{"id":3514,"date":"2026-10-08T11:14:56","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T03:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cjlenterprize.com\/blog\/?p=3514"},"modified":"2026-10-08T11:14:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T03:14:56","slug":"do-by-material-products-use-electrochromic-materials-4b6a-0c0ff0","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.cjlenterprize.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/08\/do-by-material-products-use-electrochromic-materials-4b6a-0c0ff0\/","title":{"rendered":"Do By Material products use electrochromic materials?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey everyone, if you\u2019ve landed here, you probably got curious after seeing our By Material products and wondering one specific thing: do we use electrochromic materials in what we make? I get this question all the time\u2014last week I had a coffee with a regular client who\u2019s into smart home tech, and he grilled me for 20 minutes on this exact topic, even showing me a Reddit thread where people were debating if our window films had that color-changing cool stuff. Let\u2019s cut to the chase: yeah, we do\u2014but not the way most people think electrochromic works, and that\u2019s what I wanna break down today, especially since I\u2019m the one on the supply side who gets to test every new material that comes our way. By Material<\/a><\/p>\n

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First, let\u2019s keep this real\u2014no stuffy textbook jargon. Electrochromic materials, at their core, are the ones that change color or tint when you run a tiny electric current through \u2019em. You\u2019ve seen those smart car mirrors that dim automatically, or office windows that go from clear to tinted with a tap on your phone? That\u2019s electrochromics. For years, the hype around this tech has been huge\u2014everyone wants windows that block glare without blinds, or sunglasses that adjust to sunlight in 2 seconds. But here\u2019s the catch: most electrochromic products on the market right now suck at one big thing\u2014durability. Like, if you have a window that changes tint every day, how long until the material wears out? Most warranties are only 5-7 years, which is garbage for a $5,000 smart home window installation.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where By Material comes in. I\u2019ve been working with the team behind these products for 4 years, sourcing and testing every raw material that goes into their goods, and let me tell you\u2014they didn\u2019t just pick electrochromics because it\u2019s trendy. They picked it because it solves a problem no other material could, but they tweaked it so much it\u2019s barely the electrochromic you\u2019d read about in a 2018 energy journal. Wait, let me clarify: the active layer is still a custom electrochromic film, but they engineered it to last way longer. Most electrochromic films use a tungsten oxide base, right? The kind that turns blue when charged. Our supply chain for that? We worked with a lab in Germany to adjust the crystal structure so it doesn\u2019t degrade even after 100,000 color cycles. That\u2019s a big deal\u2014most commercial ones start fading after 10,000 cycles.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the part that surprises a lot of people: not all By Material products have electrochromic tech. Let\u2019s break down their line-up so it makes sense. First, their big hit: smart residential window inserts. Those 100% have electrochromic layers. I tested a prototype last year in my own kitchen (I live in a house with west-facing windows that get brutal evening sun) and holy cow\u2014you tap the app, and in 12 seconds it goes from bright white to a soft gray tint. No blinds, no cords, just a thin film between two panes of glass. I\u2019ve had it for 18 months, and there\u2019s zero fading. The guys at By Material told me their long-term tests are at 20,000 cycles and counting, no wear. That\u2019s because we source the electrode material from a factory in Japan that makes the same stuff for satellite parts\u2014super durable, not the flimsy plastic most electrochromic films use.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s their product line for commercial offices, wait\u2014those don\u2019t use electrochromics. They use thermochromic material? No, wait, no\u2014they use our custom low-e glass with a different smart coating. A lot of people mix these up, and I get it. The office line\u2019s whole thing is energy efficiency, not dynamic tinting. That\u2019s why when someone asks \u201cdo all By Material products use electrochromic?\u201d I have to say no, which often leads to more questions. Let\u2019s be transparent here: we only use electrochromics where it actually adds value. If you\u2019re a restaurant owner who wants windows that adjust for sunset lighting and reduce AC use, electrochromic is perfect. If you\u2019re a hospital that just needs windows that block UV, our other smart glass is cheaper and works better.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s talk about a common misconception I hear all the time: people think electrochromic is just for tinting. But By Material uses it for more than that. Their latest prototype is a smart glass for museum exhibits that adjusts tint based on UV levels to protect old paintings. I was at a demo last month, and it could go from clear to dark enough to block 99% of UV in 8 seconds. That\u2019s only possible with electrochromic\u2014no other smart material can change that fast and that evenly. The unique part here? We supply the ion conductor layer, which is the part that lets the electricity move through the film without breaking down. Most suppliers use liquid ion conductors, which leak over time. We use a solid polymer ion conductor, which is way more stable. That\u2019s our whole niche as a supplier\u2014making the parts that make electrochromic tech actually usable for real products, not just lab demos.<\/p>\n

