Is 20% or 35% tint darker?

20 percent tint is darker than 35 percent tint. Window tint darkness is measured by Visible Light Transmission or VLT, which is the percentage of visible light that passes through the film and glass combined. A lower VLT percentage means less light passes through, so the tint looks darker and provides more privacy, while a higher VLT means more light passes through, so the tint looks lighter. 20 percent tint allows only 20 percent of visible light to pass through, blocking 80 percent of light, making it quite dark, often described as dark smoke, where you can see silhouettes inside during the day but not details. 35 percent tint allows 35 percent of visible light to pass through, blocking 65 percent of light, making it lighter than 20 percent, often described as medium smoke, where you can see more detail inside during the day. So 20 percent is darker, provides more privacy, better heat rejection, and more glare reduction than 35 percent, but it is also harder to see out of at night and more likely to be illegal on front windows in many states. 35 percent is lighter, easier to see through at night, and closer to legal in many states. So if you want darker, choose 20 percent.