Best Winter Wiper Blades: Stay Ahead of Arctic Weather | Autance

If your driving takes you through lots of heavy snow, ice, and slush-laden roads, you may want to consider using specially designed winter wiper blades to help you keep a clearer view when things get messy. Falling snow and slushy road spray will often freeze on your wipers and cause the wiping edge to lift off the glass, allowing large areas of your windshield to be left uncleared, and therefore obstructing your view.

Winter blades normally use a very soft rubber covering over the outside of the blade and frame that flexes and ripples with each sweep to prevent ice and snow from building up. This allows the actual wiping surface of the blade to stay in full contact with your windshield for cleaner, clearer vision. They also use blade compounds that remain pliable in extremely low temperatures to avoid tearing and cracking, as well as to prevent ice buildup. Keep your windshield clear with these options for best winter wiper blades.

The Best Winter Wiper Blades 

Best Winter Wiper Blades Buying Guide & FAQ

Well, there you have it—our roundup of the most acclaimed winter wipers on the market. But how did we come to these selections, and how do you choose the right one for your needs?

Here’s a short guide as to how to choose which winter wiper you should roll with. So without further ado, let’s get to the hard-hitting stuff. Well, hard-hitting for winter windshield wipers, that is.

Types of Windshield Wipers

Windshield wipers can be of various designs depending on how they are used and how they are mounted on the vehicle. For example, a single-mount will be an extra-long wiper blade and will typically be seen on trucks, buses, and larger vehicles that can hold the type of large motor mount required to generate the power to move one large blade (and any displaced water).

Dual-mounted blades are by far the most common that we see on passenger vehicles and comprise most of the selections on our list.

In addition, there are blades suited for different kinds of weather—summer, winter, and all-weather. Here are some of the key features you can expect to see on winter wiper blades.

Factors to Consider When Buying Winter Wiper Blades

As mentioned earlier, winter wiper blades are specifically designed to deal with colder temperatures and the ability to shed ice and snow without lifting the wiping surface from your windshield.  Here are a few areas in which they differ from all-season or summer blades.

Special Rubber Compound

Winter blades use rubber compounds that remain more flexible in extremely cold temperatures so they resist cracking and tearing, as well to stay in firm contact with curved glass as they sweep across your windshield.  That added flexibility also aids in shedding ice as the wiper moves, before it builds up on the blades.  Further, some of the treatments on these blades help prevent ice and snow from adhering to them in the first place.

Covered Framework

Conventional wiper blades with exposed framework are very much prone to clogging and freezing in winter conditions, especially if they are metal.  Winter blades use very soft rubber covers over the framework that ripples as the wiper moves to break up and shed ice and snow.  

Beam-type blades already use enclosed framework to hold the wiping surface against the glass, and so are not as likely to freeze up and lift off the windshield as conventional blades, but again winter beam blades are specifically designed to maintain their flexibility and shed ice more readily than their all-season counterparts. 

Attachments

All the winter-beating technology means nothing if you can’t attach the blade to your vehicle’s wiper arms.  Most wiper blades come with adapters that allow easy mounting on the variety of wiper arm ends used on various vehicles.  There are always exceptions that can make those adapters not quite “universal,” but most blades will fit in the range of 96 to 98 percent of vehicles out there, so in all likelihood an aftermarket blade will easily fit your ride. Since the attachment point will not likely be exactly the same as your original equipment blade, be sure to follow the instructions included so you don’t end up breaking the very adapter you might need.

All-Weather Versus Winter Blades

As the name implies, all-weather wiper blades are designed for good performance year-round, while winter blades are specifically engineered to provide extreme cold weather abilities. The compromise between the two means that the softer winter blades deteriorate quicker in warmer weather and sunshine, as compared to all-weather blades. That means that when the worst of winter is over, you’ll want to switch back to all-weather blades for maximum performance and longevity.

Because of their often chunkier construction, another factor to consider with winter blades, particularly the type that uses rubber boots to cover the framework, is that they do not generally have the same aerodynamic qualities as all-weather blades. That means they will often lift off the glass at higher speeds, seriously compromising their effectiveness in rainy conditions at highway speeds, so again, winter blades are for serious winter weather only.

Winter Wiper Blades FAQs:

Sources:

1. Weather Related Accident Statistics—We Love Weather
2. Wiper Installation Guide—YouTube