Solar Film. Selecting The Right Solar Blind For My Wheelhouse

I want to select the correct Solar Film for the wheelhouse/ bridge area, but which colour is best for me and my crew.

At Solarglide, we are often asked by clients, which solar film colour is the best in terms of performance and aesthetics. This blog explains the solar film colour options in more detail, allowing new customers to make a more informed choice when purchasing Solarglide bridge solar screens for their ship or boat.

Solarglide offer four colours of solar film for our marine retractable solar screens. All colour options are Type Approved by Lloyds Register and are specifically designed for offshore environments. The four colours we offer are :

1. Solarglide Reflective Silver

2. Solarglide Reflective Gold

3. Solarglide Grey

4. Solarglide Bronze

solar Screen Bronze by Solarglide Limited

Which Solar Film Are The Best?

All Solarglide solar film colours are high performance marine films, meaning, they reduce both heat and glare within the bridge area of a ship (as well as many more benefits related to navigation and visibility). Before we discuss further, check out our in-depth interview regarding solar screens heat and glare project. Below, are some common questions explained.

Can I Have Blue Solar Film For My Onboard Bridge Blinds?

We often get asked for blue solar film which is not a colour we offer in our film range. People ask for ‘blue film’ because they have seen it on an existing ship. This is a misconception because blue appearance is actually the colour our silver, gold and grey solar films appear internally when in operation. Why? Because reflections from the surface of the sea and the sky can give the impression that film is blue even when it’s not.

Does Onboard Solar Film colour affect visibility At Sea?

Colour choice does not affect visibility at sea. Visibility is exceptionally clear during daylight hours using ALL solarglide solar film colours. Visibility, is only affected during darkness when we recommend that the solar film is fully retracted back inside the upper cassette (or back onto the roller if non cassetted).

So, which film colour is best?

In terms of performance, the best solar films we offer are our reflective silver or reflective gold film colours. This is because the external facing surface is reflective (like a mirror) reflecting away a greater amount of glare and heat. That’s not to say the grey and bronze films are less desirable, in fact they are also very good at combating heat and glare issues, but the performance percentages are slightly less. See our performance table below for full comparisons between the four colours.

Finding A Balance Between Both Performance & Aesthetics Film

Although reflective solar films offer exceptionally great performance they have a reflective mirror like appearance (for those looking inwards towards the ship) which to some seafarers may be seen as a negative feature. Whilst a mirrored surface is preferred by some for its inwards restricted visibility and better security, aesthetically it may affect a final decision for the purchaser. This is where grey and bronze films may appeal more; when aesthetics are equally as important as performance. The grey and bronze films still perform well but have no reflective mirrored external surface, so they look more subtle when against the window. This may be preferred by some.

When selecting a bridge solar screen be sure to pick one that is type approved. Some solar screens on the market look genuine but use standard tinted film that has limited performance features or protection, offering zero benefits to bridge crew. To avoid disappointment always seek out a compliant solar screen that comes with type approval. To check that a type approval is genuine go to the website of the class society. There you will find lists of all current and genuine type approvals for onboard products.

We hope this blog helps you to make an informed choice when purchasing your next set of ship bridge solar screens.

Solarglide marine solar screens displayed on bridge area of ship

Solarglide Limited is an international maritime blinds manufacturer providing manual and motorised blinds and window shading solutions for yachts and super yachts. Yacht builders, charterers and yacht owners select Solarglide, providing high quality products and solutions, great customer service and reliable on time deliveries. Find out more at

Solar Film. Selecting The Right Blinds For My Ships Wheelhouse