The Best Wiper Blades and Water Repellent for Your Car

A guide to wiper blades and water repellents that will improve your cars safety and visibility this winter

This winter, before you get surprised by inclement weather take a look at these wipers that will give you streak-free visibility and durability. We will take a look at the most popular choices based on performance, price, features, and durability. We will also take a look at popular water repellents that can work well with your wipers to reduce glare and make water seem to disappear from your windshield magically.

By Maurice Rodriguez
November 2, 2022

In this blog we will discuss the different kinds of frames and blades and why it’s important to know the difference. We will guide you on which wipers are the best choices for snow and ice versus rainy weather depending on your climate. Finally, we will discuss water repellents and ceramic coatings which can provide you with an additional layer of protection against the elements.

Types of Wipers Frames

First, we will explain the difference between the two main types of wiper frames, Conventional frames, and Beam blades. So you can understand what you should be looking for in a wiper frame. The difference between the two is how they can apply pressure against your windshield. The more pressure points a wiper can apply, the better contact it makes with your windshield. This allows for a far superior, even wipe across your entire windshield. This makes the wiper more efficient at removing rain, snow, or ice. As the illustration shows below, a beam blade (on the left) has many more continuous pressure points it can apply than the conventional beam blade which can only apply 6 points.

Types of Blades

The two types of materials used for the blade are rubber and silicone. The reason you should care is that silicone proves to be a far superior material when it comes to wiper blades. The four areas which silicone outperforms are:

• Performance: Silicone blades do not degrade in performance during extreme temperature changes. You can feel confident that your wiper blade will not crack or fall apart during extreme cold or heat. They can perform well at -20 below or 194 degrees which would cause most rubber blades to melt or crack.
• Durability: Most silicone blades can outlast most rubber blades by twice as much and make their higher price tag worth the investment.
• Naturally water-repellent, silicone wipers naturally repel water and give the bonus of leaving you a cleaner, safer windshield to see through.
• Quieter: Silicone wipers are also quieter and have fewer issues with squeaking or chattering during operation.

Best Overall: All-season Wiper Blade

Bosch Icon Wiper Blade

 

Description: The Bosch ICON premium wiper blades are our favorite pick because of their beam design that lasts 40% longer than other conventional blades. This testing was performed by BOSCH using exposure to OZONE (yeah the stuff in our atmosphere that protects us from the sun’s rays) which causes most rubber blades to crack easily. BOSCH’s testing showed its blades outperformed its competitors by 150 hours.

It also performs very well in snowy and icy conditions because of its brilliant design that resists snow and ice buildup.

Pros:

• Lasts up to 40% longer than other competitors
• Resists snow and ice buildup
• The beam design offers a superior wipe

Cons:

• More expensive than other manufacturers

Best Budget Wiper: Conventional Blade

Anco Wiper Blade

Description: The ANCO 31-series conventional wiper blade is an all-metal frame design that has been popular with motorists for a long time. There is no fancy technology here but, its simple design, KWIK connect technology attaches in minutes is a decent budget option for those that want a quality product at an affordable price. Its classic rubber blade gives you a clean squeak-free wipe.

Pros:

• Very affordable at less than $10 per blade
• Proven frame design

Cons:

• Rubber blade does not excel in extreme temperatures
• Might not last as long as its more expensive competitors.

Best Rain Wiper: Beam frame + Water Repellent Formula

Rain X Latitude Water Repellency Wiper Blade

Description: Rain-X’s Latitude Water Repellency 2-in-1 Wiper Blade is an impressive state-of-the-art technology that uses both beam design and Rain-X’s water-repellent patented formula to apply the repellent and beam design to provide maximum pressure points to provide a superior wipe. We were impressed with this product’s use of multiple features to offer an impressively clean windshield.

Pros:

• Beam design provides multiple pressure points to provide even pressure across your windshield
• Embedded Rain-X repellent makes for a streak-free wipe

Cons:

• Uses rubber blades that may not last longer than one season

Best Silicone Wiper

Rain-X® Silicone Endura® Wiper Blades

Description: The Rain-X Silicone Endura Wiper Blades are a great silicone wiper blade that is made to consistently provide excellent performance in extreme heat and freezing temperatures. The silicone rubber blade has a graphite coating to provide a superior wipe every time. As we mentioned before a silicone blade provides a much longer performance than a conventional rubber blade justifying the initial higher cost of these blades.

Pros:

• Superior extreme-temperature performance
• Durability to outlast conventional rubber blades
• Squeak-free performance

Cons:

• Cost twice as much as conventional blades

Honorable Mentions: Winter Wipers

Trico ICE Wiper Blades

Description: The Trico ICE extreme weather is a winter wiper blade designed to balance beam design with budget constraints. Its one-click connector makes installation a breeze. We found that while they work OK during rainy conditions, the blades may not hold up against snow and ice despite the manufacturers’ claims.

Pros:

• Good price point – under $10
• Beam design hugs the windshield for a better wipe

Cons:

• May struggle in snow or ice conditions

Michelin Stealth Ultra Windshield Wiper Blade

Description: The Michelin Stealth Ultra Windshield Wiper Blade is a hybrid between the conventional frame construction and the new beam design. The frame has a segmented frame that allows for more flexibility and provides more pressure points to make greater contact with the windshield. The rubber blade has a graphite coating for smoother and quieter operation.

