What Is Isinglass Clear Window Material?

Isinglass is a word you may have heard before. Whether you’re a boat or car owner, you’ve probably come across the term in reference to clear window material. But what is it exactly? Is it a brand? Is it a substance? isinglass was never a brand of window material. Isinglass was a mineral product commonly used in everything from carriages and street lamps to early automobile windows and boat curtains. Thin, transparent sheets of isinglass (aka mica) were used in boilers, lanterns and stoves — then later as lampshades with the discovery of electricity — because mica is heat resistant and less likely to shatter than glass. Its use soared during the 1800s and 1900s but has since been replaced by more durable and higher quality synthetic vinyl materials.

Modern Marine Window Vinyl for Boat Enclosures

Brands like Strataglass™, Regalite®, Crystal Clear and O’Sea® are the best choices in the Industry for marine window vinyl for boat enclosures. These brands are press-polished, which is a manufacturing method of taking two layers of material and pressing them together between highly polished chrome plates. This method creates thicker polished sheet of consistently clear marine window vinyl for boat enclosures. The brand of window material we use Strataglass™ is the best in the industry and will hold up to years of use while retaining exceptional optical clarity and durability.

Strataglass: This press-polished window material has a VueShield™ protective, scratch-resistant coating. Available in 30-, 40- and 60-gauge thicknesses. 40-gauge comes in Clear and Light Smoke. Cold Crack Rating of -10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Why we prefer not to work with these other popular brands of marine window vinyl for boat enclosures:

O’Sea: This polyvinyl chloride, press-polished window material is chemically resistant to suntan lotion, insect repellent and jet fuel vapor. It has a slightly bluish tint. Available in 30- and 40-gauge thicknesses in Clear only. Cold Crack Rating of -30 degrees Fahrenheit.

Regalite: A standard polyvinyl chloride marine grade window material in a flexible, press-polished sheet without the superior chemical resistance of O’Sea. Available in 20-, 30- and 40-gauge thicknesses in Clear only. Cold Crack Rating of -30 degrees Fahrenheit.

Crystal Clear: This press-polished window material is made using the same materials and manufacturing as Strataglass, but it does not have the VueShield protective coating. Available in 20-, 30- and 40-gauge thicknesses. 40-gauge comes in Clear and Light Smoke. Cold Crack Rating of -10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Strataglass™ Varieties