Solar shades and window tinting are both methods that allow you to reduce the amount of sunlight that enters into your home. They both allow you to save on heating costs and reduce glare or uncomfortably bright light. However, solar shades have the benefit of giving you control, whereas window tinting is permanent. Here are three reasons why installing solar shades on your windows are preferable to window tinting.

1. Allows You an Unobstructed View

Solar shades take up very little space within the frame itself and can be fully rolled up at any time. During the times of the day when you don't need protection from sunlight, such as at dawn or at dusk, but want to fully enjoy the view outside without any obstruction, the solar shade can be fully rolled up into its casing. Window tinting is a permanent option that will always slightly discolor your view of the outside even when it is not needed.

For an even wider view, you can install exterior solar shades instead. These are motorized rolling shades secured slightly above the window on the outside of your home. They are operated with a switch that allows you to control how far the shade drops down.

2. Doesn't Interfere With Houseplants

Since tinted windows block a large amount of sunlight, they can cause your houseplants to wilt. A solar shade can be rolled up to allow your houseplants to receive sunlight. If you install motorized solar shades, you can have them automatically adjust themselves based on the time of day. You don't have to be home in order to operate the solar shades yourself, allowing you to perfectly control how much sun your plants are receiving each day. An added benefit of solar shades is that they make it easier to grow plants that only require an hour or two of sunlight each day — you can put them in full view of the window and control the amount of light they receive with the timer.

3. Gives You Control Over Warming Your Home With Natural Sunlight

Sometimes you do want to let sunlight into your home. During colder months, you can save on heating costs by letting the natural light from the sun warm your home for you. In a similar way, you can draw the shades fully closed during warm months to minimize the amount of heat entering into your home. Since window tinting is permanent, it doesn't give you the fine-grained control over heating from natural sunlight offered by solar shades.

Solar shades are offered in a variety of patterns and colors that allow you to coordinate them with your interior decor. Installing solar shades will save on heating costs while preserving your view of the beautiful outdoors.