Pros:

• Better construction than conventional frames
• The segmented frame provides superior contact
• Graphite-coated rubber blades

Cons:

• Expensive for the marginal gain in performance

Valeo Frameless Ultimate Wiper Blades

Description: The Valeo Frameless Ultimate Wiper Blades come from a French wiper manufacturer that makes a beam-style wipe that is well-suited for all-season performance. Valeo claims that their beam provides 1,500 pressure points to your windshield giving you a smooth, even wipe. The Valeo’s also includes a neat feature that is a visual dot wear indicator that changes from black to yellow when it’s time to change the wiper blades.

Pros:

• Beam style construction
• Visual dot wear indicator

Cons:

• Don’t transition from rain to dry as smoothly as others

PIAA Si-Tech Silicone Wiper Blade

Description: The PIAA Si-Tech Silicone Wiper Blade is a very lovely frameless beam-style wiper that uses silicone blades. This is the best of all worlds and should have outperformed the BOSCH ICON’s but we found them to not be as well constructed and don’t see them lasting the whole winter season.

Pros:

• Frameless beam design
• Silicone blade

Cons:

• Construction feels flimsy

Best Overall Water repellant

Rain-X Glass Cleaner + Rain Repellent

Description: The Rain-X Glass Cleaner + Rain Repellent is a genius idea. The people at Rain-X have combined a glass cleaner with a water repellent. This product will give you a streak-free, clean windshield that will prevent snow, ice, and rain from hindering your visibility.

Pros:

• Easy to apply and requires no buffing
• Also a glass cleaner
• A water repellent prevents sticking
• Convenient

Cons:

• Doesn’t work as well as the Original Rain-X treatment

Honorable Mention: Glass repellents

Rain-X Original Windshield Treatment Glass Water Repellent

Description: This is the original Rain-X Glass water repellent that works really well if you have the time to apply it to your windshield. It requires to be buffed out once it dries with a dry cloth but works fantastically at repelling rain, snow, and ice.

Pros:

• Provide superior water-repellent qualities
• Inexpensive
• Easy to apply

Cons:

• Takes time to apply

Griot’s Garage Glass Sealant

Description: The Griot’s Garage Glass Sealant is very effective as a water repellent that makes rainy weather just glide off your windshield. It creates a hydrophobic surface that repels water easily. This product also works well at removing ice, salt, and bugs that may try to stick to your windshield.

Pros:

• Effective water repellent
• Removes rain, ice, snow, salt, and bugs
• Inexpensive

Cons:

• Requires great care in applying
• Also requires buffing after the application

Best Ceramic Water Repellent

Adam’s UV Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating

Description: Adam’s UV Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating is designed to be used on the entire car to provide an extra layer of protection against dirt, mud, and bugs. But works to repel rain, snow, and ice on the windshield as well. It creates a slick ceramic graphene coating on any surface that repels water or any other debris to give your car a superior shine.

Pros:

• Easy to apply
• Water repellent that lasts
• Works on car parts, wheels, rims, and glass

Cons:

• More expensive than Rain-X but a little goes a long way

Conclusion:

Depending on the weather in your area you may need a wiper like the Bosch Icon which is a great all-season wiper or the Rain-X Latitude with water repellent for maximum rain protection. We hope we have helped find a great wiper to meet your needs this winter season.

We are all things cars.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

• Which wiper blades are the best?

This depends on your budget, needs to be based on your local weather, and how often your frequency of use is. But, based on our reviews we believe the best overall wiper is the BOSCH ICON Wiper blade. It is engineered to be an All-season wiper blade that uses a beam blade design to not be affected by snow and ice buildup. Check out our review above to get all the details about these wiper blades.

• Are silicone wiper blades better than rubber?

Silicone wiper blades ARE better than conventional rubber blades by providing improved durability and can last 6 times longer than rubber blades. Meaning, you can get up to 2 to 4 years out of a pair of silicone wipers. Also, silicone wipers work better in extreme temperatures. But, remember once you experience streaking, skipping, or squeaking you may need to replace them as well.

• Are Bosch Icon blades worth it?

In our opinion, based on our experience the BOSCH ICON wiper blade is well worth it and worth the expense. They provide superior performance in snow and ice and last up to 40% longer than most conventional blades.

• Are expensive wiper blades worth it?

More expensive wiper blades are worth the expense if you consider they last longer, provide better visibility, and have safety features that perform well in rain or snowy situations. We recommend if your budget permits that you invest in higher-end wiper blades.

• How Long Do Windshield Wipers Last?

Windshield wipers generally last 6 months to a year depending on the number of freezing conditions, damage from heat, and frequency of use. After repeated use, you should consider replacing them if you experience water streaking, chattering, or squeaking sounds.

• How To Remove Wiper Blades?

Most wiper blades are easy to remove. Lift the wiper blade away from the windshield, then press the tab under the wiper that connects to the wiper arm. Then simply slide the wiper away from the hook of the arm.

• How To Change Wiper Blades?

Once you have removed the wiper blades the new blades make sure the new blades have the same type of attachment or you may need to use an adapter based on the manufacturer’s instructions. If the attachment looks the same then slide the wiper onto the hook and you should hear a click when the wiper attaches. Place the wiper back on the windshield and test.