Best Security Window Film of 2023

BDF S8MC Window Film Security and Safety Clear isn't the most exciting way to level up your home security, but it's an affordable way to add protection against shattered glass and slow down potential burglars. This safety film comes with a thickness of 8 mils, making it a durable option for most homes.

If you want to learn more about the exciting world of security window films (like how smaller rolls usually cost more per square foot), check out the rest of our recommendations. Take a peek at our frequently asked questions to learn about the benefits of window film.

Unlike the other brands we reviewed, BDF comes with two tools: a cutting knife and the rubber squeegee to help you install the film.

Unfortunately, this security film has lower visible light transmission than the competition at 87%, so it more visibly dims your windows after installation.

Still, we think that BDF S8MC is the best option for most folks looking to add strong security film to their windows.

As with our top pick, this BDF window security film comes with helpful installation tools, so you don't need to buy extra tools. Similarly, it has lower light transmission levels than other brands, which means it will slightly dim the view through your windows, but not enough to ruin a vista.

Overall, we like that the BDF S4MC doesn't require a detailed cost-benefit analysis compared to other security window films, making it our pick for the best value.

Because this is a thin 2-mil film, it has good visible light transmission up to 96%, so it won't affect the view through your windows much. Its UV rejection isn't as robust as other brands, so the colors on carpet and upholstery in direct sunlight might fade slightly faster.

While the thin film is sufficient to prevent flying glass shards and slow down intruders, it's not as impact resistant as thicker films.

If not for Hohofilm's smaller roll sizes (generally costing over $1 per square foot and bumping up this brand's average cost to approximately $1.03 per square foot), it would be a better value than the BDF S4MC.

Megicolim security film comes in 19 different sizes, so you can choose the width and length you need for your project. While many larger Megicolim bulk rolls compete well with Hohofilm on price, most of the smaller ones aren't a good value (aside from the size listed above).

This is a 2-mil security window film, so it's not as durable as thicker films but can safely contain broken glass to prevent cuts. It also doesn't come with any installation tools like BDF products.

Still, this safety film doesn't come with any installation tools, and we read some reviews saying it didn't adhere as well to windows as BDF. While we like its strength, we still recommend BDF's 8-mil product over this one.

Gordon Glass is probably the oldest company on this list, with 100 years of experience with glass products. It's a versatile security film brand with a wide selection of sizes and thicknesses (2 mils, 4 mils, 8 mils, and 12 mils), but we found it much more expensive than any other company.

Its Amazon listings don't feature more than a single product per page, making it more difficult to find the size you want. Curiously enough, the Gordon Glass website is better for finding sizes and even has lower prices than Amazon.

Kinsolar offers a wide selection of 2-mil roll sizes and is cheaper than Megicolim on average. Despite its low price, the only film thickness we found is 2 mils, so you have more limited options than other brands.

It doesn't have a dedicated website, so you need to rely on Amazon listings to learn about it. Unfortunately, the Amazon listing doesn't speak to visible light transmission.

While you'd guess right that there's not much to say about a sheet of plastic, we think that BDF S8MC Window Film Security and Safety Clear is the best security window film for most folks. Simply put, it's a strong product for a fairly low price. While its visible light transmission is lower than the competition, not every product can be perfect.

If you don't think window film is the best choice for your home, consider checking out our review of DIY security systems for another alternative.

Here are the average costs of security film based on our research of 200 products from six brands:

Using six companies' figures, we analyzed the prices, thicknesses, and sizes of 200 different security window films. We looked only at clear security film and ignored window tint and graffiti protection films entirely, though we might add these in a future update.

Our main goal was to find out which films were the most cost-effective and strongest. We also briefly looked at how well each safety film deals with sunlight for a better picture of how each brand affects your view while reflecting furniture-fading sunbeams.

You can learn more about our ranking philosophy by reading our methodology.

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