Which LLumar films measure closest to 20%?
Two films on LLumar’s sheet measure exactly 20%: IRX 15, which is on the shop’s menu, and CTX 15, which the shop fits on request. ATC 15 comes in just under at 18%, while ATC 20 and IRX 25, despite their names, measure 25% and 26%.
LLumar publishes these in its performance data (LL0116NAEN, 03/26), with every film tested on the same clear 6 mm pane.
| LLumar film | Status at the shop | Visible light through | Glare cut | Solar energy rejected (TSER) | Infrared energy rejected (IRER) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATC 15, dyed | On the menu | 18% | 79% | 40% | 22% |
| IRX 15, nano-ceramic | On the menu | 20% | 78% | 59% | 61% |
| CTX 15, ceramic | Fitted on request | 20% | 78% | 53% | 49% |
| ATC 20, dyed | Not on the menu | 25% | 72% | 38% | 22% |
| IRX 25, nano-ceramic | Not on the menu | 26% | 70% | 57% | 59% |
Read across and the spread between “about 20” options is wider than it looks: from 18 to 26% of the light, and from 38 to 59% of the sun’s total energy kept out. So “I want 20%” is really two questions, how dark and how cool, and the table answers both. The 5% vs 20% comparison and 20% vs 35% set this shade against its neighbours.
Why doesn’t a film called 20 measure 20%?
Because the number in a LLumar shade’s name is a product code, not a reading. LLumar’s sheet makes the point itself: ATC 20 measures 25%, ATC 50 measures 60%, and IRX 05 measures 6%.
There’s a second gap between paper and car. LLumar measures each film on single-pane clear glass. Your car’s windows have their own transmission, sometimes with tint built in, and light passes through both layers, so the two percentages roughly multiply. A film that measures 20% on the test pane will read lower once it’s on a tinted rear door, and a handheld tint meter reads that combined number, not the film. How those readings are taken is explained on how window tint percentage is measured, and the term itself on VLT.
The practical upshot: if you want a car that reads 20% on a meter, the film you need may be lighter than 20, and the right pick depends on your actual glass.
Is 20% tint legal in BC?
Behind the driver, yes, on every side window and on the back glass if both outside mirrors are fitted. On the driver’s and front passenger’s windows, no, at 20% or any other shade.
MVAR s. 7.05(8) contains no darkness figure to argue over; it lists where film may go, and the front side glass isn’t on the list. At inspection time, the 2025 Vehicle Inspection Manual handles it under item 13d, which fails added film on either front door window. The shop will tint front doors if a customer asks, but tells you first what it can cost: Mission RCMP quotes $109 as the usual fine, and under a Notice & Order you have 30 days to get the film off and the car inspected, after which the fine is $598.
What does 20% tint mean on a trip into Washington?
On a passenger car, a 20% film leaves almost no margin under Washington’s rule. RCW 46.37.430 requires 24% or more light transmission on side and rear windows, and it counts the glass maker’s own tint together with the film.
That leaves very little room. IRX 15 and CTX 15 measure 20% on clear test glass, already under 24%. ATC 20 measures 25%, one point over, before your car’s own glass takes its share, so any tint in that glass can pull it under. Washington does let trucks, motor homes and vehicles the maker classes as multipurpose passenger vehicles carry darker film behind the driver, as long as reflectance is no more than 35% and both outside mirrors are fitted; every film in the table reflects 5 or 6%. If your car crosses the border often, a 35 shade starts at 38 to 39% on the test pane and leaves more headroom; BC vs Washington tint laws has the full comparison.
Should a 20% shade be dyed or ceramic?
If you want the cabin cooler, ceramic: IRX 15 keeps out 59% of total solar energy at a true 20%, where off-menu ATC 20 manages 38% at 25%. If you mainly want the look and the posted price, ATC 15 at 18% is the dyed choice on the menu.
The infrared gap is the bigger one. Dyed ATC rejects 22% of infrared energy in every shade, so darker ATC doesn’t help there at all; IRX 15 rejects 61%, the highest figure on LLumar’s sheet. CTX 15 sits between them at 49%. All of them block over 99% of UV, so the choice is about heat and money. The LLumar IRX page lists every IRX shade if you want to look one step lighter or darker.
How do you order 20% tint at Brookswood Tint?
Tell the shop what “20%” means to you: a film that measures 20%, the look of a particular car, or a meter reading you need to hit. With that and your year, make and model, it can recommend IRX 15 or ATC 15, tell you whether an off-menu film can be ordered, and quote it.
On the posted price list, the dyed ATC 15 version of each rear package is $220 (coupe, three panes), $240 (sedan or pickup, five) or $260 (full-size SUV or wagon, seven), with IRX 15 quoted per package on top; the whole menu is on window tint prices. Most cars leave the same day. After the install the side glass stays up for three to five days, and the film carries a lifetime warranty along with the shop’s workmanship. Start with the 20% tint quote form or text 604 534 6433, and see the 15% window tint page for the menu shade that becomes your 20.