The 5 Best Windshield Wipers, According To The Experts

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Ensuring that your vehicle is running efficiently and safely is a non-stop task that involves a veritable laundry list of vital tasks that automotive pros label as “routine maintenance.” That list, of course, includes things like regular oil and filter changes and tire inspections. But when it comes to ensuring your safety while driving in inclement weather, having quality windshield wipers is vital. After all, driving in such conditions with wipers that fail to remove rain, fog, and snow from your windshield is not only frustrating but also dangerous for you and every other driver on the road.

Even as important as it is to select the best wipers for your vehicle, the process of doing so can be particularly difficult, as there’s no shortage of options in the windshield wiper market. Cost and effectiveness will factor heavily in the decision-making process for most drivers. But those in the market for new wipers will also be looking to procure windshield wipers that are durable and easy to install. According to a few trusted automotive experts, these wipers should satisfy on all of those particular fronts. 

It seems fitting that we start this list with a windshield wiper blade that topped Car and Driver’s recent list of the best on the market. Not surprisingly, those wiper blades are made by one of the most prominent names in the market, Rain-X. If you’re familiar with the Rain-X brand, you know that limiting moisture is its primary focus. And according to Car and Driver, Rain-X’s Latitude Water Repellent blades are the best you can buy.

Just for the record, we also ranked the Rain-X brand high on our list of the best wiper blades. According to the Car and Driver rankings, the hydrophobic coating on the brand’s Latitude Water Repellent Wiper Blades — which is applied as they wipe — makes them particularly effective in repelling moisture from your windshield even while they’re not in action. Meanwhile, the blades themselves immediately improved visibility when subjected to Car and Driver’s testing. They were also deemed noticeably quiet when pressed into action, with Car and Driver further reporting zero streaking during use.

Car and Driver did, however, note that the blade’s locking clasp mechanism can make them difficult to remove and swap out. Nonetheless, the wipers are among the more budget-friendly listed, with Rain-X typically selling a two-pack on Amazon for $34 (depending on size). 

Folks who instead look to Road & Track for their automotive news might be quick to tell you that publication deemed a set made by Bosch may provide the best bang for your rain-removing buck. We should note, however, that Bosch’s Icon Beam Wiper Blades will actually cost you quite a bit more than the Rain-X option. The German company — who also makes well-regarded power tools — selling them for $54 a pair on Amazon.

We should, perhaps, also note that these blades are rated a little better than the Rain-X wipers by Amazon shoppers, who’ve rated them at 4.6 stars to the latter’s 4.3 stars. But since we’re focusing on the expert opinion here, we’ll keep the focus on Road & Track’s assessment of the Bosch blades. And according to that publication, the minimalist-designed Icon Beam Blades are well-made and easy to install.

Most importantly, Road & Track claims these blades are effective at combating the elements in inclement weather due to the design that fits them snugly onto the windshield. This ensures the blades are applying even, end-to-end pressure on the glass with each swipe back and forth. Road & Track notes that the design leaves little room for streaking even in heavier weather events and produces little to no juddering. Still, the publication also claims they may need a little extra attention in ice and snow.

Those first two windshield wiper blades provide consumers in need with options that can be purchased at a reasonable-enough price point. But if money is not your primary point of concern when it comes to upgrading the wiper blades on your vehicle, Road & Track believes that PIAA’s Si-Tech Silicon Wiper Blades are well worth a look.

Make no mistake, these wiper blades are quite pricey, with PIAA currently listing the Si-Tech Silicone Wiper Blade at a per-blade rate of $45 through its Amazon storefront. But even at roughly $90 a pair (depending on car model), Road & Track claims they may be worth the investment. Not only does the publication say that the silicon design outperformed most of the rubber-based blades it tested in terms of streak-free wiping and noise production, but it also notes the aerodynamic, low-profile look makes them easy on the eyes. The design also makes them more resistant to airflow, ensuring steadier contact with the windshield when driving in the rain. 

As impressed as Road & Track was with the wiper blades, even that publication notes that the installation process is trickier than with most other brands tested. YouTuber Eddie M Cars seemingly backs up that claim in their own positive review. By most accounts, the silicon design may also make these pricey PIAA more resistant to wear and tear than your standard rubber build. That means they may, ultimately, save you a buck or two over budget brands that tend to require more frequent replacing.  

If you’re not willing to pony up for those fancy silicon PIAA wiper blades, Car and Driver would have you believe that the Aero Voyager is one of the better budget-conscious options you’ll find. That’s even more true of the Voyager, as the publication points out that this model actually comes with extra rubber refills in the box. That option essentially extends the lifetime of the wipers via an easy, money-saving replacement process. On top of that, the Aero Voyagers are being sold at a cost of just $17 for a pair on Amazon, making them the cheapest option on this list. But there is a cost to pay with that low sticker price, as Car and Driver claims that you may see some noticeable streaking even with a new pair of these wiper blades, particularly with drier wipes.

For the record, the auto experts at GearJunkie noted the same dry-wiping issue in its Best Wiper ranking, where the Aero Voyagers also took the Best Budget option crown. Apart from the dry wipe issue, both factions note that wipers still provide exceptional function at the price point and are far quieter than you might expect for a budget brand. They also state that the Voyagers are easy to install for most J-hook setups, with GearJunkie also noting that their Teflon coating increases both their wiping ability and their durability. At $17 for a pair, these are the sort of features that should intrigue anyone looking for new wiper blades.

We’d wager that most of you are already aware of the windshield wiper manufacturers we’ve already listed, as they are regular fixtures on the shelves of automotive and big box retailers. To that end, you’re likely not surprised to see their blades topping best of lists assembled by automotive experts. But we’d also wager that neither of those things is true when it comes to the AutoBoo brand, even as Road & Track recently deemed its Quiet Windshield Wiper blades the best value on the market. 

As far as pricing goes, the AutoBoo brand typically lists a pair of the Road & Track approved blades for just under $20 through Amazon. That price should be enticing enough for a pair of new wiper blades, particularly ones that are well-rated by automotive professionals and even garage-dwelling TikTokers like @life.full.of.mac. 

It should be noted that even positive reviewers claim that the AutoBoo wipers may not match up to blades from the more expensive major brands in terms of overall construction and extreme weather performance. But most reviews also claim that the blades feel like they consistently over-perform compared to other budget brands that cost more. Moreover, Road & Track deemed these blades very easy to install, claiming they went on with less effort than any other brand it tested. With that, they rated well in terms of noise and streak free operation in moderate weather tests.  

The purpose of this article is to highlight a few of the windshield wipers on the market that have been deemed the best available by legitimate automotive experts. In assembling this list, we sought out reviews by trusted automotive sites like those cited above, and selected a few of the options they reviewed positively, accounting for additional factors like ease of installation and price point. Whenever appropriate, reviews from those auto professionals were cited directly to ensure accuracy.