But after testing eight different models side-by-side, it seems clear that the premium-replacement market is using basically the same rubber on most models. In theory, better rubber means better wiper life. They have installation instructions for a “Multifunction” wiper, but if you want to buy it you’ll have to search for your car model on Amazon, or figure out a comparable model AERO has an Amazon listing for. The AERO wipers for J-hook cars are easy to find, but if you have some other type of attachment system you’re in for some detective work if you want to buy these wipers. Of note is the Aero website: Aero has a vehicle-compatibility widget, but it has been broken every time we checked. They don’t tell straight up “this is for cheapskates” or “these should be as good as you can get,” you’re mostly left to infer that after looking at prices on a retailer listing. Most parts catalogs are fairly easy to use, but bigger manufacturers like Bosch have four or five different styles of wipers that will fit your car. For most cars on the road, you’ll only have to look up the lengths you need when buying. Rain-X won points here for selling a wiper with a near-universal adapter. We tested on a car with a J-hook connector, which is fairly common, but even if you have a wiper arm that everyone makes adapters for it’s best to check with a parts catalog for the correct length before you buy your wipers. We also checked each brand specifically for wipers compatible with the VW Beetle, Land Rover, and Honda Civic. We left all eight sets of wipers out in the sun for an additional 20 weeks to see what would happen to the rubber. Wear and tear on a wiper’s thin rubber blade is caused by several factors baking in the sun’s ultraviolet-spectrum rays is the most damaging, followed by oxidation from the air. After that break-in period, we tested each wiper to see if it still held up well and wiped away water cleanly. We used each of the eight wipers on a Toyota Corolla for approximately four weeks of testing in real-world conditions in southern California. We selected a price range from $6 to $25 in order to compare premium and budget picks across a variety of popular types. Streaks and noise are the most common complaints, which could result from dirt, but they’re also signs that wipers don’t fit a windshield well. The negative scores on popular wipers (there are always negative reviews) pointed to some consistent problems that cause frustration. We specifically looked for high overall scores to test the best blades against each other. We checked out all the top picks from the Wirecutter review, as well as some alternates they mentioned but didn’t test.įinally, we went to Amazon and other retailers to find the top-rated and most-purchased wiper blades. Wirecutter has picked up where Consumer Reports left off their comparison review is the only one we found that actually attempts to rank wipers against each other. The more prestigious your car, the more likely enthusiasts are to recommend buying replacements from the dealership.Ĭonsumer Reports used to run tests of different wipers across their extensive fleet of test vehicles, but they gave up trying to find “better” wipers and now simply recommend frequent replacement. Many enthusiasts comment that their vehicles don’t work well with universal-fit wipers bought from the auto-parts store or gas station. The few reviews we found presented mostly anecdotal evidence: basically, people put new wiper blades on their cars, and they’re happy, unless the blades don’t fit.īad fit can lead to streaks or even gaps in wiper coverage, so finding wipers that could match the fit of factory-original wipers was at the top of our checklist. We spent days combing the web for clear indications of what makes a superior wiper. If you have a windshield that common wipers won’t fit well, the Bosch – Icon line features different wiper curvatures that should help prevent fit-related problems.
#RAINX WIPER BLADES SIZES INSTALL#
The Rain-X install bracket provides near-universal compatibility, which makes buying the right blades much easier. The Rain-X – Latitude wins our pick for best windshield wiper.
#RAINX WIPER BLADES SIZES FULL#
After a full year of testing eight top-rated windshield wipers in the rain and sun on a Toyota Corolla, we concluded that most wiper brands give you basically the same performance.
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