Carbon Window Tint
Carbon window tint gets its color and heat control from carbon particles built into the film instead of dye or metal.
Carbon Window Tint
Madico's Velocity Carbon IR puts that technology to work, rejecting up to 86% of infrared heat and up to 62% of total solar energy, in a matte, carbon-black finish that holds its color. Every shade blocks 99% of UV rays and reflects only 5–6% of visible light, so your car looks like it has darker glass rather than a mirror. Velocity Carbon IR comes in four shades, is installed by authorized Madico dealers, and carries a lifetime warranty.
What is carbon window tint?
Carbon film is a polyester window film with fine carbon pigment built into its structure. The carbon absorbs infrared energy, the part of sunlight you feel as heat on your arm through the glass, and keeps much of it from reaching the cabin.
Carbon pigment does a different job from the two older technologies:
Dye colors the film and absorbs visible light, but does little against infrared. Madico's dyed films reject about 26% of infrared. Many low-cost dyes also break down in sunlight over time.
Metal reflects heat well, but adds a shiny finish and can interfere with electronic signals.
Carbon is a stable pigment that absorbs infrared without a metal layer. It gives a deep, even black that doesn't fade to purple, and it controls heat much better than dye.
That makes carbon the middle option between dyed film and nano-ceramic. You get much more heat control than dyed film and the look of a premium film, without paying for ceramic.
Velocity Carbon IR performance
| Shade | Visible Light Transmitted | Visible light reflected | Glare reduction | UV rejected | IR rejection | Total solar energy rejected | SHGC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Velocity Carbon IR 5 | 6% | 5% | 92% | 99% | 75% | 62% | .038 |
| Velocity Carbon IR 20 | 21% | 5% | 76% | 99% | 79% | 58% | 0.42 |
| Velocity Carbon IR 35 | 38% | 6% | 57% | 99% | 86% | 53% | 0.47 |
| Velocity Carbon IR 45 | 48% | 6% | 47% | 99% | 82% | 50% | 0.51 |
Three numbers to notice:
Infrared rejection stays between 75% and 86% at every shade. Even the lightest shade, Velocity Carbon IR 45, rejects 82% of infrared heat while letting through nearly half the visible light. That's useful where tint laws require lighter front windows.
Reflectance never goes above 6%. The finish stays non-reflective whichever shade you choose.
UV rejection is 99% at every shade. Your skin and your dashboard, seats and trim get the same protection from the lightest shade as from the darkest.
Performance measured in accordance with National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) standards on single-pane, 6mm (1/4") clear glass. Values are typical properties, not specifications. See madico.com for the latest published measurements.
Carbon vs. ceramic tint
This is the question people search for most, and the two films are closer than most guides say. Here are Madico's own numbers at comparable shades:
| Carbon: Velocity Carbon IR 35 | Nano-ceramic: Black Pearl NC 35 | Nano-ceramic: WINCOS 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visible light transmitted | 38% | 28% | 34% |
| Total solar energy rejected | 53% | 54% | 56% |
| Infrared rejection | 86% | 90% | 91% |
| Glare reduction | 57% | 57% | 62% |
| UV rejected | 99% | ≥99% | ≥99% |
| Finish | Matte carbon black | Warm factory blac | Neutral, high clarity |
At the darkest shades, the gap is bigger:
| Velocity Carbon IR 5 | Black Pearl NC 0 | WINCOS 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total solar energy rejected | 62% | 63% | 66% |
| Infrared rejection | 75% | 90% | 93% |
In short: at mid shades, Velocity Carbon IR keeps out nearly as much total heat as Madico's ceramic films, within 1–3 points. Ceramic pulls ahead on infrared, particularly at the darkest shades, so it's still the right film if you live somewhere very hot or your car has a large glass roof. A typical online guide says carbon blocks 40–50% of infrared, which understates what a well-made carbon film can do.
Choose carbon if you want strong heat control, a deep matte black, and color that won't change, at a lower price than ceramic.
Choose ceramic if you want the most infrared rejection available, at any shade.
