3M Color Stable IR
From $325
2hr · SUV 2hr 30min · +1hr w/ windshield
See the film →3M Obsidian
The entry tier. A non-metallised dyed film in six shades, blocking up to 99.8% of UV and rejecting up to 60% of the sun's total energy.
Obsidian is 3M's dyed film, and the tier most of our customers choose. It is polyester with 3M's infused colour technology through it rather than a coating on it, which is what stops it going purple the way cheap dyed film does after a couple of Southern California summers.
It is non-metallised. That matters more than it sounds: metallised films can interfere with GPS, satellite radio, keyless entry and phone signal including 5G. Obsidian has no metal in it, so nothing in your car notices it is there.
On UV it does the same job as the films above it — up to 99.8% blocked, and the whole Obsidian range carries the Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommendation. What separates the tiers is heat, not UV.
Where Obsidian gives ground is heat. It rejects about 54% of solar infrared energy against 67% for Ceramic IR, and 48-60% of total solar energy against 51-66%. That gap is real but it is smaller than the marketing on ceramic film suggests, and it is the honest reason this tier exists: if heat is the whole reason you are tinting, spend the difference. If you want privacy, glare control and UV protection at the best price in the range, this is the film.
One thing to know before you choose a shade: California allows only near-clear film on front side windows. Every shade below is legal on your back and rear glass, and we will tell you exactly what your car can take before you book.
The numbers
- Shades
- Six — Obsidian 5, 15, 25, 30, 35 and 50
- Visible light
- 6% to 52% depending on shade
- UV blocked
- Up to 99.8%
- Total solar energy rejected
- 48% to 60% depending on shade
- Infrared energy rejected (IRER)
- 54% to 55% — 780–2500nm, film on glass
- Infrared rejection (IRR)
- 8% to 9% — 900–1000nm, film alone
- Glare reduction
- 29% to 91% depending on shade
- Construction
- Non-metallised dyed polyester, acrylic adhesive
- Signal interference
- None — no metal, so GPS, satellite radio and 5G are unaffected
- Thickness
- Obsidian 5 is 2 mil; every other shade 1.5 mil
- Warranty
- Limited lifetime, original owner only, non-transferable
- Figures measured on
- 6mm 73% VLT automotive green glass, ANSI/NFRC 200
- Source
- 3M Technical Data Sheet, Obsidian Series, Revision G, July 2026
The Other Tiers
3M Ceramic IR
From $425
2hr · SUV 2hr 30min · +1hr w/ windshield
See the film →3M Crystalline Black
From $595
2hr · SUV 2hr 30min · +1hr w/ windshield
See the film →Ready When You Are
Tell us the car and what you want out of it. We will come back with a price and a day that works.