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Piston Slap: Finding the Right Wiper Blades Is Easier than You Think
Why Is This So Complicated writes:
Dear Sajeev,
The wiper blades on my 2018 Fiesta ST have begun to streak and skip. I figured the rubber has gotten old and hard, and it was time to shop for new ones. (I bought the car used and am not sure how old the wipers are.) I like the folks at the O’Reilly’s down the street from me, and I figured I’d check inventory online to prepare myself before going into the store.
Behold, confusion: Why is a single wiper blade $39.99? That seems ridiculous.
- Is there truly a difference in quality or construction between the $40 and the $20 option?
- How much should I be paying, anyway?
- What is a beam wiper?
- What about rubber versus silicone blades?
- What about the design itself, which sometimes looks solid and sometimes has crossmembers in it?
I live in Michigan, if climate matters.
Sajeev answers:
Climate, usage, and financial concerns all matter, and I thank you for this question. Considering some people just need wiper blades to wipe rainwater off a vintage/specialty vehicle, I suggest that styling also accounts for something in the equation. These new blades can look pretty odd on the older vehicles that many Hagerty readers own.
As the number of your questions suggests, this will not be a simple answer. Or perhaps it is, because you can scroll down to the “Clean Your Wiper Blades” subheading and likely solve your issue.
But if cleaning doesn’t work, let’s start with the lowest-hanging fruit: wiper blade designs.
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The Three Styles of Wiper Blades
Replacement wiper blade designs generally fall into three categories:
- Frame wiper blades: We’ve seen this design for decades, with open holes everywhere that resemble a truss bridge. Frame wipers are cheap and effective, but that cost means many aren’t constructed from durable materials. Also, they are possibly less effective in extreme weather or at higher speeds.
- Beam wiper blades: These flat blades are popular in the aftermarket, though you rarely see them installed on a factory’s assembly line. Beams use sheetmetal under tension, with a spoiler shape to keep the rubber blade pressed against the glass. They are potentially quieter at speed, apply more even pressure to the glass, and do a great job clearing off snow. However they are usually the most expensive option.
- Hybrid wiper blades: Like a gasoline-electric Toyota Prius, the hybrid blade combines two different technologies: It looks like a frame blade but has an aerodynamic cover akin to the spoiler of a beam blade. They are generally mid-priced, and supposedly offer performance similar to a beam blade thanks to those engineered covers.
I have used all three designs over the years, so here are my hot takes:
- Frame wiper blades: They are cheap for a reason, as both the rubber and painted surfaces oxidize quickly. Perhaps higher quality frames (like the ones from Bosch?) do exist, but they smack up against other designs once the price raises to boost their quality.
- Beam wiper blades: This is a love/hate relationship, as the beam’s low profile mean its central mounting point sticks up like twin peaks at the base of the windshield. That’s fine if you need to remove snow at speed, or have a modern truck where you can’t see over the dashboard anyway. But it’s silly looking on a classic/specialty vehicle, because style counts for something.
- Hybrid wiper blades: Perhaps they won’t blow off snow and silence wind as well as the beams, but they are generally cheaper and give any car a modern, OEM look. Those aerodynamic covers also sneak in an integrated mount for the wiper arm, which means they sit nice and low to the glass.
So sign me up for the low-slung, hybrid wiper blades: On my Lincoln Mark VIII, they are so much shorter (in height, not length) than beam wipers that I had to bend the wiper arms down to ensure full contact with the windshield. I still have the beam wiper blades on the Cougar, but it will get hybrids the instant those beams start streaking.
But don’t leave just yet: We haven’t discussed materials, purchasing, or wiper maintenance!
Silicone or Rubber? Winter or … not Winter?
If I lived in a very snowy climate, beam wiper blades would be my choice. And if those climates went below 0-degrees on a regular basis, a winter-tuned beam wiper blade with its signature hard shell is the way to go. Winter wiper blades are generally tested to operate at below -10F, with Bosch claiming their units work at -20F.
One can infer that winter wiper blades are made of silicone, as this synthetic material handles colder weather better than rubber. But silicone is also marketed as longer lasting in windshield wipers, and odds are its chemical composition ensures that is true. Rubber tends to degrade quickly when exposed to UV light, and that isn’t a problem with silicone.
So you should buy silicone wiper blades, right? Not so fast.
Just Clean Your Wiper Blades!
Rubber wiper blades get thrown away far too quickly in our modern society. You will greatly extend the lifespan of a rubber wiper blade with nothing more than the application of isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel.
Isopropyl alcohol is fantastic at removing oxidation, leaving a residue-free surface on a rubber wiper blade. You can also wet-sand a rubber blade with a moistened piece of 1000+ grit sandpaper, and I find the act as therapeutic as polishing a heavily oxidized paint job. (I have done both, but the isopropyl might be easier and more consistent in cleaning, especially if you don’t have fine grit sandpaper lying around.)
When both cleaning and sanding fail to solve the problem, that’s when you need to buy the blade of your choice.
But where do you buy them?
Proper Planning Prevents Pilfering (of Your) Paper
Many folks buy wiper blades when it’s too late to save any money, because we don’t know they are bad until we’re stuck in a downpour. (I used to be guilty of this, too.) I remember a local retailer once told me they prayed for bad weather, because both their wiper blade sales and their corporate performance metrics go through the roof.
