Top Aluminium Window Glass Types: Durable & Stylish Choices

Today’s market offers a variety of popular aluminium window glass types, including float glass, tempered glass, laminated safety glass, insulated glass units (IGU), reflective glass, and Low-E glass. Each type has its own pros and cons when used in windows. This article will provide detailed information on these six types and offer criteria to help you choose the right glass for your needs.

1. 6 Popular Aluminium Window Glass Types Today

1.1. Ordinary Glass

Ordinary glass is the basic type of glass that hasn’t undergone special treatment, featuring a flat and transparent surface. This glass type is easy to cut, drill, and recyclable, making it quite commonly used. However, ordinary glass has poor load-bearing capacity and heat resistance. When broken, it creates sharp fragments that pose safety risks. For safety reasons, ordinary glass is mainly used for tabletops and display cabinets, and is rarely chosen for aluminium windows in residential buildings.

Ordinary glass, without special treatment, creates large sharp fragments when broken (Source: Internet)

1.2. Tempered Glass

Tempered glass is processed through thermal tempering followed by rapid cooling, making the surface hard and significantly more load-resistant than ordinary glass. This glass type typically has a thickness of 6mm or more, is transparent and glossy. When broken, it shatters into small round particles that don’t cause harm. Despite higher costs than ordinary glass, tempered glass remains popular for doors and windows due to its durability, safety, and high aesthetic appeal.

Tempered glass (right side) breaks into tiny harmless particles for user safety (Source: Internet)

1.3. Laminated Safety Glass

Laminated safety glass consists of two glass layers bonded together with a 0.38mm thick PVB film in between. This structure helps the glass stay intact even when broken, reducing the risk of injury. The glass has good load-bearing capacity, effective sound and thermal insulation, making it very suitable for positions requiring good soundproofing and high safety levels such as facade doors and balcony doors.

Despite being heavy and expensive, laminated safety glass remains a reliable choice for safe and quiet living spaces.

Laminated safety glass comprises two glass layers bonded by a PVB film layer in the middle (Source: Internet)

1.4. Insulated Glass Units (IGU)

Insulated glass units or double glazed glass are constructed from two or more glass layers with aluminum spacer bars and sealed desiccant layers in between. Thanks to this design, the glass provides excellent sound and thermal insulation, helping reduce heat and noise from outside.

However, insulated glass units are expensive and require proper technical installation to ensure airtightness. They are suitable for aluminium windows in villas, modern townhouses, offices, hotels, or buildings focused on energy saving and quiet living spaces.

Insulated glass units consist of multiple glass panels combined together with aluminum spacer bars and sealed desiccant layers in between (Source: Internet)

1.5. Reflective Glass

Reflective glass is a type of glass with a metal oxide coating on the surface that helps reflect light and effectively reduce heat. This way, the glass limits UV rays and keeps interior spaces cool and comfortable for the eyes.

However, due to its high reflectivity, the glass may somewhat reduce natural brightness, making interior spaces darker. It’s suitable for spaces that need heat reduction and glare protection such as townhouses, high-rises, and offices.

Reflective glass is commonly used for office buildings (Source: Internet)

1.6. Low-E Glass

Low-E (Low Emissivity) glass is a type of glass with a special thin metal coating on the surface that helps reflect heat and UV rays while still allowing natural light to pass through. This enables the glass to maintain stable room temperature, reduce energy consumption, prevent glare, and protect furniture from fading. Depending on viewing angle and lighting, Low-E glass typically shows a greenish or light purple tint when viewed at an angle.

However, it’s expensive and requires proper maintenance to avoid scratches. It’s suitable for installation in aluminium glass windows in modern buildings, especially in tropical climates like India.

Low-E glass has special construction that provides effective sound and thermal insulation

2. Criteria for Choosing Suitable Glass for Aluminium Windows

1. Choose Glass Based on Safety Level and Load-Bearing Capacity:

• If you’re choosing glass for windows in positions that frequently experience impact or high foot traffic like main entrance doors and facade doors, you should prioritize tempered glass or laminated safety glass with thickness of 6mm or more to ensure durability.
• For areas with less impact, you may consider ordinary glass or frosted glass, but safety should still be the top priority.

2. Choose Glass Based on Sound and Thermal Insulation Requirements:

• If your windows face busy roads, noisy areas, or places with humid climates, you should choose insulated glass units or Low-E glass to enhance sound and thermal insulation capabilities, keeping spaces quiet and cool. Safety glass is also a suitable choice if you want to reduce noise and save costs.
• You shouldn’t use ordinary glass in these positions because of poor thermal insulation, as heat easily transfers inside, making spaces uncomfortably hot or cold.

3. Choose Glass Based on Aesthetic Factors and Style:

• If living spaces need privacy, frosted glass or tinted glass are suitable choices to limit transparency while maintaining soft lighting.
• For buildings pursuing modern, luxurious styles, clear glass or glossy tempered glass will help spaces become more spacious and airy.
• Reflective glass effectively meets needs for glare reduction, UV protection while ensuring natural lighting for high-rise buildings or office spaces.

TOSTEM’s aluminium glass window products suit modern living spaces (Source: TOSTEM)

4. Choose Glass Based on Budget and Investment Costs:

• If your investment budget is limited, you should choose ordinary glass or basic tempered glass to ensure safety while saving costs.
• If you’re aiming for long-term usage efficiency, you should consider glass types like laminated safety glass, insulated glass units, or Low-E glass because of their good thermal insulation capabilities, helping reduce energy waste and maintenance costs.

5. Choose Glass Based on Usage Purpose and Installation Position:

• For main entrance doors or facade doors, you should choose tempered glass or laminated safety glass to increase durability and safety.
• Windows and balconies suit insulated glass units or tempered glass for thermal insulation and noise reduction.
• For bathrooms, frosted glass or laminated safety glass will ensure privacy.
• Areas with less impact can use ordinary glass to save costs.

3. TOSTEM – Complete Japanese-Standard Aluminium Window Solutions for All Buildings

TOSTEM is Japan’s leading aluminium window brand, belonging to LIXIL Group – a pioneer in architectural solutions and construction materials. With over 100 years of experience, TOSTEM brings complete aluminium window solutions, manufactured in closed systems at factories following modern pre-engineered standards, ensuring accuracy, stability, and long-lasting quality over time.

Not only focusing on aluminium materials, TOSTEM also aims for comprehensive perfection in user experience. Glass selection will be based on customer requirements and installed by authorized dealers according to technical standards. However, we always recommend using premium glass types like tempered glass, laminated safety glass, insulated glass units, or Low-E glass to ensure synchronization, aesthetics, and optimal usage performance for buildings.

If you need consultation on choosing suitable glass types and detailed quotes for each installation position, please visit TOSTEM showrooms directly, contact through TOSTEM hotline 0915459933, or fill out the consultation form to receive area-specific pricing advice.

TOSTEM brings aluminium glass window designs with high aesthetic appeal (Source: TOSTEM)

The above summary covers popular aluminium window glass types and suitable selection criteria according to each usage need. Glass is not just a finishing material but also plays an important role in ensuring safety, optimizing performance, and enhancing aesthetics for buildings. With synchronized orientation and Japanese quality standards, TOSTEM always brings durable and refined aluminium window glass solutions, helping your living space become more convenient and classy every day.

If you need detailed consultation about TOSTEM’s aluminium window glass products, please fill out the consultation form or leave comments here.