What are your favorite windshield wiper blades?

"Stupidru" (Schm1an) 04/30/2014 at 13:09 • Filed to: None

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The time of year is upon us- springtime which brings showers, thunderstorms, and brown lawns. This week we're having nothing but a constant supply of vertical water, which inevitably pools on our precious tarmac and makes for dangerous driving. Furthermore, if you can't clear the water from your vision, you may be the cause of everybody's favorite rush-hour backup which brings me to my question: What is your favorite windshield wiper blade?

Michelin? RainX? Bosch? PIAA? Valeo? Let me know your thoughts.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Stupidru 04/30/2014 at 13:12

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Right now? Bosch Evolution:

Stupidru > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 04/30/2014 at 13:14

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I've run through a few sets of Bosch Icons. While they're amaze-balls, they're never consistent with their durability. My first set lasted almost 18 months, and this last set has lasted probably 7 months until water starts to slip under the blade and create a nice arc of beaded water across my windshield.

How do the Evolutions and the Icons differ?

Arben72 > Stupidru 04/30/2014 at 13:15

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Bosh Icons and whatever is the oem for my bmw. No streaks for over a year.

505Turbeaux > Stupidru 04/30/2014 at 13:16

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not to heist your post but Montegoman was asking about this earlier today http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/its-gonna-rain…

Join forces! Must be raining out or something

thebigbossyboss > Stupidru 04/30/2014 at 13:20

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Question: When I bought my car it had one 22 inch wiper and one 7 inch wiper instead of the 14-15 inches combo it was supposed to have. I have kept it like this. Is there any disadvantages to doing this?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Stupidru 04/30/2014 at 13:20

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Icons have a spoiler, and appear to be mostly for OE beam blade applications. Evolutions I think are more for replacing standard app. Thus, I think the Icons are better at speed, but the Evolutions probably last a bit longer at an "acceptable" operating level (less time at "excellent" and flex to match the windshield a bit more, particularly at low speed.

Stupidru > 505Turbeaux 04/30/2014 at 13:20

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Dammit! Thanks for the heads up!

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Stupidru 04/30/2014 at 13:22

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Also, Icons have a fancier edge, fancier rubber formulation. Evolutions are just natural rubber.

Stupidru > thebigbossyboss 04/30/2014 at 13:28

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I usually don't mess with wiper blade sizes. I can't imagine having 1 massive wiper and 1 tiny wiper would be any better. I'd advise that you go back to OEM sizes

Stupidru > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 04/30/2014 at 13:29

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Interesting... thanks!

My hovercraft is full of eels > Stupidru 04/30/2014 at 13:31

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I have tried a number of brands over the years. Valeo and Champion were OK, but nothing came close to Bosch Aerotwin.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Stupidru 04/30/2014 at 13:38

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I think original Ford Falcons use an unequal length combo - small wiper wiping for the driver through 90 degrees, big wiper wiping from just left of center through the right side. Kind of an attempt to clear more of a square for the driver, while having enough wiper to clear the right side "sort of".

Meatcoma > Stupidru 04/30/2014 at 13:41

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I use the Rain X blades, they are pretty decent.

thebigbossyboss > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 04/30/2014 at 13:48

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Toyota Sienna's also have an unequal combo. Drivers: 24 inch. Passengers: 18 inch.

thebigbossyboss > Stupidru 04/30/2014 at 13:49

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I will probably just leave it for now. I kinda like it with the massive wiper haha. Its like a 190...but not. lol. Edit: Almost time to buy new ones, maybe I will embiggen the passenger one a bit this time and emsmallen the driver one and see what happens.

lonestranger > Stupidru 04/30/2014 at 14:26

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... unless, of course, the OEM specs one massive wiper & one tiny one. My Mom's Yaris is 26" driver's side, and 14" passenger's. The way everything is arranged, it actually works quite well. Finding a 14" blade that is the same brand/model as the 26" is a challenge, though.

lonestranger > Stupidru 04/30/2014 at 14:36

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I normally change them fairly regularly, though not every single year. The Rain-X ones (Latitude?) I have now have been on there for probably 4 years or more. That's 4 Canadian Rocky Mountain winters & 4 Canadian desert summers. Even now, they're still not too bad.

I'll never go back to the old-style exposed metal spring type, if only for the fact that they get fill of snow & ice. I'm probably going to replace mine soon with Bosch, either Evolution or Icon.

extraspecialbitter > Stupidru 04/30/2014 at 14:41

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I wonder when they're gonna start developing multi-blades, a la Gillette's Mach 5.

thebigbossyboss > lonestranger 04/30/2014 at 15:08

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Yup. I usually have different wipers on at all times because of this lol. Geez 26" on a Yaris must be about the entire window hahaa.

Stupidru > extraspecialbitter 04/30/2014 at 15:35

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and then mark the price up over the years which is exactly why I went to the double-edge razor like our grandfathers grew up with

lonestranger > thebigbossyboss 04/30/2014 at 18:06

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It does cover nearly all of it. The new Yaris makes due with only one wiper.

elvinrivera > extraspecialbitter 05/06/2014 at 04:13

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They've made twin blades for years but need to have a car equipped with adhesive vents, fake shark-fin antennae, chrome wheel well trim, blue headlights, and a tall rear wing for them to work properly. Bummer.