A model name tells you where a product sits in the range. It does not tell you what it can do. What does is four numbers, and each answers a different question.
What the four numbers mean
TSER is the share of total solar energy that the film stops. It is the number closest to the question “how much cooler will it be”, and the one to look at first.
IRR is the rejection of infrared radiation in the 900–1000 nanometre band only, which is the heat you feel on your skin at once. So this value relates more to the sensation of the sun stinging your skin than TSER does, but it is only one part of the total heat. A high IRR does not mean a high TSER.
VLT is the light that passes through. The lower the number, the darker the film. It is about privacy and night-time visibility, not heat. Clear films that stop heat well do exist.
The warranty is the period for which the manufacturer takes responsibility for a film that changes colour, bubbles or peels. In this group it ranges from 5 to 10 years.
| Series | TSER | IRR | VLT available | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3M Ceramic Ultra Clear | 64–67% | 78–95% | 5 / 15 / 25 / 35 / 50 / 70 | 7 years |
| 3M Ceramic Absolute | 65–66% | 73–82% | 5 / 15 / 35 | 7 years |
| 3M Crystalline Black | 59–66% | 97–98% | 15 / 30 / 40 / 60 | 10 years |
| 3M Ceramic Prestige | 58–66% | 85–95% | 5 / 15 / 35 | 8 years |
| 3M Ceramic S-Edition | 63–65% | 75–84% | 5 / 15 / 35 | 7 years |
The other four series — 3M Crystalline (TSER 55–64%, IRR 97%, 7-year warranty), 3M CM Plus (60–65%, IRR 63–64%, 7 years), 3M Smart Plus (62–63%, 7 years) and 3M Ceramate (58–64%, 5 years) — are in the full table of all nine series on the automotive window film page.
What the numbers do not tell you
All the values are measured on standard single-pane glass, Single Pane Auto 75. A real car does not use that kind of glass on every window. Most windscreens are laminated, which already stops some heat, and a car with a large glass area will feel different from one with little, even with the same film.
And the numbers say nothing about the installation. Even the best film, if installed badly, shows bubbles and edges that do not sit down, which you see every day, unlike a TSER that differs by 2%.
Common questions
- Does a darker film stop more heat?
- Not necessarily. Darkness (VLT) and heat rejection (TSER) are different measurements. In the table above, 3M Ceramic Ultra Clear offers a VLT as light as 70 and still has the highest TSER in the group at 64–67%.
- Does IRR 98% mean it stops 98% of the heat?
- No. IRR is measured only across 900–1000 nm, one part of solar heat. The figure for total heat is TSER, which across this group is 55–67%.
- Does a longer warranty mean a better film?
- A warranty covers discolouration, bubbling and peeling — not heat performance. 3M Crystalline Black carries the longest warranty here at 10 years, and its TSER of 59–66% is not the highest.