Trying to find window shades that fit the '06 Prius to keep the sun out of my kid's eyes. I've tried several off-the-shelf ones and they either don't fit (too wide/narrow) or break. Primarily looking for the rear side windows, but something for the rear window too would be awesome!
Frankly, I've never seen aftermarket window tint that turned out well, especially on a rear window. Maybe it's simply the distinction between being able to tell it's aftermarket because it was a crappy job and not being able to tell the difference because it was done correctly...
That's because a quality tint job depends not on the product, but the person who is installing it and the way it's installed. It's a craft that takes years to perfect. A professional tint specialist can take your eBay tint and make it look good, though they usually won't want to because they have higher standards than that.
If your installer can tint up to the edge of the window and file the edges, the appearance will be 100% factory. Looking back I wish I had that done. MB860 ?
Any suggestions on how to pick out a good installer? It seems like one of those things where you won't realize it sucks until it's too late... unless it's really really bad
Generally the best way is to check on the high line car forums and see where those members take their car in your area. As someone who has paid to have two tint jobs done on their Prius, I cannot stress how important it is to visit your installer BEFORE making an appointment to inspect the quality of the work. A quick google search tells me that PA has even stricter tint laws than CA. I think your best bet is to consider Llumar Air Blue 80 for all of your windows. The tint is near invisible and should keep your windows legal. This film blocks out nearly 50% of the heat without having a tinted appearance at all. Price should be about $400 for all of the windows, or $250-$300 for the back windows. Llumar's site has a find-a-dealer feature.
The only thing about yelp is that a lot of people who review tint shops can't tell the difference between a good tint job and a mediocre one.
Use Yelp as stated above. I found a local tint guy who has been around for years. I've used him on several vehicles and I paid $160 for all my windows (except windshield) to be tinted with a lifetime warranty.
At that price point they are either using low-end dyed or metallized film which has low heat rejection properties or will reduce the effectiveness of your cell phone and/or the smart key system.
Hm. Supposedly I'm not supposed to tint the front windshield at all... plus aren't the Prius' windows sort of light green?
They do have a slight green coating to them for UV protection. Llumar Air Blue 80 works well on the windshield (I used to have it) and helps a lot with glare and heat rejection.
