A crucial maintenance procedure that’s often overlooked and sometimes even disregarded is choosing the right wiper blades for your car. Incompatible wiper blades or ones that aren’t well-suited for your car reduce its effectiveness, which in turn can be downright dangerous. That’s not all, a wrong set can also do irreversible damage to your windscreen and that, as you may have heard, can be expensive and time-consuming to fix.

Not too long ago, almost every car used a similar set of conventional wiper blades, however, they’ve evolved and can be had in multiple forms. Here’s how you can pick the right ones.

Does It Matter What Windshield Wipers I Get?

A car company doesn’t just slap on a random pair of windshield wipers on the production line. They know things like the curvature and dimensions of the windscreen which allows them to select the most appropriate wiper blades. Here’s how you can make sure you’re going by the books.

Styles of Wiper Blades

Wiper blades are generally available in three styles – conventional, beam, and hybrid. Depending on what your car runs, there’s a chance that you can upgrade from one style to another, and enjoy the perks of new technologies!

Conventional Wiper Blades

Of the three, conventional blades are still the most common. However, they are also the oldest type of blades and that becomes quite clear when you look at their workings.

A conventional blade is straighter and has intermittent pressure points, which means it is best suited for slightly flatter windshields. While there’s nothing wrong with that, flat windshields are less common nowadays.

Beam Wiper Blades

What we see more of nowadays are modern windscreens that are contoured for improved aerodynamic efficiency. That’s where beam-style wipers blades come in. These blades have a stronger curve and a continuous pressure point helping them form a stronger connection with the windscreen throughout the length of the blade.

Additionally, as a single piece with no exposed or moving parts, beam-style wiper blades are less susceptible to damage. The more aerodynamic design also ensures they don’t lift away when you’re driving at high speeds.

They also look nicer and for all those car owners out there who are focused on aesthetics, that could prove to be a great selling point. With all these advantages, as you may expect, these happen to be one of the most expensive styles of wipers.

Hybrid Wiper Blades

Hybrid wiper blades, as the name suggests, uses features from conventional and beam styles. While it still uses a frame like the conventional type, it gets an aerodynamic cover that pushes the blade down on the windshield better.

If your car came with a conventional style wiper blade from the factory, you can switch to a more efficient beam or hybrid set-up. However, it’s not recommended to go from one of the more modern styles to a conventional wiper blade.

Types of Connectors

Make sure to pay attention to the connector of the wiper blade, this is where it meets the wiper arm. While there are multiple types of connectors, the most widely used ones are the hook, side post, and bayonet. These connectors have been designed to allow easy replacement of the wiper, but one has to keep in mind that they cannot be interchanged.

Wipers are under pressure at high speeds and one that hasn’t been fitted properly won’t withstand the conditions. There’s also a bayonet connector that requires the use of screws, if that is the case with your car, you’ll require a screwdriver.

Many wiper companies include universal connectors with new blades, allowing for easy fitment of multiple types of connectors. That being said, it’s best to make sure that it comes with the appropriate connector in the package.

Wiper Blade Size

As we discussed earlier, car companies recommend specific sizes of wiper blades. It’s best to stick to these sizes. In most cases, the driver-side wiper blade will be longer as compared to the one on the passenger side.

If your car has wipers at the rear, make sure to check its size as well before getting your order in. Larger than recommended wiper blades will likely come in contact with each other while being used, while shorter ones just won’t clean as much of the windscreen.

What Wiper Blade Material Should I Look For?

When it comes to wipers, silicone ones happen to be the latest development in the market. These wipers surpass rubber ones when it comes to durability and especially if you’re living in hotter conditions. Rubber wiper blades tend to harden rather quickly when exposed to high temperatures, rendering them ineffective. So if you are looking for wiper blades that will withstand the hot weather, silicone is the way to go.

Along with durability, silicone wiper blades also have other advantages. Ever noticed a screeching sound emitting from your windshield wipers, especially when there is just light rainfall? That’s likely due to the graphite coating, which needs a lot more water than what a simple drizzle provides for better lubrication.

Silicone windshield wipers tend to skip when there isn’t enough water and that’s because they are generally softer in composition compared to their rubber counterparts. However, this should be solved after a few wipes since silicone wipers leave behind a water-repellant layer as they operate.

Are Premium Wiper Blades Worth It?

Pricing is a factor that can affect your buying decision in a big way. Most premium silicone wipers still cost significantly more than natural rubber ones. As we have broken down above, there are several advantages that come with the premium silicone wiper blades. This includes superior performance and durability which, in turn, contributes to a much safer driving experience.

One also has to consider the fact that these high-end products have been put through comprehensive research and development. There’s also the fact that silicone wipers last longer than rubber ones, saving you the added cost of replacing them over and over again.

With all of this taken into consideration, the added premium is worth it if you want the best for your car. And since it’s also a matter of safety, splurging a bit more should definitely be worth it in the larger scheme of things.

Find Quality Wiper Blades For Your Car!

Here at Newparts.com, we carry a wide range of wiper blades that come from the Genuine, OEM and aftermarket segment. To find a set that perfectly matches your car, simply head over to our online store and select your car via our car selection tool. Don’t compromise your ability to see in bad weather conditions, drive safe!