Carbon vs. dyed tint
| Velocity Carbon IR 5 | Charcool 5 (extrusion dyed) | |
|---|---|---|
| Infrared rejection | 75% | 26% |
| Total solar energy rejected | 62% | 38% |
| Glare reduction | 92% | 92% |
| Visible light reflected | 5% | 5% |
| UV rejected | 99% | ≥99% |
From the outside you can hardly tell them apart: both are dark, non-reflective and block glare. The difference shows up inside the car. Velocity Carbon IR rejects nearly three times as much infrared, so the cabin and seats stay noticeably cooler when the car is parked in the sun. If heat matters to you at all, carbon is the step up from dyed film.
Does carbon tint fade or turn purple?
Not the way cheap dyed film does. Film turns purple when organic dye breaks down under ultraviolet light. Carbon pigment is far more stable in sunlight, which is why Velocity Carbon IR is described as a color-stable carbon black. It keeps the same even, neutral shade year after year.
The 99% UV rejection protects your car's interior too. Leather, dashboards and trim fade more slowly. And because the film is backed by a lifetime warranty, color stability is something Madico guarantees, not just a selling point.
Does carbon tint interfere with phone or GPS signals?
No. Velocity Carbon IR has no metal layer, so it won't affect cell reception, GPS, Bluetooth, satellite radio, keyless entry or tire-pressure sensors. Metal-free construction is one of the main reasons drivers pick carbon over metallized film.
What are the downsides of carbon tint?
There are two worth knowing about:
Ceramic still rejects more infrared. The gap is small at mid shades and grows at the darkest ones (75% for carbon vs. 90–93% for ceramic at 5% VLT). If you want the coolest cabin possible, choose ceramic.
Carbon has a matte finish. Most drivers like the deep matte black, but if you want the clearest possible view out, particularly at night, a high-clarity ceramic such as WINCOS is the better choice.
Fading, signal interference and a mirrored look are all problems with cheap dyed or metallized film. Carbon film doesn't have them.
How much does carbon window tint cost?
Madico films are sold and installed only through authorized dealers, and each dealer sets its own prices. What affects the price:
Vehicle size and glass area. A coupe costs less to tint than an SUV with a large rear hatch.
Coverage. Front side windows only, all side windows, or the full vehicle including the rear windshield.
Film type. Carbon costs more than dyed film and less than nano-ceramic.
Old film removal. Removing failed tint adds labor.
Your dealer can quote an exact price once they've seen your car. Every Velocity Carbon IR install is covered by the lifetime warranty.
Choosing your shade
Velocity Carbon IR comes in 5, 20, 35 and 45. Infrared rejection stays high at every shade, so the decision mostly comes down to privacy, glare, and what's legal in your state.
Window film laws vary by state. In the U.S., film is generally not allowed on the front windshield but is allowed on side and rear windows, and each state sets limits on visible light transmission. Check the International Window Film Association's state-by-state chart and confirm with your dealer.
Find a Madico dealer
Velocity Carbon IR is installed only by authorized Madico dealers who are trained on Madico films. Your dealer will confirm your state's legal limits, help you choose a shade, and register your lifetime warranty.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Carbon film is a strong middle choice between dyed and ceramic tint. Madico's Velocity Carbon IR rejects 75–86% of infrared heat and up to 62% of total solar energy, blocks 99% of UV rays, and holds a color-stable, non-reflective carbon-black finish. It's backed by a lifetime warranty.
Carbon film absorbs heat with carbon pigment, while ceramic film uses nano-ceramic particles that target infrared. At mid shades the two are close: Velocity Carbon IR 35 rejects 53% of total solar energy and 86% of infrared, compared with 54% and 90% for Black Pearl NC 35. Ceramic pulls ahead at the darkest shades, with 90–93% infrared rejection against 75% for carbon.
It depends on your climate and how dark you tint. In very hot climates, or at the darkest shades, ceramic's higher infrared rejection (up to 93% vs. 75% at 5% VLT) is worth paying for. At mid shades, Velocity Carbon IR keeps out nearly as much total solar energy as Madico's ceramic films for less money.
Carbon film rejects less infrared than ceramic, particularly at the darkest shades, and it has a matte finish instead of ceramic's high optical clarity. It doesn't have the problems of cheap dyed or metallized film: Velocity Carbon IR is color stable, reflects only 5–6% of visible light, and blocks 99% of UV.
Carbon film resists fading far better than dyed film. Film turns purple when organic dye breaks down under ultraviolet light, and carbon pigment is much more stable. Velocity Carbon IR is engineered as a color-stable carbon black and is backed by a lifetime warranty.