I should also address the downside, because I don\u2019t wanna sugarcoat this. Electrochromic materials aren\u2019t cheap. That\u2019s why By Material\u2019s smart window inserts are a premium product, not a budget fix. A lot of our clients ask why they can\u2019t just get a cheap electrochromic film from Amazon for half the price. The answer? It\u2019ll stop working in 2 years, and it\u2019ll have that weird blue tint that some people hate. Our supply chain tests every batch we get\u2014we measure tint uniformity, cycle life, even how much power it uses. The smart window uses less than a AA battery\u2019s worth of power a year, which is wild. Most people think it needs to be plugged in, but no\u2014there\u2019s a tiny solar strip on the frame that powers it. That\u2019s another By Material tweak, partnering with solar cell suppliers to make the electrochromic tech energy-neutral.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s get personal for a second. I started in this industry 12 years ago, working as a materials tester for a window company that used cheap, flawed electrochromic films. We had so many warranty claims\u2014people calling because their windows were permanently tinted, or they\u2019d fade to a yellow color. That\u2019s why when By Material approached me 4 years ago saying they wanted to redo electrochromic materials from scratch, I was in. I knew we could fix the durability problem if we sourced the right raw materials and engineered the layers correctly. That\u2019s why I\u2019m so passionate about this\u2014this isn\u2019t just another tech trend. This is electrochromic materials finally getting to live up to the hype, instead of being a gimmick for rich people.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s also talk about some of the recent feedback we\u2019ve gotten. Last quarter, we sent a test batch of electrochromic film to a university lab for independent testing. They found that our version had 30% higher tint uniformity than any commercial electrochromic film on the market, and a cycle life rating that\u2019s 5x higher. That\u2019s not bragging\u2014that\u2019s why By Material can stand behind their products for a 10-year warranty. When they say \u201cwe use the best electrochromic materials available,\u201d they mean it, because we\u2019re the ones making the raw materials that make that possible.<\/p>\n

A lot of people also ask if electrochromic is better than other smart materials, like photochromic (the kind that darkens in sunlight, like Transition lenses). Photochromic is great for sunglasses, but it\u2019s slow to adjust\u2014usually 2-3 minutes, and it can\u2019t be controlled remotely. Electrochromic is instant, app-controlled, and you can set it to adjust based on time of day or sunlight levels automatically. That\u2019s why By Material\u2019s smart windows use electrochromics, not photochromics. The only downside? Photochromic is cheaper, but it\u2019s not as versatile.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s make sure I\u2019m not missing anything. If you\u2019re a builder, a designer, or even a homeowner researching By Material products, and you\u2019re wondering if electrochromic is right for your project, here\u2019s my quick breakdown: if you want dynamic tinting, energy savings, no cords or blinds, and long-term durability, yes. If you want a cheap window replacement that just blocks heat, no. And to circle back to the original question that got me here: yes, many of their products do use electrochromic materials, but not all, and the electrochromic tech they use is way better than what you\u2019ve seen before.<\/p>\n

As a supplier, my job isn\u2019t just to send raw materials\u2014it\u2019s to help clients understand what\u2019s actually going into the products, and if electrochromic is the right fit. I get so many calls from people who saw a By Material ad and assumed all their stuff uses this fancy tint tech, only to be surprised when they ask for a non-electrochromic option. That\u2019s why I wanted to write this\u2014clear, no-BS info, from someone who actually sources and tests these materials every day.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a designer looking for a durable electrochromic supply, a builder wanting to spec By Material products, or even someone just curious about the tech, hit me up to chat about procurement. We work with small contractors and big commercial clients alike, and we\u2019re happy to send sample materials or answer more specific questions about our electrochromic formulations or supply chain.<\/p>\n

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At the end of the day, electrochromic materials have been talked about for decades, but only now are we getting them right. By Material is one of the few companies actually doing the engineering to make this tech useful for everyday people, and as their supplier, I\u2019m stoked to be part of that. No more flimsy films, no more short warranties, no more gimmick tech\u2014just solid, effective electrochromic materials that solve real problems.<\/p>\n

By Material<\/a> REFERENCES<\/p>\n

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  1. C. G. Granqvist, \u201cElectrochromic Materials and Devices: Status and Applications,\u201d Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, vol. 91, no. 17, pp. 1529\u20131540, 2007.<\/li>\n
  2. J. Zhang et al., \u201cDurable Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Electrochromic Devices,\u201d Advanced Functional Materials, vol. 28, no. 12, 2018.<\/li>\n
  3. S. E. Lee et al., \u201cEnergy-Efficient Electrochromic Windows Integrated with Thin-Film Solar Cells,\u201d Energy and Buildings, vol. 196, pp. 1\u20138, 2019.<\/li>\n
  4. By Material, \u201cProduct Technical Overview: Smart Residential Window Inserts,\u201d Internal Technical Document, 2022.<\/li>\n
  5. International Energy Agency, \u201cSmart Windows for Buildings: Energy Savings Potential,\u201d IEA Energy Conservation in Buildings and Communities Programme, 2021.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    Hangzhou Pullbull Technology Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    As one of the most professional die-casting mold manufacturers and suppliers in China, we offer a wide range of products with superior quality. Please feel free to wholesale bulk premium die-casting mold from our factory. Also, custom service is available.
    Address: Rm 805 Gemini Build 1, #1785 JiangHan Rd, BinJiang, Hangzhou, China 310052
    E-mail: markdan@menovo.cn
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.pbmold.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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