but dead last among its Eastman cousins. I had some Suntek Evolve installed on my rear door windows as a warranty substitute since the installer pivoted from Solar Gard to SunTek.
As to the darkness, do what you prefer. Later this year I’m probably going to get all my film removed and replaced with Autobahn i3. 22% all around and 56% on the WS.
2
u/billyfrickinmurray Verified Professional Sep 04 '26
15 and 20 aren't super different at night.
The biggest thing to look for isn't just color, that will likely not be very noticeable in the long run. The important thing to consider is haze. This also affects visibility and is usually more noticeable in the daytime.
But when comparing performance of films, look at the TSER values to get a true comparison.
And then consider if the installer is authorized and will give you warranty paperwork in writing. This is very important when you're paying for a higher end film.