While places like Walmart are likely a few dollars cheaper, the local parts store makes bank on blades for good reason. It’s the same reason prepared meals (like sushi) are generally close to both the entrance and the produce section of your local grocery store: Put the high-margin, impulse buys next to the low-margin stuff the customer absolutely needs. That’s fine, but you have a better option for your wallet.
Take a quick look at wiper prices for this reader’s Fiesta, both in person and on Rock Auto. Clearly, some retailers are banking on wiper blades being an impulse buy for desperate consumers. One particular auto parts store I visited offered bonus cash and a free gift if you buy their overpriced beam wiper blades. What a deal!
Conclusion: This Is Easier Than You Think
Readers of this series know to check your oil or tire pressure on a regular basis (either from the gauge cluster, or the old-fashioned way), and that’s the best time to check your wiper blades. Here’s what I recommend:
- Clean the blades first with isopropyl alcohol and a towel.
- Test to see if they still provide streak and chatter-free operation. If so, you are done!
- If not, visit a purely online retailer like RockAuto immediately, and buy new blades there.
- Consolidate multiple parts purchases into a single shipment to save shipping. (Last month I bought wipers along with spark plugs, resulting in a 60–70 percent discount over a retail purchase.)
- I recommend hybrid wiper blades for the vast majority of motorists, but the nicest, winter-friendly beam wiper blades come in handy for many readers. And they are downright affordable if you buy them online.
I’d like to think I covered every base, but I know better. Something has been missed. So I hand it off to you, dear reader of Hagerty Media. Tell us what you think of windshield wiper replacements in modern times in the comments below!
Have a question you’d like answered on Piston Slap? Send your queries to pistonslap@hagerty.com—give us as much detail as possible so we can help! Keep in mind this is a weekly column, so if you need an expedited answer, please tell me in your email.
Hmmm–I Still don’t understand what’s best —
I use PIAA’s silicon. I buy the frame once and just order the refills every year. I get them at Tire Rack. They work great for about a year, and then mediocre for another year if you must go that long. i prefer to do them every year. JMHO.
Great question, great answer and great comments! Sajeev, not sure about your thoughts when it comes to a pitted windshield – wipers wear very quickly when the glass has been pitted/chipped – in areas where sand is used on the highways in winter (where I live in B.C.), the sandblasting creates fine pitting that degrades a wiper and causes streaking regardless of how often you clean them and/or use RainX or similar.
I agree with hyperV6 and MPH302 that OE is the best option for most late-model vehicles. As one who has had 8 company vehicles on which I put hundreds of thousands of miles over the last 20+ years, the OE models always last the longest (and I change out the windshield at least once a year, usually after the winter!) and when cost is factored in, offer the best ROI. Usually, I don’t have to fiddle with changing them either, the dealership does it during my service. 😉
One final thought from someone who worked for a major tire manufacturer – there are only a couple of wiper manufacturers for the aftermarket – Trico being one – and the tire brands (and RainX) put their names on the package, but they are not made by them. Best to save some money by buying wiper brands, not tire brands!
Great topic and discussion!
Pitted windshields need to be replaced, even if you can only get a cheap knockoff hunk of glass and not a factory quality part. I am saying this not because of wiper blade performance, but performance in direct sunlight is heavily compromised with a pitted windshield.
About a decade ago, I put aftermarket glass in my 1988 Mercury Cougar and it was like night and day. It felt like a new car!
Yes! In the spring when the sand is off the roads and I get my new windscreen, it is like I finally cleaned my glasses! 😎
Windshields are another item made by only a few manufacturers, but when in OE, have the Car Manufacturer’s name on them – when manufacturers started to use ‘Acoustic’ glass, I always wanted my replacement to be the same – glass shops said those windshields only went to the manufacturer, but the aftermarket ‘brand’ they used was the same, just with the actual manufacturer’s name.
Great article Sajeev and all the people who provided their feedback.
Wipers are very important when driving any type of motor vehicle. I’m a Canadian, living in Northern Ontario. We receive very harsh winter conditions involving freezing rain, sleet and snow (lots of it). I used to work for a new car dealership and have seen allot of “windshield wiper problems”. I have a piece of advice for individuals who encounter “winter conditions”. When you’re out driving and using your wipers, when you park for the day or overnight, please turn off the wipers before turning off the ignition. Many times I’ve had customers come in during the day with either broken wiper blade or their wiper motor not working. When your vehicle sits in very cold weather your wipers will freeze to the windshield. As soon as you start your vehicle the motor will instantly start working (because you forgot to turn it off). So, the motor is working to move your wipers which are frozen to the windshield. Many time the wipers will be freed, other times the motor is working to try and unstick the wipers. Depending on the temperature, the wiper motor can have a tendency to fail which can be an expensive fix depending on year, make and model. Furthermore this isn’t covered by any manufacturers warranty!
This is my 2 cents worth. Thank goodness we go to Florida for the winter.
You missed one of the two primary advantages of silicone blades.
The first you covered, but kind of dismissed – longer life. Natural rubber blades are typically dead in a year, I’ve run silicone blades for 3-4.
The second, and bigger, advantage is that the silicone treats the glass like Rain-X so the water beads and you can see between the drops instead of trying to look through a film.
The visibility advantage alone is worth the extra cost, but the additional longevity means that they are not actually more expensive.