Are winter wipers worth it? Here’s how they differ from regular blades – Jalopnik

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Winter wipers are different from conventional wiper blades, and it all comes down to the construction and design. You may come across a variety of winter wiper blades during your online search, but there are two general types. Conventional winter wipers have a similar frame construction to the all-season wiper, but the wiper body has a rubber boot to protect the hinged parts from freezing. Winter wipers are also available in a frameless design with bar blades. They look cool and the streamlined construction presses the blades evenly onto the windshield to efficiently wipe away ice and precipitation. With this in mind, you’re probably wondering which design to choose, and whether winter wipers are worth it at all.

Wiper blades are made of silicone or rubber. While silicone wiper blades are not necessarily better than rubber, as they both remove dirt, moisture, and grime well, silicone wiper blades can last twice as long. Silicone blades are also superior in the cold, thanks to their flexible and resilient materials, but they cost almost two to three times as much. If you don’t mind paying more, silicone wiper blades are worth the extra dollar. You can consider it as a long-term investment to ensure clear vision while driving in all weather conditions. But as the onset of frigid weather brings new challenges, you may need specialized winter wipers to tackle extreme conditions.

Winter wipers can come with silicone or rubber blades. The latter usually have a thicker rubber material to survive the winter season without premature tearing. Winter wipers are worth it if you live in a snowy climate. Otherwise, a decent set of silicone or rubber all-weather wipers will do the trick.

A regular set of windshield wipers for your car or SUV costs about $15 to $35. Silicone wipers are more expensive than old-fashioned rubber wipers, but winter wipers are still more expensive. The Rain-X silicone AdvantEdge is technically an all-weather wiper, but it has a ton of features to help it survive winter’s beatings. The aero-optimized jet design and silicone blade, reinforced with a protective barrier, can perform in extreme heat or cold. The downside is that it costs about $35 to $37 per blade, but Rain-X has been in the business long enough to know what it’s doing.

A somewhat cheaper option is the Peak Snow Beast. They cost about $17 to $23 each, and feature a beam design with a rugged synthetic rubber blade that can plow through heavy snow and ice on the windshield. Meanwhile, the Trico Chill features durable high-quality steel construction, a protective rubber boot, and a heavier rubber blade designed to survive freezing temperatures. Winter wipers with silicone blades are more expensive, but rubber wipers can hold their own due to their reinforced construction and budget-friendly price.

Sure, winter wipers are designed and built to take a beating, but they can fail or perform poorly if not maintained. Although silicone blades are more resistant to frost, they can still stick to the windshield and freeze in severe icy conditions, and the same goes for winter-optimized rubber wipers. It’s a good idea to carefully lift each wiper off the frozen windshield before use. This prevents the wiper blades from tearing. Additionally, scraping ice off the windshield is one of the unspoken rules of winter driving for obvious reasons.

Before parking your car in freezing weather, consider removing the wiper blades from the windshield to prevent them from sticking; it’s one of the best winter car hacks out there. It won’t exactly help in heavy snow, but it can prevent premature wear on the wiper blades if it gets cold enough. Refilling the windshield washer reservoir with windshield washer fluid for the winter has two main benefits: the antifreeze solution can prevent the blades from freezing and makes it easier to sweep away snow, ice and other debris.

Finally, make it a habit to regularly clean the wiper blades with warm water, washer fluid and a microfiber cloth. You’d be surprised how dirty the wiper blades can get, and keeping them clean makes them more efficient at improving visibility.