Soft Coat vs Hard Coat Low-E Windows: Which Is Better?

There are two types of low-emittance or low-e windows: soft coat and hard coat. Hard coat windows are created by pouring melted tin on top of a sheet of glass. Soft coat windows use silver, zinc or tin, and the metal is applied to the glass in a vacuum. When choosing between the two different types, soft coat windows will actually provide you with better results. Soft coat low-e windows have a higher R-value, which means that they insulate better than hard coat low-e windows.